Worplesdon Primary School

Worplesdon Primary School Inspection report

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125025 Unique Reference Number Surrey Local Authority 328266 Inspection number 29 September 2008 Inspection date John Earish Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 416 School (total) 62 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The local authority Appropriate authority Mr A Parsons Headteacher 4 October 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Envis Way School address Fairlands Guildford GU3 3NL 01483 232126 Telephone number 01483 234676 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 29 September 2008 Inspection date 328266 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. 2 of 9 Inspection Report: Worplesdon Primary School, 29 September 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors who evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school. The inspectors looked particularly at the children's progress and standards as they move through the school, as well as the impact of initiatives taken by school leaders to raise standards and the quality of provision. The inspectors met with staff, governors and pupils. Parts of some lessons were observed, parents' questionnaires and a sample of pupils' work were examined and school information, including self-evaluation, was scrutinised. Other aspects of the school's work were not investigated in detail, but the inspectors found no evidence to suggest that the school's own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in the report.

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Description of the school

This larger than average sized school serves the village of Worplesdon near Guildford. Pupils come from a wide variety of social backgrounds and are almost all of White British heritage. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties varies from year to year but is just above that found nationally. The school is fortunate to have both a purpose built performing arts centre and a swimming pool. It has received the Healthy School Award and Sport England Activemark.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Worplesdon Primary School, 29 September 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school where pupils achieve well. It has a number of strengths, mostly relating to the curriculum, pupils' care, personal development and well being, which are of outstanding quality. The overwhelming majority of parents believe their children enjoy school and are cared for very well. One parent wrote, 'In my opinion the school well exceeds the standard that you are lead to believe exists in the UK.' For many years, the pupils have attained significantly above average standards overall by the age of 11 years. This represents good achievement from their starting points in Year 1. Attainment by the age of 7 years has improved since the last inspection. Standards are now significantly above average in reading, writing and mathematics and have been for the past two years. Those pupils who have difficulty with reading and writing also make good progress and achieve well. Achievement is good because teaching and learning are of consistently good quality.

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Grade: 2

Relationships are exemplary and, as a result, most pupils work hard and learn at a good rate. Teaching assistants provide good quality, targeted support. This means that pupils who have learning difficulties are able to play a full part in lessons and achieve well. Teachers have successfully raised the levels of challenge by increasing the opportunities for pupils of all abilities to work independently or in small groups to solve problems and explore their own ideas. Pupils say they enjoy learning this way because it is both challenging, fun and you learn quickly. Occasionally, teachers follow lesson plans too closely and do not allow pupils to pursue their own ideas early enough or fail to give them sufficient time to do so. This hinders the development of independent learning. Pupils' personal development and provision for their care, support and guidance are outstanding. This is because the teachers are particularly good at supporting the pupils' personal and academic

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Grade: 2

progress so they can achieve well. This underpins much of the school's continuing success. Pupils are lively, enthusiastic and behave extremely well. They take great pride in all that they do and find their personal targets both useful and challenging. Pupils are very well aware of the importance of healthy eating and staying safe and do their very best to follow this guidance. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. The very active school council take their responsibilities very seriously and understand the social and environmental implications of their actions. For example, they have worked successfully with the catering services to improve the quality of school meals and lunchtime arrangements. This has resulted in an increase in the numbers eating healthily at lunchtime. Attendance is well above the national average and is further evidence that pupils enjoy coming to school. Pupils rapidly acquire literacy,

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Grade: 2

numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills which is excellent preparation for future life and learning. The curriculum is outstanding and is enriched with a splendid range of additional activities which pupils thoroughly enjoy. A particular strength is the provision for the performing arts, sports and foreign languages. There are also numerous clubs and activities, theme days, trips, residential visits and various other activities that support pupils' personal, social and citizenship skills extremely well. ICT is used very effectively to support learning in a number of subjects and a thematic approach to learning is helping pupils to see how the different aspects of their learning fit together. 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Worplesdon Primary School, 29 September 2008 Leadership and management are good. The effective leadership of the headteacher and his deputy has inspired the adults to strive to make it outstanding in every way. All the adults are

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Grade: 2

working well together to achieve this. Management responsibilities have recently been restructured. Very effective self-evaluation has resulted in a detailed improvement plan to support these aspirations. A key feature of this strategy is increasing the influence of subject managers in monitoring and evaluating the quality of learning across the school to ensure consistently rapid progress is all classes. Governors are now becoming more involved in the strategic management of the school and in holding it to account for its progress. There is a good capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 2

Provision in the Reception classes is good because leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are strong. Adults work well together as a team and show a strong determination to ensure that all children reach their potential. Parents are pleased with the start their children make and appreciate the home visits at the beginning of the year to ease the transition from home to school. One parent, representing the views of many others, wrote 'The settling-in period has been fantastic and he loved having his teachers (and teaching assistants) visit him at home before he started.' Children behave well and develop very positive relationships because they are well supported to meet their teachers' high expectations of them. Most children start school with skills and abilities that are similar to those expected for their age. They make good progress because they receive consistently good teaching from

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Grade: 2

enthusiastic, committed staff who are constantly striving to innovate. Staff diligently observe and record children's achievements and use these well to plan the next steps in learning. Children are very well cared for and their safety, health and well-being are paramount. Currently, the well resourced outside play area is separated from the classroom by a wide thoroughfare. Building work over half term will create an additional all weather area for outdoor learning with canopies and new gates and fences. This will remove the thoroughfare and enable a greater free flow of activities between classrooms and the outdoors.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Build on the good start at increasing the influence of subject leaders at monitoring and evaluating the quality of learning to sustain pupils' rapid progress across the school. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Worplesdon Primary School, 29 September 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Worplesdon Primary School, 29 September 2008

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Worplesdon Primary School, 29 September 2008

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Worplesdon Primary School, 29 September 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

10 October 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Worplesdon Primary School,Guildford,GU3 3NL Thank you very much for making us so welcome when we visited your school recently. We were very impressed with your friendliness and your sensible and helpful attitudes towards each other. We believe, like you, that you go to a good school. We also feel that in many areas your school is outstanding. This means that it does some things very well indeed. We particularly liked the fact that you do so well in English, mathematics and science. You enjoy your school and want to do well. You behave extremely well, and help and support each other in all that you do. This means that your teachers can get on with teaching you new and interesting things and are not distracted by any misbehaviour. You also told us that you find the lessons fun and usually challenging. The teaching in your school is good and often better, and it means that, together with your positive attitudes to work, you make good progress. You

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

could help your teachers by telling them when you find the work too easy. Your school is good and has been for many years partly because the adults run the school well. They know your needs and are always looking at ways to improve your learning. To make it even better, however, we are asking your teachers to check regularly how well you are learning in class. This will help them to make your work even better than it is so that you make even faster progress than you do already. We are sure that you are ready for this challenge! We hope that you have great success in the future. Yours sincerely, John Earish Lead Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Worplesdon Primary School, 29 September 2008

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