Forest Lodge Community Primary School

Forest Lodge Primary School Charnor Road, Leicester, LE3 6LH

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Overall effectiveness

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

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

 Most pupils in Key Stage 2 have made progress at the basic rate expected. Not enough have learned more rapidly.  Not all the pupils who could do so have reached the higher levels in English by the end of Year 6.  Sometimes when pupils speak and write they do not use correct grammar.  Punctuation and the way pupils write their letters of the alphabet are not always accurate.  Some pupils still struggle to understand the full meaning of what they are reading.

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The school has the following strengths

 This is a rapidly improving school. Determined leadership by the headteacher and acting headteacher has brought about much improvement since the last inspection, especially in teaching.  Teaching is now good. Pupils are making much more rapid progress than before and are catching up.  Staff are greatly benefitting from opportunities to improve their teaching. The partnership with two other schools has helped.  The governing body has a good understanding of the school and works effectively to ensure that money is well spent.  Pupils behave well and have a good understanding of safety. They get along well together and enjoy their lessons.  Pupils have equal opportunities and there is no evidence of discrimination. They are looked after extremely well.  Parents express very positive views about the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 26 lessons or parts of lessons. Two were observed jointly with either the headteacher or acting headteacher.  Inspectors heard pupils read and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors examined the five responses on Parent View, the government’s website for parents’ views of schools, and also the school’s most recent survey of parents’ opinions.  A discussion was held with a member of the local authority’s advisory staff.  A group discussion was held with selected pupils.  Inspectors held formal discussions with several staff, including the headteacher and acting headteacher and the senior leadership team.  Inspectors examined progress data and other school documentation, including safeguarding information.  A meeting took place with the Chair of the Governing Body.

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Inspection team

Peter Sudworth, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sherry Gladwin Additional Inspector Glen Goddard Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school with a Nursery, which children attend either in the morning or afternoon. They begin the Nursery at the beginning of the year following their third birthday. Children transfer to the two Reception classes in the September after their fourth birthday. There are two classes in most year groups and three in Year 6.  The school currently supports broadly average proportions of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs at the stage known as school action. The proportion supported by school action plus or through a statement of special educational needs is also broadly average.  The percentage of pupils who join or leave the school at times other than the usual ones is higher than usually found.  Nearly two-fifths of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups, above the national average, and the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above that typically

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Information about this school

found in primary schools.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set minimum expectations for the pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of pupils eligible to be supported by the pupil premium, which is extra government funding for certain pupils, including those who are known to be eligible for free school meals, is just over double the national average.  The school manages its own breakfast and after school clubs.  The school is jointly led by the headteacher, who works for half the week, and the deputy headteacher, who becomes acting headteacher for the remainder of the week.  The school has a formal association with two other schools in which they share ideas and plan initiatives together.  A statemented pupil attends the local special needs school for two days each week.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build on the high quality of good quality teaching currently in the school, and increase the proportion of outstanding teaching, by sharing the most successful practices with all staff.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ achievements in reading and writing so more pupils make rapid progress and more reach higher levels, by:  placing a greater emphasis on accurate punctuation and grammar in written work  ensuring that pupils articulate speech correctly to support reading and writing  giving more attention to the way pupils form their letters, to make sure it is correct  helping pupils to understand the full meaning of the text when they are reading.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Although most pupils make the progress that is expected nationally through the four years of Key Stage 2, few are making more rapid progress so achievement is not yet good. Not enough pupils yet reach the higher levels in Year 6 tests.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Rates of progress are improving rapidly due to good teaching. Although the gap between the school’s results and those nationally is closing quickly, the most recent attainment figures show attainment is still below national averages at the end of both key stages. Reading and writing are weaker than mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Good teaching is leading to the better picture of progress. During last year, pupils made better than expected rates of progress in each year group in reading, writing and mathematics, but they had a backlog of slower progress to catch up. Pupils’ work in their books also shows this same improved progress. Pupils present their work with pride and neatness.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 When the children enter school, their attainment is below expectations. The children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Attainment at the end of Reception has improved much over the past two years and is now just above the national average. This improvement, in part due to a quicker start to teaching letter sounds, has not yet had time to feed through into Key Stage 1 results.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils speak confidently in class and have good opportunities to talk about their ongoing work. However, sometimes pupils do not use correct grammar when speaking. This is reflected in their writing, where punctuation and grammar are not always accurate enough. The formation of letters can also be inaccurate. Some pupils still have difficulty understanding the full meaning of the text when they read.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar rates of progress to other pupils, as do those who speak English as an additional language.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils entitled to free school meals made similar progress to other pupils nationally in Year 6 in 2012 except in writing. The gap between their Year 6 test scores and those of other pupils in the school was similar to the gap nationally, though better in reading. The gap is closing for current pupils as they benefit from good use of funding and from the good teaching.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching, including that in reading, is leading to much improvement in rates of progress across the school. A high proportion of lessons seen during the inspection were good and occasionally outstanding. Current pupils are now making good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lessons are well planned and cater effectively for pupils’ different needs. Teaching assistants provide good support for groups of pupils including those who have disabilities and special educational needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good marking of pupils’ work blends praise for what they have done well with comments to help them improve. Pupils know what they need to do to get to the next level in their work. They are taught how to be successful in their daily work. When they write in a particular style, pupils can check from a printed list that they have included all the necessary features for that style of writing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Extra support sessions for individual pupils, such as reading recovery, and small group tuition for other pupils in English and mathematics effectively assist pupils who have learning problems to overcome their difficulties.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good use of pupil premium money through the purchase of additional staff has enabled the school to reduce the class sizes in Year 6 and fine tune ability sets. This allows the pupils to get more individual attention. These arrangements and the good use of additional staff across the school are contributing to the now better than expected progress in all year groups.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Staff have worked hard to improve writing and pupils have lots of opportunities to write in different ways including in different subjects. However, teachers do not always ensure that pupils form their letters and numbers correctly when they write. Pupils sometimes hold their pencils awkwardly. Staff do not always sufficiently correct inaccurate speech to help pupils use correct grammar when they write.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers manage the pupils well and make good use of questioning. Different techniques keep the pupils on their toes. For example, the teacher sometimes chooses a pupil to answer by selecting from a tin of lolly sticks, each one containing a pupil’s name.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of electronic whiteboards in the introduction to the session and these are well prepared with information about the learning. This helps the flow of the lesson and also keeps the pupils’ interested.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good use is made of learning resources to help the pupils’ understanding. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson for lower attaining pupils, the good use of small mirrors helped the pupils to make good progress. They gained a good understanding about the position of shapes when reflected across a diagonal line.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in and around school. They are courteous and polite and get along well together. They listen attentively in lessons to their teachers and also to each other when they answer questions.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is around the national average. Pupils enjoy school and like their lessons. They also like the opportunities they have to take part in after school activities. They know their targets, which help them to get better in their work, and they try hard to improve. They say, ‘Teachers help us to improve a lot.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe at school. They understand different types of bullying but say that bullying is not a major concern. They say that occasionally pupils call one another names but the teachers quickly sort it out. They know about keeping safe on the internet and that they must not access some sites.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are helpful around the school in the various duties that they fulfil. Members of the school council talk about school issues and seek the views of other pupils. Pupils run the school tuck shop. Others act as playground mediators and help to ensure that playtimes run smoothly. Pupils develop a good level of cultural understanding through their good relationships with other pupils in the school. International weeks further support their good cultural development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The good efforts of the headteacher and acting headteacher in introducing various initiatives have successfully contributed to much-improved teaching. The partnership with two other schools and the sharing of ideas from this initiative together with professional development are having a good effect on teaching quality. These factors have contributed to pupils’ improved progress over the past eighteen months.

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The leadership and management are good

 Although the school is using ideas from elsewhere, it is not making the most of the outstanding practice that exists in the school itself in order to help other staff improve their teaching further.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided a lot of support over time, particularly in English and mathematics. The school has made such good progress in the improvement of its teaching and in improving basic skills that it can now stand on its own feet. The local authority provides a menu of development courses, to which the school can subscribe if it wishes.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s thorough procedures provide an excellent base for pupils’ welfare. Child protection matters are considered most carefully. Records of pupils who may be vulnerable are very well recorded. The timetable for staff training ensures that all staff are fully briefed about these matters. A recent health and safety audit graded this aspect as outstanding.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school offers its pupils a good curriculum with a rich variety of learning experiences that contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils undertake research as part of the curriculum, which supports their information and communications (ICT) skills. An ‘international week’ in which one year group focused on Greece helped these pupils to learn a lot about Greek culture, such as food and art. A similar focus was given to other countries by other year groups.

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The leadership and management are good

 Additional activities before and after school contribute well to pupils’ good social skills. The inclusion of reading and writing in the after school club along with other activities adds to the momentum of pupils’ increasing progress. The good range of extra activities, such as gardening and sports, support pupils’ enjoyment of school and development of skills.

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The leadership and management are good

 Appraisal arrangements for teachers are well organised. Targets for individual teachers are written well so that it is easy to measure how successful they have been when they are reviewed at the end of the year. There is a clear link to pay progressions and the teaching standards.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is well led and managed. Its few members, few partly because of difficulties in obtaining parent representatives, have a good range of expertise. This enables them to understand data and so ask questions and challenge the school. Governors follow up on school improvement plan initiatives by visiting the school and seeing the effect of the actions taken. Their visits and discussions with staff also help them to gain an accurate view about teaching quality. They know how pupil premium money is spent and its positive impact. They thoroughly review initiatives for value for money and their impact. Governors are familiar with the organisational arrangements for the review of teachers’ performance and the link with pay. They attend appropriate training to keep themselves updated.

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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 120090 Local authority Leicester Inspection number 401906

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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 432 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Judith Hibbert Headteacher Claire Caldwell and Karen Cane Date of previous school inspection 21 April 2010 Telephone number 0116 2871220 Fax number 0116 2874590 Email address admin@forestlodge.leicester.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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