Warstones Primary School

Warstones Primary School Warstones Road, Wolverhampton, WV4 4LU

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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

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This is a good school

 The headteacher provides strong and energetic leadership. Leaders at every level, work very effectively to raise achievement and improve teaching. This has helped the school to make rapid progress since the last inspection.  From their low starting points, all groups of pupils, including those eligible for the pupil premium, make good progress so that, by the end of Key Stage 2, attainment is at least average.  Teaching has improved considerably since the previous inspection and is now good.  Behaviour is good. Pupils of all ages care for and support each other well. They say they feel safe in school and appreciate the lengths teaching staff go to treat them with respect and as individuals.  Attendance is average and improving.  Parents and carers are generally supportive of the school. They are especially appreciative of the high level of care the school provides for their children.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching. The work set for the most able pupils is sometimes not demanding enough. Too few go on to make more than expected progress.  A small number of parents feel they do not receive enough information on their child’s progress.  Marking has improved since the previous inspection, but there are not enough opportunities in lessons for pupils to respond to teachers’ comments and improve their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed significant parts of 23 lessons, some with the headteacher and deputy, and ensured that all teachers and support staff were observed.  Pupils were heard to read and work was scrutinised. Records relating to pupil behaviour and attendance, progress data and actions taken, were also inspected.  School documents, including development plans, were also looked at.  Meetings were held with representatives of the governing body, staff and pupils.  Inspectors took into account the 37 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as 23 staff questionnaires. Inspectors also took into consideration comments made to them by parents and carers directly.

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Inspection team

Keith Shannon, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Frances Millett Additional Inspector Andrew Bailey Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a much larger than the average-sized primary school  There are two separate classes for the Nursery and for Reception.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium (additional funding made available by the government for pupils who receive free school meals or are in the care of the local authority) is above the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is above the national average. The proportion supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is above average.  Although the majority of the pupils are White British, a significant number are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Some pupils speak English as an additional language.  All pupils are educated on site. The school does not use alternative provision to support any of its pupils.

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Information about this school

 The school organises a great number of extra-curricular activities for its pupils, with good numbers of pupils attending.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching from good to outstanding by ensuring that:  the work set for more able pupils is always hard enough for them to make all the progress that they are capable of  teachers provide time for pupils to respond to the comments given in marking and insist that pupils take these into account in their subsequent work

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of information given to parents and carers so that they know exactly how their children are doing and what they can do to help them.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school in Nursery with skills and knowledge well below the expected levels for their age. This is especially so in language and communication skills. The arrangements to help the children settle quickly when they start school are good and help ensure that they begin to make good progress both in Reception and across the school. By the time they leave, attainment is in line with the national average in English and mathematics. Pupils’ attainment improved greatly in 2012, and current data suggest that 2013 results will be even higher.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils quickly develop a good understanding of the way sounds are linked to letters and most pupils read accurately and confidently. Reading is encouraged across the school, from an early age. The school provides pupils with a wide range of reading books and many pupils enjoy reading for pleasure both in school and at home. The school’s recently introduced practice of using computers to motivate pupils to read has been successful and has led to a rapid improvement in reading skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement in writing is good. Pupils are encouraged to write formally and for pleasure. Class displays show clear evidence of good writing. Achievement in mathematics is good. However, not enough more able pupils make more than expected progress because the work set is not always hard enough to ensure they reach the higher levels.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Since the last inspection pupils have more time to learn on their own. Staff have made this a central part of their approach to helping pupils take responsibility for and pride in their own learning. Examples of this were seen in several lessons and in the way pupils spoke to inspectors about what they had learned and the progress they were making.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has used its pupil premium funding to provide additional support in the classroom, and more activities outside the classroom. This is making a positive difference to the achievement of those pupils eligible for this support and the gap between their attainment and that of other pupils is narrowing

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive good support both in class and from support teachers, and make good progress. Pupils with English as an additional language generally make progress that is above the national average.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved significantly from the time of the last inspection, and this has helped improve the pace at which pupils learn, particularly in literacy and mathematics lessons. Teaching is almost always good, and sometimes outstanding. The majority of lessons are interesting and motivating and ensure pupils are keen to learn. However, not all teachers have the same high level of expectations of what pupils can achieve and this sometimes slows the progress of the most able.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in Reception and in the Nursery is good. Staff make sure that activities take place in stimulating surroundings, both indoors and outside the classroom. Staff know their children well, and work to involve parents and carers in their child’s learning. Teachers provide many opportunities for children to learn through play and the well planned activities enable children to develop secure early reading, writing and numeracy skills.  Teachers work hard to make lessons enjoyable. In two outstanding lessons, for example, inspectors saw teachers ‘creating magic’ and playing musical instruments to start and stop activities. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are skilled at checking pupil understanding as the lesson develops. For example, when it was clear that a number of pupils did not understand the work, one teacher observed stopped the lesson and started from a different point. This ensures that disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those supported by the pupil premium are given work that is appropriate to their needs and helps them make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Although the quality of marking and written feedback has improved greatly, pupils are not always given enough time to respond to comments or to use them to improve later work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Pupils not only enjoy coming to school but are proud of it. Behaviour in lessons makes a good contribution to the good pace of learning for most. Pupils generally enjoy their learning, and are keen to do well. The consideration they show to each other, and to adults, is the result of the excellent and consistent role models offered by all staff. Pupils are treated with respect and as individuals and expected to treat others in the same way, which they do.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Behaviour observed during the inspection was good or better. However, school records show that there have been some incidents of name-calling which were dealt with effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Parents and carers are very pleased with the care and support the school gives to their children. This was seen in the responses to the online survey Parent View, and also from the regular surveys carried out by the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well. The school encourages pupils to take responsibility for their behaviour and older pupils, in particular, take their responsibilities very seriously. House captains and lunchtime monitors do an excellent job.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 Pupils feel safe in school. No child who spoke to inspectors suggested that there was any problem with bullying. They know who to seek help from if it does occur, and are well versed in dealing with cyber-bullying.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils is good

 The strong relationships in school, together with many opportunities to take part in trips and many organised activities, all help towards forming social development that is good. Pupils show a marked respect for other cultures and beliefs.

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The leadership and management is good

 The headteacher has significantly improved pupil achievements and teaching. She has worked hard and successfully to respond to the recommendations of the last inspection and has been well supported in this by all staff and governors.

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The leadership and management is good

 The strength of the senior leadership and middle leaders is seen in the purposeful and methodical ways by which improvements are made. Staff work very well as a team and readily question one another’s ideas and ask for advice. The school has researched outstanding practice elsewhere and used it to improve their own practice and, as a result, pupils’ achievement is accelerating rapidly from a low starting point. Leaders have implemented carefully planned programmes of training and development for staff since the previous inspection.

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The leadership and management is good

 Teachers’ performance is managed effectively and pay, promotion and performance are directly linked. Teachers’ personal targets are demanding and linked to whole-school improvements, and as a result both the rate at which pupils make progress and the quality of teaching have both increased substantially.

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The leadership and management is good

 Pupil premium funding has been used for additional staffing to make group sizes smaller, and to tackle reading difficulties. As a result, these pupils make good progress

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The leadership and management is good

 Teaching programmes are well planned and carefully designed to interest pupils and capture their imagination. For example, Year 6 were treated to exciting science lessons, with the teacher playing the French horn, whilst Year 5 had ‘Chico the magician’ teaching maths.

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The leadership and management is good

 The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils and the school are evident all across the year groups. Cultural events, topics taught, clubs and trips all are appreciated and valued by pupils and their parents. However, several parents indicated in comments and the questionnaire returns that they did not receive enough information about their child’s progress and felt unable, therefore, to help them develop their learning.

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The leadership and management is good

 The governance of the school:  Governors understand the strengths of the school, including the quality of teaching. They know what needs to be done and are clear about their own responsibilities. Their roles have altered significantly in the past few years, and their responses are all positive. Governors now contribute directly to the writing of the school development plans, visit regularly, and play a key part in the school’s arrangements for the management of teachers’ performance. They make sure that the school takes action in the case of any weaknesses in teaching and ensure safeguarding requirements are met. They know how the school uses its funding, including its pupil premium funding, and check the impact of spending decisions carefully. Governors have received appropriate training, for example in the use of data, and use this to compare their own school’s standards with those of other schools nationally.

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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 104344 Local authority Wolverhampton Inspection number 404939

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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 Number of pupils on the school roll 392 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Martin Waters Headteacher Jackie Lloyd Date of previous school inspection 7 December 2010 Telephone number 01902 558787 Fax number 01902 558788 Email address warstonesprimaryschool@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 .

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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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