Waterhouses CofE Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. • At the end of Key Stage 1, pupils' attainment has gone from being significantly below the national average in 2011 to significantly above it in 2013.

• Pupils of all ages achieve well. The very large majority make at least expected progress and a considerable proportion do even better. • Pupils whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable, such as those who have special educational needs and those eligible for pupil premium funding, also make good progress overall.

• Teaching is good overall and ensures that pupils achieve well. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils' learning. • Pupils' behaviour is good an...d they have positive attitudes towards their learning.

• Pupils are very well known by adults within the school and enjoy excellent relationships with them. This helps feel very safe and secure. • Attendance is above average and pupils thrive in the school's nurturing environment.

• The headteacher's drive and determination are key to the school's improvement and success. She has a strategic and systematic approach to building on the school's strengths and tackling areas that could be better. She is developing other leaders well.

• The governing body has a strong understanding of its role and is taking effective action to ensure it carries out its responsibilities well. It is not yet an outstanding school because : • Although teaching is good overall, it is not • Teachers do not always make full use of consistently good in all lessons. information about individual pupils' attainment • Teachers do not always make sure that work and progress to take all possible steps to close has the right level of difficulty for all pupils.

any gaps between them and others, such as between some boys and girls. • Pupils' handwriting and the presentation of their work require improvement.

Information about this school

• Waterhouses is a much smaller than the average sized primary school.

Pupils are taught in three classes, a Nursery/Reception class, a Year 1/2 class and a Year 3/4 class. At the moment there are no Year 5 or Year 6 pupils on roll due to parents choosing to transfer their children at the end of Year 4 to the middle school in the area. It is anticipated that some current Year 4 pupils will remain in the school until the end of Year 6.

• Almost all pupils are from White British Backgrounds. • The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion at school action plus or with a statement of special educational need is below average.

These proportions vary considerably in different year groups. • The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after.

Again, the proportion varies across different year groups, with no such pupils in some year groups. • The government floor standard, which sets out the minimum expectations for attainment and progress, is not applicable to this school as there were no Year 6 pupils last year. • The school has experienced some instability in staffing in the past year.