Oakhill Primary School

Oakhill Primary School Rookery Lane, Oakhill, Stoke-on-Trent, ST4 5NS

p.1

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

p.1

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

 The quality of teaching is inconsistent across the school, limiting the progress made by pupils.  Not all teachers plan their lessons well enough to ensure all pupils have suitably challenging work.  Other lessons can be taught at such a fast pace that some pupils struggle to keep up.  Teachers’ marking does not always provide pupils with clear guidance about how to improve the quality of their work.  While most pupils make expected progress, too few do better than this, particularly in Key Stage 2.  Attainment by the end of Key Stage 2 has improved little since the time of the last inspection. Attainment remains below average in English and in mathematics, it is low.  The recently introduced system to track pupils’ progress is not firmly enough established to provide leaders with a clear view of how well pupils are currently doing.  Despite pupils’ generally positive attitudes in class and around school, behaviour and safety

p.1

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

require improvement because leaders have not ensured all pupils arrive at school on time and a small number of pupils are absent far too often.  The governing body does not have robust procedures to monitor all aspects of the school’s work, for example, how well the additional pupil premium funding is spent.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage settle quickly and soon make good progress.  Pupils in Key Stage 1 achieve well and standards have been rising every year. Attainment is now broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics.  The headteacher has effectively used agreed procedures to eradicate inadequate teaching.  Much work has been done to improve the school building and the learning environment is bright and welcoming.  Senior leaders, together with all staff, have a drive and commitment to ensure this improving school develops still further.  Pupils are kept safe and happy.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 25 lessons or small group activities, of which six were conducted jointly with members of the senior leadership team.  Meetings were held with members of the governing body, senior leaders, school staff and two representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors talked to pupils in lessons about their work, looked at books, listened to pupils read and met a group of pupils from Key Stage 2.  Inspectors took account of 26 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View), a recent school survey and also spoke to a number of parents at the start of each day.  Inspectors took account of the 39 questionnaires returned by members of staff.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, looked at progress data, performance management information, records regarding behaviour and attendance, as well as documents relating to safeguarding.

p.2

Inspection team

Jim Alexander, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Marilyn Massey Additional Inspector Elaine Maloney Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and who are supported by the pupil premium fund is above average. The pupil premium funding is additional government funding provided for children in local authority care, those from armed service families, and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is average.  The proportion supported by school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups or who speak English as an additional language is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Since the time of the last inspection, much building work has been completed and a number of

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve consistency in the quality of teaching, so that it is at least good in every class, by:  planning work to better meet the needs and interests of pupils, so all are suitably challenged  moving lessons along at a good pace for everyone, ensuring no pupil struggles to keep up  marking pupils’ work so they are provided with clear guidance about how to improve the quality of their work.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement across the school, particularly in Key Stage 2, by:  increasing the proportion of pupils who exceed expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics  raising attainment in English and mathematics so it is at least in-line with the national average by the end of Year 6.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership by:  using the same rigour, which successfully addressed inadequate teaching, to now press on and secure good or better teaching in every class  establishing a more robust system to monitor pupils’ attainment and measure their progress  working effectively with all parents to ensure pupils arrive at school on time and no pupil is persistently absent

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how well this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

p.3

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 While some pupils make good progress, for the majority achievement needs further improvement. The main reason for this is that not all teachers pay enough attention to matching work to ability. However, there are clear signs of improvement.  Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are below those typically expected. Their language and communication skills are particularly low. However, as a result of a wide range of carefully planned activities, children make good progress in all areas of their learning and are well prepared to start Year 1.  Pupils who did not read as well as expected in Year 1 have been given additional support. This is helping the majority to catch up. They read regularly and most use what they know of sounds and letters to read tricky words.  By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment has been rising year-on-year, significantly so in 2012. As a result, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are now in-line with the national

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

average. This represents good progress from pupils’ starting points.  Attainment by the end of Key Stage 2, however, has not improved at the same rate and remains below average in reading and writing. Attainment in mathematics is particularly low. In this subject this does not represent good enough progress from these pupils’ starting points.  Overall, across Key Stage 2, most pupils are generally helped to make expected progress, but too few pupils make progress which is better than this.  Pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding make progress similar to others in the school, although on occasions their attainment remains lower. They are provided with a range of additional activities and support, often working in small groups or one-to-one with a member of staff.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported so they typically make the same progress as others in their class. This is just one example of how the school

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

promotes equality of opportunity, tackles discrimination and fosters good relations.  Progress made by pupils from minority ethnic groups, or who speak English as an additional language, varies from class to class and is similar to other pupils in the school.

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is improving and is good in a number of lessons. However, it requires improvement because it is not consistently good enough across the school to ensure all pupils make good progress. For example, pupils in Year 5 make much better progress in their writing than pupils in Year 3 and Year 4.  Teachers in some classes are developing ways to provide pupils with practical and fun learning experiences. However, in other classes there remains an over reliance on worksheets, which some pupils say they ‘find boring’.  A number of teachers plan lessons that capture pupils’ interests and imagination and work is set at just the right level. However, some lessons are not planned so well and as a result, the more- able pupils’ progress is held back as they wait for others to finish before the teacher provides them with the next challenge.  On other occasions, some lessons move on at such a fast pace that a number of pupils struggle

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

to keep up or are left confused. This does not help them build upon what they know and gaps in their understanding remain.  The quality of marking is also varied across the school. Where it is best, pupils speak very positively about how it helps them know how to improve their work. However, in other classes it is not good enough and pupils get little more than a tick or a ‘well done’.

p.4

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The majority of pupils enjoy coming to school and their attendance is broadly average. However, behaviour and safety require improvement because too many pupils arrive late and miss the start of their lessons, hindering the progress they make. There are also a small number of pupils who are absent for far too many days and are not fully benefiting from what this improving school has to offer.  In lessons, the majority of pupils display positive attitudes to their work, especially when activities are designed to be fun and engaging. However, when lessons are less well planned, some pupils become restless and their attention falters. Around the school pupils are polite and courteous.  There are well-developed systems to manage any low-level behaviour problems and a quiet word is often enough. Leaders are working effectively to reduce the number of fixed-term exclusions, which have fallen to below average this year.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Bullying and racist incidents are infrequent. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and are knowledgeable about all forms for bullying. The majority of parents, who responded to the online survey, say the school keeps their children safe and happy.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are helped to develop positive attitudes to work and they learn to play very nicely together.

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

 A number of difficult staffing issues have recently been tackled and inadequate teaching has been successfully addressed, although the legacy remains in pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Leaders recognise that this drive for improvement now needs to continue so all teaching is consistently good or better.  The headteacher has introduced a system to track the progress pupils make and measure their attainment. However, some further development is now required so the school can compare themselves with how well primary schools are doing nationally, particularly in Key Stage 2.  Senior leaders have high ambitions for the school; they recognise what is currently good and understand what now needs to improve further. As a result, school development plans are focused on the right priorities.  The headteacher has allocated the pupil premium funding in a wide variety of ways, for example, paying for support for small groups or individual pupils. However, the monitoring

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

arrangements to judge the success of these actions are at an early stage of development.  Teachers benefit from well-planned training events and the headteacher ensures there is an effective link between teachers’ pay and their performance in class.  Leaders speak positively about the effective support offered by the local authority, particularly in regard to supporting improvements in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The governance of the school:  The governing body ensures that safeguarding procedures meet requirements. Governors are supportive of the school and eager that pupils do well. They are increasingly well informed and have supported the headteacher in tackling inadequate teaching. They are well trained with regard to performance management and ensure only the best teachers move up the pay scale. While they generally know how well pupils achieve within the school, they are less clear

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

about how well the school compares with other primary schools nationally. Governors are aware that too many pupils arrive late and that for some, attendance is not good enough. However, they do not have an effective strategy to address these issues. They are informed about how the school allocates the pupil premium funds. However, because monitoring arrangements are only at an early stage of development, they are less able to describe the impact the fund is having on helping these pupils catch up with others in their classes.

p.5

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

p.6

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.

p.6

School details

Unique reference number 124000 Local authority Stoke-on-Trent Inspection number 402217

p.7

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.7

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 390 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Susan Newman Headteacher Lyn Paxton Date of previous school inspection 20 January 2010 Telephone number 01782 235238 Fax number 01782 236564 Email address oakhill@sgfl.org.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 .

p.7

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.

p.8

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

p.8

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

p.8

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’.

p.8

School details

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

p.8