Cape Primary School

Cape Primary School Cape Hill, Smethwick, Birmingham, B66 4SH

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils’ achievement is good across the school because they are well taught.  Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has been steadily rising and is now average at the end of Year 6.  Teaching is consistently good with some examples of outstanding practice across the school.  Teachers’ oral and written feedback is very effective in helping pupils to know how well they have done and what must be improved.  A wide range of additional experiences enrich learning.  Pupils behave well and feel safe. They respect each other and their teachers. Consequently the school is a highly cohesive and tolerant community.  Pupils who arrive from other countries with little or no English settle quickly and make good progress in their communication skills because of the effective support that they receive.  Leaders and governors have been effective in improving the quality of teaching. This has

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

resulted in rising standards, particularly in writing and mathematics and in challenging the more able pupils to reach higher National Curriculum levels in these subjects.  Parents speak highly of the support that their children receive to help them settle and to make good progress.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Work set in class for less able pupils and those who are disabled or have special educational needs is not always exactly matched to their specific learning needs. As a result, their progress slows during some lessons.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 28 lessons and saw 24 members of staff teaching and working with the pupils. They were accompanied by the headteacher or an assistant headteacher in four of the lesson observations.  Meetings were held with staff, members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and with pupils from Years 4, 5 and 6.  The inspectors heard pupils read from Years 1, 2 and 6.  Inspectors looked at the school’s development plans and monitoring files, the headteacher’s leadership files, the performance management arrangements and evaluated the work of the governing body. They also looked at the school’s records of pupils’ progress and evaluated work in pupils’ books.  There were no responses to the on-line parent questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors took account of the school’s survey of parent views and held informal discussions with parents and carers at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Jenny Batelen, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Christopher Webb Additional Inspector Enid Korn Additional Inspector Hermione Horn Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average primary school with 22 classes.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in the 39 place Nursery and three Reception classes.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average. These include pupils with complex learning needs, including speech and language difficulties and behaviour and social emotional needs.  The large majority of pupils come from a range of backgrounds including Pakistani, Indian, African, White and Black Caribbean. A very small proportion of pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils who join and leave the school other than at normal times is higher than average.  An above-average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language and start

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Information about this school

school, either in Early Years Foundation Stage or in different year groups, speaking little or no English.  The proportion of pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding is above the national average. This is extra government money given to schools for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school has received the ICT (Information and communication technology) Mark, Basic Skills Quality Mark, Investors in People and the International Schools Award.  Pupils are educated onsite. No alternative offsite provision is used.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching further by:  ensuring that the work set in class for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and the less able pupils, is always accurately matched to their abilities and specific needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start in the Nursery with basic skills that are well below those typical for their age, especially in social, communication, language and literacy skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All pupils, including those with English as an additional language and with a disability and special educational needs, make good progress throughout the school leading to a steadily rising trend of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils in Year 6, who have been in school since at least Year 2, are making more rapid progress and now achieve standards that are average by the time that they leave school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress for pupils who join the school other than at the usual times is carefully checked in order that they make good progress like their classmates, particularly in social and communication skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The development of pupils’ communication skills is given high priority. Well-planned, practical and effective group work for pupils who speak little or no English enables them to make good progress in acquiring basic literacy skills, in order that they are able to access the full curriculum. Beginners’ communication, language and literacy skills are effectively developed in class when pupils are encouraged to talk in pairs, groups and to the whole class. These pupils are proud to be the ‘meeters and greeters’ who welcome visitors to the class and explain their work and the aim for the lesson.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are clearly identified and their needs are suitably assessed. Targeted support through small group work and one-to-one sessions is mostly effective, particularly for those with complex linguistic needs, and ensures that they make good progress overall. However, sometimes progress slows in whole class sessions because the planned work is not always closely matched to individuals’ specific learning needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils eligible for the pupil premium make good progress. The gap between their attainment and that of all pupils nationally is rapidly closing in English and mathematics. The standards achieved by these pupils at the end of Year 6 exceed the level of attainment reached by the other pupils in the school. The extra funding is used to provide additional adult support, particularly through small-group activities and also to enrich the pupils’ experiences and so enhance their understanding of the subjects that they study.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils successfully gain confidence and skills in reading. Skilled teaching of phonics (sounds that letters make) ensures that pupils have the necessary literacy skills to read new texts and unfamiliar words and use their phonic skills well when writing. Older pupils spoke with enthusiasm about the authors that they enjoy reading and of how they make regular use of the school and local library.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lesson planning is good. Lessons are structured well so that what pupils have learnt previously is suitably developed and is extended effectively. For example, in a Year 4 mathematics lesson, planning and teaching enabled pupils to securely grasp, and consolidate, the concepts of area and perimeter and, by the end of the week, their learning was extended. They were able to tackle a range of more complex number problems confidently, while using appropriate language to explain how they solved these problems.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers give good oral and written feedback in all subjects. Pupils are clear about their strengths and what must be improved. Pupils are skilled at assessing their own and each other’s work and how well they have met the success criteria for the lesson. Pupils are clear about the National Curriculum levels that they are working towards. Prompts that help them to remember what they need to do are clearly on display in classrooms and in their books.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have generally high expectations and mostly provide challenging work to ensure that pupils reach the standards expected of them. Sometimes work is too challenging for the less able pupils and on occasions they do not always understand the tasks set.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The Early Years Foundation Stage environment is vibrant, both inside and outside, and promotes exploration and good independence. There is a good balance between adult-led activities and those chosen by the children themselves. Teachers plan exciting opportunities to develop learning as was clearly demonstrated when children in the Nursery were able to follow the hatching and care of chicks. They were totally absorbed as they held and fed the chicks and responded to questioning to help them understand about the chicks’ needs and life-cycle.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are skilled at encouraging pupils to use their writing skills in all subjects. Displays celebrate the written work of pupils highlighting the strengths and progress made.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A wide range of small group focused activities take place every day. These help pupils to make progress in particular areas of learning that they find difficult, such as reading. Skilled learning support practitioners lead these effectively as well as giving good support in classrooms to individuals and groups.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is typically good. Pupils new to the school are helped to settle quickly and to understand what is expected of them, so that they can play and work well with their peers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Clear behaviour management strategies and effective behaviour support ensure that those who find it difficult to manage their feelings and behaviour are helped to get on well with others. The school has clear evidence of improvements in behaviour for such pupils. The number of fixed- term exclusions has declined from the previous inspection to below the average.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils thoroughly enjoy their learning. They are helped to do well and appreciate the challenges they receive. They understand how to help themselves learn as demonstrated by one pupils’ comment that ‘it is better not to sit next to your friend as you might not concentrate on your work.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils report that there is no bullying of any kind and this is borne out by the school records. They are very clear that adults will help them if they have any worries or concerns. As a result, pupils feel very safe and secure in school. They understand how to keep themselves safe at home, in school and when out and about. For example, they understand the risks that there might be when using modern technologies.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school has a range of strategies to improve attendance and, as a result, this has risen considerably since the previous inspection and is now average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The clear leadership of the headteacher has enabled the school to make good progress since the previous inspection. He is well supported by senior and middle leaders who have successfully raised standards in English and mathematics by improving the quality of teaching and learning. There is equality of opportunity for all pupils and the school’s performance compared to that of schools nationally is much improved. There is no discrimination against any group or individual.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders carefully analyse how well the school is doing and from that draw up clear action plans to effectively address priorities.

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The leadership and management are good

 A wide range of memorable experiences, including visits to sites of interest, residential visits, visitors that bring in resources, theatre companies, authors, sports providers and the link with a school in a contrasting locality, enhance pupils’ learning in a range of subjects. Pupils speak of how much they enjoy these experiences.

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The leadership and management are good

 There are many opportunities within the school day for pupils to reflect on their work and on a variety of ideas and concepts. They are helped to develop a good understanding of their own and others’ cultures and faiths. This gives strong support to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school involves parents well in the life of the school using a range of strategies to encourage their involvement, including translations of information, audio versions for languages with no written form and ‘learning together’ days. Parents are very positive about the help that they receive when new to the school, and appreciate meeting other parents and the useful advice given to understand the school systems.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides regular support validating the school’s evaluation of its work.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body shares the ambition and vision of the senior leaders. Good induction procedures and regular training ensure that governors are very clear about the priorities for improvement and have good systems to check the progress of their plans. Governors are well- informed and increasingly ask searching questions of the school’s leaders to find out how well pupils are doing compared with national averages. Performance management is good. Governors understand and carefully check the process of setting targets for teachers and make sure that increases in pay and promotion are justified by pupils’ progress and achievement. This means that they have a good understanding about the quality of teaching in the school. Governors ensure that the school is in a good financial position and statutory requirements are met. They also make sure that pupil premium funding is used wisely and

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The leadership and management are good

effectively to benefit those who are eligible for it. The regular checks they make mean that they know that the gaps in attainment have closed for these pupils.

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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 103937 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 404915

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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 670 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Zahur Akhtar Headteacher Richard Kentish Date of previous school inspection 7 February 2011 Telephone number 0121 5581667 Fax number 0121 5558025 Email address richard.kentish@cape.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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