Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School

Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School Inspection report

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133303 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 328690 Inspection number 18–19 November 2008 Inspection dates Alison Storey HMI 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 268 School (total) 0 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 governing body Appropriate authority Mr Richard Setford Chair Ms Carol Koerner Headteacher 13 September 2007 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Prospect Lane School address Havant PO9 5PE 02392 484545 Telephone number

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4–11 Age group 18–19 November 2008 Inspection dates 328690 Inspection number 02392 456550 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 18–19 November 2008 Inspection dates 328690 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. 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School, 18–19 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Sharps Copse is a larger than average primary school with more boys than girls. Almost all pupils are from a White British background. The school serves families from a wide range of backgrounds, some of whom face particular economic and social challenges. About one third of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. Nearly half the pupils are identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities, a proportion that is more than twice the national average. Most of these pupils have moderate or severe learning needs. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational need is below average. There are two Reception classes in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The school shares a site with Sharps Copse Children and Families Centre, which is separately managed. The Centre provides nursery education and before and after school childcare. The school and the Centre

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Description of the school

are part of the Leigh Park Community Improvement Partnership, which provides extended learning opportunities and services to children and their families. The last inspection in September 2007 issued the school with a Notice to Improve, because significant improvement was required in relation to pupils' standards and achievement and to teaching and learning.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School, 18–19 November 2008

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Grade: 3

As one parent said, 'Since the last inspection I think the school has greatly improved and is continuing to do so'. The headteacher and her senior team have achieved a great deal in the last year because they have had a clear focus on improving the quality of education pupils receive and the progress that they make. At the same time they have maintained the school's strengths, particularly the care and support for pupils, the provision for children in the EYFS, and the quality of middle leaders has been developed. As a result, Sharps Copse is now providing a satisfactory standard of education and its capacity to improve further is good. Therefore, in accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement. This really is a school where every child matters. Pupils are extremely well cared for across the

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Grade: 3

school. Very strong partnerships between staff, outside agencies and parents ensure high quality support for all pupils, and particularly those with emotional, social or learning difficulties. Pupils develop good personal and social skills and positive attitudes to learning. As another parent said, 'My children are flourishing because of the ethos of the school'. There has been a considerable improvement in the quality of teaching and learning. Almost all lessons are now satisfactory and a significant number are good or better. There are many positive features of teaching and learning, but there are also some weaknesses. Lessons do not always meet all pupils' needs or involve them enough in understanding what they are learning and what they need to do to improve. The curriculum is satisfactory. The full range of subjects is taught, with an appropriate focus on basic skills and developing pupils' personal and social

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Grade: 3

skills. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to use their information and communication technology (ICT) skills across other subjects. The school now has more rigorous systems for tracking pupils' progress and increasingly challenging targets are raising the expectations of the progress pupils should make over time. Senior leaders look carefully at how well each pupil is doing in relation to these targets at least twice a year and ensure that where pupils need extra support they get it sooner rather than later. Pupils' achievement is now satisfactory. The combination of better teaching and learning, more regular checks on how well pupils are doing and the range of additional support has improved the progress pupils make over time, including those who have learning difficulties. As a result, standards have risen in reading, writing and mathematics although previous underachievement

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Grade: 3

means they are still low compared with those seen nationally at age seven and age 11.

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Grade: 2

Children get off to a flying start in the Reception classes. Home visits for every child and good links with the Nursery in the Children and Families Centre help staff, children and their parents to get to know each other and quickly form good relationships. Children are happy to come into school each morning; the classrooms are welcoming, exciting places to be and routines are well established. The experienced team of staff are well led. The EYFS leader has a real understanding of how young children learn which has influenced the development of the curriculum over the last two years. Children experience a range of activities in all the areas of learning, with a particular focus on personal, social and emotional development, communication, 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School, 18–19 November 2008 language, literacy and mathematical skills which provide a good base for future learning.

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Grade: 2

Sometimes children are asked to work alongside adults who develop their learning through talking to them and asking questions. At other times, they choose from a selection of activities and work either independently or with other children. There are also opportunities each day when they are encouraged to take responsibility for planning their own activities and reviewing them afterwards. Learning takes place indoors and outdoors, although the use of the outdoor area is not as good as it could be. Access is restricted to specific times and limited by the weather because there is a lack of wet weather resources and shelter. Regular observations give staff a clear picture of what children can do, which they use well to plan the next steps in learning. Tracking over time and adapting the curriculum to their needs ensures children make good progress from low starting points. In the last two years most have developed the range of skills

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Grade: 2

expected of five year olds, and increasingly some exceed them.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards in English and mathematics by improving the rate of progress pupils make over time. ■ Improve the quality of teaching and learning to consistently meets the needs of pupils of all abilities and help them to understand how to improve. ■ Develop the use of information and communication technology across the curriculum.

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What the school should do to improve further

A small proportion of schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

In 2008, by age seven nearly half the pupils reached the expected level in reading and writing and three-quarters in mathematics. Provisional data indicates that by age 11, nearly two-thirds reached the expected level in English and just over half in mathematics. Although this is an improvement since the last inspection, standards are still low because these proportions are lower than seen nationally and at both ages few pupils reach the higher levels. Nevertheless, pupils' achievement in relation to their starting points is now satisfactory. Evidence from national assessments, the school's own data, observations and pupils' work shows that progress is usually satisfactory and that over the last year it has accelerated in some classes and subjects. For example, last year most pupils in Year 6 made good progress because teaching and learning have improved overall and extra support was given to boost their learning. This

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Grade: 3

better progress made up for previous underachievement. Pupils with learning difficulties make satisfactory progress overall. They usually make good progress when they work outside the classroom in small groups or individually because the work is closely matched to their needs. However, this is not always the case when they are taught as part of a class.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral and social development, are good. Pupils' cultural development is satisfactory. They have a good grasp 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School, 18–19 November 2008 of the cultural dimensions of other countries through their charity work, and pen-pal links but their understanding of living in a multicultural, multifaith country is less well developed. Relationships throughout the school are positive because pupils are well behaved, friendly, and polite. They contribute well to the school and wider community by helping with a range of tasks. The youngest children learn to look after each other through jobs such as serving and tidying away at snack time, whilst the oldest pupils take pride in responsibilities such as managing the school office at lunchtime or acting as playground pals and lunchtime friends to the younger

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Grade: 2

pupils. By Year 6, pupils are developing a good commitment to health through eating sensibly and taking regular exercise. Pupils make satisfactory progress in developing basic literacy and numeracy skills, which with their good social skills prepares them adequately for the next stage of their education and future life. Attendance rates are improving because of the extremely rigorous procedures that are in place. However, despite the school's best efforts not all parents ensure that their children get to school on time in the morning.

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Grade: 3

The focus on improving teaching and learning through training for teachers and teaching assistants and regular monitoring of lessons has been successful. Teaching and learning are now satisfactory overall and about half of lessons are good. Pupils enjoy learning because teachers plan work to capture their interest and manage behaviour well so that there is a calm, purposeful atmosphere. The good lessons have an emphasis on pupils' learning and activities are planned to challenge pupils of different abilities. There is a brisk pace and a good balance between the teacher talking and opportunities for pupils to contribute to discussions. Teachers make sure pupils understand what they are learning and how they will know whether they have been successful. They use questions to check pupils understanding and encourage them to assess their own progress. However, there are still some weaknesses in teaching and learning. Teachers do not always

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Grade: 3

take account of the full range of abilities within a class or use teaching assistants effectively throughout the lesson to help those pupils who may need extra support or challenge. Sometimes there is too much teacher talking and not enough discussion to help pupils understand how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. A range of intervention programmes to address underachievement in English and mathematics is beginning to impact on standards and a recent focus on reading has led to improvement across the school. The programme for personal, social and health education (PHSE) underpins the positive attitudes and behaviour shown by pupils in lessons and around school. Pupils particularly enjoy lessons which are linked to real-life situations, for example the Snack Shack topic in Numeracy and enrichment activities, such as outdoor learning or contributing to the school newspaper. The school recognises this and is involving pupils in its review of learning this year. The recent investment in ICT equipment has improved resources across the 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School, 18–19 November 2008 school, but pupils do not have enough opportunities to use their ICT skills to support their

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Grade: 2

The pastoral care and support for pupils is outstanding. Procedures to ensure their health and safety are extremely thorough and robust. Pupils recognise and value this; they often mention how safe the school is and know staff will help them. The early identification and very effective support for pupils with emotional or social difficulties is a real strength of the school. The nurture team, led by the Inclusion Manager, and including the teaching assistants who run the nurture group, a home-school link worker and a learning mentor, provide exceptional support which is highly valued by parents and has been recognised by a national award. Excellent links with other agencies as part of the local partnership support pupils' and their families' well-being and promote community cohesion well at a local level. The school has worked hard over the last year to improve academic guidance for pupils. There are good examples of teachers providing guidance during lessons, using marking to help pupils

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Grade: 2

see how they can improve their work and targets to show them what they have to aim for over time. However, this is not consistent across the school.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are now good, because the role of middle managers and particularly the phase leaders has developed since the last inspection. These middle leaders, well supported by the senior team, have risen to the challenge of taking greater responsibility for school improvement. They ensure consistent practice in their teams, analyse data carefully to identify where things need to improve and put appropriate actions in place to bring this about. The quality of governance is also good. Governors are well informed and have effectively challenged and monitored the school over the last year to keep track of its improvement. However, they do need to address a few minor issues to ensure they fully meet all their statutory responsibilities. Self-evaluation is effective in that it identifies the right priorities for improvement. However, it tends to be over-generous because the school does not compare itself against national

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Grade: 2

benchmarks. Overall, the pace of improvement over the last year, the clear plans for the future and the strengthening of the middle team demonstrates the good capacity for further improvement. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School, 18–19 November 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School, 18–19 November 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

3 How well do learners achieve? 4 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School, 18–19 November 2008

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 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? 2 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School, 18–19 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

02 December 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School,Havant,PO9 5PE It was lovely to meet you when we came to visit your school. Thank you very much to all of you who spoke to us in lessons, around the school, in the playground and in the special meetings we had. It really helped us to find out more about your school. You may remember that last year inspectors visited the school and gave it a Notice to Improve because your work in English and mathematics needed to improve and teaching needed to be better. The good news is that we can see how much things have improved and we are pleased to tell you that your school no longer needs significant improvement! It is now satisfactory and we think there are some things it does really well, like the way it cares for all of you and the good start the youngest children are getting in the Reception classes. Of course, there are still things that need to improve and before we left we talked to your

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

headteacher and to other members of staff and the governors about how to make your school even better. We asked them to make sure that your work in English and mathematics continues to improve; to make teaching even better and help you understand what you are learning and how you can improve your work. Lastly, we want them to make sure you get more opportunities to use computers to help you in your learning. I hope you will help by continuing to be as well behaved as you were when we were there. If you are one of the pupils who do not always turn upon time in the morning, please ask your parents to make sure you are there ready for when lessons start so that you do not miss valuable minutes of learning! Yours sincerely Alison Storey Her Majesty's Inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Sharps Copse Primary and Nursery School, 18–19 November 2008

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