Water Orton Primary School

Water Orton Primary School Attleboro Lane, Water Orton, Birmingham, B46 1SB

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement.  Pupils have not made sufficient progress in Key Stage 2 over the last three years.  Standards were below average in writing and well below average in mathematics at the end of Year 6 in 2012.  In some classes, the teaching is not yet good enough to enable pupils to make rapid progress and secure good achievement.  Teachers do not always have high enough expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving.  Opportunities are missed to reinforce literacy and numeracy skills through the teaching of other subjects.  Progress has not been rapid enough in dealing with some of the issues identified in the previous inspection.  The school’s self-evaluation is over-generous.  Leaders and governors have yet to ensure that new initiatives are having sufficient and consistent impact on improving pupils’ progress throughout the school.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Pupils make good progress in reading throughout the school.  The quality of teaching is improving. It is good in some classes, and inadequate teaching has been eradicated.  Leaders have provided good training for staff to improve their practice. Staff feel well supported and enjoy working and learning from each other.  Arrangements for checking the performance of teachers have been strengthened, and staff have ambitious targets to work towards.  New initiatives, such as ‘Big Write’, are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ achievement.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They enjoy school and like taking on responsibilities.  Pupils behave well. They say that they feel safe in school and that they are supported well by their teachers.  The level of attendance is above average.  Workshops for parents help them to gain a

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The school has the following strengths

better understanding of what their children are learning.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited 34 lessons, observing all classes at least three times for varying lengths of time. Many of the observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher or one of the deputy headteachers.  They held discussions with a representative from the local authority, the headteacher and deputy headteachers, three members of the governing body, nearly all of the teaching staff and groups of pupils.  They looked at a range of documentary evidence, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, data regarding pupils’ progress, and documents relating to safeguarding and special educational needs.  They scrutinised pupils’ written work in a range of subjects and listened to pupils reading.  They took into account the views of 41 parents recorded on Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey of parents’ views, as well as four letters from parents.  Inspectors also considered the views of 25 members of staff who completed Ofsted’s staff

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Inspection team

Graham Sims, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Shela Rowan Additional Inspector Christine Bray Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding) is below the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress for pupils at the end of Year 6.  Seven of the 11 classes, including all of the classes in Key Stage 2, contain pupils from two different year groups.  At the time of the inspection, the headteacher was on secondment to the local authority and the

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Information about this school

two deputy headteachers were acting as headteacher. All three were present for the inspection. Over half of the teaching staff have joined the school in the last two years.  The Tree House, a registered charity, uses some of the school’s accommodation for pre-school and out-of-hours childcare provision for children aged two to 11. This facility is not managed by the governing body and is inspected separately.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good in all classes and pupils make good progress in improving their writing and mathematical skills by ensuring that:  teachers have higher expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving and that these expectations are reflected in the level of challenge provided in all lessons  more pupils, and particularly the more-able, are enabled to reach the higher Level 3 by the end of Year 2 and Level 5 by the end of Year 6  the pace in lessons is sufficiently rapid and teachers’ questioning is sufficiently probing to enable all pupils to make good progress  more opportunities are provided for pupils to apply their mathematical skills in problem-solving activities  pupils are given more opportunities to develop their writing skills in subjects other than English  all teachers follow the best marking practice which exists in the school, and that pupils’ written

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

work is marked more rigorously  all teaching assistants use their time effectively and efficiently to support pupils in their learning and to encourage them to become less dependent on adult help  providing more opportunities for pupils to use their own initiative, to decide how to tackle problems and to work independently for extended periods of time.  Improve the quality of leadership, management and governance by ensuring that:  the school’s self-evaluation provides a more accurate picture of the school’s effectiveness  initiatives to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress are implemented effectively and consistently in every class  subject leaders ensure that all subjects are taught in sufficient depth and contribute to the development of pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 For the last few years, pupils’ progress in Key Stage 2 has been slower than in many schools. Standards at the end of Year 6 fell in 2012. They were below the national average in writing and well below average in mathematics, having been broadly average in the two years following the previous inspection. Although standards are improving, pupils are not making consistently good progress in all classes.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children join the school with skills, knowledge and abilities which are typical of those expected for their age. They settle into school life quickly, and make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development and in their early reading skills. For the last few years, they have joined Year 1 with a range of skills in all areas of learning which have been above those expected for their age.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 After a gradual decline in standards after the school’s previous inspection, pupils’ progress has improved at Key Stage 1. Pupils are now making good progress in most classes in Years 1 and 2, particularly in reading and mathematics. In 2012, standards were above average in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress has been much more erratic in Key Stage 2. The school’s data show that progress in some year groups has been too slow over the last few years. Major changes in staffing have brought improvement, but pupils’ progress is not yet consistent between one class and the next. In some classes, pupils make good progress. In a few classes, progress is not yet rapid enough to secure good achievement throughout the school.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Most pupils make good progress in reading. The systematic teaching of phonics is helping pupils to understand the correspondence between letters and the sounds which they make. Regular reading sessions are helping pupils to develop an enjoyment of reading and to reach above average standards by the time they leave school.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Standards in writing and mathematics are improving, but lag behind those in reading. In English, teachers are not rigorous enough in pointing out where pupils have made mistakes. In mathematics, pupils still do not have enough opportunities to apply their mathematical skills in problem-solving activities.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those who receive additional support financed from the pupil premium reflect the progress of other pupils in varying from class to class. The gap in standards achieved by these pupils and those achieved by other pupils is less than that found nationally. Indeed, a large group of pupils who were known to be eligible for free school meals achieved better results in English in 2012 than other pupils at the end of Year 6.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Few pupils make more than the expected level of progress. As a result, the proportions of pupils reaching the higher Level 3 at the end of Year 2 and Level 5 at the end of Year 6 are below average. Some of the more-able pupils are not being challenged sufficiently and are not, therefore, reaching the highest standards of which they are capable.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The teaching is not yet consistently good enough to enable pupils to make good progress. In some lessons, the pace of learning is too slow. In others, teachers do not show pupils clearly enough what they are expected to do or provide a helpful model on which pupils can base their work. However, the quality of the teaching is improving. It is good in some classes, but there is still too much variation from one class to the next.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Changes in staffing have eradicated inadequate teaching, the legacy of which was seen in the below average results in 2012. There has been a concerted effort to improve the quality of teaching through training and providing the staff with the opportunity to observe good practice. Staff feel well supported and enjoy the opportunity to learn from each other.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers’ expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving are not always high enough. Some pupils, therefore, do not progress as quickly as they could. Teachers’ questions do not always probe pupils’ understanding sufficiently. Some of the tasks pupils are given, such as the completion of simple worksheets or cut-and-paste activities, are too easy and fail to move their learning forward sufficiently. Not enough opportunities are provided for pupils to use their own initiative, to decide how to tackle a problem or to work independently for extended periods of time.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Reorganisation of leadership responsibilities and the allocation of time for teachers to plan or work together are improving the quality of teachers’ planning. The planning for English and mathematics is thorough, and initiatives such as ‘Big Write’ are beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ progress. However, the planning of subjects such as science, history, geography and religious education is not as rigorous. Too often, pupils are given the same work to complete regardless of ability, and too many opportunities are missed to reinforce literacy and numeracy skills through these subjects.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The marking of pupils’ work has improved but is not always rigorous enough. In some classes, teachers provide detailed and helpful comments which explain what pupils need to do to improve. In the best examples, pupils also respond to the teacher’s comments and this helps to move their learning forward. In too many classes, however, basic errors are not corrected and previous learning is not reinforced sufficiently.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The enthusiasm of some staff, particularly among the most recently appointed, engages and motivates the pupils. In Years 5 and 6, for example, two of the teachers and a teaching assistant dressed up as aliens to stimulate pupils’ imaginations as they prepared to produce a piece of descriptive writing.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is consistently good. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to provide an interesting and stimulating learning environment. Children have plenty of opportunity to choose their own activities as well as more structured times in which they are taught as a group or as a whole class. Children enjoy using new technology; during the inspection, groups of children were using mini tablet computers to photograph items before returning to their tables to write down what they had taken.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The teaching for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs mirrors that for other pupils. It is improving, but is not always rigorous enough. Some teaching assistants have little interaction with the pupils they are supporting during whole-class sessions and do not do enough to encourage pupils’ independence when working with them in small groups. Other teaching assistants, however, provide pupils with thoughtful, sensitive and helpful support. A few parents commented positively on the additional support their children had received.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The pupil premium funding is used effectively to ensure that those for whom it is intended either receive additional support or are able to access additional activities.  Parents and carers appreciate opportunities such as the ‘Inspire’ workshops which enable them to come into school, to work their children and gain a better understanding of what their children are learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They speak highly of their school and feel their teachers are supportive and helpful. They show interest during lessons, even when the teaching is not particularly stimulating. They are keen to respond to teachers’ questions. They work well with each other when required to do so. They particularly enjoy using new technology, such as tablet computers to make mini-films.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour around the school is good. They are polite and courteous, showing consideration to adults and to each other. No pupils have been excluded for poor behaviour and very few incidents of poor behaviour of racist incidents have been recorded in recent years.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say that they feel safe in school. The recent anti-bullying week has given them a good understanding of different types of bullying, although pupils say that bullying is rare and never prolonged. They have confidence in the school’s systems and the staff to resolve any issues which may occur.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy taking responsibilities, whether it is as a member of the school council or as play pals on the playground. Older pupils also help younger pupils at lunchtime or act as young leaders.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Good relationships, the friendly atmosphere, the insistence on high standards of behaviour and the opportunity to carry out responsibilities contribute well to pupils’ moral and social behaviour. Opportunities to take care of the school’s chickens, the outdoor learning environment which pupils say they enjoy in the summer, and a wide range of visits and extra-curricular activities contribute well to their spiritual and cultural development.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ good behaviour and enjoyment of school are reflected in their good level of attendance which is above the national average.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school has not made rapid enough progress in dealing with the issues raised in the previous inspection with regard to the quality of teaching in Key Stage 2. However, leaders have introduced various initiatives to improve the quality of teaching. These are beginning to have a positive effect on improving pupils’ progress, but the impact is not yet secure enough to ensure a consistently good quality of education throughout the school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school’s self-evaluation is over-generous and some aspects of its performance are not evaluated with enough rigour. However, senior leaders have a good awareness of where teaching is strongest and where it is in most need of improvement. They have also identified a wide range of aspects which they wish to improve during the current year.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Arrangements for checking the performance of teachers have been strengthened significantly. All teachers now have ambitious targets for the progress of pupils in their care. Annual appraisal is now to be used when determining pay increases for staff. Senior leaders check the quality of teaching regularly and also provide some opportunities for staff to improve their practice by observing teaching in other classes.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Some leadership arrangements have improved, particularly in Key Stage 2. The school now has four teams of teachers, each under the direction of a senior leader, who meet together regularly to plan, to analyse pupils’ progress and to discuss ways in which they will support any pupil who may be falling behind. These arrangements have increased teachers’ awareness of how well their pupils are doing and have led to greater accountability.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders have introduced helpful initiatives in English and mathematics which are beginning to improve pupils’ progress in these subjects. The leadership of other subjects is not as strong. The teaching in subjects like science, history and geography lack depth. In science, for example, pupils do not always deepen their understanding sufficiently when topics which have previously been taught in Key Stage 1 are revisited in Key Stage 2. Although topic work is enhanced through visits to places of interest, some of the activities pupils are asked to complete do little to further their knowledge and understanding.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although various school improvement partners from the local authority have worked with the school, they have yet to secure a marked and sustained improvement in pupils’ progress. The local authority’s recent review has provided helpful advice on areas for improvement. Training for staff and enrichment opportunities for pupils have been provided through collaboration with the local cluster of schools.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The governing body, through its standards team, is asking increasingly searching questions of the school’s leaders with regard to the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. As a result, arrangements for the appraisal of teachers’ performance have tightened. Governors have a good understanding of what is happening in the school and of how well the school is performing in relation to other schools. However, as with senior leaders, their evaluation of how well the school is doing is over-generous. Governors bring a good range of expertise to the school, for example, with regard to safeguarding which fully meets current requirements. They have been appropriately trained, and are fully aware of their responsibilities to ensure equality of opportunity. The governing body maintains tight financial control and has been involved in decisions relating to the use of pupil premium funding and in analysing its impact

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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

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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.

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School details

Unique reference number 125620 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 402341

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 315 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Helen Reilly Headteacher Carl Lewis Date of previous school inspection 23 September 2009 Telephone number 0121 747 2851 Fax number 0121 748 3841 Email address admin2618@welearn365.com 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 .

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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.

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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

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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

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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’.

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School details

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

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