Perton First School

Perton First School Manston Drive, Perton, Wolverhampton, WV6 7LX Inspection dates 12–13 March 2013

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  School leaders and governors have successfully improved teaching and learning since the previous inspection. As a result, pupils continue to achieve well.  From starting points that are below expectations for their age, children learn and develop well in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The good progress that starts there continues throughout the school.  Good and frequently outstanding teaching ensures that almost all groups of pupils have work that is at the right level of difficulty for them. Teachers quickly adjust learning during lessons in response to pupils’ rates of learning.  Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils are proud of their school and fully use the wide range of opportunities provided for them. They say they feel very safe in school, and their parents agree.  Parents are extremely pleased with what the school does for their children, and believe that senior leaders and the school governors offer

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of the outdoor provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage does not fully support learning in the same way that the indoor classroom does.  Pupils, especially the most able, do not have enough opportunities to take their own learning further independently.  Information and communication technology skills are under-used. This sometimes limits the progress that pupils, especially the most able, can make.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 22 lessons or parts of lessons. Two of these were seen jointly with the headteacher.  The team talked to groups of pupils about their work, met with the school council, observed pupils’ behaviour around the school, reviewed the learning in their books and listened to them read.  Inspectors also met with senior members of staff, three governors and spoke to a representative from the local authority.  They considered the views of parents by talking to them in the playground and by analysing the 22 responses to the on-line survey, Parent View. They also took account of the views of staff, gathered through the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation including the school’s self-evaluation document, the school improvement plan, minutes from meetings held by the governing body, data related to pupils’ progress, records of the monitoring and evaluation of teachers’ performance, and

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Information about this inspection

information about the safeguarding of pupils.

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Inspection team

David Berry, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Doris Bell Additional Inspector Alison Lamputt Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized school.  The overwhelming majority of pupils are White British.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action plus or with a statement for their needs is lower than average, as is the proportion supported at school action.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care, children from service families and children eligible for free school meals, is below average.  A privately-run before- and after-school club (the Kidzclub) operates on the school site. It is inspected separately.  As this is a first school, there are no government floor targets to meet.  A new headteacher was appointed in January 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of outdoor provision in Early Years Foundation Stage by ensuring that the outdoor area is used as an extension of the indoor classroom, and children have more spontaneous access to it.  Improve the way that subjects are brought together to make learning more exciting by:  making better use of information and communication technology as a natural tool for learning  giving pupils, especially the most able, more opportunities to work independently, so the rate of their learning can be even faster.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well. From starting points that are below expectation on entry to Nursery, they leave school in Year 4 with attainment that is above the expectation for their age, in reading, writing and mathematics. Consequently, they are prepared well for their middle school.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Last year, the result of the phonics screening for pupils in Year 1 was below average. The school moved quickly to tackle the issue and pupils are now making good progress and acquiring good phonics skills (those which link sounds to letters), which they use well to help them with their reading and writing.  Pupils develop good writing skills as they write for different audiences and purposes, including in a range of subjects. They demonstrate good use of grammar and punctuation in their writing. Occasionally, however, progress slows for the most able pupils because their work is too

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The achievement of pupils is good

directed and they do not have the opportunity to pursue it themselves.  Pupils learn the skills associated with information and communication technology, but they do not use these skills sufficiently in other subjects, because they are not given enough opportunities to do so. This, too, affects their ability to pursue learning for themselves.  The gaps between the attainment of pupil premium pupils and that of all pupils in the school are narrower than those nationally. However, this is less so in mathematics than in reading and writing, although current data indicate that this gap is now also closing.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well supported in class and by working in smaller support groups. Consequently, they too make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The purpose of the learning, and what each pupil must do to achieve it, is made consistently clear and, as a result, pupils have a good structure for learning, and make at least good progress.  Typically, teachers use questioning effectively to probe and respond to pupils’ thinking. They plan and evaluate their lessons well and swiftly adjust learning to ensure pupils remain on track to good progress. An example of this was noted in an outstanding lesson in Year 2, when the teacher worked with different groups of pupils in turn, evaluating their learning, correcting any misunderstandings, and adding additional challenge for those who were learning more quickly. As a result, all pupils made rapid progress.  Relationships between adults and pupils are a real strength of the school. Pupils enjoy challenges where they are strongly encouraged to use their own initiative and working in groups or independently. This happens consistently in lessons where teaching is outstanding, but not

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The quality of teaching is good

frequently enough in other lessons.  Almost all lessons fully engage pupils by using individual, paired and group work. In another Year 2 lesson, the teacher used effective whole class and group work when pupils explored the use of kilograms and grams. As a result of the practical nature of the lesson coupled with skilful questioning and an excellent pace, pupils were totally engrossed in the challenge of the learning.  The quality of marking in pupils’ books is consistently good, and pupils are given time to act upon the detailed comments from teachers and improve their learning. Teachers use the information gained from marking and other assessments effectively to plan future learning.  Most pupils know how to use and apply their targets because teachers ensure they understand them. They talk knowledgeably about what they need to do and about what they have learned and what they found difficult. They report that their targets, and the ‘steps to success’ they use

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The quality of teaching is good

in lessons, help them to make faster progress.  Good teaching also occurs in the Early Years Foundation Stage, ensuring all children are helped to make good progress in their learning. However, children do not have regular, spontaneous access to outdoor learning because the area is under-used as an outdoor classroom. Although teachers teach information and communication technology skills well, they do not encourage pupils often enough to use those skills to help their learning in different subjects. The school recognises that this sometimes limits learning, especially for the most able pupils, and the headteacher is determined to tackle it through her vision of ’lifting the lid’ on pupils’ learning.  Disabled pupils and those who have special needs are taught well in class and in smaller groups. Teaching assistants, working closely with the teachers, make a substantial contribution to their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ exemplary attitudes to learning have a markedly positive effect on their progress because they are keen to learn and do well. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school and what it does for their children.  Pupils, parents and staff all say behaviour is consistently excellent. The school is vigilant in supporting any pupil whose behaviour falters. The school also reaches out to parents to help them with their children’s behaviour if necessary.  Pupils are hugely proud of their school. They readily discuss how they have influenced change within the school, for example, through the school council, which gives pupils a strong voice in school improvement. Pupils feel the headteacher listens to their views, explains decisions and helps them to understand such things as budget management and how to prioritise spending.  Pupils are fully aware of the different forms that bullying can take, for example, persistent

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

harassment of any sort, and cyber bullying. Inspectors found that the very few incidences of bullying were dealt very effectively. Pupils know what to do about it and say any member of staff would help. They are very comfortable with adults and trust them fully. The adults have earned their trust because they in turn respect the pupils.  Skilled, highly effective management of behaviour contributes strongly to the exceptionally good learning environment in which pupils work and play. Classrooms and shared areas are very attractive, providing much support for learning in all subjects.  All groups of pupils feel safe in school and the school teaches them successfully how to ensure their own and others’ safety, including when using the internet.  Attendance is above average because pupils want to come to school. As one parent said, ‘…he wants to come at the weekends because he loves it.’

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has set high expectations for staff and pupils. She has very quickly developed strong teamwork throughout the school. This, and the good improvement, especially in writing and marking, since the previous inspection, show the school has strong capacity to improve further.  The school’s self-evaluation is grounded in accurate assessment of the school’s outcomes. It links very well with the school improvement plan. The school fully understands its strengths and weaknesses and where it needs to go next. This is evident in this year’s priority to improve phonics, which the school has done successfully.  Senior leaders are determined to move as much teaching to outstanding as possible. They are relentless in their pursuit of excellent progress for the pupils. Coaching, mentoring and the use of an external consultant have resulted in a strong level of consistency across the school that is

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The leadership and management are good

underpinned by rigorous monitoring of teachers’ performance. Nevertheless, there is a need for senior leaders to ensure that some teaching provides more opportunities for pupils to work independently, especially the most able.  Reading, writing and mathematics are given due emphasis, while other subjects are brought together in topics that are beginning to make learning more exciting for the pupils. Topic work also helps to promote these key skills alongside pupils’ personal development. However, it misses opportunities to use and extend information and communication technology skills in the same way. Doing so is a key priority for the school.  The school’s excellent partnership with parents contributes in great measure to pupils’ progress, as does its relationships with external agencies. The good links developed with other schools ensure transition between different phases of education is made as easy as possible for the

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The leadership and management are good

pupils.  The local authority provides ‘light touch’ support for this school because it recognises it has the capability to improve itself. However, the school is confident that, should it need support, it will always be there.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is highly dedicated and it supports and challenges the school well. Governors are clear about the quality of teaching and hold the headteacher to account for pupils’ progress. They understand data, know about the school’s performance and talk knowledgeably about how they check the impact of their decisions, including on how the pupil premium is used effectively to close gaps in pupils’ learning. They are also appropriately involved in managing teachers’ performance. The systems for doing this are thorough and outcomes are securely linked to pay rewards. Governors ensure that pupils are protected properly and that safeguarding meets current requirements and all procedures, including those for child protection, are reviewed regularly.

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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 124177 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 403549 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 First School category Community Age range of pupils 3–9 Gender of pupils Mixed

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Number of boarders on roll

Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lauranne Middleton Headteacher Anne Bennett Date of previous school inspection 11 December 2007 Telephone number 01902 750006 Fax number 01902 745087 Email address office@perton-first.staffs.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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Number of boarders on roll

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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Number of boarders on roll

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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Number of boarders on roll

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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Number of boarders on roll

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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Number of boarders on roll

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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