Woodcot Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 2 Jul 2009

Woodcot Primary School Inspection report

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116166 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 333453 Inspection number 1–2 July 2009 Inspection dates John Seal 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 132 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 Beverly Early Chair Mrs June Kershaw Headteacher 27 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 Tukes Avenue School address Bridgemary Gosport PO13 0SG 01329 234 381 Telephone number 01329 823 911 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 1–2 July 2009 Inspection dates 333453 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 11 Inspection Report: Woodcot Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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Introduction

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

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Description of the school

Woodcot Primary is a smaller than average primary school. Most pupils are of White British heritage. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities or with statements of special educational needs is above average. Of these pupils, the majority have either profound and multiple learning difficulties or moderate learning difficulties. The school has the Sports Activemark. There is provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage through a reception class. There is an independently run pre-school which shares the same site. When Woodcot Primary was inspected in September 2007, it was judged to require special measures.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Woodcot Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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Grade: 2

Woodcot Primary now provides a good quality of education. In accordance with section 12 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures. Since the school was placed in special measures, there has been a relentless and effective drive to raise standards and improve the quality of teaching by the dedicated partnership of the headteacher and deputy. Others have followed their lead and the staff have worked hard, successfully, to address the areas requiring improvement. As a result, pupils make good progress across the school, and teaching is nearly always good. Most parents and pupils are very happy with the school and the numbers on roll are beginning to increase as the school's good reputation rightly spreads in the community. The school has effectively invested time and effort to promote its core values of 'teamwork, respect, well-being,

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Grade: 2

inclusion and aspiration and achievement'. As a pupil said, 'I like the way the school respects us.' The good teaching is reflected in the high number of good lessons across the whole school and a small but increasing number of outstanding ones. There are still a few lessons that are satisfactory, but the rigorous monitoring and evaluation by senior management ensures that these are kept in check and improved upon. Pupils generally enjoy their lessons, particularly the practical and relevant activities that link their literacy and numeracy skills to other subjects. A good example of this was seen in Year 6 where pupils were learning about percentages through calculating the proportion of elements such as fat and sugar in popular snack bars from the school tuck shop. In previous years, pupils' attainment at the end of both Key Stages 1 and 2 has been below average and their progress slower than that expected nationally. This is no longer the case for

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Grade: 2

most pupils. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils' attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has increased to be at least in line with the national average. Pupils across Key Stage 2 make good progress and the school's accurate assessment information shows that a much higher number of pupils are attaining nationally expected standards. The school's analysis of pupils' attainment has identified that standards in writing are still not high enough and that some girls still do not do as well as they should in English and mathematics. Pupils are very well behaved, confident and polite. They are keen to learn and try hard, even when the very occasional lesson is not as clear or as interesting as it could be. Pupils enjoy school, particularly the wide range of activities and experiences, such as 'university' afternoons where they can do drama, sew or garden with pupils of different ages. Pupils talk about school

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Grade: 2

'values' knowledgeably and supportively. These contribute well to their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. However, pupils' cultural development is only satisfactory as there are limited opportunities for pupils to learn about people with different faiths and cultural beliefs. All pupils are cared for and supported well. Assessments are thorough, frequent and accurate. These are used well to vary work and to meet pupils' different ability levels and learning styles. Reports provide a clear and accurate picture of progress and development for pupils and parents. Individual educational plans for pupils with statements of educational needs are appropriate and are used well. Links with parents and external agencies, such as speech therapists and educational psychologists, are effective. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Woodcot Primary School, 1–2 July 2009 The leadership team is committed to providing pupils with an exciting and stimulating learning

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Grade: 2

environment throughout the school. There are very effective systems in place to monitor and evaluate pupils' progress and the quality of lessons. The leadership team has high expectations of the pupils and staff and there is a clear and purposeful drive for further improvement. Although the school has an emerging plan and effective links with the local community, it acknowledges that it is still in the early stages of promoting community cohesion. Governors are productive, business-like and challenging. They know the school well and provide support and challenge in equal measure. The continuing upward trend of improvement, and the good understanding of what the school needs to do next, by a wide range of staff and senior managers, provides the school with good capacity to improve.

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress because they are well looked after, engage in a range of interesting relevant activities and are taught well. The recently appointed coordinator leads and manages the phase well. She has a very good understanding of child development, the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum and has clear plans for future improvements. She is ably supported by an astute and skilled teaching assistant. Accommodation both indoors and outside is suitable and is used well. Plans to address some limitations to the outdoor area, including increasing its size and making the surface even more suitable for wheeled toys, are due to be implemented shortly. A relatively new canopy installed outside already provides protection from sun and rain and enables children to play outdoors in all weathers. During the inspection, children successfully developed their language, creative and social skills in imaginative role play, catching and cooking

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Grade: 2

fish on a pretend camp fire for a pretend picnic. Resources are accessible, attractive and of good quality. Children's welfare is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise pupils' standards of attainment in English and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2, with a particular focus on writing and girls' attainment. ■ Develop an effective programme to promote pupils' better understanding of different cultures and beliefs of people at a local, national and global level.

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Grade: 2

Due to the good provision in the Reception class, children get off to a good start and make good progress. By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the children's knowledge, skills and understanding enable them to start the Key Stage 1 curriculum confidently. Pupils' progress in Key Stage 1 is also good. The 2009 results for the national tests for 11-years-olds were not available at the time of the inspection. However, work seen in classes and the school's accurate assessment of pupils' progress and attainment indicate that pupils make good progress across all year groups and that an ever increasing proportion of them attain standards in English, mathematics and science which are at least average. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress across the school. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Woodcot Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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Grade: 2

Pupils have a good understanding of and commitment to health and safety, which reflects the school's value of 'well-being'. This is seen in practice when pupils eat healthily, wash their hands before lunch, wear hats in the sun, and play and work together safely and sensibly. Attendance is in line with the national average. Pupils contribute well to their school and community, helping with tasks, raising money for charity, and through class and school council. They are well prepared for later life through their good skills development in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology. They are keen to learn, achieve well, respect and include others, and cooperate well in play and work.

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Grade: 2

Most lessons have well-structured plans which identify the different abilities of the pupils and match the work accordingly, with learning support assistants being well deployed. The school is working hard to improve pupils' writing skills. There are many good examples of how pupils are encouraged to write by being provided with exciting and interesting activities which hold their attention and improve their speaking and listening skills. For example, in an outstanding Year 4 lesson, after enacting a scene from a story, some pupils became involved in a sophisticated debate about gender. Teachers' good subject knowledge enables them to ask questions that provoke pupils to think through solutions to problems. There are plenty of opportunities for pupils to talk to each other about their learning and teachers intervene only intermittently. Pupils know what they need to do to improve and can talk knowledgeably about their targets.

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Grade: 2

The main features of the decreasing number of less successful lessons are seen when the whole class is gathered together and the teacher spends too long explaining the learning activities, which do not always take account of pupils' previous knowledge and learning. As a result, pupils lose interest and the more able ones are not sufficiently challenged, which leads to progress slowing down. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress owing to effective support from the well-managed learning support assistants and accurate assessment of their needs.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is well planned, broad and balanced, with good features. There is an appropriate spread of lessons for all required subjects. Recent initiatives have linked literacy and numeracy skills more closely to other subjects and there are clear lines of planned progression throughout the school, although these are still too new for their full impact to be seen. The curriculum is effectively reviewed and planned by staff teams, and subject managers monitor the planning appropriately. There are a wide range of activities to provide pupils with experiences on which to build their learning, including day trips to London, visits to local towns and places of interest, and residential field trips. Enrichment activities are wide and varied, including the 'Woodcot university'. There are opportunities to learn musical instruments and many visitors to the school, including authors, the local library, police and fire services. The school plans appropriate activities

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Grade: 3

to promote pupils' awareness of people with different faiths and cultures, but recognises that 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Woodcot Primary School, 1–2 July 2009 it is insufficiently developed to provide an effective programme to widen pupils' understanding of national and global cultural issues.

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Grade: 2

Good support for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities contributes well to their good achievement, personal development and well-being. These pupils, including some with profound difficulties, are happy and well integrated. Vulnerable pupils, who have challenging behaviour or difficulties outside school, are well supported. Leaders and managers meet with and support parents and families. Very effective liaison with parents and carers has resulted in increasing numbers of parents who visit the school and attend workshops and discussions with staff. Pupils are guided well in their learning. Pupils of all ages speak very positively about the way targets and marking help them in their learning, saying that these 'show us what to do next'.

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Grade: 2

Effective self-evaluation strategies ensure that the school's priorities are known by all and that clear action is taken to progress even further. The partnership with the local authority has been effective and productive, evolving from direct support alongside the school to a service that is drawn upon as and when the school identifies areas for development. Improvement planning, with focused, specific actions, is now taking into account longer-term issues. Safeguarding procedures are systematic and robust. All pupils are well catered for and parental feedback is supportive. The school works well with a range of agencies to support families and pupils and is striving effectively to develop relationships with hard-to-reach families. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Woodcot Primary School, 1–2 July 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Woodcot 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? 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? 3 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Woodcot Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 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? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Woodcot Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

09 July 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Woodcot Primary School,Gosport,PO13 0SG When we visited your school recently, we really enjoyed meeting you, seeing you learning and looking at your work. Thank you for making us feel so welcome and for being so polite and friendly. Your school was inspected in September 2007 and the inspectors decided that the school needed some extra help. Since then the school has worked very, very hard and no longer needs all that extra help. So congratulations to you all! We found some really good things about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Most of you are learning even more than you used to.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have lots of interesting and exciting lessons.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have a good understanding of how to be healthy and safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You say you enjoy school and that teachers help you learn.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The staff look after you well and make sure you are all well cared for.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school is led well by the headteacher.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We spent a lot of time talking to your headteacher and staff. They are all working hard to make your school even better. Here are two things we decided would be especially helpful, which we have asked the teachers to do:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ help more of you to write even better, and work with the girls to help them learn more in English and mathematics ■ help you to learn and understand about all the different kinds of people who live in Britain and around the world. We wish you all the very best for the future. Yours faithfully John Seal Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Woodcot Primary School, 1–2 July 2009

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