Chuckery Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 12–13 March 2012 Inspection number 381442 Chuckery Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 132076 Local authority Walsall Inspection number 381442 Inspection dates 12–13 March 2012 Lead inspector Nick Butt

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 450 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dave Morgan Headteacher Margaret Lever Date of previous school inspection 7 October 2008 School address Lincoln Road Walsall WS1 2DZ Telephone number 01922 449104 Fax number 01922 449124 Email address postbox@chuckery.walsall.sch.uk 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

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and sch ool inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.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.

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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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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors observed 28 lessons taught by 14 teachers. Meetings were held with parents, carers and pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and another governor, and a wide range of staff. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at a wide range of documentation including self-evaluation documents, strategic plans and other development plans. Inspectors scrutinised 166 questionnaires returned by parents and carers and those returned by staff and pupils.

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Information about the school

Chuckery is larger than the average-sized primary school. Most pupils are from minority ethnic groups, the largest being Pakistani (almost two thirds of pupils). The large majority of pupils speak English as an additional language. Large numbers of pupils join or leave the school outside the normal times, often joining with very little English. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well above average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average. The school meets current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

The school runs a daily family breakfast club. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 Chuckery is a satisfactory school. Measures taken by senior leaders to bring about improvement are having a beneficial impact, with pupils making better progress in the past 18 months. The school is not yet good because it is too soon to see the full impact of this work on attainment, which remains low at Key Stage 1.  Achievement is satisfactory. There has been a trend of improvement, especially in writing and mathematics. Some groups of pupils, such as those known to be eligible for free school meals and Pakistani girls, achieve less well than all pupils nationally, but are catching up. In reading at Key Stage 2, some pupils struggle to acquire good comprehension skills.  Teaching is satisfactory. Relationships are good in classes and work is generally pitched at the right level for pupils’ needs. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to take an active role in checking for themselves how well they

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Key findings

are doing in lessons. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, there is too much emphasis on adult-led learning.  Behaviour and safety are good. Pupils show courtesy and respect to one another and to adults, and are very keen to learn. They have a good understanding of how to keep safe.  Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher and the new deputy headteacher work well together and communicate their ambition for the school effectively to all staff. In managing performance, they have been successful in promoting a rich learning environment and a positive school ethos. The good curriculum provides memorable experiences for pupils. The leadership of teaching is satisfactory. Monitoring has not always been sufficiently focused on pupils’ learning. The governing body is supportive but has not placed enough emphasis on how effectively the school is improving attainment and progress.

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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. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure all teaching is consistently good or better by:  planning for pupils to be more independent in lessons through helping them assess the success of their learning  ensuring questioning extends pupils’ thinking in all classes  providing a good balance in the Early Years Foundation Stage between activities led by adults and those chosen by the children themselves.  Raise attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by:  providing opportunities for pupils to improve their comprehension skills in reading at Key Stage 2 through focused group work  having consistently high expectations of what all pupils can do and achieve.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:  making the monitoring of lessons more focused on how well pupils are learning  ensuring the governing body focuses more on holding the school to account for pupils’ attainment and progress  developing the role of subject leaders in improving attainment and

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Achievement of pupils

Most parents and carers believe their children make good progress, and inspectors found an improving picture, but the variations in attainment for different groups mean achievement is satisfactory overall.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils are enthusiastic about learning, especially when they have opportunities to participate actively in lessons. For example, as part of their studies in ‘Mathematics in the Workplace’, Year 6 pupils enjoyed considering how different jobs use mathematics, attaching notes to photographs of a range of occupations. In the Nursery and Reception classes, staff rightly focus on developing the language of children who join the school speaking little English. However, too much of the activity is adult-led so that children do not have sufficient time to explore learning through selecting their own tasks, and this slows their progress. Children make satisfactory progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, but attainment is still low by the time they enter Year 1 in most areas of learning.

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Achievement of pupils

While attainment is low overall, it is improving from pupils’ below average starting points. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make increasingly good progress and the gap between them and all pupils nationally is narrowing so that, for example, the present Year 6 pupils are likely to be one term behind in writing and mathematics by the time they leave. In Key Stage 1, where most pupils are at the early stages of learning English, Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

attainment is between one and two terms behind in reading, writing and mathematics. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive appropriate support and make satisfactory progress overall. Staff keep a careful check on whether interventions are having the desired impact and adjust them as necessary. The school has identified that Pakistani girls often underachieve and has adopted measures to support them in accelerating their progress, which are beginning to bear fruit. There is good support for pupils at the early stages of learning English, which means they are included in all activities and can learn as well as their peers.

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Achievement of pupils

Reading is taught systematically in Key Stage 1, so that pupils learn the sounds that letters make and can sound out words they do not recognise. However, attainment is still low by the end of Year 2 because of pupils’ very low starting points. In Key Stage 2, there are weaknesses in pupils’ comprehension. For example, they find it hard to make inferences about what they have read and to make predictions about what may happen later. The school is developing a learning programme to help remedy this. The present Year 6 pupils are on track for reading to be broadly average by the time they leave the school because of recent good progress.

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Quality of teaching

The planned curriculum ensures that tasks are usually tailored well to pupils’ learning needs, with a good level of challenge. Teachers use technology and resources well to make lessons interesting and enjoyable for pupils. Pupils say they enjoy sharing ideas and teachers’ questioning often helps to extend learning. However, this is not always the case and sometimes questions are too simple to produce fruitful discussion. Teachers share learning objectives with pupils, but seldom give them opportunities to assess their own and others’ progress against these objectives.

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Quality of teaching

In the best lessons, pace is brisk and pupils take an active part in learning. For example, pupils in Year 2 were very excited when imagining and creating their own treasure islands, and Year 3 pupils enjoyed researching chocolate. The school’s learning environment is attractive and stimulating. Many displays contain questions, and pupils respond by writing answers on little notes. The impact of teaching on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory overall. Pupils consider moral dilemmas and reflect on their learning, but at times they are not given enough opportunities to make choices, and some literacy and numeracy lessons are directed too much by the teacher.

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Quality of teaching

Marking is consistent across the school so that most pupils know how to improve their work and understand what their targets are. There is some variability in what teachers expect from pupils in terms of the amount of work produced and its neatness. Topic books are generally well presented, with some good opportunities for pupils to apply their basic skills across different subjects. For example, Year 4 pupils applied technology skills to create an animation that showed the water cycle in science. Most parents and carers say their children are well taught at the school. Inspectors found that there is a mixture of good and satisfactory teaching, but that the impact of teaching over time, taking into account work in books and outcomes Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Typical behaviour over time is good. Pupils confirm this, and most parents and carers agree. The school’s records show very few serious behaviour incidents and no exclusions. The school can point to examples of pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable making substantial progress in managing their own behaviour because of the caring support they receive. In discussion with inspectors, pupils showed a very good understanding of the different forms that bullying may take. However they said that bullying in any form was very rare. This was also confirmed in pupils’ answers to the questionnaires. In this school of many cultures, pupils celebrate diversity and show tolerance and respect for one another. In an assembly, Muslim pupils explained how some of their prophets are the same as figures from the Bible, such as King David and Moses. Pupils listened with rapt attention to a boy singing an Islamic song accompanied by a girl on a drum. They learn sign language

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

so that they can communicate with deaf children.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils say they feel safe in school, and almost all parents and carers back this view. Pupils know what to do in an emergency and how to keep themselves safe, for example when using the internet. Older pupils help the younger ones, and pupils support one another as peer mediators and play leaders. Attendance has been improving rapidly over time, reflecting pupils’ increased enjoyment of school, and is now broadly average.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher and governing body have totally refashioned the school over recent years to make it a rich learning environment where pupils feel valued and secure. The new deputy headteacher complements the headteacher’s strengths well and shares her passion for helping each individual child succeed, whatever their circumstances. The school’s declared aim of ‘No Chuckery Child Left Behind’ is at the very centre of its work, ensuring that equality of opportunity is paramount and all discrimination robustly tackled. The fruit of senior leaders’ ambition is seen in pupils’ good personal development, their good behaviour and their enjoyment of school. Increasingly, this is also evident in improved rates of progress, better teaching and rising attainment so that gaps are narrowing. However, self-evaluation has been too generous in the past, and monitoring has focused too much on teaching and not enough on the impact of teaching on learning. Middle leaders have a sound

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Leadership and management

understanding of their roles and phase leaders make a positive contribution to improving progress and attainment. There is some variability in the effectiveness of subject leaders in analysing and interpreting data to identify trends in pupils’ performance. The governing body knows the school well and members represent all sections of the community. It has not, however, focused sufficiently on holding the school to account for its progress and attainment. It now receives good quality information which is prepared by the headteacher and the head of business strategy, and so is better placed to ask searching questions. It ensures that all safeguarding requirements are met fully, and that staff are well trained. Improvement in pupils’ progress in writing and mathematics, in the rate of attendance and in the quality of Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Leadership and management

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

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Leadership and management

the learning environment shows that the school has the capacity for further improvement.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is good because it has an international focus and provides exciting and memorable experiences for pupils, as well as promoting their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Its impact is especially evident upon pupils’ personal development and their enjoyment of school, but also contributes to recent improvements in progress and academic attainment across different subjects. Year 6 pupils have been studying the lives of children who live on rubbish dumps on the Indian sub-continent, and have reflected in depth about the moral dilemmas this raises and issues surrounding recycling and sustainability. Pupils have strong links with pupils in other countries and raise money to support schools in Malawi.

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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. 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). 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. 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

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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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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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Chuckery Primary School, Walsall WS1 2DZ

Thank you for your help when we visited your school recently and for sharing your views with us, both in person and through completing questionnaires. Chuckery is a satisfactory school and is improving all the time. More of you are making good progress now, and while you are not doing quite as well as pupils in other schools, most of you are catching up. Your behaviour is good and you look after one another well. You have good relationships with members of staff, who care for you well. You say you feel safe in school and you know how to deal with potentially unsafe situations. The headteacher and deputy headteacher, and all the staff, work very hard to improve your school. The curriculum is exciting and fun, and helps you learn about life in other countries.

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Inspection of Chuckery Primary School, Walsall WS1 2DZ

For your school to do even better, we have asked leaders and staff to:  involve you more in checking how well you are doing in lessons  ask you questions that really make you think  make sure the youngest children get to choose activities for themselves more often  help you develop your reading skills further in Key Stage 2  check carefully how well you are learning.

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Inspection of Chuckery Primary School, Walsall WS1 2DZ

All of you can help by telling your teachers what you enjoy about learning, and thinking of ways to measure how you are doing in lessons.

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Inspection of Chuckery Primary School, Walsall WS1 2DZ

Thank you once again for your support, and our best wishes for the future.

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Inspection of Chuckery Primary School, Walsall WS1 2DZ

Nick Butt 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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