Discovery New School Broadfield House, Crawley, RH11 9RZ

School report Discovery New School Broadfield House, Crawley, RH11 9RZ Inspection dates 1–2 May 2013 Previous inspection: Not previously inspected Overall effectiveness This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Require improvement 3 Leadership and management Inadequate 4 Summary of key findings for parents and pupils This is a school that requires special measures. Too many pupils are in danger of leaving the Senior leaders believe the school is far better school without being able to read and write than it is. They describe at length what the properly. Unless this is put right quickly, school is doing but do not check, pupils are unlikely to flourish in their systematically, whether or not the school gives secondary schools and future lives. its pupils a good enough education. Arrangements for assessing pupils’ progress Senior leaders are not giving the school a clear in reading, writing and mathematics are sense of direction. They have been far too slow inadequate. to act on essential recommendations from a The headteacher lacks the skills and visit by the Department for Education’s advisor, knowledge to improve teaching. Too much which took place over seven months ago. teaching is inadequate, and the headteacher Governance is inadequate. Governors are not has an over-optimistic view of its quality. knowledgeable enough about the school’s Provision for pupils who have special serious shortcomings. They do not have a clear educational needs is inadequate. Too many view of the quality of teaching and pupils’ pupils are assessed as having special achievement. Governors do not challenge educational needs when this should not be senior leaders to help the school improve. the case. Some of them simply need better teaching. The school has the following strengths Pupils like their school and talk readily about their work. They think for themselves, make choices and develop independence. Teaching staff relate to pupils well. Inspection report: Discovery New School, 1–2 May 2013 2 of 10 Information about this inspection Inspectors observed seven lessons, four of which were lengthy observations. All four teachers were seen at least once. The headteacher joined inspectors for parts of two lessons. Inspectors looked at pupils’ written work and talked to pupils in lessons and during lunch breaks. Meetings were held with all senior leaders and two governors, including the new Chair of the Governing Body. Inspectors took into account 50 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire. They talked informally to parents and held telephone discussions with a small sample. Inspectors also considered, alongside other evidence, issues raised through several complaints submitted to Ofsted prior to the inspection. Responses from 11 staff questionnaires were analysed. Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including the senior leaders’ summary of the school’s effectiveness, policy documents and minutes of the governing body’s meetings. No school improvement plan was available for inspectors to scrutinise. Inspection team Margaret Dickinson, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Phillip Minns Her Majesty’s Inspector Inspection report: Discovery New School, 1–2 May 2013 3 of 10 Full report In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. Inspectors strongly recommend that the school should not seek to appoint newly qualified teachers. Information about this school Discovery New School is a small Montessori primary school. Montessori is a method of teaching that is based upon the principle that children have innate curiosity and interest in learning, and that by presenting the child with the right environment and materials, children should make progress and learn to be self-motivated and independent. The school opened in September 2011 as one of the first free schools in the country and the first Montessori free school. The school started with pupils from Reception to Year 3. Currently, the oldest pupils are in Year 4. The school will, in time, grow to the full primary age range, catering for pupils up to Year 6. The proportion of pupils who receive extra help in class (school action) is well below average. The proportion who need more help than this (school action plus) or who have a statement of special educational needs is well above average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in the care of the local authority and those with a parent serving in the armed forces) is well below average. This school does not have any pupils who are in the care of the local authority or whose parents are in the armed forces. Just under half of the pupils come from White British backgrounds, with most of the remaining pupils coming from other White or mixed ethnic groups. The school’s senior leadership team comprises the headteacher, the business director and the special educational needs coordinator. What does the school need to do to improve further? Improve teaching urgently so that none is inadequate and more is good or better by: providing systematic training for teachers to fill the gaps in their knowledge so that they feel confident to teach reading, writing and mathematics successfully making better use of reading sessions to support weaker readers, promote a love of reading and broaden pupils’ knowledge of books and authors improving the effectiveness of teaching assistants so that they make a strong contribution to pupils’ learning in every lesson making sure that writing skills are systematically planned and taught and that all pupils receive more help to improve their work, through marking, advice and short-term targets providing more specific support and training for teachers and teaching assistants on how to identify and support pupils who have special educational needs and those of lower ability. Improve pupils’ progress rapidly, particularly in reading and writing, by: raising senior leaders’ and teachers’ expectations of the standard of work pupils should aspire to for their ages and capabilities improving the quality of teachers’ plans so that they help all pupils to make good or outstanding progress in lessons and, particularly, over time Inspection report: Discovery New School, 1–2 May 2013 4 of 10 making sure that assessments of what pupils know and can do are accurate and are used to plan the right work for all pupils, to help them thrive and flourish academically keeping parents much better informed about their children’s progress so that they are in a better position to support their learning at home. Urgently improve the effectiveness and impact of the senior leadership team by: strengthening senior leaders’ capacity to evaluate the school’s strengths and weaknesses accurately and reliably, with a sharp focus on pupils’ learning and progress ensuring that leaders adopt a more strategic approach to the school’s improvement, identify clear priorities and draw up an effective plan for rapid improvement providing training for the senior teachers in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning so that their judgements become accurate, and teachers are helped to teach good or better lessons ensuring that pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is formally checked at least six times each year, that assessments are accurate and that they are used well to promote good progress improving the organisation and management of provision for pupils with special educational needs so that these pupils have a well-organised, structured and tailored programme of support that everyone concerned knows and follows. Improve governance by: providing training for governors on how best to hold the school’s leaders to account and provide a helpful degree of challenge for the senior leadership team making sure governors are fully aware of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and achievement, know what is being done to improve the weaker aspects and are clear about whether or not actions are working making sure that the arrangements for the headteacher’s and teachers’ performance management meet statutory requirements writing clear procedures that are understood by all staff and assure impartiality, and ensure that they are followed should a complaint be made against a member of staff. Inspection report: Discovery New School, 1–2 May 2013 5 of 10 Inspection judgements The achievement of pupils is inadequate The pupils who have been in school since it opened have not made enough academic progress. Parents who are concerned about their children’s progress, and want more information from the school on how well their children are doing, are right to be worried. Too many pupils are not reaching their potential and are not having the chance to benefit from a good education. The flaws in how the school checks pupils’ progress is holding back their learning, particularly in reading and writing. The gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not being identified and filled. Pupils’ work is not checked regularly enough to find out what they can or cannot do. Attainment in reading and writing is much lower than it should be. Inspectors found some assessments were over-generous. Pupils’ work in mathematics is better than their reading and writing. The school’s approach is more systematic in mathematics and pupils do not have as many gaps in their learning in this subject. Pupils who have special educational needs do not receive enough support to help them learn and succeed. The plans for these pupils are not organised or communicated well enough to make sure that all staff are clear about what is needed for each pupil.

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