Foundry Lane Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 19–20 June 2012 Inspection number 379224 Foundry Lane Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 116261 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 379224 Inspection dates 19–20 June 2012 Lead inspector Keith Sadler

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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 Foundation Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 420 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tony Croft Headteacher Andy Withers Date of previous school inspection 26–27 January 2009 School address Foundry Lane Shirley Southampton SO15 3JT Telephone number 02380 774814 Fax number 02380 702549 Email address info@foundrylane.southampton.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 a nd 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

Peter Lacey-Hastings Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 28 lessons led by 17 different teachers or practitioners totalling approximately 14 hours of observation. They held meetings with members of the governing body, staff, parents and carers, and groups of pupils. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation. This included: the school’s analysis of pupils’ progress; teachers’ lesson plans; the school development plan; leaders’ monitoring records; and pupils’ work. The questionnaires completed by 117 parents and carers, together with others from staff, were analysed and their responses taken into account.

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Information about the school

Foundry Lane is a heavily oversubscribed primary school which is almost twice the average size. A large majority of pupils are of White British heritage. Although there are a few pupils who come from a wide range of other ethnic backgrounds they are growing in number and are mainly eastern European. The proportion of pupils that speak English as an additional language is above the national average. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. The school meets the current floor standard, which set the government’s minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

The school provides breakfast, after-school and holiday care. This is managed by the governing body and is included in this inspection. In addition, the Foundry Lane Community Playgroup is housed on the school site. This is not managed by the governing body and is subject to a separate inspection.

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Information about the school

The school is part of the Regents Park Learning Trust, which serves Regents Park Community College and four partner primary schools. Through the trust, the school shares expertise and resources.

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Information about the school

The school is moving towards three-form entry. A new seven-class block has recently been opened. There will be three classes of reception-aged children from September 2012. 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

 Foundry Lane is a good school. It has a pivotal role in the local community and provides well for pupils’ personal and academic development. It is not yet outstanding because while teaching is good overall, some is satisfactory.

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Key findings

 Achievement is good. Pupils progress well from low starting points to reach average levels of attainment by Year 6. Currently, an above-average proportion of pupils attain the higher level in mathematics. Standards in writing are lower than in reading. This is because the pupils’ grammar skills are not sufficiently well developed. The school is effective in supporting pupils’ specific needs. All groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, learn and progress well.

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Key findings

 Most teaching is good and some, particularly in Reception and Year 6, is outstanding. Teachers provide interesting and exciting activities for pupils who are enthusiastic learners. Teachers are particularly adept at encouraging pupils’ speaking and listening skills. However, there are inconsistencies in the level of challenge in activities set, particularly for the more-able pupils.

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Key findings

 Pupils enjoy school and learning, feel safe and behave well in lessons and around the school. The good quality personal and social curriculum, when linked to the many opportunities for pupils to take responsibility, results in them becoming socially mature and confident by the end of Year 6.

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Key findings

 Effective leadership and management at all levels have maintained the school’s good overall effectiveness since the previous inspection. Good quality monitoring and evaluation procedures, when linked to robust performance development and management processes, ensure that self-evaluation is accurate. This also leads to well-founded continuing professional development opportunities for staff. Even so, inconsistencies still exist and there are insufficient opportunities for teachers to hone their skills by learning from each other within the school. 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?

 Lift the quality of teaching from good to outstanding by:  ensuring that there is consistently high challenge in the work set for more- able pupils  removing inconsistencies in the quality of teaching by providing staff with opportunities to learn from the best practice in the school  accelerating pupils’ progress in writing by strengthening their skills in the use of grammar.

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Achievement of pupils

Almost all parents and carers said that their children make good progress and inspection findings confirm these views. Children enter the Reception classes with skills and abilities that are below expected levels and make good progress overall. However, progress in their personal and social development is outstanding because the staff create a positive and vibrant atmosphere in which the children thrive. Their achievement is also enhanced because parents and carers are given a key role in their children’s learning. There has been improvement in the reception children’s attainment over the past three years as much of the teaching is now outstanding. In consequence, most of the current children are prepared well to commence Year 1 by meeting the expected learning goals.

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Achievement of pupils

In Years 1 to 6, all groups of pupils, including those who enter the school speaking little English, make good progress. Inspection findings confirm the school’s data that achievement is good. Currently the proportion of pupils in Year 6 gaining the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics is strengthening and is at least at the national average. In mathematics, an above-average proportion of pupils are operating at the higher level. Throughout the school, pupils’ calculation skills are secure and they enjoy the many practical activities that staff provide to enhance their practical mathematics skills. Staff are adept at using the school environment for practical mathematics activities, for example, Year 5 pupils enjoyed using protractors to measure angles on the playgrounds. This led to work on acute and obtuse angles. Others enjoyed exploring and orienteering in the school grounds when learning

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Achievement of pupils

about fractions. Senior leaders are keenly aware that although learning gaps are closing, standards in writing are below those in reading. Nonetheless, there are instances in some year groups where pupils make rapid progress. For example, children in Reception enjoy writing because staff provide a strong purpose for writing. Currently, children are enjoying a pirate theme and they have been labelling pirate maps and writing letters to pirates to place in bottles. One child wrote, ‘How do you get a wooden leg’, using the basic skills of finger spacing, with clear letter formation using phonetically plausible spelling. 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

Staff are aware that by Year 6, pupils’ grammar skills are not sufficiently well developed and this limits the proportion of pupils gaining the higher level at the end of Year 6 to average levels.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils achieve well in reading. Younger pupils are successfully linking letters and sounds to tackle unfamiliar words when they read and their confidence develops well. Attainment is average at the end of Year 2. In Years 3 to 6, pupils’ confidence as readers grows securely and pupils demonstrate a clear enjoyment of reading. By the time they reach Year 6, standards in reading are above average and pupils have a clear view about favourite authors and they enjoy discussing features of favourite authors, for example Jacqueline Wilson. ‘She makes her plots real and she deals with everyday problems and she makes her characters real for us’, said one Year 6 pupil.

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Achievement of pupils

Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well supported in lessons because activities are tailored closely to their needs and they receive effective guidance from teachers and support staff. This results in them making similar levels of progress to their classmates.

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Quality of teaching

Most of the lessons seen during the inspection were of good quality and this is indicative of teaching over time. Some teaching however is satisfactory. The good quality teaching confirms the positive views of teaching that are held by the overwhelming majority of parents and carers. Pupils say that they thoroughly enjoy learning. Teachers’ high expectations of behaviour foster secure relationships and also effectively promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The pupils say that they enjoy working together. As one Year 6 pupil commented, ‘Our teachers are awesome and we really enjoy learning through drama and working together.’ This was evident in an outstanding Year 6 literacy lesson when pupils role- played an episode in the class novel, Skellig, during which the pupils acted out a scene in threes, in which they made a journey of discovery into their garage. The teacher focused exceptionally well on the relationship between the three characters

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Quality of teaching

and this was successfully drawn out by the pupils. This lesson also exemplifies the good quality teaching of reading evident throughout the school.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers generally question pupils well and probe them for understanding. This, when linked to the collaborative opportunities, helps to support the pupils’ speaking and listening skills well. In a successful Year 5 lesson, for example, pupils were learning to interpret a map of St Lucia and there was good quality discussion, supported by effective questioning by the class teacher, in deciding why some features, for example airports, were placed where they are.

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Quality of teaching

Work is generally planned to meet the differing learning needs of the pupils. Even so, there is a weakness in that work is sometimes insufficiently challenging for the more able pupils. Marking is consistently good, focused well on the learning objectives, with staff invariably providing good quality guidance for the pupils’ next steps in learning. This is augmented well by the high quality target books that enable 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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Quality of teaching

pupils, particularly those in Years 5 and 6, to have a close understanding of what they need to do to improve in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers and teaching assistants are consistently successful in motivating pupils. The teaching of reading is good because it is structured well and taught systematically with tasks made increasingly more difficult as the pupils get older. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are taught well and one-to-one support is given when necessary. There is particularly good provision for those pupils who have social or emotional difficulties or whose circumstances make them vulnerable. The good quality daily nurture group sessions, for example, help to boost these pupils’ confidence and social skills.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils enjoy school and this is reflected in their above average attendance. It is also seen in their positive and well-established learning behaviour, which aids their concentration and independence as well as collaboration in lessons. Many parents and carers wrote fulsome comments about how their children have developed socially, how safe children are and the good behaviour prevalent in school. These are exemplified by the parent who wrote, ‘Both our children have become increasingly confident and independent. They have developed high self-esteem, a love for learning, and a sense of responsibility.’ This is due to the strong and successful emphasis placed on securing good citizenship. Behaviour is typically good and it makes a positive contribution to learning in lessons. Parents and carers also appreciate the care and safety provided through the school’s good quality breakfast and after-school club in which there is effective support for their children’s social

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils say that they feel safe and confirm that behaviour is typically good. They are aware of most different types of bullying, including physical and cyber-bullying and name-calling. They are confident that any incidents that occur will be quickly sorted by the adults. Even though there are a number of pupils with social and emotional difficulties, because the school’s provision is strong, almost all pupils have good social skills by the time they leave school.

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Leadership and management

Senior leaders have a clear vision for further school improvement, which is focused firmly on strengthening the quality of teaching and accelerating pupils’ learning. This is shared by the governing body and all staff. School leaders, managers and staff ensure that discrimination is tackled and the promotion of equality of opportunity is good. Close monitoring of pupils’ progress ensures that any emerging gaps in performance are quickly identified and acted upon. The governing body is supportive and its effectiveness in challenging leaders and holding them to account for the school’s provision and outcomes is good. They also ensure, together with school leaders, that statutory obligations in respect of safeguarding and all vetting and recruitment requirements are met. Effective procedures are in place to monitor and Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Leadership and management

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

evaluate teaching and staff benefit from a good range of professional development opportunities. However, school leaders recognise the need to provide more opportunities for teachers to learn from the best practice of colleagues in school and in doing so improve teaching and learning still further. Improvements in provision and the improvement in pupils’ attainment, when linked to effective leadership and management, demonstrate the school’s capacity to improve further.

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Leadership and management

The partnership with parents and carers is outstanding. A very wide range of parenting courses and workshops are provided and the school’s parent partnership coordinator is effective in ensuring that these events are very well attended. Parents and carers are almost unanimous in saying that the school keeps them well informed and almost all say that they would recommend the school to other parents. The school plays a pivotal role in the community. For example, staff take responsibility for the community newsletter; the community playgroup is accommodated on site and there is a Saturday school for up to 70 Polish children aged from seven to 14. The school monitors and reviews the quality of this provision on a regular basis.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is well organised and has been adapted well to meet the pupils’ needs. It promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Art, drama and music are particular strengths.

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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 28 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

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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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 Foundry Lane Primary School, Southampton SO15 3JT

On behalf of the inspection team, I would like to thank you for the friendly welcome that you gave us when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking with you and watching you learn and play. We can understand why you were excited to tell us about your new classrooms because they are really good!

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Inspection of Foundry Lane Primary School, Southampton SO15 3JT

Yours is a good school. Children do well in the Reception classes and you make good progress throughout the school. Those of you who find learning hard are supported well by the adults so you too make good progress. Your behaviour is good and you are keen to learn. You told us that your teachers give you lots of interesting things to do and we agree. You have a good awareness of how to keep yourselves safe and almost all of you who completed the survey told us that you feel safe in school.

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Inspection of Foundry Lane Primary School, Southampton SO15 3JT

Even in a good school like yours, your headteacher and staff want to improve to make it even better. We have asked them to focus on some things to do this. First, we have asked that your teachers make sure that there is always high challenge in the work that they give you, particularly for those of you that find learning easier. Second, we have asked that your teachers have a chance to watch each other teach so that they can learn more about how to help you to learn even quicker. Finally, we have asked that they make sure that your skills in using grammar are improved so that more of you attain Level 5 at the end of Year 6.

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Inspection of Foundry Lane Primary School, Southampton SO15 3JT

You can help by carrying on working hard. We hope that you continue to enjoy your education.

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Inspection of Foundry Lane Primary School, Southampton SO15 3JT

Keith Sadler 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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