Burnwood Community Primary School

Burnwood Community Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 23–24 February 2012 Inspection number 380839 Unique Reference Number 124221 Local authority Stoke-On-Trent Inspection number 380839 Inspection dates 23–24 February 2012 Lead inspector Nigel Cromey-Hawke

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 372 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sandra Smith Headteacher Diane Herbert Date of previous school inspection 11-12 May 2009 School address Chell Heath Road Chell Heath Tunstall Stoke-on-Trent ST6 7LP Telephone number 01782 235577 Fax number 01782 235578 Email address burnwoodpri@sgfl.org.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.

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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.ofsted.gov.uk

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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 Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, 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.

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Introduction

Nigel Cromey-Hawke Geoffrey Lawrence Additional inspector Additional inspector Clarice Nelson-Rowe Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 21 lessons, including joint observations with senior staff, observing 17 teachers and 17 classes. The inspectors also held meetings with members of the governing body, staff, parents and carers and groups of pupils. The inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at a wide range of documentation, including development planning, pupils’ work, safeguarding arrangements, self-evaluation records, policies and performance data. Four responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were available to assist in planning the inspection. The inspectors scrutinised paper questionnaires from 113 parents and carers, 10 staff and 97 pupils.

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Information about the school

This is a much larger than average primary school. The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage, with a very low proportion speaking English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well above average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is well above average. The school met government floor standards, the minimum expectations for attainment and progress set by the government, in 2011. The school has several awards, including Investors in People, Artsmark Gold and the Boxall Award for its nurture group and behaviour provision. There is an independently managed on-site pre-school facility that is subject to a separate inspection. The report for this can be found on the Ofsted website. The school has undergone significant staffing changes in the last two years. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate

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Information about the school

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key Findings

 This is a satisfactory school. It has been improving with increasing rapidity since the previous inspection. Most pupils, parents and carers and staff are very positive about the school and the way it keeps its pupils safe and looks after them.

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Key Findings

 Achievement is satisfactory. Attainment on leaving the school in Year 6 is low but pupils make at least as much progress from their starting points as similar pupils nationally. The school provides caring, well-focused individual support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and those with behavioural difficulties. As a result, these groups make good progress. Attainment in reading is low but improving strongly.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is satisfactory overall. There is an increasing amount of good and some outstanding teaching as staffing has become more stable and new practices in assessment and target setting begin to have an impact. There is a small amount of inadequate teaching which the school is dealing with robustly. Weaker aspects of teaching are the lack of pace and challenge in some lessons, underdeveloped speaking and listening skills and inconsistent use of assessment guidelines to help pupils improve their own work. This leads to some pupils, especially the more-able, not always making enough progress.

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Key Findings

 The behaviour and safety of pupils is satisfactory. Most pupils enjoy school and attendance is improving, especially that of persistent absentees. The school has not engaged effectively with all parents and carers over the success of its behaviour management strategies.

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Key Findings

 The school knows its strengths and weaknesses well. Expectations have been raised and achievement and attendance improved. Not all new practices are fully effective yet. Aspects of development planning lack the necessary detail to bring about effective change for the better. This is why the school is currently satisfactory rather than good.

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Key Findings

Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement by ensuring that the quality of learning and progress in all lessons is at least good by: - providing sufficient pace in lessons, and challenging activities, especially for the more-able pupils - developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills, so that they are able to learn more effectively from adults and each other in lessons - extending the good practice seen in some lessons in the use of assessment guidelines to help pupils understand how to improve their work across all classes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Communicate more effectively with parents and carers so that they fully recognise the steps the school has taken in improving behaviour.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by: - ensuring that all development plans include a sharp focus so that it is easier to evaluate accurately the impact of actions on outcomes - embedding the new ways of working and raised expectations across the school in support of the drive for sustained improvement. 

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Achievement of pupils

The school is accurate in its self-evaluation that, while attainment on leaving the school is low, achievement is satisfactory and improving strongly. In lessons, most pupils acquire knowledge, develop understanding and learn and practise their skills in a satisfactory way. They are mostly keen to succeed, apply themselves well in lessons, work at a good pace and enjoy themselves when provided with appropriate tasks and guidance. Children enter the Reception classes with knowledge and skills that are well below those typical for their age, especially in language and personal development. Progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage has in the past been no better than satisfactory but is now good, due to changes in staffing and better teaching and learning practices. Progress within Key Stages 1 and 2 is satisfactory overall but has been improving each year since the previous inspection. In the past, some aspects of learning have been disrupted by changes in staffing and some

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Achievement of pupils

weaker teaching. This has been robustly tackled by the headteacher; expectations have been raised, extensive training undertaken and staff roles and responsibilities significantly rearranged.

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Achievement of pupils

Since the previous inspection, all groups of pupils have made at least the same levels of progress, given their starting points, as similar pupils nationally. Some groups have made better progress than this. For example, last year, progress through Key Stages 1 to 2 was overall significantly above the national average, especially in English. However, boys made less progress than girls. This has been sharply focused upon and the gap is now closing rapidly. The proportion of pupils gaining the higher levels in English and mathematics remains well below average, however. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, who often make up high proportions of each class, make good progress, helped by the extensive range of support strategies operated by the school. Attainment in reading has been low overall at the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in the past but has also been improving every year, and for many in the current Year 6 is very close to national

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Achievement of pupils

expectations. Inspection evidence and school tracking data show that, as a result of the changes made, the vast majority of pupils are on track to meet the challenging targets the school has set. Parents and carers are very supportive of these developments, but identify, in line with inspectors, that there is still work to do in embedding these practices across all areas of the school.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching and learning across the school are satisfactory. Much current teaching is good, with some that is outstanding, reflecting the changes and improvements within the school. There is also, however, a small amount that is inadequate. In the better lessons, good planning ensures that varied and often practical activities are provided that meet the needs of pupils well. Gaps between girls’ and boys’ performance have been reduced by focused all- male classes in English and mathematics in upper Key Stage 2. These enable the use of curriculum resources and topics to target boys’ interests and respond more effectively to their needs. In one case, video clips from Olympic athletes were used to good effect to stimulate thinking on descriptive language and high-quality work resulted. Such teaching deepens pupils’ knowledge and understanding. It teaches pupils a range of skills in reading, writing, communication and mathematics that contribute well to their spiritual, moral, social

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Quality of teaching

and cultural development. The teaching of reading is also especially strong within the Reception and early Key Stage 1 classes, which is providing pupils with a sound base for their future learning. The school has developed more accurate assessment and target- setting procedures over the last year and in the good lessons, the results of these findings clearly inform teaching. There is some good practice also in the use of assessment guidelines within lessons that help pupils to check their own work and that of their peers for accuracy and quality. In the less effective lessons, these practices are not so well developed and, as a result, pupils’ engagement is less secure and their progress slows. The legacy of past weaker teaching is still being overcome in some lessons, with speaking and listening skills in particular not yet well established. This means that pupils do not benefit from listening to the contributions of others or from adults in lessons. On these occasions,

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Quality of teaching

teachers do not promote pupils’ social skills and confidence as much as they could. Satisfactory lessons are also characterised by a lack of pace and challenge, especially for the more-able pupils. It is often the case that suitable activities have been planned to meet the needs and interests of all groups of pupils but these do not actually happen in the lessons. Parents and carers are very supportive of the teaching within the school and especially value the family learning opportunities it provides to increase their understanding of what their children are doing in school.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The behaviour and safety of pupils in the school is satisfactory. The school operates an excellent nurture group within the younger part of the school, reflecting its award in this area. This has a significant impact upon the personal development and well-being of many of its most vulnerable pupils. The school has also carried out significant changes in its management of behaviour across the school over the last few years. At the previous inspection, behaviour was judged to be good but the school’s self-evaluation highlighted an increased number of incidents of poor behaviour two years ago. A small minority of parents and carers also indicated such a concern within their questionnaire returns. This was associated with a group of pupils with behavioural needs transferred to the school from other institutions. The headteacher and members of the governing body responded vigorously with a revised behaviour strategy and appointed a specialist behaviour manager.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils with such behavioural needs are given high levels of additional support and the school can point to marked improvements over time for such pupils. Behaviour within the school building is good, disruption to lessons is rare and when encountered is dealt with well, often using a time-out facility. The school is very largely a warm and harmonious community, with pupils demonstrating respect for each other and tolerance of differences. Behaviour within the playground is lively but well monitored, with trained pupil Playground Buddies to help the adult supervisors. Bullying of all types, including cyber-bullying, racial discrimination and bullying related to disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is of a low level and well managed. The very large majority of both pupils and parents and carers say that the school keeps children safe, but the school recognises that it has yet to communicate

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

effectively with some parents and carers over its behaviour strategies. Attendance has been improved from low to currently above average levels so over time is judged to be broadly average. High rates of persistent absenteeism have also been significantly reduced compared to the previous inspection and they are now below those of similar schools. Punctuality is satisfactory.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher has a clear vision for the school and, together with the staff and governing body, is driving improvement forward with determination and skill. Achievement and attendance have both been improved. The school has demonstrated a satisfactory capacity for sustained improvement, although senior leaders recognise, rightly, that the drive for improvement is not effective consistently across the school. Staffing has been stabilised, new roles and responsibilities have been allocated and there is clear evidence of a greater consistency in the quality of teaching and higher expectations of learning. The leadership and management of subject teaching are currently satisfactory and improving, although opportunities to share best practice are sometimes missed. Training has been put in place for staff in new roles but many new ways of working are not established fully and practice varies. The impact of some initiatives has not been evaluated. However, self-evaluation is

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Leadership and management

broadly accurate and staff have a good understanding of what is happening within the school through a comprehensive monitoring calendar. This informs key strategies for bringing about further change but some aspects of development plans lack a sharpness of focus, making implementation and evaluation of impact less secure.

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Leadership and management

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. It is well supported by the satisfactory but improving curriculum, which combines a strong focus upon key skills, especially in the morning registration sessions, with a programme of themed topic work each afternoon. Spanish studies and international themed units build up pupils’ understanding of the wider world, but pupils’ direct contacts with it are less well developed. The school promotes equality and tackles discrimination well, with the small number of incidents dealt with sensitively and appropriately and gaps in pupils’ performance being narrowed rapidly. The governing body has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school, and is regularly involved in helping with reading, visits, lesson observations and staffing through its subject links. As such, it carries out its support and challenge functions well. Safeguarding arrangements are good, with particularly strong

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Leadership and management

practice in site safety and vetting and barring practices.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils' punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils' freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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7LP

Thank you for the warm welcome you gave me and my colleagues when we inspected your school recently. You were very friendly and polite, and enthusiastic about what you do.

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7LP

Burnwood Community Primary is a satisfactory school. You get a good start to your learning in the Reception classes. Your progress throughout the school is satisfactory, partly due to a lack of continuity in staffing in the past. The levels of attainment the vast majority of you reach by the time you leave the school in Year 6 are low, but this situation is improving rapidly under the leadership of the headteacher, staff and governing body. Those of you who find learning difficult are making good progress because of the additional support you receive. The quality of teaching over time is satisfactory, but much current teaching is good as higher expectations and new ways of working begin to have an effect. Teaching assistants are also providing good support for your learning, especially in helping with your reading, which, although of a low level, is also improving strongly. The school looks after you well, you say you feel safe and welcome the significant improvements that

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7LP

have been made in behaviour. Behaviour is satisfactory overall across the school, but often good in lessons. Your attendance has also improved considerably from low to now above-average levels. Well done! The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory, but, again, improving rapidly. To help with this I have asked the school to do the following things:   make sure that you make at least good progress in all your lessons   improve some parts of school planning for improvement and ensure that new ways of working operate effectively across the school   communicate better with parents and carers over what is happening within the school, especially over the improvements in behaviour.

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7LP

You can help by telling your teachers how best you learn and if you have any problems. I wish you the best for the future.

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7LP

Nigel Cromey-Hawke Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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