Belvoirdale Community Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 5–6 July 2012 Inspection number 393464 Belvoirdale Community Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 119913 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 393464 Inspection dates 5–6 July 2012 Lead inspector Sheelagh Barnes

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills (HMCI) the authority to cause any school to be inspected. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 256 Appropriate authority Interim Executive Board Chair Rosemary Baker Headteacher Anne Bufton-McCoy Date of previous school inspection 15 November 2010 School address Scotlands Road Coalville LE67 3RD Telephone number 01530 832595 Fax number 01530 815593 Email address enquiries@belvoirdale.leics.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

This inspection was carried out at one day’s notice. Lessons in all twelve classes were observed and twelve teachers were seen teaching. Some lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher. In addition, a learning walk was undertaken around the whole school with the deputy headteacher. Meetings were held with groups of pupils, staff and the Chairman of the Interim Executive Board. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line Parent View survey in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at documentation relating to safety and safeguarding, records of incidents and accidents, tracking information on the progress of pupils in each class, policies and self-evaluation documents, development plans and case studies of vulnerable pupils. No parental questionnaires were received, as this was planned as a section 8 Inspection.

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Information about the school

This is an average-sized school that was previously judged to require special measures. Since that time, there have been several changes to leadership. A new headteacher and a new deputy headteacher both took up post in January 2012. Pupils are taught in single-age classes in Reception and Key Stage 1 and mixed-age classes in Key Stage 2. An average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals and fewer pupils than nationally speak English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported by school action plus or a statement of their special educational needs is similar to most schools nationally. The school currently meets the government’s 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

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Information about the school

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

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Key findings

 In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures. This is a satisfactory school. It is not yet good because the recent systems put into place, which are accelerating improvement rapidly, have not had time to achieve their full impact. Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Key findings

 Achievement is satisfactory for pupils from all groups who regularly attend school, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Currently, pupils’ pace of learning in lessons in all year groups has improved and is good. As a result, they have made up previously lost ground so that attainment in English and mathematics is now broadly in line with that expected by Year 6.

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Key findings

 Teaching is satisfactory overall. The leadership of teaching is good and has resulted in an impressive improvement since the previous inspection, when teaching was judged to be inadequate. Teaching in lessons currently is now nearly always good. Teachers plan effectively for the differing abilities of pupils in each class and questioning is incisive and drives learning forward well. On occasion, however, the pace of learning slows to satisfactory when teachers take too long giving instructions.

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Key findings

 Behaviour is good. Pupils are enthusiastic about school. They enjoy their lessons. They are also very appreciative of clubs, such as art club and trips out. Attendance is average. The vast majority of pupils attend regularly and punctually. However, despite the school’s consistent exhortations, there is a significant minority of persistent absentees. School tracking shows that these pupils make noticeably less progress than their peers.

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Key findings

 Leadership and management are good. The dynamic and aspirational leadership 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

of the new headteacher, supported by all staff, has resulted in many recent improvements, some of which have already had significant impact. The curriculum has been improved and is developing further so that pupils take more responsibility for their learning. A new marking policy has been introduced. Marking in English and mathematics books is now good. However, it is not as consistent in pointing areas for development of literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. Targets are set for groups of pupils at different attainment levels, rather than for each individual pupil. This has been identified by the school as an area for further refinement. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards in English and mathematics by ensuring that each pupil’s individual next steps to improve their work are clearly identified for pupils, parents and carers, and staff, and used in work in all subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning by ensuring that:  the new marking and feedback policy is embedded fully, and used in marking work in all subjects  teachers maintain good pace in all lessons  greater emphasis is placed on the development of pupils’ investigative and independent learning skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the attendance of the minority of persistent absentees by involving outside agencies in raising parents’ and carers’ awareness of the impact of absence and lateness on their children’s progress.

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Achievement of pupils

Children join the Reception classes with skills and capabilities below those expected for their ages. They settle in quickly because of good induction systems and make good gains in all areas of learning for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, currently good progress is being made by pupils from all groups, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. This has successfully eroded the previous underachievement. Data shows that significant acceleration in the progress pupils make has been achieved in the past six months in particular. This has been monitored monthly so that all staff and governors are aware of the impact of new initiatives that have been undertaken to improve the quality of teaching. In lessons observed during the inspection, pupils were making good progress in all year groups. Parents and carers are pleased with the progress their children are currently making and pupils talk proudly of their

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Achievement of pupils

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

achievements. One parent told inspectors that there has been ‘360° turn around in the school recently’. Progress in learning to read has been accelerated by effective teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make). Achievement is satisfactory rather than better because pupils are still catching up on previously lost ground. By the end of Key Stage 1, standards in reading are average. By the end of Year 6, pupils similarly attain standards in reading, writing and mathematics which are in line with those expected for their ages.

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Quality of teaching

The quality of teaching over time is satisfactory. However, the picture is improving so that teaching is now nearly always good. This improvement has been as a result of accurate monitoring by senior staff, support to improve teaching through coaching and the setting of clear targets by which the quality of teaching can be raised further. Pupils and their parents and carers say that the quality of teaching has improved in recent months and that lessons are interesting and enjoyable.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers have suitably high expectations of pupils and plan lessons that have a good sense of challenge. Teaching assistants are well informed and make a positive contribution to learning in all classrooms. This is particularly the case in the teaching of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Relationships are good and teachers’ questioning is pertinent and moves learning forward effectively. This was demonstrated well in a mathematics lesson for pupils in Year 1, based on the problem of whether height influences how far people can jump. Questioning by the teacher focussed pupils on what they already knew and what they needed to find out. It developed their mathematical vocabulary well and grabbed their interest so that they stayed on task and maintained full concentration.

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Quality of teaching

The teaching of reading and, in particular, of the links between letters and the sounds they make, is good. As a result, pupils currently make good progress in learning to read. Information from data is used appropriately by teachers. Work that is planned is matched appropriately to the needs of higher attaining, average attaining and lower attaining pupils. However, the school has started to refine this system still further to plan to meet each pupil’s specific needs even more accurately. A new marking and feedback policy ensures that pupils know how well they have completed work and what they need to do to make it better. This is embedded in the marking of work in mathematics and English books. It is less consistent in the marking of literacy and numeracy in topic books.

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Quality of teaching

There is generally good pace to lessons although, on occasion, this slows slightly when teachers take too long with explanations. Teachers try hard to make lessons interesting by working on themes and topics. The current theme linking work to the Olympics has brought much value to pupils and has engaged them in their learning. Teaching has included work on the Olympic values, which has had a very positive impact on the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. In a few lessons, opportunities are missed for pupils to take greater initiative in developing investigation and independent learning skills. For example, 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

deciding for themselves how to best set up an experiment, deciding which sources to use to research for themselves or deciding which method to use to present findings.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Behaviour and safety are good. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive and they behave well in lessons. Pupils apply themselves to their learning with concentration and determination. Around the school, behaviour is good because supervision is of high quality. Pupils know about bullying, including cyber, racist and homophobic bullying. They say that bullying seldom occurs and, when it does, adults deal with it swiftly and effectively: ‘It is mostly name calling and we know who to go to when we are bothered by it.’ Behaviour management is effective because rewards and sanctions are consistently applied, and are well understood by pupils. Pupils, parents and carers say that there has been an improvement in behaviour and pupils feel safe in school. Events such as ‘tea with the headteacher’, which takes place weekly, help pupils to feel valued and reinforce feelings of self-worth.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Attendance is broadly average and punctuality to school has been much improved. Each day, the headteacher or the deputy headteacher wait at the school gate to greet pupils and their parents and carers. This provides a pleasant and friendly start to the day as well as an opportunity to pass information between home and school, while also monitoring punctuality and behaviour. A new clock has been installed in the school foyer, which has already improved punctuality. School leaders have monitored attendance and measured the impact of the poor attendance of a minority of persistent absentees on their work. They have written to parents and carers, both generally and also to parents of pupils who are frequently absent. Despite this, a small number of pupils are still frequently absent. The school has plans to work with a range of other agencies to try to raise parents’ awareness of the effect this has on

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Leadership and management

Leadership and management of the school at all levels are good. Staff, parents and carers are firmly on board with the high aims and aspirations of the headteacher, who is full of energy and determination. A good team spirit has developed and is apparent between all stakeholders. Celebration of success is a regular part of school life and all are involved in this. The quality of monitoring is rigorous and has resulted in significant improvements across the school. Data is analysed regularly, so that all concerned can see clearly the acceleration in the quality of teaching and learning that has taken place in the past six months in particular. This has also ensured that all pupils have equal opportunity to develop to their full potential.

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Leadership and management

The impact of professional development and performance management systems has already resulted in measurable improvement. There has been a strong focus on building improvement in the quality of teaching. Targets have been set for groups of pupils, depending on whether they are above average attaining, average or below average, to identify the next steps they need to take in their learning. These are 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

currently being refined further to make each pupil’s targets even more precisely based upon their particular individual needs. Coordinator’s roles have been developed so that they now take a very active part in monitoring and giving advice based upon precise information. The curriculum is good, because it is not only balanced, but seen by pupils as relevant and interesting. Teachers take the opportunity, for example, to enable pupils to learn about how individual athletes have overcome particular barriers in their lives. This contributes to the effective promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Leadership and management

Links with parents have been strengthened and an active parents’ group set up. The interim executive board provides good support and challenge for the school. It is developing a shadow governing body with a committee structure to take over when systems are all in place and fully embedded. All these improvements demonstrate the capacity the school has now to continue to improve still further. Safeguarding systems are good and meet all requirements.

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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 Belvoirdale Community Primary School, Coalville LE67 3RD

We would like to say a big thank you to you all for being so welcoming and helpful when we came to visit your school recently. We enjoyed watching you work and talking to you about your school and the many recent changes that have taken place. The things you said helped us greatly.

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Inspection of Belvoirdale Community Primary School, Coalville LE67 3RD

I am very pleased to be able to tell you that your school no longer needs special measures. It is providing you with a satisfactory education and this is getting better all of the time. You were not making enough progress at the time of the previous inspection, but this is getting better. You are catching up because you all make good progress in nearly all of your lessons now. This is because teaching has also got better and is almost always good. Because of the difference we have judged teaching and learning to be satisfactory overall and improving. The standards you reach in English and mathematics are in line with those expected for your ages and getting better all of the time. We were pleased to see your good behaviour and we know that most of you come to school regularly and on time.

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Inspection of Belvoirdale Community Primary School, Coalville LE67 3RD

The people who lead and manage your school, including your headteacher, are doing a good job in making improvements so that it can be the best it can. Several of you said that she was the best new thing that has happened to your school recently. Lots of new things have been started which are already making a difference. There are some things which we have asked your school to do that we think will help your school to carry on getting even better.

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Inspection of Belvoirdale Community Primary School, Coalville LE67 3RD

We have asked teachers to help you to make even more progress in English and mathematics by letting each one of you know exactly what you need to concentrate on improving next. We have also asked teachers to make sure you spend more time learning to research and find things out for yourselves. Finally, we have asked that those few of you who have a lot of time off, only stay away from school if you are ill.

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Inspection of Belvoirdale Community Primary School, Coalville LE67 3RD

I am sure that you will all carry on doing your best and try to research as much as you can for yourselves when doing topic work. I wish you well for the future.

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Inspection of Belvoirdale Community Primary School, Coalville LE67 3RD

Sheelagh Barnes 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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