Setting

PROTECT-INSPECTION

September 2010 PROTECT-INSPECTION Page 1 31 March 2011

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PROTECT-INSPECTION

Mr Withers Headteacher Landywood Primary School Holly Lane Landywood Walsall WS6 6AQ

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Landywood Primary School

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 30 March 2011, for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during the inspection. Please also pass my thanks on to the pupils and the Chair of the Governing Body.

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Landywood Primary School

During my visit I noted that a Year 2 class is currently being taught by a temporary teacher because the permanent teacher is on maternity leave. There have been no other significant staff changes since the last inspection.

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Landywood Primary School

As a result of the inspection on 20 January 2010, the school was asked to address the most important areas for improvement which are set out in the annex to this letter.

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Landywood Primary School

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time the school has made satisfactory progress in making improvements and good progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement.

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Landywood Primary School

Attainment in 2010 was similar to that seen in 2009, with attainment in mathematics and science continuing to lag behind the higher standards in English. The quality of teaching has improved and observations made during this inspection found it to be good in the vast majority of lessons. Consequently, most pupils are now making satisfactory or better progress. The current Year 6 pupils are expected to reach standards that are closer to age-related expectations by the time they leave. Nevertheless, a few of the older pupils are still not making fast enough progress in mathematics and science to make up for the slow progress they made in the past. Serco Inspections Cedar House 21 William Street Edgbaston Birmingham B15 1LH Ofsted T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Serco Direct T 0121 683 3888

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September 2010 PROTECT-INSPECTION Page 2 Work to improve pupils’ achievement in mathematics has been undertaken with rigour. Lesson monitoring, staff training and a more systematic approach to the assessment and tracking of pupils’ progress have led to better teaching and, as a result, pupils’ progress is accelerating. The school has started to make meaningful links between subjects and this provides pupils with more opportunities to use and apply their numeracy skills in order to solve problems. These improvements mean that lessons are more purposeful and opportunities for pupils to work independently have increased. However, in some lessons, the work given to the most able pupils does not always provide sufficient challenge and this limits their progress.

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The school has not yet taken such active steps to monitor rates of pupils’ progress in science. However, this has been a strategic decision agreed with the governing body and the local authority. Tightly focused school development planning identifies actions that will now be undertaken in order to assist pupils’ development of scientific knowledge and skills.

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Support received from the local authority has helped to improve the quality of planning and teaching in mathematics. In order to help with further improvements, the local authority has promised to provide additional science support to the school.

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School leaders show determination to improve pupils’ educational experiences. The strong sense of teamwork and shared purpose provides a clear indication that the school’s capacity to improve has been strengthened. The governing body provides an increased level of challenge and support, and much has been done to create a positive climate for learning. Subject leaders for mathematics and science take action to promote good practice and have a clear understanding about how to drive further improvements. They lead staff training and provide the governing body with good quality information. However, their role in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning across the school, and providing feedback to teachers about the impact of marking in books, is underdeveloped.

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I hope that you have found the inspection helpful in promoting improvement in your school. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website.

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September 2010 PROTECT-INSPECTION Page 3

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place in January 2010

 Improve standards and progress in mathematics by:  increasing opportunities for the pupils to apply their basic skills and solve problems  improving the range of activities in lessons to promote more independence.

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place in January 2010

 Improve standards and progress in science by:  strengthening the development of scientific knowledge and skills in topics  developing systems for tracking pupils' progress so that weaknesses can be tackled more sharply.

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place in January 2010

 In both mathematics and science, develop the work of the subject leaders so that changes made can be monitored and evaluated more effectively.

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