Pool Hayes Primary School

Pool Hayes Primary School Bridgnorth Grove, Willenhall, Walsall, WV12 4RX

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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.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher, supported by the governing body, set high expectations for the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  This is reinforced by the headteacher and deputy headteacher rigorously monitoring lessons to provide effective guidance for teachers in how to improve. Consequently, teaching is now consistently good.  As a result, all groups of pupils make good progress overall and achieve well, although pupils’ present attainment in writing is not as good as in reading and mathematics especially in Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6).  Even so, for the last three years, pupils have left the school at the end of Year 6 with attainment that is above the national average in English and mathematics.  Lessons are well planned and interesting and, as a result, pupils enjoy school and are keen to learn.  Relationships are good with pupils being polite and courteous and well behaved.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils feel safe in school and behave well. They say that bullying is very rare and have confidence in staff to deal with any of their concerns if necessary.  The governing body is robust in questioning senior leaders about the quality of teaching and how well pupils are achieving.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching, although consistently good, is not yet outstanding. Teachers occasionally spend too long talking to pupils at the beginning of lessons. Additionally, teachers who are in charge of different subjects are not yet fully involved in monitoring the quality of teaching in order to improve its effectiveness within their subject areas.  Pupils’ attainment in writing in Key Stage 2 is not as good as in reading and mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 20 lessons and part lessons, eight jointly with either the headteacher or deputy headteacher, and observed eight teachers.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, members of the governing body, a representative from the local authority and a group of pupils.  Inspectors listened to pupils from Year 1, Year 2 and Year 6 reading.  Inspectors looked at a range of evidence including: safeguarding documentation; the school’s checks on how well it is doing and improvement plans; minutes of governing body meetings; samples of pupils’ work and assessments showing their progress were analysed.  Inspectors analysed the views of 26 parents who responded to the Ofsted on-line Parent View survey.

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Inspection team

James Henry, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jean Whalley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Pool Hayes is about the same size as the average primary school.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportion of disabled pupils or those with special educational needs who are supported at school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care and for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or whose parents are members of the armed forces, is below the national average.  No alternative provision for pupils’ education is used by the school.  The school meets the current government floor standards which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently outstanding by:  ensuring teachers do not spend too much time talking to pupils at the beginning of lessons, and settle pupils, especially the more-able, quickly to work so that they have more opportunities to learn for themselves  ensuring teaching assistants are fully used to help pupils with their learning at the beginning of lessons  strengthening the role of teachers who are responsible for different subjects so that they regularly monitor the quality of teaching in order to share advice that allows teachers to deliver lessons where learning is outstanding.  Increase pupils’ attainment in writing, especially in Key Stage 2, so that it matches their attainment in reading and mathematics by:  ensuring pupils have more opportunities to write in a variety of styles for different audiences  ensuring pupils are consistently provided with opportunities to produce extended pieces of

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

writing when learning in different subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress and achieve well across the school. Consequently, during the last three years, pupils’ attainment has been above, or significantly above, the national average overall at the end of Key Stage 2.  Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium make good progress, with the school closing the gap between their achievement and all pupils nationally. For example, the average point score (which is a method of measuring pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 2) for pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium was just below all pupils nationally in 2012.  Children enter the school at the age of three with skills and abilities broadly in line with age- related expectations, although slightly below that expected in their early reading, writing and mathematical skills. Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and

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The achievement of pupils is good

across Key Stage 1, with attainment above the national average, especially in reading in both Year 1 and Year 2.  Attainment in reading is higher than writing because the school has a good system for teaching early reading skills. This helps pupils break down and read unfamiliar words. Pupils needing extra help are taught in small groups with well-targeted support to ensure they catch up quickly.  Pupils continue to make good progress in Key Stage 2. However, achievement is not outstanding because pupils’ attainment in writing is not as good as their above average attainment in reading and mathematics. This is due some inconsistencies in the opportunities for pupils to write in a variety of styles for different audiences and to write at length when learning in different subjects.  Pupils’ progress in observed lessons was consistently good. For example, in the Early Years Foundation Stage, children were learning counting skills through practical activities that matched

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The achievement of pupils is good

their different starting points. In a Year 3 lesson, pupils were making good progress through learning how to write a letter and use different language to express their feelings.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All groups of pupils make good progress because teaching is consistently good, and sometimes better, especially in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Teachers have a good understanding of the subjects they teach. They have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and plan lessons well to match the different abilities of pupils.  Teachers consistently share the purpose of lessons with pupils and make good use of question and answer sessions to allow them to gauge pupils understanding of what they are learning. For example, during a quiz where pupils were learning the 11 times table, the teacher constantly checked pupils’ answers and corrected any mistakes.  Teaching is not outstanding because there are times when teachers spend too long talking to pupils at the beginning of lessons. As a result, opportunities are sometimes missed to allow pupils, especially those who are more able, to learn for themselves.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because they are well supported in activities in lessons by teaching assistants. This is an example of how the school ensures that different groups of pupils are not discriminated against and all have an equal opportunity to learn. However, there are a few occasions when teachers do not fully utilise teaching assistants at the beginning of lessons.  Teachers mark pupils’ work well and use comments to help pupils improve their work. Pupils’ books show that pupils are involved in judging how well they have understood what they are learning. This provides positive feedback to teachers and helps them plan further lessons to match pupils’ abilities.  The very large majority of parents who responded to the Parent View survey on the Ofsted website felt that their child was taught well. Pupils also say they are taught well and find lessons

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Relationships throughout the school are good, with pupils being polite and courteous towards adults and each other.  There is very little inappropriate behaviour that stops pupils learning. Consequently, pupils have good attitudes to school. They enjoy school and are enthusiastic and keen to learn.  Pupils say they feel safe in school because bullying of any type is very rare and they have the confidence that adults will always deal effectively with any problems that may arise. Most parents who completed the Parent View survey on the Ofsted website felt that the school makes sure its pupils behave well and that any rare instances of bullying are dealt with effectively.  Older pupils take responsibility for helping younger ones feel safe in the playground through acting as Peer Councillors to help anyone who is feeling upset.  The school helps pupils to keep themselves safe through initiatives such as Bikeability and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

activities on the Life Skills bus that regularly visits the school when pupils are taught how to stay safe in different situations. Also, pupils are taught how to stay safe on the internet through information and communication technology (ICT) lessons.  Staff manage pupils’ behaviour well, largely through positive praise and rewards for good work and behaviour. For example, pupils strive to be given a Green Card as reward for any positive achievement.  Attendance is above the national average, with almost all pupils being consistently punctual for school each day.  Behaviour and safety are not outstanding because pupils are not given enough opportunities to be responsible for their own behaviour, especially when learning for themselves in lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the last inspection the headteacher and deputy headteacher have focused successfully on improving the quality of teaching through rigorous monitoring of lessons. This has raised expectations and ensured that teaching is now consistently good. Consequently, pupils’ learning has quickened, with all groups of pupils now making good progress.  However, leadership and management are not outstanding because other teachers who have responsibility for different subjects are not fully involved in the process of monitoring teaching. Therefore, possibilities for other staff to provide guidance to teachers that would help them deliver lessons where learning is outstanding are missed.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher hold staff accountable through effective performance management procedures. This includes staff being responsible for tracking the progress of individual pupils in order to identify and help any pupil who may be falling behind. Staff are held

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The leadership and management are good

to account for the progress of individual and groups of pupils at regular meetings with senior leaders.  Senior leaders, supported by the governing body, know the strengths and weaknesses of the school well and implement robust action plans to ensure the school continues to improve. This is seen in the improvements since the last inspection in the quality of teaching and the faster rate at which pupils are learning.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through a broad and well-balanced curriculum. There are regular visitors to school, such as the local vicar and leader from a Sikh temple, to talk to pupils about different faiths and traditions and promote pupils’ spiritual and cultural development.  The school has developed strong links with schools in Kenya and with a local sheltered housing organisation. The school has also gained an award for developing charters for Respecting the

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The leadership and management are good

Rights of different groups within the school community, for example a charter on Respecting the Rights of pupils. These examples show the success of the curriculum in promoting pupils’ moral and social development and how the school is fostering good relationships within the local community.  Subjects are linked together through using topics to make learning more meaningful for pupils. For example, topics such as the Vikings, the Second World War, Greece and Italy are all planned to develop pupils’ understanding and knowledge in different subjects.  The local authority provides appropriate support when requested by the school and has helped the school improve since the last inspection.  There are appropriate policies and procedures to ensure pupils are safeguarded. Staff are regularly trained in child protection procedures and fully vetted before being allowed to work in school.  The governance of the school:

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors have a good knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of teaching through regular visits to classrooms and reports from senior leaders about the findings of lesson observations. Governors are fully aware of their responsibility for the performance management of staff and have comprehensive procedures to ensure any salary increases are clearly linked to the quality of teaching. Governors have a good understanding of data showing pupils’ attainment and progress and robustly question senior leaders about pupils’ achievement. For example, they clearly recognise that improving pupils’ attainment in writing in Key Stage 2 is an issue for the school. Governors are also fully aware of how the pupil premium is being spent. For example, the governing body recently agreed to employ a part- time teacher in order to provide time for the deputy headteacher to work specifically with pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, and are monitoring their progress. To

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The leadership and management are good

ensure they successfully fulfil their roles, governors undertake regular training and have completed courses on safer recruitment and child protection, health and safety and the use of data in measuring pupil achievement.

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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 104191 Local authority Walsall Inspection number 400694

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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 234 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tahra Hussain Headteacher Keith Page Date of previous school inspection 5 October 2009 Telephone number 01902 368144 Fax number 01902 368144 Email address postbox@pool-hayes-p.walsall.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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