Barford Primary School

Barford Primary School Barford Road, Ladywood, Birmingham, B16 0EF

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  All groups of pupils achieve well because teaching is consistently at least good. Some teaching is outstanding.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Their good behaviour and keenness helps them to learn so they make good progress in lessons.  Pupils feel safe and secure due to excellent safeguarding arrangements. The school is a calm and cohesive community where pupils enjoy being at school.  Teachers’ marking is thorough and provides detailed guidance on what pupils need to do to improve their work. Opportunities are provided weekly for pupils to take a piece of work to improve and develop.  The school has improved considerably since the previous inspection due to the headteacher’s excellent leadership. Standards have continued to improve from being below national averages to broadly in line. Well- focused training has successfully improved the quality of teaching.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The governing body provides good support and keeps a close eye on the work of the school. It knows the school well.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching does not always provide sufficient opportunities and time for pupils to work by themselves and explore their own ideas.  Teaching of letters and sounds (phonics) is not consistently good.  The outside environment does not provide enough choices for Nursery and Reception children to learn.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 26 lessons taught by 14 staff. Of these, three were joint observations with the headteacher and one of the deputy headteachers.  Inspectors held discussions with pupils, the headteacher, staff and the Chair of the Governing Body. The lead inspector also met with a representative from the local authority and had a telephone conversation with an external consultant working with the school.  Inspectors took account of six responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors also held informal discussions with parents and carers during the inspection. There were 44 staff questionnaires.  Inspectors looked at a range of evidence including hearing pupils read, records of pupils’ progress, improvement plans, safeguarding documentation and external reports.

p.2

Inspection team

Davinder Dosanjh, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Enid Korn Additional Inspector Michael Onyon Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average sized primary school.  Pupils come from a number of minority ethnic backgrounds, with Pakistani, Black Caribbean and African being the largest groups.  Over half of the pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding) is just over half of all pupils.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action, school action plus or with a statement of special education need is broadly average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise teaching and rates of progress to outstanding by:  increasing the time and opportunities pupils have to work by themselves and explore their own ideas  ensuring the new scheme for teaching letters and sounds (phonics) is effective in meeting the different needs of pupils in each group  providing a wide choice of worthwhile learning opportunities for Nursery and Reception children in the outdoor environment.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with knowledge and skills that are below those expected for their age. English language skills are well below. They make good progress from this point and leave Year 6 with standards that are broadly average in English and mathematics.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in English and mathematics has steadily risen over the last three years. Gaps between groups have closed.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupil premium funding is used well to provide additional staffing and give small-group support in English and in delivering letters and sounds (phonics). In addition, it allows the school to access external multi-agency support for pupils and families to support attendance and behaviour. Due to this, these pupils make good progress.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who are disabled and those who have special educational needs are supported well in lessons, and the support of learning assistants ensures that work is adapted to their needs. Their progress is checked carefully and appropriate additional support provided. Thus, they make good progress, as do all groups in the school. No-one is left behind.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make rapid progress in their writing and reading skills, especially pupils for whom English is an additional language. They are provided with many opportunities to develop different writing skills through topic work. Teachers place a strong focus on spellings, sentence structure and punctuation.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils read regularly and enjoy reading. The more able pupils read fluently. Pupils are supported well by parents and carers to read at home. A small minority of pupils’ reading records are not checked by teachers to ensure reading is sufficiently challenging and they do not follow up parents’ comments. The teaching of letters and sounds is enabling pupils to use these skills in reading. Pupils reach age-related expectations for reading.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good. Teachers plan work for pupils that is interesting and enjoyable. Expectations are high and pupils respond well to the challenge. Thus, they are engaged and concentrate well on tasks.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers ask older pupils very searching questions to get them to think, and they are encouraged to give full answers.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils have a good understanding of how to improve their work because teachers focus incisively on picking up on what pupils need to work on and what they do not understand. Both ‘Target Tuesday’ and ‘Up-levelling Friday’ are well understood by pupils as time to use the teachers’ comments to improve and develop work. Pupils want to make their work even better.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan many opportunities to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. For example, they constantly encourage positive relationships. The wide mix of cultures and religions within the school are used well to promote understanding and celebrate the different heritages. One pupil told inspectors, ‘If you know what they believe and think, you can respect them better, understand better and communicate better.’  In a small number of lessons, the teaching of letters and sounds was not as effective because the teaching groups were too large and did not meet the different needs of pupils. There are limited opportunities for pupils to work things out, explore ideas and have a choice in choosing activities. Teachers are inclined to exercise too much control. In Nursery and Reception, in the outdoor environment, the variety of activities children can choose is limited.

p.4

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well and are ready to learn. The school is a very welcoming place where pupils are polite and well mannered. The school is a calm and orderly place. Pupils take pride in their school.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is managed consistently across the school and pupils have a clear understanding of how they should behave. They like being rewarded for good behaviour with stickers and house points. As a result, excellent relationships exist between staff and pupils, and between pupils and pupils. Pupils, parents and carers confirm that behaviour is good at the school.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Different groups of pupils say they feel safe and have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. For example, they know about fire hazards, being safe when using the internet and ‘stranger danger’.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say there is zero tolerance to bullying but know what to do if they are bullied. They are fully aware that bullying takes many forms.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Senior leaders monitor very carefully all aspects of behaviour and safety. Exclusions have reduced and there are very few racist incidents.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has improved progressively and is now broadly average.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The excellent leadership of the headteacher, ably supported by senior leaders, is the driving force behind the improvements. Together, the leadership team provides a strong direction for the school and has focused sharply on improving achievement and the quality of teaching. Plans have been very successful with the year-on-year improvements in standards and teaching. These are closely linked to rigorous performance management systems. The progress made by pupils is a key consideration for pay awards.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders have an accurate view of the school and check the quality of teaching to see what needs improving. Regular meetings with teachers on the progress made by pupils in their class ensure accountability and expectations for all are clear. Rigorous procedures for checking pupil progress ensure that any underachievement is identified and appropriate action taken to help pupils to catch up.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The ‘wow week’ to introduce new topics captures pupils’ interest and imagination. They achieve well and make good progress in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, the ‘pizza express day’ enabled pupils to cook with chefs and other pupils had the opportunity to host a banquet. Pupils remember these experiences fondly.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The school ensures that pupils have equal opportunities to succeed and that discrimination is not tolerated. The school fosters very good relationships with parents and carers. At the start and end of the day, they are warmly welcomed into the school to drop off and collect their children.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has supported the school in a behaviour health check which enabled senior leaders to take immediate action on points for development. For example, they have introduced improved lunch arrangements for each year group. It recognises the school is very capable in making improvements.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are well informed about the school’s performance through detailed reports from the headteacher on all aspects of the school’s work and ‘core skills reports’ which focus on the progress pupils are making in English and mathematics. In addition, external reports support them in providing challenge to the school. They keep a watchful eye over performance management arrangements and robust targets are set for the headteacher. Underperformance is tackled by using carefully planned strategies for individual staff. Governors ensure that pay is linked to performance. Governors have a clear understanding of how pupils are achieving when compared to others nationally. Finances are well managed and pupil premium funding allocated carefully to ensure that pupils who need extra support receive it. Governors confirmed that this made a notable difference to those eligible for pupil premium funding in

p.6

The leadership and management are good

2012. Members of the governing body have been supported by undertaking training and development run by the local authority. They recognise that more training would be useful in understanding the different data that is provided to the school by government departments.

p.6

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

p.7

Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 103162 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 400591

p.8

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.8

School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 461 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Verdah Chishti Headteacher Richard Lee Date of previous school inspection 20 January 2010 Telephone number 0121 4643765 Fax number 0121 4648882 Email address rlee@barfordprimary.co.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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 .

p.8

School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

p.9

School details

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

p.9

School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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

p.9

School details

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9