Burnt Tree Primary School

Burnt Tree Primary School Hill Road, Tividale, Oldbury, B69 2LN

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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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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 There is not enough good teaching to enable pupils to achieve well, particularly the least and most able.  Teachers do not always set work that is well matched to pupils’ abilities.  Teachers do not always check pupils’ progress in lessons often enough or ask questions that make them think about what they are learning.  Progress is slow in the Reception class because children are allowed to spend too long on the same activity.  Leaders responsible for pupils with special educational needs and Early Years Foundation Stage do not analyse data or check the quality of teaching well enough to ensure all make consistently good progress.  The governing body does not have a deep enough understanding of data on pupils’ performance to consistently hold senior leaders to account.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher has taken swift and decisive action to tackle inadequate teaching and reverse a trend of previous underachievement.  Parents and carers are very positive about the school, particularly about the care and support they, and their children, receive.  Pupils’ attendance has improved rapidly due to effective strategies being implemented.  Pupils are safe and well cared for. Positive relationships between staff and pupils contribute well to the pupils’ good behaviour.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 19 lessons, including joint observations carried out with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Inspectors also made a number of shorter visits to see pupils at work and at play.  Discussions were held with pupils, the headteacher and other leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspection team looked at a range of documents, including information on pupils’ current progress, the school development plan, safeguarding arrangements and work in pupils’ books.  Inspectors took account of the views of the 17 parents and carers who contributed to the online Parent View survey and one who wrote a letter. Inspectors also spoke informally to parents and carers before school.

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Inspection team

Lucy Maughan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Driscoll Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Burnt Tree Primary School is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, including those who speak English as an additional language, is well above the national average.  A high proportion of pupils join the school at different times throughout the school year.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is much higher than the national average. This is additional funding for children in the care of the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  A high proportion of pupils are supported through school action. The proportion supported through school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is above average.  All pupils are educated on site. The school does not use alternative provision to support any of its pupils.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

attainment and progress.  The school has experienced a number of staff changes and new leadership appointments in the past two years, including the appointment of a new headteacher.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to be at least good or better throughout the school and so increase the rate at which pupils make progress by ensuring that all teachers:  use the accurate information now available about progress to plan challenging lessons for pupils of all abilities, particularly the most and least able  question pupils to make them think deeply about their learning and provide opportunities for them to explain their knowledge and understanding  assess pupils’ progress during lessons more frequently so that they are moved on to new work as soon as they are ready.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate the progress made by children in the Reception class by ensuring that all are given a balanced range of activities.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the effectiveness of the school’s leadership in driving improvements by ensuring that:  leaders responsible for the Early Years Foundation Stage and pupils with special educational needs are equipped with the necessary skills to analyse performance data and check the quality of teaching  governors understand data on pupils’ achievement and how it is used to hold leaders to account for the school’s performance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children start school in Nursery with skills well below those expected for their age, particularly in communication, language and literacy. They make the progress they should in the Nursery Year. However, their progress slows in Reception due to the provision not supporting their development in all areas of learning.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Standards were low at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in 2012. Previously, teaching has not been good enough to secure at least adequate progress and checks on how well pupils are performing have not been precise enough.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 However, there have been recent improvements. Progress across the school has improved in the last twelve months. Current standards in Year 6 are broadly average and all pupils are on target to make at least the expected two levels progress in English and mathematics. This is because new senior leaders have improved teaching and tackled inadequate teaching. In this time, progress in both English and mathematics has strengthened in all year groups.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils say they enjoy lessons and they are clear about what they need to do to achieve the targets they are set.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school works hard to make sure that pupils from all backgrounds have the same chances to fulfil their potential. Pupils who find learning difficult, those from a wide range of ethnic minorities and those who speak English as an additional language, now make at least the progress they should because of effective group teaching offered by support staff.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, which was previously inadequate, has improved but it is still not consistently good. The improvement is due to more detailed analysis of pupils’ progress and the success of the extra classes with which they have been provided.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals now make the progress they should in mathematics and better than expected progress in English. This compares favourably with pupils in similar circumstances nationally. The school spends the additional pupil premium funding they attract on extra reading and computer resources and extra adult help. This builds up pupils’ skills, confidence and enjoyment of school so their rate of progress increases in Key Stage 2.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching requires improvement because there is not enough consistently good or outstanding teaching, despite recent improvements. As a result, there are variations in pupils’ progress as they move through the school and achievement over time is not good.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In some lessons, teachers do not question pupils to find out how much they know. On occasions, only one-word answers are expected, rather than full explanations.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Children in the Reception class make adequate progress when participating in teacher-led activities. However, teachers do not check regularly enough on pupils who are working independently to make sure that they are making progress, and the activities that are made available during lessons do not always provide pupils with the opportunity to develop their skills in all areas of learning, especially writing.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Nonetheless, weaknesses in teaching have been tackled by senior leaders and there are positive features across the school. For example, all lessons have a clear learning objective and pupils are managed well, which results in all classrooms having a calm and purposeful atmosphere.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 There are examples of good-quality marking. Teachers provide clear information about how the children have done and how to improve further. In the best examples, their comments are related to the work set and also to each pupil’s individual targets for improvement which are set out in their literacy and numeracy books. However, this is not yet consistent throughout the school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the most successful lessons, pupils make good progress because teachers use questions effectively to assess pupils’ understanding during the lesson. They also provide opportunities for pupils to talk about their ideas and apply their understanding. For example, pupils in Year 2 were able to explain their understanding of multiplication problems while effective questioning from the teacher addressed misunderstandings as the lesson progressed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Relationships are strong and these underpin pupils’ good behaviour in lessons and around school. Pupils are treated with respect and respond positively to opportunities to perform roles of responsibility, such as being members of the school council and team captains. As a result, by the end of Year 6, pupils develop into mature, sensible and confident young people.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are welcoming, polite and keen to talk to visitors about their school. They are overwhelmingly supportive and proud of their school and are keen to do well. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school and every parent and carer who completed the online questionnaire (Parent View) agreed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Through lessons and assemblies, pupils gain a good understanding of different types of bullying. They say bullying in the school is extremely rare and that staff deal with incidents promptly if they do occur.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. All pupils, including those who are disabled and who have special educational needs, are encouraged to participate in all aspects of the life of the school community.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school has worked closely with the support of the educational welfare service to improve attendance. Although it remains below average, it has improved considerably from its previous low. The school has responded assertively and effectively to unauthorised absences, particularly where these are persistent. The school also promotes regular attendance through incentives and rewards.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher and senior leaders regularly undertake formal lesson observations, so they know where the strengths and weaknesses lie. They have introduced a coaching and mentoring programme in an effort to ensure consistently good teaching throughout the school. Although they have been successful in securing improvements, there is still some weak teaching and this is slowing pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders have accurately identified key areas for school improvement and have made significant steps to halt previous underachievement throughout the school. Recent data analysis and successful group teaching has led to all groups making at least the progress they should, with 100% of the current Y6 expected to make two levels progress at the end of Key Stage 2.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Regular pupil progress discussions take place between teachers and leaders to monitor individual teachers’ targets. This provides a suitable basis for salary progression. Any underperformance is identified and relevant opportunities are given to staff to develop their professional skills through training, including in partnership with another school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Middle leaders who are new to their posts lack skills in data analysis and monitoring to fully support progress in their management areas.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Pupils’ learning in a range of subjects is planned well, and provides them with interesting activities and experiences. Pupils have the opportunity to develop their literacy and numeracy skills in different subjects. Pupils go to a number of clubs after school, including cookery, multi- sports, dance and football. These opportunities add to pupils’ enjoyment of school and increase their self-confidence.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders have done much to improve the behaviour of pupils who find school life difficult and to remove barriers to learning. The procedures for managing behaviour have become increasingly effective, as have the systems for identifying and helping pupils at risk of underachieving. Additional adult support in lessons and the work with external specialists has had a substantial impact on these pupils. These systems have created a safe and caring environment in which pupils are nurtured and equal opportunities are promoted for all, and now have an appropriate focus on pupils’ academic achievement.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 School leaders, including governors, use the school’s finances well. Extra funds from the pupil premium have been spent well to increase support.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Effective support from the local authority has led to clear plans for improvement. Staff and leaders are extending their skills as a result of the local authority’s guidance and training. This has had a positive effect on raising achievement and improving teaching.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors are very committed to improve the school and support the community it serves. They oversee the budget well, and know how extra funds from the pupil premium are being used. They carry out their responsibilities, including the regular review of policies, to ensure that the school’s systems are robust and safeguarding arrangements are met. Although involved in checking on the quality of teaching and school improvement planning, governors do not have the skills to accurately assess school performance data in order to challenge the school effectively on pupil progress.

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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 103914 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 400671

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 212 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Joyce Bitchenor Headteacher Jo Evans Date of previous school inspection 28 April 2010 Telephone number 0121 557 2967 Fax number 0 121 522 4980 Email address jo.evans@burnttree.sandwell.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 .

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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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