Eastfield Primary School

Eastfield Primary School Colliery Road, Off Willenhall Road, Wolverhampton, WV1 2QY

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.  Pupils make good progress throughout the school from what are often very low starting points.  Standards have rapidly improved over the past five years for all groups of pupils and are now broadly average in English and in mathematics by the time pupils leave at the end of Year 6.  Teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now good. Teachers ensure that pupils understand what they need to do to improve. Some teaching is outstanding.  Pupils show respect for each other and for their teachers and work well with each other in lessons.  Pupils enjoy school and say they feel safe.  The school is a calm and positive place in which the pupils can learn. They are keen to do as well as they can.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher have shared their high expectations with all the staff. This has had a very positive impact on teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The governing body’s understanding of the

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

day-to-day work of the school has improved since the last inspection. They ask searching questions of school leaders and work very effectively as a team in support of the school.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not always get enough opportunity to develop their thinking skills. Teachers are sometimes too ready to lead pupils to the correct answer rather than letting them work it out for themselves.  Introductions to lessons are sometimes too long and all pupils, particularly the more able, need to be able to move on quicker.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons, of which six were joint observations with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher. In addition, the inspection team looked at pupils’ work in their books and listened to them read.  There were meetings with groups of pupils, senior leaders and representatives of the governing body and the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the four responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and talked to parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors also considered the 21 responses to a staff questionnaire.  The inspection team examined the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress; planning and monitoring documentation; records relating to behaviour and attendance; and documents relating to safeguarding.

p.2

Inspection team

Richard Boswell, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Nina Matharu Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Eastfield is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Just over half the pupils are of White British heritage and a fifth of Caribbean heritage.  More than three-quarters of the pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium. This is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in local authority care and those with a parent in the armed services.  The proportion of pupils who are identified as disabled or who have special educational needs is higher than national levels for those supported by school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs and much higher than national levels for those at school action.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.  The school runs a breakfast club on the premises.  All pupils are educated on site. The school does not use alternative provision to support any of

p.3

Information about this school

its pupils.  The school’s Early Years Foundation Stage begins with the Reception Year class.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the standards of all pupils’ work in reading, writing and mathematics so that more of them exceed national expectations by giving pupils the chance to work more things out for themselves.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure more outstanding teaching throughout the school by:  making sure that teachers always keep introductions to lessons concise so as to allow pupils maximum time for practising skills  giving the more-able pupils more challenging work from the start of the lesson.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 When children start school in the Reception class at Eastfield they often have a considerably lower level of skills than might be expected for their age. They quickly make good progress and, by the end of Year 2, they are closer to the standard that the government expects for pupils at this point in their education.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 By the time they leave school in Year 6, all groups of pupils are achieving standards broadly in line with pupils nationally and some are beginning to exceed these.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are making at least as good progress as other pupils and there is no significant difference in the progress made by pupils from different ethnic groups.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The high proportion of pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium make at least as good progress as others and often better. The school uses the money to fund projects with a focus on reading, allowing pupils to then access other subjects. It also funds one-to-one support for the most vulnerable. As a result, the attainment of these pupils compares favourably with pupils in similar circumstances nationally.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are well prepared for moving on to the next stage in their education and one parent of a child with special educational needs commented, ‘The school really supported us in moving from the end of Year 6 to the new school.’

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is not yet outstanding because not enough pupils are reaching standards that are better than the national average. Pupils are not performing at the top levels often enough because they are not developing their thinking skills as fully as they could. They do not always get the chance to work out problems and come up with their own creative solutions.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are encouraged to explore their environment, be creative in their responses and manage their own behaviour. For example, during the inspection, children from the Reception class went outside after it had been snowing. They learnt about letters and sounds by drawing their shapes in the snow. Their enjoyment of activities like these greatly contributes to their learning.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers ensure that pupils know at what level they are working and what they need to do to improve. Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and there is healthy competition to earn the rewards available for showing good effort and making good progress. These include special trips and certificates.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Additional staff are well managed by classroom teachers, who involve them in all stages of planning. They make a significant contribution to the progress that children make, both with larger groups and through one-to-one support.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ books show evidence of busy lessons in which different groups of pupils are given work that is appropriate to their level. Marking of pupils’ work is thorough and consistent, and pupils are given time to follow up on any misunderstandings and to make corrections.  All teachers closely monitor the progress their pupils are making. There are half-termly meetings with senior leaders to ensure that all pupils are receiving the support that they need.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is not yet outstanding because the best practice seen in some lessons, particularly in Key Stage 2, is not yet shared among all the staff. Not all teachers use questioning in lessons to change what they are teaching to best suit the progress of the pupils. Some lessons, particularly those when younger pupils are sat on the carpet, have over-long introductions.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 In some lessons, the most able do not make as swift progress as possible, because the work they are given at the start of the lesson is not suitably challenging.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 In all of the lessons observed during the inspection, pupils behaved appropriately at all times. Evidence from termly behaviour records and discussions at the school confirm that the majority of pupils behave very well.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour around the school, at break times and in activities such as breakfast club, is good. They are proud of their school and speak about it confidently to adults.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe at school and they learn about the importance of personal security when working with computers. The pupils inspectors spoke to said that there was no bullying at their school. They are nonetheless aware of the different forms that bullying can take and what they should do if it happens.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 When pupils occasionally present challenging behaviour the school has effective systems in place to minimise any disruption to learning. Pupils have a very clear understanding of the rewards and sanctions that are in place.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has steadily improved over the last three years and has been average for the last term. The attendance officer is part of the inclusion team and works effectively with the school. There has been one, temporary exclusion this year.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have opportunities to take responsibility in the school and do so with enthusiasm. These include membership of the school council and becoming ‘eco-warriors’.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school can show examples of the care and support they have given to pupils in vulnerable circumstances that has allowed these pupils to continue to make progress in their learning.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 School leaders make accurate judgements about teaching and use performance management effectively. Inspectors’ observations, along with joint observations carried out with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, confirmed that most of the teaching is good or better.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 Teachers regularly work in groups of three using video observations successfully to observe and improve their skills. Teachers at the start of their careers receive positive and supportive mentoring. The quality of teaching is reflected in the proportion of teachers who are making progress on the salary scale.  The leadership team are quick to tackle any issues of underperformance when they arise. For example, the reasons for a dip in the achievement of pupils in writing in Key Stage 1 were swiftly identified. The school immediately and successfully put practical measures in place to prevent it happening again.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The school is well supported by the local authority. This has particularly involved the training and development of the governing body in the last three years.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The range of subjects taught is well planned, with a recent focus on writing which is evident across the school. The school makes good use of events, visits and visitors as starting points for exciting and engaging projects. Information and communication technology is used well by pupils. For example, in Year 5, pupils supported their own learning with effective and careful research on the internet into the lives of the Victorians.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ experiences of school are enriched by a wide variety of clubs and activities outside of lesson time.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding systems meet all statutory requirements, are reviewed regularly and help to protect the most vulnerable children.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a clear view of the education that the school is offering. They are well informed by the headteacher and by external sources of advice and are able to offer a positive challenge to the school’s leadership. They have a detailed understanding of the school’s spending and are involved with day-to-day and special activities such as school trips. After specific training, the governors now have a much better understanding of the school’s performance in relation to other schools nationally. They are able to use this to recognise and reward good teaching and to tackle underperformance.

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 104342 Local authority Wolverhampton Inspection number 400706

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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 211 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Linda Pearson Headteacher Sarah Hay Date of previous school inspection 5 November 2009 Telephone number 01902 558604 Fax number 01902 558607 Email address eastfieldprimaryschool@wolverhampton.gov.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