School report Dover Park Primary School Dover Street, Ryde, Isle of Wight PO33 2BN Inspection dates 28–29 June 2016 Overall effectiveness Requires improvement Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement Summary of key findings for parents and pupils This is a school that requires improvement  Leaders’ actions to improve teaching and learning have not been wholly effective. Teaching is not enabling current pupils to make consistently good progress from their starting points, particularly in key stage 2.  Leaders at all levels, including governors, have not fully evaluated how well additional funding is used to narrow gaps with other pupils nationally. In key stage 2, too few disadvantaged pupils make accelerated progress in mathematics and writing.  Teaching is too variable. Leaders’ feedback does not focus on the ways that teaching promotes or holds back learning. Consequently, the training teachers receive is not focused on improving their day-to-day teaching skills.  Some additional adults are not effectively deployed. They do not contribute to improving pupils’ learning well enough.  Performance information is not used to plan learning precisely enough. Some pupils repeat work they can already do, while others do not have all the skills they need to tackle tasks successfully.  Pupils’ presentation is inconsistent, particularly in the wider curriculum. Poor handwriting and spelling skills reduce the quality of pupils’ written communication.  Boys are not as well prepared as girls in reading and writing when they begin Year 1. The school has the following strengths  Senior leaders and governors are passionate advocates for pupils in the school and the community which the school serves. They ensure that pupils are safe, well cared for and confident that adults support them well.  Leaders’ strategies to improve attendance ensure that few pupils miss school regularly.  The curriculum excites and inspires pupils to learn. Pupils develop a mature understanding of other traditions, beliefs and cultures through interesting topics in a range of subjects.  Children make good progress in early years. Targeted support strengthens communication and language skills very effectively. Full report What does the school need to do to improve further?  Widen opportunities to strengthen boys’ reading and writing skills in the early years so that more of them reach the standards expected for their age.  Improve the teaching of writing and mathematics in key stage 2 so that teachers: – accurately identify the key barriers holding pupils’ progress back – use additional adults effectively to promote learning – address the most relevant next steps for learning in their teaching, checking that pupils’ subsequent work improves – take account of pupils’ starting points so that pupils, including the most able, are challenged effectively.  Improve the quality of leadership, including governance, by: – ensuring that leaders’ strategies to improve teaching lead to improving rates of progress for pupils across the school, particularly in key stage 2 – checking more closely that additional funding leads to accelerated progress for eligible pupils and closes gaps with other pupils nationally, particularly in writing. Inspection report: Dover Park Primary School, 28–29 June 2016 2 of 9 Inspection judgements Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement  The headteacher has made a number of successful improvements in key aspects of the school’s work, addressing inadequate teaching in the school with determination. Much has improved since the last inspection, particularly the quality of the curriculum, the teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) and provision in the early years. Children now make a good start to school. However, although the school remains a happy and caring environment for pupils to learn, leaders’ strategies have not ensured that pupils access consistently high-quality teaching across the school that results in good progress for all.  Senior leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching do not focus sufficiently on pupils’ learning. The systems that leaders implement are not ensuring that pupils make good progress from their starting points. Currently some pupils in the school are not making as much progress as they should, particularly in writing and mathematics.  Leaders of English and mathematics know their subjects well. However, their actions have not led to improvements that ensure that all groups of pupils are making good progress. For example, leaders check that teachers record what pupils have done well and what they need to do next, but they do not check that pupils’ skills are improving as a result.  Parents value the commitment and dedication of staff to ensuring that pupils’ time at school is happy and safe. They say that their children enjoy coming to school. They particularly appreciate the quality of the curriculum that their children access.  Reading is given high priority. Pupils regularly use the well maintained and resourced library. The books on display are carefully selected to match pupils’ current interest and topics that they study and there are often small groups listening to stories, read by adults. Pupils have a good understanding of authors and can identify their favourite section in the library. They read regularly at home and in school.  The curriculum develops and excites pupils’ interests in a range of subjects. Pupils describe their learning in history, geography, science and sports with enthusiasm. The sports premium has been used effectively to develop a widening variety of clubs and extra-curricular opportunities in sports for pupils to try. These are well subscribed and often have waiting lists.  Curriculum plans show an understanding of the links between pupils’ key skills in mathematics and literacy and other subject areas. Pupils’ work shows their use of literacy skills to support factual writing in history and geography. Some of this work shows an accurate use of technical language connected with these subjects. However, some pupils’ work is untidy, incomplete and hindered by poor grammatical and spelling skills.  Pupil premium funding has an impact on closing gaps in the achievement of some disadvantaged pupils in in the school, particularly in key stage 1. However, leaders do not evaluate the impact of their strategies to support pupils who are eligible for this funding well enough to make swift changes when pupil progress slows. Although strategies help some pupils to catch up, these pupils do not make accelerated progress in light of the additional support they receive.  Pupils benefit from opportunities across the curriculum to develop their social, moral spiritual and cultural awareness. British values, such as democracy, are understood by pupils. They know how their learning in these areas helps them in their everyday life now and in the future. Opportunities include a range of carefully planned visits and visitors which has heightened pupils’ awareness and understanding of the importance of equal opportunities for all.  The local authority has an accurate view of the school and its journey of improvement. Their recommendations to leaders accurately pinpoint those areas which continue to need further improvement. Leaders, including governors, have not acted on these recommendations swiftly enough in the last academic year.  The governance of the school – Governors have strengthened the range of skills across the governing body and attend regular training. Their visits link to planned improvements on the schools’ action plan. Governors champion the work of the school and are good advocates for the community which the school serves. – Governors have not ensured that there is close and regular evaluation of the impact of leaders’ work to improve teaching and outcomes for pupils. They have relied too heavily on leaders’ reports that they have carried out their monitoring activities without considering carefully enough the impact of leaders’ strategies on pupils’ progress. Evaluation of additional funding, for example, does not focus on Inspection report: Dover Park Primary School, 28–29 June 2016 3 of 9 how effectively gaps in pupils’ achievement are closing with other pupils nationally well enough.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Checks on staff are rigorous and checked regularly by governors. Senior leaders responsible for leading child protection regularly update their training to ensure that practice in the school aligns with the most recent national legislation. Leaders ensure that careful records are maintained to show how concerns are raised, logged and followed up in a timely way. Leaders work well with parents to raise awareness of safeguarding practice within the school. Effective working with external agencies ensures that risks are reduced for vulnerable children and their families. Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement  Teachers know pupils well and plan interesting activities to help them learn in subjects across the curriculum. However, they do not use their ongoing checks on pupils’ learning to ensure that activities take close account of what pupils know and can do. Activities do not successfully address the key barriers preventing pupils from making good progress, particularly in writing and mathematics.  In key stage 1, teachers’ subject knowledge is used well to explain learning points. In Year 2, for example, pupils were able to identify the key language changes they needed to turn a command into a statement. In a Year 1 mathematics lesson, the teacher identified when pupils were ready to move on in their thinking, providing more challenging work to stretch their thinking. Pupils were asked to use what they know about number bonds to 20 to generate bonds to 100. The most able pupils relished the challenge presented by the new activity and showed increased focus and determination.  There is great variability in teaching in key stage 2, which results in some pupils making poor progress from strong starting points. Teachers’ questioning checks pupils’ understanding but does not deepen their thinking. The starting points for many activities do not consider pupils’ starting points carefully. In examples of mathematics and writing across the school, pupils repeat work they can already do, which stalls their progress. Some pupils do not have the skills they need to tackle written work successfully because their phonics, spelling and grammatical knowledge has not been strengthened first.  Teachers regularly discuss pupils who have fallen behind in their learning with school leaders. They plan additional support but this is too often separate from the work that happens in the classroom.  Teachers apply the behaviour policy consistently well. This ensures good conduct and positive pupils attitudes in most lessons.  Teachers do not take enough ownership of the teaching of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Too often this is left to additional adults. Some additional adults are not effectively deployed. In some classes, the focus of additional support is on helping pupils complete tasks rather than helping them to progress in learning.  Teachers provide regular feedback to pupils about their work. However, pupils are not given precise information about the most pertinent next step to help them improve. Teachers do not pinpoint the key barriers preventing pupils’ learning moving forward quickly, particularly in writing.  Some teachers’ expectations are too low and they accept work of a poor standard too readily and repeatedly. They do not ensure that pupils routinely finish work and present it neatly particularly in the wider curriculum. Personal development, behaviour and welfare is good Personal development and welfare  The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Parents overwhelmingly agree that pupils are safe, happy and well looked after at Dover Park.  Pupils have positive attitudes to school and talk warmly and with enthusiasm about their contribution to school life. Leadership roles such as school council representatives give pupils an insight into democratic processes such as voting and decision making that affects the school community more widely.  Pupils develop good understanding of personal safety, including areas important to island life such as knowledge of warning flags for swimming on the beach. This is because the curriculum provides lots of opportunities to raise pupils’ awareness of safety, including e-safety. Recently pupils were involved in the NSPCC ‘speak out, stay safe’ campaign and make good use of the school’s ‘chill and chat’ sessions to talk to trusted adults about any concerns they have about themselves or others. Inspection report: Dover Park Primary School, 28–29 June 2016 4 of 9  Pupils generally have positive attitudes to their learning and bring enthusiasm and commitment in lessons. However, pupils’ pride in work is not consistently shown in the way they present their work, particularly in the wider curriculum. Behaviour  The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are courteous to adults and show positive care and concern for others in the school.  Pupils have a mature understanding of the rights of others to be heard. They respect one another’s views and show developing understanding of issues such as stereotyping and bias. This helps them to mediate small disagreements well. They understand the role they play in making the school a happy place to be for everyone.  There are few incidents of poor behaviour in the school. Where incidents occur, the school’s behaviour policy is followed consistently by staff. Pupils who require additional support to manage their behaviour make positive progress, developing improved learning attitudes and more sustained concentration and focus so that they do not disrupt the learning of others.  Attendance is promoted well across the school and pupils enjoy coming to school. Overall attendance is broadly average. Leaders put in place effective strategies to support families where pupils miss school more regularly than they should. Consequently, persistent absence is low. Outcomes for pupils require improvement  Although rates of progress have improved over the last two years, too few of the current pupils in the school are making good or better progress from their starting points in writing. Few pupils are making accelerated progress in reading, writing or mathematics. This means that pupils do not leave the school as well prepared as they should be for the challenges of the secondary curriculum.  In key stage 2, few disadvantaged pupils make accelerated progress in writing and mathematics. Gaps in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally in writing and grammar, punctuation and spelling are not closing quickly enough. Consequently pupils’ written communication is not of a high enough standard. In reading and mathematics, gaps are closing more quickly and pupils’ attainment is rising.  Progress in key stage 1 is stronger overall and consequently attainment has risen in reading, writing and mathematics since the last inspection. Current projections show that over two thirds of the cohort are set to meet the expected standards for their age. Gaps between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally are minimal. Girls’ attainment is higher than other that of pupils nationally. However, boys do not make the same strong start to Year 3.  The proportion of pupils securing the expected standard in phonics in Year 1 has risen since the last inspection and matched national levels in 2015. The proportion of current pupils that have achieved this standard has been maintained this year.  More of the most able pupils reached higher levels of attainment last year in both key stage 1 and 2. Currently, some of the most able pupils in the school are not being fully challenged because activities do not take full account of what these pupils already know and can do. Current performance information shows far fewer pupils this year working at greater depth.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive variable support in key stage 1 and 2. Where this support is most effective, pupils are making good progress from their starting points. Leaders have not analysed closely enough how well gaps between these pupils and other pupils nationally are closing to shape provision more effectively. Early years provision is good  Early years provision has strengthened significantly since the last inspection. The proportion of children securing a good level of development is now above national. The proportions of children securing the early learning goals in prime areas is strengthening year on year. Children make good progress in all areas of the curriculum.  Boys and girls make a similar start to their time at school. While girls’ progress accelerates, boys’ progress Inspection report: Dover Park Primary School, 28–29 June 2016 5 of 9 is not as rapid. Consequently boys begin Year 1 less well prepared, particularly in reading and writing.  The early years leader knows and understands the aspects of provision which need improvement. Targeted support for children’s communication and language development utilised additional funding effectively and has led to improvement in the proportion of children securing early learning goals in speaking, listening and understanding. A project to focus on boys’ writing has led to positive changes in the indoor and outdoor provision to strengthen boys’ physical skills and widened the range of opportunities for boys to have a go at writing of all kinds. Training for staff has focused appropriately on improving the role of the adult in developing children’s learning.  Teaching considers children’s needs and interests. Writing sessions, for example, focus on relevant skills such as using initial sounds, saying and writing a sentence and using vocabulary to describe events more clearly. Adults model language effectively and help children consider choices they can make when they write. There needs to be a sharper focus on helping children use their phonics skills more accurately when they write, to ensure even better progress in writing.  Children show care and concern for each other, sharing resources carefully, taking turns and listening when others are talking. They follow routines to help keep them safe, such as moving between the inside and outside areas and washing their hands carefully between activities.  Online recording of children’s achievements show the breadth of activity across all areas of learning. Videos, photographs and selections of children’s written work capture key moments in children’s learning well. External moderation has been used effectively to check the accuracy of the judgements teachers make.  Parental contributions to children’s learning are valued. There is a wealth of information for parents available on the early years section of the schools’ website alongside regular newsletters and updates. The online learning journeys record important aspects of children’s development and parents access these to keep in touch with their child’s learning.  Statutory welfare requirements are met. There are strong and effective arrangements to support paediatric first aid. Staff ratios are well understood and implemented. Safeguarding practice is strong, matching the robust approach taken across the rest of the school. Inspection report: Dover Park Primary School, 28–29 June 2016 6 of 9 School details Unique reference number 118179 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 10012296 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 238 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Brigid Clifton Headteacher Anita Wilcox Telephone number 01983 562617 Website www.doverpark.co.uk Email address office@doverparkpri.iow.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 June2016 Information about this school  Dover Park is an average-sized primary school that has reduced in size from two-form to single-form entry.  The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and supported by the pupil premium and the service premium is well above the national average. The pupil premium provides additional funding for children looked after and pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils and who have special educational needs and/or disabilities supported by the school, including those with a statement or EHC plan (education, health and care plan) is above other schools nationally.  The vast majority of pupils are white British.  There have been a significant number of staff changes as a result of the change to single-form entry since the last inspection.  Dover Park Chatterbox is a privately owned Nursery based on the school site.  Children in the reception class attend full time.  The school’s website does not show the effect of the sports premium on pupils’ PE and sport participation and attainment.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. Inspection report: Dover Park Primary School, 28–29 June 2016 7 of 9  Information about this inspection  Inspectors observed learning in 15 sessions, including seven observed jointly with the senior leaders.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other leaders in the school and three governors, including the chair of the governing body. Inspectors also met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views by talking to pupils around the school, in lessons, during play times and by meeting with a group of pupils selected by leaders. Pupils’ behaviour was observed in lessons, during an assembly and around the school at break and lunchtimes.  Pupils’ work in all year groups and across the wider curriculum was evaluated to look closely at their current achievement. Inspectors heard pupils in Year 2 read.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including the school’s checks on its own effectiveness, information about current pupils’ achievement and attendance, behaviour logs, minutes of governing body meetings, statutory policies and school development plans. Inspectors checked the school’s procedures for keeping pupils safe, including the checks made on staff.  Inspectors looked at 13 responses to Ofsted’s online survey (Parent View), including seven free text responses. A recent survey of parents and pupils conducted by the school was reviewed. In addition, inspectors spoke to parents before school. Inspectors also considered the responses from 50 pupil questionnaires and 15 responses to the staff survey. Inspection team Abigail Wilkinson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Linda Jacobs Ofsted Inspector Inspection report: Dover Park Primary School, 28–29 June 2016 8 of 9 Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted. If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection. You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. The Office for Standards in Education, Children’s Services and Skills (Ofsted) regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children’s social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk. You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence, write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk. This publication is available at www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted. Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn. Piccadilly Gate Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk © Crown copyright 2016