West Kirby Primary School

West Kirby Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 15–16 September 2011 Inspection number 377162 Unique Reference Number 105023 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 377162 Inspection dates 15–16 September 2011 Reporting inspector Peter Cox

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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 282 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nigel Saunders Headteacher Kate Takashima Date of previous school inspection 19 September 2006 School address Anglesey Road West Kirby Wirral CH48 5EQ Telephone number 0151 625 5561 Fax number 0151 625 3129 Email address headteacher@westkirby-primary.wirral.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 rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after

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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.

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

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. Twelve lessons were observed and 10 teachers seen. Meetings were held with groups of pupils from all year groups, school councillors, members of the governing body and staff and the current school improvement advisor, formerly the School Improvement Partner. Informal discussions were held with parents and carers at the start of the day. Inspectors observed the school's work and looked at a range of documentation including governing body meeting minutes, the school’s self-evaluation document, progress data and the school development plan. An analysis of 90 parent and carer questionnaire responses was made together with staff and pupil questionnaire responses.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

■ The evidence to show that pupils were making sufficient progress in their learning given their starting points.  ■ Whether teachers’ expectation of what pupils could do in lessons was high enough given the range of pupils’ ability. ■ How effectively the school analysed data including that used for pupil performance to raise achievement.

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Information about the school

West Kirby is a slightly larger than average-sized primary school with an equal number of boys and girls although there are marked variations in these proportions across year groups. There is a below-average proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below that seen nationally and very few pupils speak English as an additional language. The school hosts a breakfast- and after-school club that is run and managed independently of the school and is subject to a separate inspection published on the Ofsted website. The current headteacher was appointed after the time of the last inspection.

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Information about the school

The school has a number of awards and has achieved 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

This is a good school that provides well for its pupils. Pupils enjoy learning in a happy, safe and inclusive environment where attendance is above average and behaviour is good. Pupils enter the school with skills that are broadly in line with expectations. They make satisfactory progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and good progress through Key Stages 1 and 2, leaving Year 6 with above-average attainment. The headteacher has developed a leadership team that knows the school well. Evaluations of teaching and learning are accurate and where support is needed to improve teaching quality it is highly effective. Leaders and managers set accurate priorities for further improvements, such as increasing proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels of attainment in reading and writing. Improvement since the last inspection has been secured and the school demonstrates a good capacity to sustain this further.

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Main findings

Good teaching provides engaging and challenging learning and successfully matches the levels of abilities of most pupils. The school is developing its pupils as independent learners with some success, yet recognises the need to embed this practice further across all classes. Teachers provide accurate feedback to pupils based on reliable assessments; consequently, pupils have a clear understanding of how to improve their work. The curriculum is increasingly responsive to pupils’ interests and needs and provides a creative themed-based approach which pupils enjoy. Good transition arrangements are provided when pupils move classes and leave to begin secondary education.

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Main findings

The governing body meets its statutory responsibilities and has an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. It is aware of the need to hold the school to account with more rigour and challenge. The promotion of community cohesion is satisfactory but opportunities for pupils to develop a wider understanding of the multicultural nature of Great Britain and overseas are limited. Parents and carers echo their children’s feelings of the school being a warm and welcoming place. The school reports formally to parents and carers on their children’s progress once a year but some parents expressed a desire for this feedback to be more frequent in order to help them support their children’s learning more fully.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

■ Further improve the quality of teaching and learning including that in the Early Years Foundation Stage, so that a higher proportion is at least good or outstanding by:  providing pupils with more opportunities to learn independently  ensuring that all pupils are provided with appropriate challenge in every lesson to enable them to achieve their best  ensuring that the pace of learning is quick enough in all lessons.  ■ Enhance the effectiveness of the governing body by:  ensuring that they hold the school to account for its performance more robustly, including the effectiveness of safeguarding procedures  providing additional reporting points to parents and carers throughout the year.  ■ Provide more opportunities for pupils to understand living in a multicultural society both at home and abroad better by:  engaging with communities within Great Britain and overseas whose cultures differ from their own.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils have good attitudes to learning and are very keen to succeed. In lessons, they concentrate well and answer questions enthusiastically. Consequently, they make good progress and achieve well. Year 6 pupils were seen to be making particularly good progress in English lessons where they wrote expertly about their feelings after reading a story. Work in pupils’ books and the school’s own monitoring data confirm the good progress that all groups of pupils are making. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make the same good progress, because they receive well-targeted support from teachers and teaching assistants.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Results in tests show that attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 has been above average in both mathematics and English for the last three years. This represents good progress. The proportion of pupils securing the higher levels in mathematics this year was in excess of predictions. By comparison, the performance in English at the higher Level 5 was not as good. However, overall, pupils progressed better than expected, exceeding the school’s challenging targets.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils develop well in a safe and nurturing environment. They speak enthusiastically about their learning and get along well with each other in lessons and outside with one commenting that, ‘we are all friends together, including the teachers’. Pupils look forward to coming to school and contribute willingly to the school community, taking on responsibilities such as being playground monitors with eagerness. Pupils possess good literacy and numeracy skills and are well prepared for their future lives. These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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2

Pupils' attainment 1 2 The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 2 The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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How effective is the provision?

Teaching is good with none that is less than satisfactory. Teachers provide bright and well-equipped classrooms and use their assistants to good effect which contributes well to pupils’ learning. Good relationships exist between adults and pupils and all are included in the learning activities. Lessons are well-structured and generally meet the needs of all the different levels of ability. The school is beginning to develop pupils as independent learners and there are some opportunities for pupils to explore their own learning. In a few lessons, work is less challenging and the pace of learning, although never less than satisfactory, is slower. Pupils work is assessed accurately and helpful comments are provided to aid improvement.

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum uses a topic-based approach and is increasingly responsive to pupils’ needs and interests. There is a wide range of enrichment opportunities with a high proportion of pupils involved in clubs before and after school. Pupils speak well of visits, clubs they attend and interesting visitors to the school. Appropriate adjustments are made to secure full access for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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How effective is the provision?

Pupils and their parents and carers appreciate the good care, support and guidance provided. Pupils are known as individuals and are given good personal advice and support to help them achieve the best they can. Good links with a range of external agencies ensure that pupils, particularly those whose circumstances make them vulnerable, receive timely specialist support when this is needed. Transition arrangements are good and help pupils move smoothly from one stage of their education to the next.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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2

The use of assessment to support learning 2

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2

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

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How effective are leadership and management?

The headteacher demonstrates great vision, determination and resolve to continue to improve the school. This is shared by the recently re-shaped leadership team that is having a positive impact on driving improvements. Evaluations of the quality of teaching and learning are accurate and effective work is undertaken when support is needed to improve its quality. Pupils’ progress is tracked well and staff have good access to further professional development. The good way in which the school is led and managed ensures that pupils make good progress.

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How effective are leadership and management?

Pupils and adults within the school community are highly valued and all feel they have an equal opportunity to contribute and succeed. Members of the governing body know the school well and are fully supportive of it including involvement in the very active parent-teacher association. The governing body is aware of the need to sharpen its responsibility in holding the school to account and of the need to develop more frequent formal reporting procedures to parents and carers about their children’s progress. Safeguarding arrangements meet requirements and appropriate policies and procedures are in place. Evaluations by the governing body of the effectiveness of safeguarding training have yet to be made. The school promotes community cohesion satisfactorily. Links with the local community are good; pupils have fewer opportunities to develop an accurate understanding of those from different communities overseas and within Great Britain.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for the leadership and management

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2

The leadership and management of teaching and learning 2

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Outcomes for children have been variable over recent years and the school has identified appropriate priorities for improvement. These are being acted upon but the impact of these has not yet been seen. Whilst children make overall satisfactory progress in their learning and are happy and settled, the focus on accelerating children’s’ progress is less well developed. Children behave well and engage in a range of activities with confidence and are responsive despite some only just having arrived in school. Children form positive relationships with each other and adults. Teaching is overall satisfactory with some that is good, providing a range of both teacher-led and child-initiated activities. Welfare and safeguarding procedures meet requirements. There is satisfactory provision for physical development both inside and out supporting children’s personal and social development. Children are challenged appropriately, based on accurate assessments and good behaviour

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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3

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

Of those parents and carers who returned questionnaires, the overwhelming majority are happy with the education the school provides. They are very appreciative of the good leadership of the headteacher. A few parents and carers considered their child was not making enough progress. Inspectors consider pupils to be making good progress overall. A few parents and carers would appreciate more regular reporting of their child’s progress in order to help their learning.

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at West Kirby 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 90 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 282 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 52 58 35 39 3 3 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 61 68 29 32 0 0 0 0 The school informs me about my child's progress 34 38 46 51 5 6 4 4 My child is making enough progress at this school 25 28 48 53 15 17 1 1 The teaching is good at this school 41 46 40 44 6 7 0 0 The school helps me to support my child's learning 32 36 43 48 11 12 1 1 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 48 53 34 38 6 7 0 0 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) 37 41 33 37 8 9 5 6

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 37 41 39 43 12 13 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 31 34 46 51 4 4 1 1

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 28 31 45 50 12 13 2 2

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 53 59 27 30 5 6 2 2 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 54 60 27 30 8 9 1 1

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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. 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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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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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.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above is for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of West Kirby Primary School, Wirral, CH48 5EQ

 Thank you for the warm welcome you gave us when we inspected your school recently. A particular thank-you goes to those who were keen to talk with us and told us so enthusiastically about all the things you enjoyed doing at school. This is what we have said about your school in our report.

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Inspection of West Kirby Primary School, Wirral, CH48 5EQ

■ Yours is a good school, where you are given good care, guidance and support to help you to succeed. ■ Your achievement is good because you learn well and get above-average results in tests and examinations. ■ You behave well, attend school regularly and have a good understanding of how to stay fit and healthy. ■ The way your school is led and managed, the subjects you study, and the quality of teaching are all good.

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Inspection of West Kirby Primary School, Wirral, CH48 5EQ

We have asked those responsible to improve your school further by:

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Inspection of West Kirby Primary School, Wirral, CH48 5EQ

■ making your lessons even better by giving you more opportunities to work on your own and by making sure you always work at a brisk pace, and that the work you do is always challenging ■ involving the governors more in getting them to ask your teachers and headteacher more challenging questions on what they must do to improve further and checking on things that are done to see if improvements can be made ■ giving you more opportunities to find out about communities within Great Britain and overseas which are different from your own.

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Inspection of West Kirby Primary School, Wirral, CH48 5EQ

You can help your school to improve by continuing to attend regularly and working with your teachers to achieve the very best you can.

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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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