Leigh Church of England Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 22 Jun 2011

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 21–22 June 2011 Inspection number 355438 Leigh Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 103705 Local Authority Coventry Inspection number 355438 Inspection dates 21–22 June 2011 Reporting inspector Ken Buxton HMI

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 under pilot arrangements; it was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act .

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 169 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Cutler Headteacher Debbie Middleton Date of previous school inspection 21 February 2008 School address Plants Hill Crescent Tile Hill Coventry CV4 9RQ Telephone number 02476 464475 Fax number 02476 468878 Email address office@leigh.coventry.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 school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA

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

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Introduction

This pilot inspection was carried out by two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and one additional inspector. The inspectors observed 16 lessons, taught by a total of seven teachers. In addition, they held meetings with the headteacher, representatives from the governing body, staff, pupils, parents and two representatives from the local authority. They observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of documentation including the improvement plan, progress reports, minutes of governing body meetings and records of pupils’ progress. Inspectors analysed questionnaires from 55 parents and carers and took account of staff and pupil questionnaires.

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Information about the school

This school is smaller than the average sized primary school. The number of pupils attending the school has increased over the last three years. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is much higher than average. Only a few pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is slightly above the national average. The level of pupil mobility is higher than is most primary schools. The government’s floor targets have been met during the past three years. Since the last inspection, the school has employed a total of three acting headteachers. A new substantive headteacher was appointed in September 2010. Just before the inspection a teacher left the school and a part-time member of staff taught the class. 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 3

Does the school adequately promote the pupils’ well-being? Yes Does the school adequately promote community cohesion? Yes Does the school provide value for money? Yes

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Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school. The recently appointed headteacher has been instrumental in giving the school a sense of purpose and direction that has been welcomed by all parties.

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Key findings

 Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They are pleased with the quality of education being delivered and are confident that pupils are well cared for and kept safe.

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Key findings

 By the end of Year 6, most pupils make satisfactory progress and reach the levels expected. Standards of reading at the age of 6 and the end of Key Stage 2 are in line with the national average.

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Key findings

 Teaching is satisfactory. Observations of lessons confirmed that some teaching is more effective at enabling pupils to learn. In these lessons, a purposeful learning atmosphere was evident and the pupils had a clear understanding of what they were learning. In other lessons, teachers did not take enough account of pupils’ prior learning and missed opportunities to correct pupils’ misconceptions and errors. The school is taking action to strengthen the quality of teaching, but there is still some way to go before it is consistently good.

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Key findings

 Pupils mostly behave well in lessons. They also behave sensibly around the school. Parents and carers are generally pleased with the quality of pupils’ behaviour. The few incidents of inappropriate behaviour are managed well. The recently introduced behaviour strategy of using red and green cards is well understood and works successfully.

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Key findings

 The governing body has been successful at recruiting an able headteacher who leads from the front and has galvanised the school into taking action to raise 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

the school’s overall effectiveness. There is a clear understanding of what needs to be done and appropriate improvement priorities are being set. Leadership responsibilities have yet to be distributed equitably, so as to broaden the level of involvement across the school.

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Key findings

Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory, and where leadership and management is no better than 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?

 Raise pupils’ attainment so that, by July 2012, it matches or exceeds the national average by:  ensuring pupils make consistently good progress each year, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of good quality teaching by:  quickening the pace of learning, so as to maintain pupils’ concentration  making better use of assessment information to plan more accurately to meet pupils’ individual needs  using teaching assistants’ time more productively to ensure they are actively engaged in supporting pupils’ learning throughout lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of the school’s leadership by:  ensuring all leaders focus increasingly on holding teachers and support staff to account for pupils’ achievement  sharpening the governing body’s ability to act strategically in driving improvement.

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Main report

Since the last inspection, the school has gone through a period of quite significant change of leadership and staff. This was because the governing body was unable to appoint a substantive headteacher. As a result, pupils’ academic standards declined, particularly at Key Stage 1. Following the governing body’s successful recruitment of an able headteacher, the school has been galvanised into taking action to raise the school’s overall effectiveness. There is now a sense of stability across the school; the current drive to bring about improvement is already showing signs of success.

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Main report

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Most make satisfactory progress in lessons and show good attitudes to learning. Behaviour is often good, but on occasion the pace of the lesson drops and some pupils lose focus and concentration, which slows learning. This is one of the reasons why the rate at which pupils learn varies between classes and between year groups. As a consequence, pupils make inconsistent progress as they move through the school, so that, by the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is broadly in line with the national average. Although girls tend to slightly out perform boys in English, the picture reverses for mathematics. The 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 report

attainment of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is lower than for similar pupils nationally. Even though these pupils receive appropriate levels of support, their individual learning needs are not always identified carefully enough. Changes being introduced are showing signs of having a positive impact. Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 has started to improve and, although lower than the national average, it is higher than for previous cohorts. Similarly, the number of Year 6 pupils working at higher than average levels is increasing.

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Main report

When children join the Reception class, most have skills that are typical for their age. The school’s well organised induction programme, including home visits by staff, helps children to settle quickly into school routines. The Early Years Foundation Stage provides a bright and stimulating learning environment. The outdoor area offers a good and safe working area for children to learn through experiencing a range of practical activities. Teaching is currently satisfactory with a well organised range of activities that capture pupils’ interest and imagination and helps them to make satisfactory progress. The school’s assessment data shows that the vast majority of children are on track to reach the levels expected by the time they transfer to Year 1.

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Main report

By the age of 6, most pupils’ attainment in reading is satisfactory. Similarly, by the time pupils leave school at the end of Year 6, attainment in reading is in line with the national average.

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Main report

Pupils enjoy school and have good attitudes to learning. They are well cared for and pupils’ well-being is a high priority. Pupils are confident that any incidents of bullying that do arise are resolved successfully. Attendance is satisfactory. Teamwork and collaborative working are encouraged throughout the school, which has helped pupils develop useful life skills. Pupils often work together well, showing consideration and compassion for each other. They are enthusiastic learners and have benefited from the different cultural experiences and opportunities provided by the school. The school’s strong links with the church play a key role in developing pupils’ ability to reflect on important issues and appreciate aspects of faith and religion. The pupils’ work on reconciliation and peace was acknowledged recently, following their visit to Coventry Cathedral, with the ‘Cross of Nails’ award. During the inspection, pupils

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Main report

spoke with enthusiasm about their recent visit to a local Gurdwara. They spoke with knowledge about visiting the Sikh Temple and how they had broadened their understanding of the Sikh religion and culture.

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Main report

The quality of teaching varies across the school. The best lessons are planned carefully, often with differing levels of challenge. In those lessons where pupils learn most there is a purposeful working environment with pupils engaged actively in a range of tasks that are matched accurately to individual needs. This was particularly evident in a Year 4 English lesson where pupils were given differing levels of guidance and prompts to help them write an ode. Teachers often use questions well to gauge pupils’ level of understanding. Similarly, teaching assistants often make an important contribution to the lesson’s effectiveness. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, pupils working in ability groups were supported very well to use calculators to solve 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 report

multi-step problems successfully. On other occasions, teachers do not deploy support staff effectively throughout the lesson, which reduces the time they are usefully engaged in working with pupils.

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Main report

Teachers assess and mark pupils’ work regularly. Praise is used to encourage pupils and guidance given as to how the work could be improved. Teachers focus appropriately on identifying pupils’ errors. However, on occasion, when marking work they miss the opportunity to assess pupils’ development and fail to notice basic errors and misconceptions, which are then not picked up when planning future lessons.

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Main report

The headteacher is working closely with the senior staff and the governing body to establish a shared vision for the school’s future. The headteacher has quickly and accurately identified the school’s strengths and areas needing improvement. The positive morale across the school is palpable. There is a strong sense of pride because the school is improving. The developments that have already taken place are encouraging further effort and creating a momentum for driving change. There is a consensus that the quality of teaching needs to improve. Actions already taken are showing signs of making a positive difference and delivering better pupil outcomes. The careful monitoring of pupils’ progress and attainment are helping promote equal opportunities; this is because the school is better informed about the performance of different groups and is well placed to address any gaps in attainment that are identified. These improvements exemplify that the school’s current capacity to

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Main report

The school is fully aware that much remains to be done. The senior leadership team is relatively new and responsibilities have yet to be distributed equitably, so as to avoid overloading individuals. Similarly, the role of subject leaders has not been fully developed. They are not yet working with colleagues to drive improvement in their area of responsibility. The governing body is taking an increasingly active role in the school’s development. They are being provided with comprehensive information, via the headteacher’s reports, about the changes taking place. As yet, they are not fully demonstrating that they challenge the school’s leaders by holding them to account. Although all the statutory responsibilities are being met, the school’s efforts to promote community cohesion are still in the relatively early stages of being developed. Safeguarding procedures meet all the current government requirements.

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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 Leigh Church of England 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 12 statements about the school. The inspection team received 55 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 169 pupils registered at the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % Q1 My child is happy at school 39 71 16 29 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q2 My child feels safe at school 40 73 15 27 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q3 The school helps my child to achieve as well as they can 30 55 18 33 3 5 3 5

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q4 The school meets my child’s particular needs 28 51 23 42 1 2 3 5

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q5 The school ensures my child is well looked after 33 60 22 40 0 0 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q6 Teaching at this school is good 29 53 24 44 2 4 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q7 There is a good standard of behaviour at this school 26 47 22 40 4 7 3 5

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q8 Lessons are not disrupted by bad behaviour 18 33 27 49 7 13 3 5

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q9 The school deals with any cases of bullying well 17 31 29 53 3 5 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q10 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 26 47 22 40 3 5 3 5

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q11 The school responds to my concerns and keeps me well informed 27 49 20 36 5 9 2 4

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Q12 The school is well led and managed 29 53 21 38 3 5 2 4

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

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. 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 48 6 0 Primary schools 6 47 40 7 Secondary schools 12 39 38 11

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Sixth forms 13 42 41 3 Special schools 28 49 19 4 Pupil referral units 14 45 31 10

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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 2010 to 31 December 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 2010/11 was not representative of all schools 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:  The achievement of all pupils.  Behaviour and safety.  The quality of teaching.  The effectiveness of leadership and management. and taking into consideration  how well the school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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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 Leigh Church of England Primary School, Coventry, CV4 9RQ

You may remember that I recently inspected your school, with other inspectors, to see how well you are being helped to learn. I am writing to thank you for being so friendly and helpful. I thought you would like to know what we found out.

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Inspection of Leigh Church of England Primary School, Coventry, CV4 9RQ

You go to a school that has had a lot of recent changes and is now improving. You go to a satisfactory school that is doing a number of things well.

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Inspection of Leigh Church of England Primary School, Coventry, CV4 9RQ

 Most of you enjoy going to school and learning new things.  The staff do a good job helping you to learn.  Most of you say that behaviour is good and that the school deals well with any incidents of bullying.  You get good support with learning to read.  The headteacher and staff take good care of you and are doing well at improving the school.

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Inspection of Leigh Church of England Primary School, Coventry, CV4 9RQ

Your teachers know that you can make even more progress and attain higher standards. Therefore, we have asked them to help you to make good progress in every class. We have asked them to increase the pace of lessons so that you are actively learning for more of the time and that they make better use of teaching assistants to support you. In addition, we have recommended that they use their assessment information to plan more accurately to help you overcome gaps in your knowledge. We have also asked the school’s leaders and the governing body to be even more effective in planning and monitoring the school’s future development.

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Inspection of Leigh Church of England Primary School, Coventry, CV4 9RQ

Remember, you can help to play a part by working hard and always doing your best.

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Inspection of Leigh Church of England Primary School, Coventry, CV4 9RQ

I wish you the very best for your future at Leigh Church of England Primary School.

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Inspection of Leigh Church of England Primary School, Coventry, CV4 9RQ

Ken Buxton Her Majesty's 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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