Rood End Primary School

Rood End Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 103984 Local Authority Sandwell Inspection number 355500 Inspection dates 12–13 July 2011 Reporting inspector Gerald Griffin

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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 346 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jackalyn Marshall Headteacher Barbara Carter Date of previous school inspection 6 December 2007 School address Rood End Road Rood End, Oldbury B68 8SQ Telephone number 0121 5521866 Fax number 0121 5521922 Email address barbara.carter@roodend.sandwell.sch.uk

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Age group 3–11 Inspection dates 12–13 July 2011 Inspection number 355500 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 three additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 16 lessons taught by 15 teachers. They observed an assembly and break times, and held meetings with members of the governing body, staff and groups of pupils, and parents and carers in the school yard. Inspectors observed the school's work, and looked at progress records, teachers' lesson plans, pupils' work, school improvement plans, policies and reports. They analysed completed questionnaires returned by 109 pupils, six staff and 79 parents and carers. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.  Do higher-attaining pupils make enough progress?  Does teaching challenge pupils at Key Stage 1 sufficiently?  Are plans to improve attendance effective?  Are there any differences in progress in areas of learning and for boys and girls in the Nursery and Reception classes?

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Information about the school

Rood End is larger than the average sized primary school. Half of the pupils are of Pakistani heritage. The remainder come from a wide range of other backgrounds. Most pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average. Most of these pupils have specific learning difficulties or speech language and communication needs. An above-average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. An above-average number of pupils join the school part way through their primary school career. The Early Years Foundation Stage provision comprises a separate morning and afternoon Nursery class and two full time Reception classes. Recently the school has gained the Basic Skills Quality Mark.

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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

This is a good school. In its caring atmosphere, pupils feel exceptionally safe, behave well and grow into articulate and mature young people. They are very polite, enjoy all aspects of school very much and most attend very regularly. Parents and carers are very pleased with the standard of education the school provides. One told an inspector, 'My child loves coming to school. The staff care for him well and he is making good progress in lessons.' The school has improved its performance strongly since the last inspection and pupils achieve well. Attainment has risen and is average at the end of Year 6. In the Nursery and Reception Years children settle quickly into the routines of school and make good progress in the caring and lively atmosphere. Progress at Key Stage 1, which has been slower than that at Key Stage 2 over recent years, has accelerated and pupils make good progress in English and mathematics across the school.

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Main findings

Teaching is good. Relationships in class are very positive and pupils enjoy lessons. They work hard because teachers provide them with interesting and challenging tasks. Occasionally, a rapid pace to learning is not sustained throughout a lesson because work does not match closely enough the needs of every pupil in the class. This is especially the case for higher-attaining pupils in Key Stage 1. The good curriculum supports pupils' personal development and creative skills well. Pupils are provided with a good level of pastoral care, guidance and support. They approach staff confidently with any concern that they have knowing that their worry will be quickly resolved. The attendance of a few pupils is too low. This is often because of long family holidays taken in term time. The progress of these pupils is slower than that of their peers. The school's robust actions to tackle poor attendance with parents, carers and local community leaders is improving

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Main findings

attendance strongly but school leaders recognise that there is still work to be done to ensure this very small minority also come to school throughout the year. Leadership is good. Middle leaders are taking a good level of responsibility for standards in their areas. Leaders' rigorous monitoring of the school's performance provides them with secure and accurate information for self-evaluation, and underpins a good capacity to improve further.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching by sustaining a rapid pace of learning throughout lessons and ensuring that the difficulty of the work for individual pupils matches their needs closely, especially for higher-attaining pupils in Key Stage 1.  Work closely with the local community leaders, parents and carers to secure the higher attendance of those pupils whose attendance record is too low.

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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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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Attainment on entry to the school is low compared to age-related expectations. Pupils enjoy learning, make good progress and their achievement is good. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because staff set them work that is challenging and matched consistently to the next steps in their learning with their specific needs in mind. For example, in one lesson seen, pupils with speech and language difficulties were developing their understanding of how sentences are sequenced by providing oral instructions to a 'human' robot to make it move in a pre-determined direction. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to these pupils' progress, for example, by making detailed notes about each pupil's gains which are passed to the teacher to help with lesson planning. Pupils who speak English as an additional language also make good progress. Adults ensure that they have full understanding of technical

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

words as they meet them in lessons such as science. Those who speak little or no English make rapid gains in the language because expert support provides them with a level of skill that means they can quickly take full part in lessons. One parent wrote, 'Within a year of coming to this country, the school has taught my child to read and write English to a good standard and this has enabled her to make good progress in her academic work.' In the lessons seen, learning was always at least satisfactory and most often good or outstanding. In a Year 6 class, small groups of pupils were working hard predicting what might happen next in a science fiction story. They were curious and enjoyed answering the teachers' questions and discussing ideas in groups. This was effective in promoting their vocabulary, self-confidence, communication skills and understanding. They especially enjoyed the work because they could decide how they would present their ideas and to

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

whom, which meant they worked with a good level of independence. At the end of the lesson, they reviewed each other's work, which gave them a good understanding of how their own could be made better. Older pupils take a good level of responsibility for their learning because they understand clearly their challenging targets and their rate of progress towards them. Sometimes more able pupils in Key Stage 1 are not fully stretched when their work does not challenge them sufficiently. When writing, pupils use appropriate vocabulary to express their ideas clearly in longer pieces of work. Their accuracy of punctuation and spelling is a relative weakness. In mathematics, pupils' calculation skills are average but their ability to apply this knowledge to solving mathematical problems is less well developed. The school has appropriate measures to address these shortfalls. The progress of Key Stage 1 pupils has accelerated this year because teaching has

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

improved pupils' skills at linking letters to the sounds they make. This means they are better at reading and understanding texts and instructions. Pupils say that any rare cases of bullying are quickly resolved. They know precisely how to keep others and themselves safe, for example, on the internet and crossing the road. Pupils do their best to eat a healthy diet and take plenty of exercise. Older ones are well informed about the changes that happen to them as they grow up. Pupils are keen to take responsibility as members of the school council. Pupils readily support the local community for example by promoting anti-litter campaigns. Average standards in the basic skills, reflected in the school's national award, and positive attitudes to school mean that pupils' preparation for secondary school is satisfactory. Pupils reflect maturely on their feelings

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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

and actions and those of others. A strong moral code underpins their good behaviour. They have a good understanding of the diversity of British culture.

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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 2

Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 2

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 2

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?

Teachers provide pupils with work that they find interesting and relevant and use computers and other resources well to engage and develop learning. Their questions are challenging and really make pupils think deeply. Teachers use a wide range of teaching styles to sustain pupils' concentration and motivation. Occasionally, some members of the class do not make rapid progress because they find the work either too hard or too easy. Marking and other feedback provides pupils with detailed information about how they can make their work better. Lively assemblies provide pupils with good opportunities to reflect on their feelings and actions. The many bright displays of artwork around the school and the good number of pupils that enthusiastically sing in the choir are several examples of the good provision in the creative arts. The opportunities for pupils to practise their writing, mathematics and computer skills in subjects across the curriculum are improving and beginning to make an

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How effective is the provision?

important contribution to pupils' good progress. The many popular clubs and educational visits broaden pupils' horizons and raise their ambition. The close links with secondary schools mean that Year 6 pupils feel very confident about moving to the next stage of their education.

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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

Staff use their detailed knowledge of each pupil well to provide them with a good standard of personal care. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are provided with sensitive support. The school uses experts well to help assess their needs and to plan appropriate learning programmes. Popular rewards for good attendance, robust support for families and the challenging of casual absence are helping to improve attendance strongly. Pupils who join the school part way through the school year are given a warm welcome. They settle quickly and happily into the routines of school and make similar progress to their peers. The school's targeted support for pupils whose circumstances have the potential to make them vulnerable is very effective.

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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 2

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher's challenging and clearly articulated targets for the school are enthusiastically shared by the staff. Leaders, backed up by productive partnerships with the local authority and external consultants, have provided successful training that has sharpened teachers' skills, for example, in improving pupils' understanding of how letters are linked to the sounds they make. The governing body works hard on behalf of the school. It has a clear understanding of assessment results and challenges the school robustly on its performance. Its links with parents and carers are satisfactory. The governing body recognises that this is a weaker area of its work and is actively recruiting more parents and carers to serve as governors. The school is committed to equal opportunities. The good progress of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional

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How effective are leadership and management?

language show that its policies have a positive impact. Safety and safeguarding are given a high priority. Child protection procedures fully meet current safeguarding requirements, and are robust and regularly updated. The checks that the school makes on the suitability of adults to work with pupils are rigorous. Lessons on safety and safeguarding provide pupils with a very strong understanding of how to keep themselves safe. The school is good at engaging the support of parents and carers for their children's learning at home. For example, it arranges for experts to advise families who need help with parenting skills and health matters. It provides parents and carers with specific information about how they can help their children to prepare for the tests at the end of Year 6. The school is a happy and harmonious community in which pupils integrate well. Its promotion of wider community cohesion is well developed. For example, it provides

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How effective are leadership and management?

translators for interviews and works closely with community leaders to promote healthy

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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

lifestyles. Strong links with a community in the Philippines extend further pupils' understanding of diversity.

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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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2

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

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children make good progress across all areas of learning, and boys and girls make similar progress. Their progress in writing and numeracy is especially good because staff use assessments very well to provide each child with activities that are challenging and reflect the next steps in their learning. Children make good gains in linking letters to the sounds they make. However, not all children quickly learn to recognise common words such as 'the', and this slows the rate at which they read. Children are very safe and well looked after. They are polite and well behaved. They are gaining good levels of independence, for example, through helping to clear up resources at the end of a lesson. Parents and carers are very pleased with the information they receive about their children's progress. They value the opportunities they have to work with their children from time to time and the advice they are given on how they can help their children learn at home.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The good teaching provides an appropriate balance of adult-led and child-initiated learning both indoors and out. For example, in one lesson seen, a group working with the teacher was making good gains in understanding the meaning of words by acting out a play of 'Little Red Riding Hood'. Elsewhere, a group of children had chosen to use paint to disguise the wolf in the story. They too made good progress because they knew precisely what they needed to do and an adult had ensured the work challenged them well. However, this is not always the case and occasionally children are not stretched by their chosen activity. Leaders ensure that staff extend their skills through training which helps to ensure that adults are well qualified in Early Years Foundation Stage teaching. They use assessment

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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

well to check progress. In their quest to be even better, they are rightly working hard to fine-tune their use of assessment to pinpoint precisely where improvements can be made in learning.

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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 2

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

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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

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Views of parents and carers

The response rate to the inspection questionnaire was lower than average. The comments made by parents and carers indicate that they believe their children are very safe, enjoy school and are well cared for. They feel the school is led and managed well and are pleased with the quality of teaching. The inspection endorses these views. A few parents and carers thought that their children's progress was not good enough. The inspection found that progress in Key Stage 1 last year was satisfactory rather than good. The school's work to address this has been effective and progress is now good across the school.

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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 Rood End 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 79 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 346 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 43 54 32 41 4 5 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 41 52 38 48 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My school informs me about my child's progress 24 30 53 67 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child is making enough progress at this school 24 30 49 62 4 5 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The teaching is good at this school 29 37 47 59 2 3 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps me to support my child's learning 26 33 50 63 1 1 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 19 24 56 71 4 5 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) 27 34 49 62 2 3 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 25 32 49 62 4 5 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 20 25 52 66 5 6 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 20 25 53 67 4 5 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 24 30 53 67 1 1 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 30 38 46 58 3 4 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 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.

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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 Rood End Primary School, Oldbury, B68 8SQ

Thank you for being so polite and friendly when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed our visit and having the opportunity to talk to some of you and to see you in lessons and at play. I especially enjoyed talking to many of you over lunch in the dining room. You are rightly proud of the school's happy atmosphere in which you all get on so well together. Rood End is a good school. Here are some of the things we found out. You told us that you enjoy school and feel very safe and secure. You work hard in lessons and your progress is good. Your behaviour is good and most of you attend very regularly. You are keen to take responsibility in school and in the local community. You have good relationships with your teachers. The curriculum provides plenty of exciting clubs and visits, which you enjoy. Adults look after you well and are always ready to help you. The headteacher and staff are working well together to make the school even better.

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Inspection of Rood End Primary School, Oldbury, B68 8SQ

We have asked the school to do the following two things to help you all do even better in your learning. Make sure teachers always give you work that is hard enough, especially for those of you who are younger and who learn quickly. Improve the attendance of those of you who miss too much school so that you too make good progress. All of you can help the school by continuing to behave well and ensuring that you attend very regularly. We wish you all the best in 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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