William Reynolds Primary School

William Reynolds Primary School Westbourne, Woodside, Telford, TF7 5QW

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils achieve well because teaching is typically good and some is outstanding.  Standards in reading, writing and mathematics have risen and are now broadly average by the end of Year 6.  Pupils in Years 3 to 6 make outstanding progress.  Pupils who find learning difficult receive very well-targeted support so they make good progress and achieve well.  All staff work together well to give exceptionally good support to pupils, both personally and in their learning.  Pupils are proud to belong to the school. Their behaviour is almost always exemplary and they are polite, considerate and enjoy learning.  The determined leadership of the headteacher, other school leaders and the governing body has successfully improved teaching, so that pupils make good and often outstanding progress.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher work together very well. Together with all staff and the governing body, they form an exceptionally

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

strong team with the drive and skills to make the school even better.  Governance is outstanding because the governing body has an exceptionally good grasp of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and is rigorous in holding staff accountable for pupils’ achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Work is sometimes too easy for more-able pupils.  Pupils are not always given opportunities to follow up teachers’ marking to improve their work.  Children’s progress in Nursery and Reception is not consistently good because they are not always given opportunities to practice their reading, writing and mathematics in different lessons, nor do they have enough interesting and exciting things to do when learning and playing outdoors.

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Information about this inspection

 This inspection was carried out with one day’s notice.  Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. They visited 26 lessons, two of which were observed jointly with the headteacher and one with the deputy headteacher. Playtimes, lunchtimes and assemblies were also observed.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, other staff, pupils, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of responses to the school’s own recent surveys of the views of parents and sought the views of parents through informal discussions at the start of the school day. There were not enough responses to the online Parent View questionnaire for these to be published.  Inspectors heard pupils read and looked at a wide range of documents, including: the school’s improvement plan and self-evaluation; information on pupils’ progress and attainment; school

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Information about this inspection

policies; records relating to safeguarding, attendance and behaviour; teachers’ planning of learning and work in pupils’ books.

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Inspection team

Helen Morrison, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Catherine Beeks Additional Inspector Edgar Hastings Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 William Reynolds is larger than the average primary school.  The school opened in September 2011 when William Reynolds Infant School was closed and the age-range of the junior school was extended to include children from the age of three.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action is above average. The proportion of pupils at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is also above average. The majority of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties or speech, language and communication needs.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding for those eligible for free school meals, in local authority care, or with a parent in the armed services) is much higher than average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards – the minimum standards set for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school provides a nurture group, ‘Sparklers’, for a small number of pupils who find learning in a larger group difficult.  Children attend the Nursery class part time, either in the morning or in the afternoon.  The school operates a breakfast club on site.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that more is outstanding, and speed up even more the progress pupils make, by:  sharing outstanding ways of teaching so all teachers have consistently high expectations of what pupils can achieve and the speed at which they progress  giving the more-able pupils harder work so that they always reach the high standards of which they are capable  making sure pupils are always given enough time to act on the good advice they are given by teachers so they can improve their work .  Improve the progress made by children in the Early Years Foundation Stage by:  ensuring children have opportunities to practise their reading, writing and mathematical skills in all activities  providing exciting learning experiences when children work and play in the outdoor area.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the Nursery with knowledge, understanding and skills that are well below those typical for their age. Although pupils achieve well across the school to reach standards that are average by Year 6, their progress is least strong in the younger classes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The progress of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage is least strong because they are not given enough opportunities to use their reading, writing and mathematics skills in activities they choose. As a result, children enter Year 1 with skills and abilities that are much lower than those expected for their age.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Some more-able pupils do not always make rapid progress and they told inspectors that work was sometimes easy. For example, in a Year 2 lesson on connectives, more-able pupils did not progress to using more difficult words because the teacher checked their writing too often so the pace of their work slowed.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although in the past standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have been very low, work seen during the inspection shows that pupils are now making good progress. A regular programme for the teaching of the sounds letters make ensures pupils gain essential reading and writing skills quickly. For example, pupils in Year 1 enjoy reading about dinosaurs and use their skills to sort real words from ones that are made up. Work in pupils’ books shows that progress in writing and mathematics is also generally good.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make outstanding progress in Key Stage 2 to reach average standards in the Year 6 tests as a result of highly skilled teaching. Pupils read with enjoyment and expression, and talk confidently about authors whose work they enjoy.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Extra help for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is very well directed. Results and observations of learning during the inspection show these pupils make good progress because they are given well-targeted support by teachers and skilled and experienced teaching assistants. For example, pupils receive individual and small-group tuition to make sure they are given work well matched to their understanding and skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2012 pupils eligible for the pupil premium made similar levels of progress to those of other pupils and, in some cases, better – particularly in mathematics. The school used this money to employ staff for small groups and classes to boost pupils’ achievement. Although in mathematics pupils who received this additional funding did not attain as well as those who did not receive this money, they reached standards a year ahead of pupil premium funded pupils in other schools. In English, pupil premium funded pupils attained in line with similar pupils nationally, though they did not attain as well as pupils in school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Lessons are carefully planned to make good use of a variety of real-life experiences which stimulate pupils’ curiosity and creativity. For example, Year 6 pupils produce writing of an exceptionally high standard after watching a video about young carers. In a small number of lessons, however, more-able pupils are given work that is too easy so they, sometimes, do not make rapid enough progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ work is marked regularly. Although teachers often identify the next steps pupils should take in their learning, learners are sometimes not given enough time to act on the advice they are given or try out the additional questions teachers pose. As a result, pupils do not always make as much progress as they could.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In Nursery and Reception there is a good balance of adult-led activities and those the children choose for themselves, which provide good opportunities for children to follow their own initiative. However, children’s reading, writing and mathematics skills are not developed well enough, for example, through role-play. Children enjoy ‘forest school’ but the out-of-doors area adjacent to the classrooms is not used well enough to provide opportunities for children to explore and investigate their environment.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of English and mathematics across the school is good. Most parents think their children are taught well and pupils agree that teachers make learning interesting and fun. Inspection evidence supports these views. For example, in a Year 4 mathematics lesson, pupils enjoyed challenging themselves to multiply numbers including decimals, using their good knowledge of times tables.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ classroom management and relationships with their pupils are excellent. Teachers are skilled, enthusiastic and encouraging, so pupils are confident to contribute their ideas. Pupils are often involved in setting the goals for their lessons and regularly assess their own work. They are encouraged to persevere with tasks, help one another, and listen to different viewpoints. This approach contributes effectively to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Information and communication technology is used very well to enhance pupils’ enjoyment of their lessons. For example, pupils in Years 3 and 4 make visual electronic presentations by adding words and music to photographs taken on a recent visit to Warwick Castle. Some dressed in costume to read their notes from an autocue, made short films with their photographs projected onto a ‘green screen’ background.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants are skilled, valued and well trained. They work in close partnership with class teachers to match work to the individual learning needs of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. Arrangements are successful because staff commitment and care are well directed to help these pupils make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The pupil premium funding is used well to give additional teaching to particular pupils, either individually or in small groups. Carefully planned teaching, based on detailed analysis of the learning difficulties these pupils face, ensures they are well supported and make good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are proud to belong to the school. They are polite, treat each other with respect and their behaviour is almost always exemplary. Clear guidelines and effective use of rewards ensure that pupils always know what is acceptable.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties, including those supported in the nurture group, are helped very effectively to manage their feelings and control their behaviour. The school has clear evidence of excellent improvements in behaviour over time for individual pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Concern for pupils’ welfare is a strength of the school. Very strong links with external agencies, together with staff who know their pupils very well, help to give very sensitive support to pupils and families whose circumstances make them vulnerable and who otherwise might not do well.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of different types of bullying, such as persistent name- calling, relating to gender, race, disability or special educational needs, and cyber-bullying. They say bullying is rare and any instances are dealt with very well, so they feel safe in school. They are also very aware of how to look after themselves out of school, particularly with regard to road safety and when using the internet.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school ensures all pupils are included in its activities and has very effective policies and procedures for tackling discrimination should it arise. The school’s records of the very few instances of racist name-calling show it takes very firm action to deal with it.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils make an outstanding contribution to the school through the school council. For example, they carried out a survey of pupils’ views about safety in school and, as a result of their findings, lunchtime arrangements for younger pupils were changed. Members of the eco committee grow vegetables and Year 5 pupils apply to be playground ‘buddies’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance has improved due to the school’s concerted efforts and is now above average; almost all pupils arrive punctually. Pupils who attend the breakfast club enjoy stimulating, interesting and constructive activities.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 A relentless drive for improvement, led by the headteacher and shared fully by all leaders and members of the governing body, has successfully improved teaching and raised standards.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Senior leaders and governors work together exceptionally well and have an outstanding understanding of the needs of the community. All staff share a determination to move the school forward, and this, together with strong teamwork, demonstrates the school’s excellent capacity for improvement.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 School self-evaluation is rigorous and accurate. Comprehensive, detailed analysis of information on pupils’ attainment is used as the basis for school improvement planning. This has resulted in direct action to improve teaching and raise standards.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Senior staff check the quality of teaching regularly and thoroughly and follow up any weaknesses. Teachers’ individual targets which are set to improve their practice, and decisions made about increases in their salaries, are linked carefully to the quality of their teaching and evidence of the progress made by pupils in their classes. As a result, teachers are held accountable for pupils’ achievement.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Training is carefully linked to the school’s priorities and newly qualified teachers are supported very well so they quickly gain confidence and develop their skills. However, the outstanding teaching found in the school is not always shared with other teachers as well as it should be. Consequently, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always high enough.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The subjects pupils learn are organised around termly, whole-school, global themes. Pupils’ work is rooted in exciting experiences, such as visits to places of interest, and they are given regular opportunities to handle artefacts in order to bring history and world faiths to life. Imaginative activities, such as returning to school in pyjamas for a bedtime story, provide highly memorable experiences and promote a love of learning. Pupils also receive specialist music tuition, such as that seen in an outstanding Year 4 lesson, where pupils enjoyed creating music using brass instruments.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted very well. The school provides pupils with a very strong moral and social framework and promotes their understanding of cultural diversity well through assemblies, charity work and visits to a range of places of worship. The school is very inclusive and has highly effective policies and procedures for tackling

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The leadership and management are outstanding

discrimination. As a result there is no evidence of discrimination.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority provides light touch support for the school. The attached adviser undertakes termly visits at the invitation of the headteacher who values the external expert view that this brings.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governors use their wide-ranging skills, knowledge and experience to hold senior leaders rigorously to account for the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. They accurately analyse a wealth of information and data about the school’s performance so that they are very well informed about pupils’ standards and progress. They are very thorough in ensuring that promotion up the salary scale is justified by staff performance and results. They manage and understand safeguarding procedures very well. They undertake training to enhance their skills and, as a result, are very well informed about current developments in education. Members of the governing body consider very carefully how best to use the pupil premium funding. They check regularly and ask searching questions to ensure that use of this extra spending is justified by the results arising from the work of the additional staff employed with this money,

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The leadership and management are outstanding

and that the pupils are making the progress intended.

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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 123433 Local authority Telford and Wrekin Inspection number 400249

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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 348 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John James Headteacher Irene Baxter Date of previous school inspection 14 September 2009 Telephone number 01952 388280 Fax number 01952 388280 Email address H2158@telford.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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