Mill Hill Primary School

Waite End Primary School Inspection report

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130325 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 333449 Inspection number 1–2 July 2009 Inspection dates Gehane Gordelier HMI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005; it was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. 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 140 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 Mrs M Gray Chair Mrs Diane Lawry Headteacher 1 November 2007 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Mill Road School address Waterlooville PO7 7DB 02392 256955 Telephone number 02392 264614 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 1–2 July 2009 Inspection dates 333449 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 12 Inspection Report: Waite End Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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Introduction

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

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Description of the school

Waite End is smaller than most primary schools and serves an area of mixed socio- economic circumstances. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is more than twice the national average. The vast majority of pupils speak English as their first language and a much lower proportion than is the case nationally are from minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is much higher than average. The main areas of need include pupils with speech, language and communication or behavioural, emotional and social difficulties. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational need is less than half of that in most schools. The level of mobility in the school is relatively high. When the school was inspected in November 2007 it required special measures because it was failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education. Significant improvement was

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Description of the school

required in relation to; monitoring and evaluation, teaching and learning and the use of assessment. Inspectors visited the school in March, June and November 2008 and March 2009 to evaluate the progress made by the school. There have been significant changes since the time of the last inspection. The governing body has been reconstituted and, although some vacancies remain, there are a number of new governors. The school has a new headteacher and there have also been changes to the staff who work at the school. The school provides a breakfast club Waite End Primary shares its site with a full service children's centre and a local community pre-school. However, these are not led or managed by Waite End Primary or its governing body. Key for inspection grades

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Waite End Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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Grade: 4

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures. Nevertheless, in accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform. The school is therefore given a notice to improve. Significant improvement is required to raise standards to be at least broadly in line with national averages in reading, writing, mathematics and science by the end of Years 2 and 6; to improve levels of attendance so that fewer pupils are persistent absentees; and to ensure that all senior and middle leaders contribute well to helping the school to improve. Waite End Primary has improved from a very low base. Staff, governors and many parents are

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Grade: 4

working more effectively together to provide pupils with the education to which they are entitled. The new headteacher provides the school with a clear sense of direction and purpose and an unswerving focus on the need to raise standards. She has helped staff work to their strengths, develop their skills and become more effective and accountable for the progress made by their pupils. This, together with the effective and multi-faceted support provided to the school by the local authority and external consultants, particularly in the last 12 months, is enabling it to demonstrate that it has the capacity to continue to improve. Children enter Reception with skills that are well below those expected for their age. They make good progress, especially in their knowledge and understanding of the world and, more recently, in their reading and writing skills. This stands them in good stead for the next phase of their

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Grade: 4

education. Despite the good progress in addressing the majority of significant weaknesses identified at the time of the previous inspection, standards remain too low in most of the school, and in reading, writing, mathematics and science by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2, with too few pupils attaining the higher levels. This is due largely to inadequate teaching and learning as well as poor leadership and management in the past, which led to inadequate achievement over time and significant gaps in pupils' learning. Progress at Key Stage 1 is more secure than at Key Stage 2 because the quality of teaching for the younger pupils is better. The school's focus on teaching phonics has led to significant improvement in pupils' reading skills throughout the school. Pupils with communication, behavioural and other learning difficulties and/or disabilities, who previously made inadequate progress, are now progressing as well as their

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Grade: 4

peers. However, they are also making the least amount of progress in mathematics. Pupils enjoy coming to school and participate with great enthusiasm in their lessons. They behave well and, on the few occasions when this deteriorates, it is usually when teaching is less effective or because of unsettling circumstances at home. Pupils value the range of clubs, trips and activities provided by the school. They demonstrate a good awareness of how to keep themselves safe. Although they know what to do to stay healthy, they do not always make the right choices. Pupils have welcomed the opportunity to be consulted on how to help their school to improve and contribute well to their immediate and local environment. However, they have yet to develop adequate basic skills to help prepare them sufficiently well for the future. The school has had to take a harder line about attendance and punctuality because not all

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Grade: 4

pupils attend school when they should or arrive on time for the beginning of lessons. As a result of the school's concerted efforts and support from the education welfare service, the attendance 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Waite End Primary School, 1–2 July 2009 of targeted pupils is improving; however, there is still a high number of pupils who regularly miss school. This is having a negative impact on their education. Most of the teaching in the school is now securely satisfactory; some is becoming increasingly good and there are also pockets of outstanding practice. Where there are weaknesses in teaching, this is being well supported by stronger staff and outside coaches who provide demonstration lessons, training and team teaching opportunities. In its efforts to raise standards, the school has rightly focused on developing basic skills and raising standards in reading, writing, science and mathematics. In the last couple of terms, there has also been a concerted effort to ensure

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Grade: 4

that pupils receive a broad and balanced curriculum in a way that continues to ensure that basic skills are reinforced through other subjects. The way in which the school provides care, guidance and support for its pupils has significantly improved. This is because staff are more aware of pupils' needs and how they can help them. The headteacher is increasingly well supported by senior and middle leaders. However, not all senior leaders and middle managers contribute well to whole-school improvement. The improved use of data to track and monitor pupil progress has helped to raise teachers' expectations of what pupils can achieve and enabled the school to target areas of underperformance. The school has also developed a better understanding of the community it serves; although some decisions are not always popular, such as those related to attendance. The school's actions and improving links with parents and the local community are appropriate and of benefit to pupils

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Grade: 4

and the community. Governors have recently ensured they meet all statutory requirements and are becoming more effective at holding the school to account for the quality of education it provides.

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Grade: 2

Children enter the Reception Year with particularly low levels of skills in reading and writing and their social and emotional development is also below expected levels for their age. The leadership team is aware of the strengths and areas for development and has tailored the curriculum and teaching and learning accordingly. A good example is the way staff challenge children's thinking and help them to become more independent. By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the majority of children reach expected levels. Staff work very effectively together to ensure that activities link well to the different areas of learning. Children learn alongside each other happily in a stable and secure environment. Although children are now making good progress in linking letters to sounds, opportunities for them to use and develop these skills, as well as problem solving and reasoning, in outdoor activities are sometimes missed.

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Grade: 2

Opportunities for children to visit Reception and engage in activities with their parents before they are due to join the school means that they are more confident when they arrive in Reception because they are in a familiar context. However, the school is aware of the need to develop further the transition from pre-school into Reception, as well as into Year 1.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards so that, by the end of Years 2 and 6, pupils' attainment is broadly in line with national averages in reading, writing, mathematics and science. ■ Reduce the number of pupils who are persistent absentees.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that all leaders and managers contribute equally well to helping the school to improve. 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Waite End Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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Grade: 4

Although standards in the school are still too low, they are rising and at a faster rate since September 2008. More progress has been made in raising standards in reading than in writing and pupils generally make better progress in English than in mathematics. Nevertheless, progress is uneven throughout the school and too many pupils continue to underachieve. Progress at Key Stage 1 is more secure than at Key Stage 2, especially in mathematics. Boys have made particularly good progress from a very low starting point with their writing in Years 1 and 2. This is linked directly to the recently improved and now much stronger quality of teaching in the infants. The least amount of progress being made is in the lower juniors, especially in writing. Although pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities progress as well as their peers, this also means that they make less progress in Key Stage 2 than at Key Stage 1. The

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Grade: 4

increased focus on developing skills in information and communication technology (ICT) has enabled pupils at Key Stage 1 to develop an appropriate level of skill in this area for their age. More pupils in Years 2 and 5 are working within age-related expectations than in the rest of the school. However, the year groups in which there are the lowest proportions of pupils working at expected levels are Years 3 and 4.

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Grade: 3

Pupils enjoy their responsibilities as 'buddies' and as school council members. When asked if they feel safe, pupils say that any issues are dealt with immediately and that they can talk to staff. They are aware of the improved behaviour-management policy and believe it is easy to follow and has helped to improve behaviour. Pupils have a satisfactory awareness of healthy lifestyles and enjoy the energiser classes and the keep-fit clubs. The dental health project is also making younger pupils more aware of the importance of dental hygiene. The focus on teamwork is supporting pupils' social, speaking and listening skills. The introduction of breakfast club and the Home School Link Workers is helping to improve punctuality and attendance for targeted pupils. There is a suitable range of provision to extend pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils speak enthusiastically about their trips to the local Church

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Grade: 3

for singing and about what that they learn from the regular visits from the local clergyman. Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities around the school. The school council is proud of a number of achievements, most notably the improvements to the school premises.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning in the school is improving slowly but surely. It is now securely good in the Early Years Foundation Stage and at Key Stage 1. However, at Key Stage 2, the quality of teaching, while satisfactory overall, is still too variable. Nevertheless, all teachers work hard to make lessons enjoyable and exciting and new learning is usually placed in a relevant and meaningful context. Where good teaching was observed, teachers checked pupils' knowledge at the start of lessons to ensure that activities and learning were pitched at an appropriate level. Teachers demonstrated what pupils would be doing, often with the use of the interactive whiteboard. This helped to captivate pupils' interest from the start and provided teachers with 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Waite End Primary School, 1–2 July 2009 opportunities to challenge the more able pupils early on in lessons. Where teaching was less

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Grade: 3

effective, and in a minority of inadequate lessons, teachers did not possess a good enough knowledge of their subject. Lessons were not planned sufficiently well to cater for all the different needs and abilities of pupils and key vocabulary was not sufficiently well taught. In these lessons, teachers did not check pupils' progress regularly enough, and there was too much focus on the activities rather than on the learning and skills being developed. Pupils are encouraged to evaluate the quality of their work, which helps them to take more responsibility for their learning. Teachers now take better account of targets within individual education plans to meet the needs of those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Teaching assistants and additional adults usually provide good support to the most vulnerable pupils, which enables them to participate in and to contribute well to lessons.

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Grade: 3

The school provides a fair range of extra-curricular activities which enhance pupils' physical development and enjoyment in areas such as hockey and ICT. Pupils also benefit from the range of visits, including those to Osmington Bay and Stubbington activity centres. These opportunities help pupils to develop sound interpersonal, social and team skills. The use of a specialist teacher for music has particularly added to pupils' enjoyment and musical understanding, with pupils in Years 5 and 6 talking with great enthusiasm about the performance of Olivia, which they were preparing at the time of the inspection. Links with other schools and specialist physical education staff also contribute well towards pupils' skills in physical development. The school has made good progress in identifying progression across the curriculum. However, given the gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding in some areas, there is still some way to go to

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Grade: 3

ensure good levels of progression and skills across the school.

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Grade: 3

The school has placed a special emphasis on getting to know its families well. This is evident in their approach towards appointing home-school link workers to liaise with families who have concerns or where their child's attendance needs to improve. Staff are beginning to use targets to influence the level of challenge and to provide pupils with feedback on how well they are doing. Marking, however, is not always consistent in helping pupils to know how to improve their work. Effective child protection and risk assessment procedures are in place. Planned opportunities in activities, such as 'circle time', are used well to develop team skills, which help to raise pupils' self-esteem and to establish boundaries and expectations, especially with new staff. These activities support pupils well; especially those who struggle to express their feelings or those who lack confidence.

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Grade: 3

The majority of leaders and managers demonstrate a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities, and produce position statements and action plans. However, the quality and impact of the work of leaders and managers is very varied and, in a small minority of cases, they are not contributing sufficiently to the school's efforts to improve and raise standards. 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Waite End Primary School, 1–2 July 2009 Consequently, on occasion the headteacher and other leaders take on additional work to compensate for the shortcomings of other staff members. Rigorous tracking of different groups, undertaken largely by the headteacher and the strongest leaders, contributes well to the monitoring of the school's policy on equality of opportunity. Staff and governors now have a more accurate view of the school's strengths and weaknesses. Plans to help bring about improvement generally include specific measurable success criteria. These plans also clarify the

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Grade: 3

intended outcomes for pupils, but do not identify or target different groups of learners well enough. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Waite End Primary School, 1–2 July 2009 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Waite End Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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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? 3 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

4 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: Waite End Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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learners?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 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 3 The behaviour of learners 3 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? 3 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 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 3 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? Yes Does this school require a notice to improve? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Waite End Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

10 September 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Waite End Primary School,Waterlooville,PO7 7DB Most of you will be aware that your school was put into special measures last year. This is one of the reasons I have been visiting your school regularly to see if the school has improved. I am writing to share the outcome of the last inspection with you and to tell you some of the things the inspectors found. These are some of the things your school does well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The staff and governors care about you a lot and want to do their best to help you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The youngest children in the school are helped to settle quickly when they join Reception and to make good progress from a low starting point. ■ Most of you enjoy coming to school and are learning how to work and to get on well with others. ■ You know how to keep yourselves and others safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Your school has improved and, although it is no longer in special measures, it has been given a notice to improve. These are the main things your school has been asked to do.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Raise standards so that, by the end of Years 2 and 6, you reach standards expected for your age in reading, writing, mathematics and science. ■ Make sure that those pupils who are regularly absent come to school when they are supposed to. ■ Make sure that all the leaders and managers do their best to keep helping the school to improve. You can also help your school by working hard, by coming to school every day and by arriving on time for the beginning of lessons. I wish you every success. Yours faithfully Gehane Gordelier Her Majesty's Inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Waite End Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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