Ward End Primary School

Ward End Primary School Ingleton Road, Birmingham, B8 2RA

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  The progress that pupils make is amongst the very best in the country and they leave with high standards.  Senior leaders provide a clear sense of direction and have a positive impact on improving teaching and achievement. In this, they are ably supported by middle leaders and governors. There is a strong culture of continuous improvement in the school.  Pupils think for themselves and learn independently. They love learning and participate exceptionally well in lessons.  Teaching assistants have been well trained. They know just what to do in the classroom and use their initiative to support all pupils’ learning.  Government funding has been used very well to provide extra support for those pupils who most need it.  There are warm relationships and strong mutual respect between staff and pupils. Pupils feel safe in school and they are taught how to stay safe.  The best teachers share good practice through

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

team teaching that helps all teachers improve.  Teachers ask questions that make pupils think, and pupils use their thinking to ask teachers interesting and relevant questions. This helps deepen their learning.  Governors support the school strongly but also ask challenging questions and help the school to think strategically.  Progress is not as fast in Years 3 and 4 because the marking for these pupils is not as effective.  Although attendance is improving, it is not high enough, especially for the youngest pupils.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 34 lessons, three of which were joint observations with senior staff. In addition, inspectors made a number of short visits to classrooms.  Meetings were held with staff, groups of pupils and the chair and vice chair of the governing body. There were also informal discussions with parents in the playground before school.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and scrutinised work in their books.  They looked at the school development plan and school documentation about pupils’ progress, procedures for safeguarding pupils and the monitoring of staff performance. They also looked at the analysis of the use of funding received through the pupil premium.  Inspectors took account of the 22 responses by parents to the online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as the results of a recent survey of parents conducted by the school. They also scrutinised 45 staff questionnaires.

p.2

Inspection team

Mary Le Breuilly, Lead inspector Additional inspector David Driscoll Additional inspector Martin Budge Additional inspector Jeffrey Plumb Additional inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average primary school and has been expanded to take on two extra classes each year so that there are currently four classes in each year of Reception and Year 1, three classes in Year 2 and two classes in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.  Almost all the pupils come from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds, with the largest group of pupils being from a Pakistani background. The proportion of pupils who are learning English as an additional language is high.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is high. This is additional Government funding provided to support pupils in local authority care, those from Forces families, and those who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils on school action is average and the proportion of pupils on school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.

p.3

Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Work with parents to improve the attendance and punctuality of children in Reception and Year 1.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that marking in Years 3 and 4 meets the high standards of the best marking in school and helps children to understand what their next steps in learning should be.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Most children start school with skills that are well below those typical for their age. They make excellent progress in Nursery and Reception because teachers and other adults help them to improve their speaking and listening skills and because they provide activities that make learning interesting and engaging. Letter sounds and counting skills are taught in ways that make the children want to learn them. By the time they leave Reception, children’s skills are close to those typical for their age.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils make outstanding progress overall, and particularly in Key Stage 2 where progress has been in the top 1% of all schools nationally for the past two years. As a result, attainment is in line with national averages at the end of Key Stage 1 and well above average at the end of Key Stage 2. This exceptional progress is made because teachers make lessons interesting and help pupils to build successfully on their experiences in previous years. Teachers and teaching assistants provide different work for pupils in the class that is challenging enough to stretch every pupil and to move them on in their learning. Pupils who are struggling are given highly effective support to help them catch up.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make very rapid progress. The number of pupils on the special needs register drops at the end of Key Stage 1 because many pupils have made so much progress that they no longer need extra support.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils develop a love of reading and, as a result of this and of the highly effective teaching that they receive, standards in reading are well above the national average at the end of Key Stage 2.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language make very rapid progress and quickly acquire the English they need for learning.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The pupil premium allows pupils to be taught in smaller groups and this helps them to make outstanding progress. These pupils make even better progress than their peers, narrowing the gap in attainment that is seen nationally.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils in Years 3 and 4 make progress that is not quite as rapid as in other year groups, but progress accelerates again in the last two years of Key Stage 2.

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The outstanding progress made by pupils in recent years supports the view that the quality of teaching has been outstanding over time. Much of the teaching seen during the inspection was outstanding, and this, along with the excellent work seen in books, confirmed that this high quality of teaching is sustained.

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers have high expectations of their pupils. They provide work that is challenging in relation to pupils’ different abilities and encourage them in lessons and through marking. As a result, pupils are stretched and rise to the challenges they are set.

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Lessons are lively and capture the interest of pupils. Teachers find different ways to engage children. For example, in a Year 4 lesson, role play was used to explore characters’ feelings, and this helped pupils to rehearse their ideas before writing them down.

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is founded on purposeful and well-structured practical activities, indoors and outside, that show an excellent understanding of how young children learn. These activities engage the children well in developing key skills such as letter formation and counting. Children respond with enthusiasm and they work happily with adults or other children. A strong focus on speaking and listening supports the progress of all children, including those for whom English is not a first language.

p.5

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to practise basic literacy and numeracy skills across different subjects. This has helped to raise standards in English and mathematics.

p.5

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers provide extensive opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, in a recent Rainforest project, pupils visited the Birmingham Botanical Gardens to see the rainforest plants for themselves, and they were able to reflect on the way the rainforests have an impact in Britain and the exploitation of the forest.

p.5

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 In Years 3 and 4, where progress is good rather than outstanding, teachers’ marking does not always help pupils to understand exactly what they have to do to improve, and does not follow through consistently where pupils have not understood a concept.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Teachers have high expectations for the behaviour of pupils. Pupils respond accordingly. They are calm, polite and helpful in class and around school.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are first class. They have an eagerness to learn and ask questions that are probing.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are extremely proud of their school, of their own achievements and of the achievements of their peers. They are quick to describe the successes of other pupils. They take pride in their work and are keen to do their best.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils feel safe in school. They are confident that bullying of any kind is almost unheard of and that rare, minor instances are dealt with swiftly and effectively so that all feel safe and secure in school.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils understand how to keep safe in school and beyond. They appreciate, for example, the need for caution and safety when using the internet.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance has been low for several years, though it is improving at faster than the national rate and attendance in the current school year is average. Much of the poor attendance can be attributed to pupils in Reception and Year 1 where parents do not always see with the importance of regular attendance at school. Pupils’ attendance improves as they move up the school as a result of the efforts the school makes to discourage avoidable absence. Too many children are also late to school, and this is again highest in Reception and Year 1.

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

 This is a school with a culture of continuous improvement and with no place for complacency. The headteacher has high expectations of herself and of the staff. School leaders know the strengths and weaknesses of the school and plan well to build on the former and eliminate the latter.

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The main focus for development has consistently been on improving the quality of teaching. There is a well-established culture of learning from each other through team teaching and sharing classroom practice. This has paid dividends in helping teachers and teaching assistants to continuously improve their effectiveness in the classroom.

p.6

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The quality of teaching is monitored carefully by senior leaders and is used, along with the outcomes of performance management, to tailor support to individuals. All staff at school are very positive about the high quality of the professional development that they receive.

p.6

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school’s systems for checking pupils’ progress are very thorough and are used to identify and provide additional help for any pupil who is not making enough progress.

p.6

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The range of subjects and activities taught is rich and exciting and makes pupils keen to learn. Pupils are provided with very good opportunities to develop their literacy, numeracy and communication skills across all subjects.

p.6

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school places great emphasis on equality of opportunity and ensures that every child, regardless of ability or background, is given the best education possible. Pupils are very well prepared to live in a diverse society.

p.6

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority regards this as a successful school and, consequently, offers very light touch support.

p.6

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school fully meets all safeguarding requirements.

p.6

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school is outstanding:  Governors know the school well and, like the staff and pupils, they are extremely proud of it. They provide a high level of challenge and are actively involved in school planning. They understand their role as ‘critical friend’ is an important part of helping the school to continue to improve and they carry this role out very well. They know the strengths and weaknesses of the school, they understand performance data and they have a clear view of the quality of teaching and provision. They act to ensure that good teaching is appropriately rewarded and hold the headteacher to account for tackling any underperformance. The governing body has used the pupil premium highly effectively to provide additional staffing to ensure that eligible pupils receive enhanced support and attention. The outstanding progress made by these pupils shows that this approach has had a high impact. Governors play a role in strategic

p.6

The leadership and management are outstanding

decisions, for example they have been involved in planning the leadership structure and in ensuring that senior and middle leaders are prepared for the next stage of their careers. Governors take part in relevant training and this has helped them to carry out their role more effectively.

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 103217 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 402909

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 624 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jim Potter Headteacher Suzanne Rose Date of previous school inspection 29 April 2008 Telephone number 0121 4645424 Fax number 0121 4648988 Email address enquiry@wardend.bham.sch.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