Ofsted Report October 2009

The new headteacher has swiftly evaluated the quality of teaching and learning and knows what needs to be done to improve. She has gained the trust and support of staff and governors and enlisted their commitment to making the required improvements.

Many pupils underachieve and attainment at the end of Years 2 and 6 is significantly lower than seen nationally. This underachievement needs to be arrested and speedily improved. Work in pupils' books shows uneven progress, and many pupils make little or no progress. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not make enough progress. The proportion of pupils on track to reach the expected standards in writing and mathematics by the time they leave the school is well below what it should be.

How effective is the provision?

Despite some good teaching expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough and too often tasks are poorly matched to their needs. Assessment information is not used well enough to plan future learning. Some lessons have stated learning objectives but their impact is limited because they are rarely referred to as the lesson progresses.

The classroom environments are appropriate and in some classes additional guidance to support learning is displayed, although the quality of this varies. The curriculum has some positive elements, such as work to develop creative links between subjects in Years 5 and 6, and in the range of additional enrichment activities offered. The curriculum meets statutory requirements.

Pastoral care is generally effective in meeting the needs of pupils who say they know who to talk to if they are worried or upset. Support for vulnerable pupils helps them to develop and maintain relationships with others. Pupils enjoy good harmonious relationships with the adults in school and additional support is provided through the learning mentor.

How effective are leadership and management?

This school is embarking on a long journey of improvement. The new headteacher has quickly and accurately set about the task of identifying the school's weaknesses. She has been successful in communicating her ambition to the staff and governors. Senior leaders have a growing understanding of the issues facing the school and the need for greater urgency in order to tackle them successfully. Plans to address inadequacies in teaching and learning have been developed and some success has already been achieved, for example in improvements to marking. However, leaders and managers at all levels have failed to address many of the school's shortcomings. Insufficient progress has been made since the previous inspection; the school was charged with raising standards and achievement, however, in the last three years standards have been well below average across the school and have deteriorated further in Year 6.

Governors are committed to the school and keen for it to improve. However, they have been unable to effectively hold the school to account for its work, and have had too little impact on the direction and work of the school. Safeguarding arrangements are in line with current government guidance.

Early Years Foundation Stage

Children get a good start to school in the Nursery. They learn well in the Early Years Foundation Stage and make good progress in all areas from their low starting points. Good teaching and a thorough assessment of children's attainment on entry mean that the curriculum for each child is well matched to the necessary next steps in learning. This is maintained by regular and accurate observations. Planning is thorough and the indoor and outdoor areas promote good, exciting learning. Children reach standards that are a little below expectations by the time they enter Year 1. There is an appropriately strong emphasis on supporting language and communication skills, an area of weakness for a significant number of children. The welfare offered to children is of good quality and ensures that children feel safe. Children work and play well together. They happily share equipment and grow in confidence in the way they approach adults. There is a good balance between activities directed by adults and activities chosen by the children. Good leadership and management, together with clear expectations, support learning well and result in good progress. Personal development is good.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

1.    Quicken the rate of progress in English and mathematics at Key Stages 1 and 2 by:

• creating an immediate sense of urgency to raise attainment through well-judged, time-limited goals
• raising the level of expectation for learning so that all pupils are challenged in their work
• setting challenging targets in all classes for this and future school years, based on accurate teacher assessment, for both individuals and groups of pupils
• giving pupils ambitious individual targets; ensuring that they understand what they need to do to move forward in their learning so that they meet national expectations and are prepared for the next stage in their lives.

2.   Improve the quality and effectiveness of teaching by:

• increasing the amount of good teaching and eliminating all that is inadequate
• achieving a whole-school approach to teaching and learning through well targeted professional development and the sharing of good practice
• using regular assessments of progress to plan work that ensures all pupils make good progress
• consistently implementing the new marking policy and clarifying how well pupils have done and what they need to do next

3.   Develop the expertise of leaders across the school and ensure all contribute to school improvement by:

• making explicit to all staff, their roles and responsibilities
• holding staff to account for learning and progress in their classes and areas of responsibility
• establishing a professional development plan for all staff
• improving the governors' role in challenging and holding the school to account

The inspectors saw some good teaching which engaged the pupils in purposeful and relevant learning. In these lessons, progress was evident, pupils clearly enjoyed their learning and achieved well.

Other features of outcomes for pupils are:

• pupils say they feel safe, get along well with each other and know where to turn for help;
• pupils' attitudes to learning and behaviour in lessons are satisfactory overall. They show greater interest and enthusiasm when learning is challenging and relevant to their needs;
• pupils enjoy the good range of after-school activities;
• pupils work and play appropriately together;
• pupils adopt healthy lifestyles by taking part in a good range of physical activities in lessons and after-school clubs, including the popular 'Activate' sessions;
• pupils contribute appropriately to the school community by taking on responsibilities in the classroom and around the school and by becoming school councillors;
• weaknesses in English and mathematics hamper pupils' future economic well-being;
• levels of attendance are low.