Walsall Wood School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 17–18 May 2012 Inspection number 377030 Walsall Wood School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 104201 Local authority Walsall Inspection number 377030 Inspection dates 17–18 May 2012 Lead inspector Bogusia Matusiak-Varley

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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 240 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rick Gamble Headteacher Jenny Garratt Date of previous school inspection 12 September 2007 School address Brownhills Road Brownhills Walsall WS8 7BP Telephone number 01543 452664 Fax number 01543 453105 Email address postbox@walsall-wood.walsall.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Bogusia Matusiak-Varley Additional Inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspectors visited 19 lessons taught by nine teachers. They heard pupils read and scrutinised their work in workbooks and on displays. Groups that support disabled pupils, and those with special educational needs and those falling behind in aspects of their class work, were observed. Meetings were held with senior staff, members of the governing body, pupils, and parents and carers. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. They observed the school’s work, looked at a wide range of documentation including the school’s self-evaluation, school improvement plan and systems of performance management as well as assessment data to monitor the progress of different groups of pupils. Questionnaire returns from 98 parents and carers, 50 pupils and 27 staff were analysed.

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Information about the school

This is an average-sized primary school with a grant-funded nursery. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is above average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those on school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average. The number of children from minority ethnic groups is below average. Three looked after children attend the school.

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Information about the school

The school has recently been accredited with the Healthy Schools Bronze Award, Dyslexia Friendly award (level 2), International School award (level 2), Young Leader’s Sports award, 360 E safety award and Advanced Level for Looked after Children practice. Since the last inspection in 2007, a new headteacher has been appointed. The school meets current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. 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

 This is a good school. Pupils achieve well because of good teaching and make excellent progress in their personal, social and emotional development. It is not yet outstanding as there are some average-attaining pupils who are not reaching the higher levels in writing, but have the potential. There are also a few inconsistencies in teaching related to marking and the frequency with which pupils’ understanding is checked in lessons. Furthermore, in the Early Years Foundation Stage, children’s’ progress in knowledge and understanding of the world is not as fast as in other areas of learning.

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Key findings

 Achievement is good for all groups of pupils including those with disabilities and special educational needs, and pupils who are eligible for free school meals. From below average starting points, pupils reach broadly average levels of attainment in English and mathematics by the time they leave the school. Progress is accelerating and current Year 6 pupils are attaining at higher levels.

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Key findings

 Teaching is good. Staff are determined to become outstanding teachers and the school’s highly stringent performance management procedures are moving them securely towards this goal.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ behaviour, safety and attitudes to learning are outstanding. This is due to excellent relationships, robust systems for safeguarding and a well-thought- out curriculum promoting very high levels of engagement in learning and outstanding spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Key findings

 Leadership and management at all levels are outstanding. Members of the governing body are highly ambitious, well-informed ‘critical friends’ who offer excellent support. Relentless commitment to improvement, and rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning by the headteacher and senior leaders, have ensured that teaching is consistently good and continuing to improve. This is leading to accelerating progress for pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning from good to outstanding by ensuring that all teachers:  check pupils’ understanding regularly in lessons to consolidate learning  identify the next steps in learning when marking topic books.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the writing skills of those average-attaining pupils who, with extra targeted support, could reach higher standards.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide children in the Early Years Foundation Stage with a wider range of opportunities to develop their knowledge and understanding of the world by ensuring that planning precisely identifies the skills and knowledge that children need to learn.

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Achievement of pupils

The achievement of all groups of pupils is good. Parents and carers are delighted with the school. They state that the headteacher and senior leadership team do everything possible to ensure that all groups of learners make accelerated progress. This is fully supported by inspection evidence.

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Achievement of pupils

Outstanding relationships, underpinned by a good sense of humour, put pupils at ease. An ‘I can’ culture permeates learning in the school. When asked how well the national tests went in mathematics, a Year 6 pupil said, ‘I did my best. I was well prepared because I knew that I could tackle any question.’ Attainment in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6 is in line with the national average. All pupils, including disabled pupils, those with special educational needs, those eligible for free school meals, from minority ethnic backgrounds and looked after children achieve well. This is because of excellent analysis of their progress and targeted support for each pupil. This was observed in a supplementary reading session where a pupil in Year 3 used her knowledge of letter sounds to decode unfamiliar words. Skilled teaching assistants work with small groups to ensure that any gaps in learning are

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Achievement of pupils

quickly closed. Nevertheless, there are times in lessons when pupils who are average attainers could be pushed a bit more to get higher standards, especially in writing.

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Achievement of pupils

In the Early Years Foundation Stage, the vast majority of children arrive with skills and understanding below those expected. They make good progress in all areas of learning, other than in personal, social and emotional development, where progress is outstanding, and in knowledge and understanding of the world, where progress is satisfactory. They enter Year 1 at the expected levels and well equipped to start Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

Throughout the school, all groups of pupils make good progress in reading because they have a strong grasp of letters and sounds and they have a love of books. While attainment in reading is broadly average by the end of Year 2, an above average proportion of pupils achieve higher levels, and this trend is continuing into Year 6. Pupils eagerly talk about their favourite authors being Roald Dahl and Jacqueline Wilson. They can explain the different techniques used by them to create moods and feelings, and to captivate the reader.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils achieve well in mathematics, particularly in problem solving. All groups of pupils are confident mathematicians and use their secure knowledge of the four rules of number to solve mathematical problems. While standards in writing are improving rapidly, with the proportion of pupils attaining average levels surpassing the national average, there are nevertheless missed opportunities in lessons to ensure that a greater proportion of average-attaining pupils reach higher levels. Attainment is rising rapidly and this year, pupils in Year 6 are attaining at higher levels in both English and mathematics.

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Quality of Teaching

Teaching is good and improving due to the headteacher’s and senior leaders’ rigorous monitoring of teaching and learning, coaching, identification of specific targets for improvement and regular checks to ensure implementation. Pupils say that teachers help them learn effectively and parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the quality of teaching in the school. Inspection evidence from lesson observations and scrutiny of pupils’ work over time supports this judgement. Teachers go to great lengths to make learning exciting and plan work that enthuses pupils. For example, in Early Years Foundation Stage, the children, joined by their parents, dressed up as pirates and went on a treasure hunt. This enthusiasm for learning is a hallmark of this school. When a group of underperforming boys were reluctant to write, the teacher set up some writing opportunities for them based on Ricky Gervais’s characters called the ‘Flanimals’. This inspired the boys to develop

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Quality of Teaching

their use of descriptive vocabulary. Pupils with disabilities and special educational needs are taught well because activities are tailored well to meet their needs.

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Quality of Teaching

Teaching in this school is characterised by high expectations, a culture of ‘reach for the stars’ and generally accurate matching of work to meet pupils’ needs. In an outstanding literacy lesson in Year 2, for example, the teacher persistently encouraged pupils to use descriptive vocabulary to write about a story strip. The staff’s consistent use of ‘Writing in codes’ (an in-house system used for raising standards in writing) is paying dividends as pupils are clear as to how to structure their sentences. Reading is taught well with teachers sharing their interest in books with the pupils. This makes a positive contribution to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Quality of Teaching

Learning in lessons is characterised by a hub of activity, with pupils helping one 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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Quality of Teaching

another to make improvements in their work, asking questions of the teacher and solving problems using higher-order thinking skills. The well-planned curriculum has a very high focus on learning about international perspectives, learning through first- hand experiences and providing excellent opportunities for spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding, which contributes to pupils’ excellent attitudes to learning.

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Quality of Teaching

Teachers use assessment data well to plan the next steps of learning for all groups of pupils but on a few occasions they do not check pupils’ understanding in lessons sufficiently and do not always give enough feedback in their marking in topic books. This slows down learning and prevents teaching from being outstanding. Very precise marking is undertaken in pupils’ English and mathematics books and this contributes to pupils’ good rates of progress. Teachers endeavour to find the teaching style that best suits pupils’ learning, and this is why learning is consistently good.

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Behaviour and Safety

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding. Pupils are rightly proud of their school, as demonstrated by above average attendance and excellent attitudes to learning. Parents and carers say that their children cannot wait to come to school every morning and only wish that school would be open every day of the year. They also consider that the school is an extremely safe community and that they know that their children are very well looked after. The vast majority of parents and carers say that over time behaviour is exemplary, and inspectors endorse this view. Pupils are excellent ambassadors of their school and demonstrate high levels of thoughtfulness. They make every effort to ensure that others learn and thrive in an atmosphere of respect and dignity. The school council, school mayor and playground play leaders take their responsibilities very seriously, resulting in a well-ordered and safe, cohesive community.

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Behaviour and Safety

Pupils are very knowledgeable about the different forms of bullying, particularly cyber, emotional and physical bullying. The school hosted a competition called ‘Stop and think, words can hurt’ and presented the Mayor of Walsall with an anti-bullying T-shirt. Pupils are adamant that there is no name-calling and there have been no racist incidents in the school. Contributory factors to pupils’ excellent behaviour are the implementation of the international dimension of learning where pupils learn about different cultures and the sterling work done by the learning mentor . This is a good improvement on the last inspection. Participation in the ‘Children’s University’ is helping raise aspirations, as is the pupils’ access to an excellent range of learning opportunities outside of school hours.

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Leadership and Management

The headteacher leads the school with drive and determination, and the pursuit of excellence is shared by all members of staff and is at the heart of all the school’s activities. This is leading to rapidly improving teaching which is accelerating progress for all groups of pupils. Leaders at all levels rigorously evaluate all aspects of 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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Leadership and Management

provision and this is underpinned by well-communicated systems for improvement. Staff are clear as to which pupils need extra support in overcoming barriers to learning because very accurate use is made of data. The school is moving towards being outstanding because performance management systems are proving to be very effective, as seen in the rise in standards in mathematics and reading over three years. This is supported by high quality professional development.

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Leadership and Management

All staff with responsibilities execute their duties very well. As a result of this and the school’s accurate and thorough self-evaluation, the school has made significant improvement since the last inspection. The headteacher and other leaders continue to move teaching on to a much higher level by working alongside staff and encouraging them to ‘go the extra mile’ to improve their work. The governing body plays a very important role in school development and offers respectful, but rigorous, challenge to leaders at all levels. It is involved in all aspects of school life and ensures that the school’s arrangements for safeguarding meet all statutory requirements. All this confirms the school’s strong capacity for sustained improvement as everyone is ambitious to improve the school’s performance still further.

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Leadership and Management

The monitoring of teaching and learning by the headteacher and senior leaders has turned satisfactory teaching into securely good and rapidly improving teaching with several examples of outstanding teaching. The curriculum offers memorable learning opportunities for the development of basic skills and excellent opportunities to develop pupils’ understanding of all aspects of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Equality of opportunity is at the heart of all of the school’s work and no pupil is left behind because performance is rigorously monitored and staff understand what they have to do in order to improve.

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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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 29 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

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

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Walsall Wood School, Walsall WS8 7BP

Thank you for the warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school and thank you for taking the time to tell us, both in discussions and through your questionnaires, how much you enjoy learning, and how much you respect and like your teachers. We found that your school gives you a good quality of education.

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Inspection of Walsall Wood School, Walsall WS8 7BP

These are some of the things that we liked most.  You make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. We were particularly impressed by the way you ask for help and how well you evaluate each other’s learning.  You are exceptionally polite, well behaved and friendly, and are good ambassadors for your school.  You take your responsibilities in respect of the school council and playground mentors very seriously and this has a positive effect on developing your early leadership skills.  You are extremely safe in school and you get on very well with all of your friends.  Your teachers take good care of you and they teach you well.

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Inspection of Walsall Wood School, Walsall WS8 7BP

We have asked your headteacher, staff and governing body to do the following things to improve the school.  Work towards getting more examples of outstanding teaching through the school by making sure teachers check your learning more regularly in lessons and show you how to improve your topic work when they mark your books.  Plan interesting activities for children in the Reception and Nursery class so that they do better in getting to know about the world around them.  Push those of you who are just on the cusp of getting higher levels in writing a bit more so that you can get even higher levels in your national tests.

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Inspection of Walsall Wood School, Walsall WS8 7BP

All of you can help by always doing your very best and continuing to behave well.

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Inspection of Walsall Wood School, Walsall WS8 7BP

I wish you all the very best for the future.

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Inspection of Walsall Wood School, Walsall WS8 7BP

Yours sincerely Bogusia Matusiak-Varley Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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