Stanhope Primary and Nursery School

Stanhope Primary and Nursery School Keyworth Road, Gedling, Nottingham, NG4 4JD

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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 Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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

 School leaders do not always focus well enough on the key priorities for further improvement.  Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to discuss their ideas with someone else and standards are not as high as they should be in writing.  The quality of teaching varies too much from class to class and staff do not always challenge pupils enough in their work, particularly those of average or higher ability.  The school does not have an accurate enough view of its own effectiveness because the checks it carries out are not rigorous enough to identify precisely what else needs to be improved.  The newly-elected governing body is not knowledgeable enough to use the information available to challenge school leaders about how well the school is doing.  The behaviour and safety of a small number of pupils is not always managed well enough.

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The school has the following strengths

 Leaders have improved the quality of teaching in some year groups, including Year 6, and standards are starting to rise, particularly at the end of Key Stage 2.  Senior leaders are beginning to tackle inconsistencies and are working with new teams of staff to focus on tracking pupil progress more effectively to inform planning.  Pupils from all backgrounds are warmly welcomed and the school makes sure that those who need the most help get it so that they make at least expected progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons, or parts of lessons, including a small number of joint lesson observations with the headteacher. Inspectors also observed some group reading activities and listened to individuals read.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders and the Early Years Foundation Stage leaders. Discussions took place with groups of pupils as well as with representatives of the governing body and the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the views of 14 parents and carers as noted on the on-line parent questionnaire (Parent View) and 18 responses to the staff questionnaire. They also spoke to several parents during the course of the inspection.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ progress, planning and monitoring information, records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding, and the minutes of the governing body meetings.

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Inspection team

Sue Hall, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Richard Cheetham Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school. An average proportion of pupils is known to be eligible for the pupil premium. This provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and the small number in local authority care.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs identified at school action is close to the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  About 7% of pupils are from minority ethnic groups. None speak English as an additional language.  There are two separate buildings for the upper and lower school. The upper school shares its site with a Children’s Centre and before and after school care. These are not managed by the governing body, and are inspected separately. No alternative provision is used.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teaching is consistently good and increase the percentage of outstanding lessons by:  checking that tasks challenge all groups of pupils, particularly those of average or higher ability  ensuring pupils’ behaviour and safety are managed consistently well.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards and accelerate the rate of progress made across the school by:  improving pupils’ vocabulary and boost their self-confidence when speaking aloud by making sure they use a wider range of descriptive words when talking  providing tasks that systematically develop pupils’ writing skills, including discussion to develop ideas, and provide worthwhile and interesting activities that motivate all pupils to learn at a good rate, particularly the boys.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by:  ensuring that the headteacher and senior leaders concentrate on the key priorities that need improving, particularly teaching, learning and monitoring of the school’s performance  checking that the monitoring of the work of the school is regular and rigorous in identifying areas for further improvement  extending governors’ knowledge and understanding of the work of the school, through training and other relevant activities, to ensure that they are able to provide the necessary challenge to further improve the school.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The achievement of pupils is inconsistent. While most make the expected progress not enough make consistently good gains in their learning in lessons and over time. While some pupils achieve well those of average or higher ability do not always make the progress that they are capable of.  Children enter the Nursery or Reception classes with basic skills that are close to the level of development expected for their age in most, but not, all areas of learning. School data shows that a growing proportion enter with limited communication skills. Children make at least expected progress and some make better progress in their personal development. Some children struggle with communication and find it difficult to express themselves in much detail whilst others are chatty and were able to describe the snowy conditions well.  The best progress is made in Year 6. At times pupils make outstanding progress in English

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

because comprehension activities provide a level of challenge that is very well matched to pupils’ differing abilities. As expectations are high, pupils’ answers become more detailed as their understanding of texts improves.  The level of challenge is variable and too few pupils reach the higher National Curriculum levels in their work and achieve well. Pupils’ speaking skills are underdeveloped and their improvement is a key priority in every year. A significant number of pupils do not use a wide range of vocabulary or descriptive language when talking. Pupils generally read accurately and mostly understand the meaning of texts, although sometimes they read rather mechanically and without much flair and confidence.  Girls often do better than boys, particularly in writing, and by the time they leave the school there is a greater gap than seen nationally. The school has recognised this and has been

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

involved in projects to interest boys in what they are writing about, but with mixed success.  Pupils have an adequate understanding of mathematical concepts but some lack the confidence to use what they already know to solve a range of mathematical questions and problems, partly because of their limited mathematical vocabulary.  The attainment of pupils entitled to free school meals is a little above similar pupils’ nationally in reading, but below these pupils in writing and mathematics. The progress of pupils supported by the pupil premium, including those who are disabled and those with special educational needs, whilst requiring improvement is sometimes slightly better than other groups of pupils. The school makes effective use of government funding to provide additional staff to support pupils and the impact is seen on their progress in several year groups.  The attainment of the small number of looked after children and those from ethnic minority

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

groups is very similar to other pupils nationally and they make the same overall progress as their classmates.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is inconsistent and there is not enough that is good. Teaching in Year 6 is outstanding and there are examples of good teaching in other age groups.  The best teaching observed was in Year 6 and in the Early Years Foundation Stage. It is effective because staff have clear expectations of what the pupils can achieve, provide interesting activities and give lots of encouragement that spurs the pupils on to try harder and make good gains in their learning in lessons.  The information gained from assessment is not always used well enough to ensure work is always properly matched to pupils’ specific needs and capabilities, particularly those of average or higher ability.  Some staff make good use of questioning to check what pupils know, understand and can do, particularly in Year 6. However, other staff miss opportunities to ask more challenging questions, to focus on key words or technical language or to enable pupils to discuss their ideas with others

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

to extend their vocabulary. Pupils’ lack of descriptive vocabulary impacts adversely on their writing because many do not use a wide and imaginative range of words to provide more depth and interest to their work.  The management of pupils is also of variable quality. In the best lessons pupils are clear where the boundaries lie and usually work well; however, in a few lessons the behaviour of a small number of pupils diverts the teacher’s attention and affects the concentration of other pupils which can slow learning.  The marking of pupils’ work has been a successful recent focus. Staff carry this out diligently and make clear to pupils what they need to do to improve. Support staff are used appropriately to help groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. This ensures that their personal development is suitably supported and they make at least expected

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Behaviour is adequate and is not typically good. While a large majority of pupils behave appropriately and many behave well, there is a small number of pupils throughout the school who have limited awareness of others and occasionally refuse to do what is asked of them. When pupils are closely supervised by staff, and expectations are consistent, behaviour is good.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are variable. There are occasions when individuals make only limited effort to join in discussions which restricts them developing a wide and descriptive vocabulary. Similarly, the presentation of pupils’ work is inconsistent, with a few taking little care to ensure their writing is neatly presented or spelling or calculations are accurate.  Discussions with pupils show that they have an adequate understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe. The number of temporary exclusions is well above that seen in

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

many schools but is decreasing, as a result of the school’s effective strategies to improve behaviour and eliminate bullying. Some parents who responded to the on-line questionnaire, and some spoken to during the inspection, do not think behaviour is good in school.  Pupils’ understanding of how to stay safe was shown when the youngest children enjoyed activities outside in the snow. Their awareness of the most effective ways of handling snow combined well with their interest in what the site manager was doing to make sure that they were kept safe.  Discussions with older pupils indicate that they recognise the different forms of bullying and are confident class teachers take their worries seriously and will deal with any concerns that arise. Pupils understand the positive and negative aspects of using mobile phones and computers and their responsibilities when using such devices.  The school has worked more closely with parents to stress the importance of regular attendance

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

and punctuality. Attendance has improved as a result but currently remains slightly below average.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Efforts to improve teaching and raise standards have led to rising standards, particularly in Year 6. Pupils’ progress is accelerating at a good rate in some years, for example, in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The quality of marking is more consistent and effective and strategies to improve attendance have been successful. This demonstrates that the school has the capacity to improve further.  The staff are a caring group of people, many of whom have served the school and local community for a number of years. This in itself has created challenges to ensure that the school continues to move forward. Senior and middle leaders monitoring of provision and its impact is not fully effective. It does not always identify precisely enough what must be improved. Key staff do not always have a clear enough focus on the school’s priorities and can be side-tracked by day-to-day activities at the expense of a tight enough focus on improving school outcomes.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 There has been a recent review of roles which ensures that senior staff now have responsibility for areas of provision across the school. This has led to a growing focus on the need for greater consistency and for ensuring policies are properly embedded.  The local authority provides sound support to the school and has encouraged staff to link with other successful schools to focus on improving teaching through professional development activities. This has proved beneficial and has improved provision. However, staff do not always monitor the impact of initiatives, or re-evaluate the quality of provision, rigorously enough. Consequently, school self-evaluation is generous and does not take sufficient account of all the information available.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is suitably promoted through the curriculum and via an effective range of enrichment activities. This includes a full programme of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

educational visits for all age groups and additional activities such as instrumental tuition for older pupils.  While only a small number of parents and carers responded to the on-line questionnaire, some, including those who spoke to inspectors, expressed their concern regarding behaviour and state that they do not believe staff respond well to their concerns. School policies and the website have not been reviewed and updated for some time, which means parents are not as well informed as they should be.  Staff ensure that all pupils have equal access to learning and the school suitably tackles discrimination and fosters good relations between different groups of pupils in a way that promotes tolerance and harmony. There has been a narrowing of the gap between the standards achieved by Year 6 pupils and those achieved nationally over the past three years. However, the proportion of pupils making and exceeding the expected progress does not

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The leadership and management requires improvement

compare favourably with national figures.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

- The very newly elected governing body does not yet have an accurate enough understanding of school performance data and how it compares nationally. This said, they suitably fulfil their statutory duties, including ensuring safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. Governors know that most of them have had limited training about how to challenge leaders to account for school outcomes. They also accurately recognise that they are currently very dependent on the headteacher for information, particularly about the quality of teaching. Governors have a satisfactory performance management system. They know what is done to tackle underperformance and effective performance is linked to pay. However, the link between pay and the progress made by different groups of pupils is not sufficiently explicit. Pupil premium funding is used satisfactorily and school leaders are paying more attention to the impact its use has on progress. Governors are in the process of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

drawing up a programme to review policies and procedures and have recently re-organised their committee structure to ensure they are in a better position to hold leaders to account for the school’s performance.

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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 122715 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 406106

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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 235 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Stillings Headteacher Andrew Marriott Date of previous school inspection 14 June 2011 Telephone number 0115 9553440 Fax number 0115 9520400 Email address office@stanhope.notts.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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