John Gulson Primary School

John Gulson Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 103690 Local Authority Coventry Inspection number 355433 Inspection dates 27–28 January 2011 Reporting inspector David Edwards

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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 573 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Carole Bond Headteacher Shaukat Hussain Date of previous school inspection 4 June 2008 School address George Street Coventry CV1 4HB Telephone number 024 76227791 Fax number 024 76258103 Email address admin@johngulson.coventry.sch.uk

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Age group 3–11 Inspection dates 27–28 January 2011 Inspection number 355433 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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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 .

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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 documentation in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to 'Subscribe'. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by four additional inspectors. Twenty lessons and 17 teachers were observed. Inspectors scrutinised policies, analysed pupils' work, checked numerical information on pupils' progress and talked to them about it. The team also analysed school improvement plans and governing body minutes and met parents, carers and members of the governing body. Questionnaire returns were considered from 138 parents and carers. The views of staff and pupils were also taken into consideration. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.  Are the improvements in pupils' attainment and progress sustainable enough to justify the school's good grading on overall effectiveness and sustained capacity for further improvement?  What are the reasons for the disparity in pupils' good attainment in science compared to that in English and mathematics?

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Introduction

 Is the quality of teaching and learning strong enough to raise attainment to the nationally expected levels for all pupils?  Is the curriculum meeting the needs of all pupils and helping them to establish links between subjects to raise standards further?

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Information about the school

The school is significantly larger than other schools nationally. The numbers of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is greater than seen nationally. The overwhelming majority of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and most of these are learning English as an additional language. The majority of pupils are of Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Indian heritage, with Black African, White and Asian pupils making up significant minorities. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than in other schools nationally, as is the proportion of pupils who have a statement of educational needs. Above-average proportions of pupils join or leave the school partway through their primary education. Early Years Foundation Stage education is provided in Nursery and Reception classes. Four newly qualified teachers were appointed in September 2010. The school has achieved the national Healthy School status

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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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Main findings

John Gulson Primary School provides a satisfactory but improving standard of education for its pupils. Attainment has risen steadily for the last four years so that it is now broadly in line with national expectations at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. At Key Stage 2 in 2010, pupils' attainment was the highest it had ever been, including at the higher levels, where the attainment of more-able pupils was above average. In contrast, not enough pupils reach the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 1. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall in Key Stage 1. While pupils' progress is good and accelerating in Years 5 and 6, this is not a consistent picture across the whole school. This is because teaching overall is satisfactory. The school is taking effective action to improve provision. For instance, the whole school approach to teaching writing and mathematics has had a positive impact. The latest school assessment information and evidence from pupils' work

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Main findings

show that attainment is rising, especially in Year 2 and Years 5 and 6. Although achievement overall is satisfactory, progress remains inconsistent in some year groups, because teaching is not of a high enough quality for all pupils to make the improvements in their learning that are needed to raise standards to a higher level. Some teachers do not concentrate enough on the quality of learning that has taken place in lessons to challenge pupils to think more deeply about their learning to accelerate their progress. Teaching in Years 5 and 6 is good and demonstrates the progress that pupils can make when lessons are well planned and challenging, and activities well matched to pupils' needs. In contrast, the pace of learning slows when teachers do not use assessment information well enough to ensure that activities are well matched to pupils' different abilities. Through good links with parents and carers and effective partnerships with a range of

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Main findings

outside agencies, the school provides good support for pupils with specific needs and the most vulnerable. Pupils are made aware of the importance of attending school; nevertheless, despite the school's best efforts, attendance remains well below the national average for a small number of pupils. The Learning Mentor has worked extensively with families to effect an improvement, with the result that the attendance of persistent absentees is rising. Pupils have an exemplary understanding of how to keep themselves safe. They are very aware of the dangers they face in everyday life and how to deal with them. They feel safe from bullying and if they have concerns they know who to go to and are confident their concerns will be dealt with promptly. Their knowledge of how to be healthy is good. They know how to make healthy choices in their food and have a good appreciation of the need to take regular exercise. This has led to the school receiving

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Main findings

Healthy School status. The school's leaders have a secure understanding of the school's strengths and priorities for improvement and are clearly focused on raising standards. Managers are using a wide

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

range of strategies to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning and to identify the actions needed to accelerate progress. While subject leaders monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning through scrutiny of planning and work sampling, they currently do not have an accurate enough view of standards within their subject across the whole school, because opportunities to undertake lesson observations are restricted. The improvements in teaching and learning are steadily raising pupils' attainment and achievement. The work that the leadership team have done to raise standards in mathematics and writing and their better ability to analyse data demonstrate the school's satisfactory capacity for making further improvements. Governors know the school well. They support the school effectively but are not afraid to challenge it when the need arises. They have ensured that provision for community

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

cohesion in the school is good through a clear plan of action which is leading to good outcomes for pupils in this area. Up to 40% of the 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 attendance rates by working more closely with families whose children have a higher rate of persistent absence.  Ensure that teaching across the school is consistently good or better by: the sharper and more effective use of data by staff when planning lessons using time more effectively in lessons to increase the pace of learning providing greater challenge in lessons, particularly for more able pupils in Key Stage 1 having a greater focus in lessons on pupils' academic outcomes and the learning that has taken place using questions effectively to check pupils' understanding of what they are learning.  Ensure that subjects leaders have an accurate view of standards within their subject across the school by giving them more opportunities to observe lessons so that they can ascertain the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

The quality of pupils' learning seen during the inspection was satisfactory overall and sometimes good. Pupils are keen to do well and talk enthusiastically about their work. An example was seen in a Year 4 lesson when pupils were provided with success criteria so that they could evaluate the quality of their writing. They spoke with confidence and correctly identified strengths and aspects that could be improved. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language, make at least satisfactory progress and some make good progress, especially in Years 5 and 6. The impact of pupils' improving progress can be seen in their higher attainment. The school's assessment information shows that a greater proportion of pupils are expected to reach the levels for their age than previously.

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

The school has effectively started to raise attainment in mathematics through a focus on improving pupils' mental calculations. In one good example, pupils made accelerated progress in their ability rapidly to recall division and multiplication facts, because the challenge and pace of teaching and learning were good. In general, boys' attainment has been higher than that of girls in mathematics. To tackle this inequality, the teachers have taken greater account of girls' interests when planning and have successfully raised their confidence in the subject. Inspectors did not see any significant differences between the performance of girls and boys in lessons or in pupils' current work. The school has created more opportunities for pupils to practise their extended writing skills, which has led to a rise in attainment in the subject across the school. In a diverse cultural community pupils are friendly and considerate towards each other

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

and the adults they work with. They feel extremely safe and know what to do if they have a concern. Pupils' social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is good. They reflect on and contemplate issues relevant to them. They demonstrate an appreciation of the wonder of the world around them; this includes participation in a number of musical activities. Pupils are knowledgeable about and celebrate each other's cultures. As one pupil said, 'We all respect each other.' The school has established links with two schools in Britain and schools in Kenya and Japan to enhance pupils' knowledge of the life and culture within Britain and the wider world. Levels of attendance are significantly below average for a small number of pupils, whose parents or carers do not insist on sending them to school regularly. The school is making extensive and successful efforts to improve this situation.

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 3

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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3

Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹

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The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4

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How effective is the provision?

The school has a team of teachers who demonstrate a positive attitude towards the pupils in their care and generally plan activities that engage pupils. This is beginning to have a positive impact on standards of achievement. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong and pupils themselves can explain how the teachers help them learn, especially through the use of targets and marking to help them to understand how they can improve. Planning often ensures that tasks are set which capture pupils' interests, but the use of assessment information is not as effective as it could be in ensuring that activities meet the needs of different ability groups, particularly the more able. Teachers and teaching assistants provide good support for vulnerable pupils, those with additional learning needs and those pupils for whom English is an additional language. Their effective support helps pupils with limited English who join the school. Those who

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How effective is the provision?

arrive part-way through the school year are quickly integrated into the school community to accelerate their learning. The Learning Mentor is working vigorously with families and is succeeding in improving attendance for the small number of pupils who are persistently absent. The school has a satisfactory curriculum but has good plans to develop it over the coming year to create more links between subjects so that pupils can use their skills in different situations. The computers in the information and communication technology suite are

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

used well by pupils for research purposes. The curriculum is enriched through a range of extra-curricular clubs and activities and educational visits and visitors to school.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching 3

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

The motivational headteacher and other members of the leadership team have set up effective monitoring and evaluation systems which have led to improvements in teaching and learning. This has contributed to the rise in attainment overall and particularly in writing and mathematics. The rigorous systems for tracking pupils' progress, coupled with regular reviews of pupils' progress, have been effective in identifying any potential underachievement. The support given to those pupils identified is helping to accelerate their progress. This has made staff more accountable for the progress pupils make, though some do not always use the information effectively enough when planning pupils' work. The provision for more-able pupils is not consistently meeting their needs, particularly at Key Stage 1, though overall equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination are satisfactory. The school has rightly placed an emphasis on the

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How effective are leadership and management?

development of numeracy and literacy, which has helped them to achieve the Basic Skills Quality Mark. Subject leaders are monitoring and evaluating more rigorously but do not have an accurate view of the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects, within the classroom. The governing body is very responsible and fulfils its duties with considerable expertise. Governors are knowledgeable about the school. They have a good understanding of its strengths and are fully involved in evaluating the quality of provision and planning for improvements. Safeguarding procedures are given a high priority by the governors and school leaders and meet all statutory requirements. The governors are proactive in monitoring health and safety in the school and seeing that all policies and risk assessments ensure the safety of staff and pupils. The results of the parental questionnaire indicate that parents and carers

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How effective are leadership and management?

agree that the school helps to keep their children safe. The school is a very cohesive community and promotes cohesion well in the local community. A carefully devised plan also helps pupils to have a good understanding of faiths and cultures further afield in Britain and the world.

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for leadership and management

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3

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Many children enter the Nursery class with levels of experience that are well below those expected, particularly in communication, social and personal skills. Children's language skills are often particularly poorly developed and nearly all speak English as an additional language. The current provision is satisfactory in the Nursery and Reception classes with satisfactory teaching, adequate use of resources and effective relationships that support children's growing enjoyment of school. A sound range of learning opportunities are promoted and there is an effective balance of adult-led and child-initiated tasks, both indoors and outdoors. Occasionally, children are asked to sit on the carpet too long and so they become restless. Adults miss opportunities to intervene with well-judged guidance to move learning on when children are engaged in self-chosen tasks. Children make significant strides in their personal development and their acquisition of English. This helps

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Early Years Foundation Stage

them to make satisfactory progress in their learning, though attainment at the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage remains below average. Too many parents or carers choose not to send their children to school regularly, especially in the Nursery and this restricts their progress. The leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage are satisfactory. Team work is strong and planning satisfactory. Safeguarding meets all statutory requirements.

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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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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 3

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly happy with most aspects of the school. They feel that the school keeps their children extremely safe and that their children enjoy coming to school. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers also believe that teaching is good in the school and that the school helps their children to have a healthy lifestyle. A very small minority of parents and carers feel that the school does not meet their children's needs, but inspectors judged that outcomes for pupils are satisfactory with some good elements and that the needs of the most vulnerable pupils are well provided for.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at John Gulson Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 138 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 573 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 93 67 43 31 0 0 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 89 64 49 36 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My school informs me about my child's progress 55 40 77 56 1 1 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child is making enough progress at this school 61 44 70 51 3 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The teaching is good at this school 69 50 67 49 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps me to support my child's learning 69 50 65 47 1 1 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 77 56 59 43 1 1 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 54 39 77 56 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 62 45 63 46 3 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 63 46 67 49 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 56 41 72 52 4 3 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 58 42 72 52 1 1 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 76 55 60 43 1 1 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.

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Grade Judgement Description

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

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 August 2010 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2009/10 was not representative of all sc hools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of John Gulson Primary School, Coventry, CV1 4HB

On behalf of the inspection team I would like to thank you for your friendly welcome. We enjoyed meeting and talking to many of you, looking at your work and visiting your lessons. We would also like to say thank you to the groups of pupils who had discussions with us and those of you who completed the inspection questionnaire. We concluded that yours is a satisfactory school in which you receive lots of help from your teachers and teaching assistants to enable you to make satisfactory progress. We were pleased to learn that you and the vast majority of your parents and carers are happy with the quality of education you receive. It is good to know that you feel safe in school and your teachers give you good guidance and support. Your good behaviour is helping you to make positive gains in your learning and creates a very happy school community where you all care well for each other. We were also impressed by the links

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Inspection of John Gulson Primary School, Coventry, CV1 4HB

you have made with schools in Kenya and Japan, whose culture is different from your own. We know that your school leaders and governors are always striving to improve the school. With this in mind, we are asking them to do the following things to improve the school further. We want your teachers to make better use of assessment information so that lessons help all of you to make more rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics and to ensure that the most able of you are sufficiently challenged in your lessons to make the progress you are capable of. We want teachers to use time more effectively in lessons to increase the pace of teaching and learning. We have asked teachers to take a fuller part in checking the quality of teaching and learning in your school, so they have a clearer view of how well you are doing. We also want them to check on the quality of your learning during lessons. The school must devise additional

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Inspection of John Gulson Primary School, Coventry, CV1 4HB

ways of improving your attendance. We want you to try extra hard to help your school improve even more in this. You can all help by coming to school every day. You can also help by doing your best at all times and letting your teachers know if the work you get is not hard enough. We wish you the best for the future.

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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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