John Fletcher of Madeley Primary School

John Fletcher of Madeley Primary School Upper Road, Madeley, Telford, TF7 5DL

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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.  Children make a good start in the Reception classes. Their good progress continues in Years 1 to 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.  All groups achieve well in the school’s stimulating and happy atmosphere.  Progress in the Speech and Language Unit and in reading in the Reception classes is outstanding.  In lessons pupils work hard because their teaching is good. Teachers provide pupils with a wide range of interesting work that they enjoy.  Pupils’ behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. They are very polite to adults and to each other.  Pupils feel extremely safe in school. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very positive.  The headteacher’s drive to improve the school is enthusiastically shared by teachers. Leaders, including the governing body, successfully use training to improve the quality of teaching and raise pupils’ achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally the pace of learning in lessons slows because activities go on for too long.  Adults do not always give Reception children enough time to think about their answers.  Progress is not as quick in writing as in reading and mathematics because pupils do not have enough time to correct their work.  Leaders do not spend enough time checking that the help given to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs precisely meets their needs.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed the teaching in all classes. They visited 24 lessons taught by 16 teachers as well as sessions for small groups of pupils or individuals led by teaching assistants. The headteacher joined an inspector for one of these visits.  Inspectors held discussions with pupils, the headteacher, teachers and two governors including the Chair of the Governing Body. The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors heard pupils read and looked at a range of evidence, including records of pupils’ progress, safeguarding documentation, behaviour logs and the results of the school’s checks on the quality of teaching. They also examined the work in pupils’ books.  The views of 32 parents, analysed through the Parent View website, were considered. The inspectors also took account of the views of several parents who talked to an inspector at the school gate.

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Inspection team

Gerald Griffin, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Christine Turner Additional Inspector Jayne Clemence Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. The remainder come from a wide variety of minority ethnic backgrounds. Very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils eligible for free school meals, those in care and those with a parent in the armed services) is above the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school has a part-time teaching unit for eight pupils of between four and seven years of age with speech and language difficulties.  Last year the school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  Since the last inspection the school has changed from a junior to a primary school with an expanded governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise teaching and rates of progress to outstanding by:  making sure that learning activities do not go on for too long  giving children in Reception enough time to think before they answer.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attainment and progress in writing by providing more time for pupils to review and correct their written work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs so that it is consistently outstanding by providing leaders with adequate time to check that the work these pupils are given exactly matches their needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with low levels of knowledge, skills and understanding for their age. They make at least good progress in all areas of learning in the Reception classes to reach below- average attainment at the end of their Reception Year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Many children make outstanding progress in reading because their phonics skills (linking letters to the sounds they make) are very well developed.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in Years 1 to 6 in reading, writing and mathematics. The attainment of the current Year 6 is average, a marked improvement over previous years.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are keen to read and do so regularly. Attainment in reading in Year 2 is average. In mathematics, pupils’ skills in solving mathematical problems are well developed.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When writing, pupils use vocabulary competently to express their views in accounts and stories of an appropriate length. The accuracy of their punctuation, grammar and spelling is a relative weakness because they are not given enough time to correct errors. This means that progress in writing is not as rapid as it is in reading and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The rate of progress in the Reception classes sometimes slows when adults do not give children enough time to consider their answers because they are too quick to help them.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs concentrate well in lessons. They make at least similar progress to their peers because of good teaching, often in small groups, by well-qualified adults who know their needs well. However a minority of them make outstanding progress because the work they are given precisely matches their needs. Leaders are not spending enough time checking that this is the case for all of these pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make outstanding progress in the speech and language unit because each child is provided with highly challenging small steps in their learning that accurately match their individual needs. This progress means that these pupils successfully take part in afternoon lessons with their year group.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The attainment of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and their classmates at the end of Year 6 last year was the same in English and remains so this year. In mathematics last year these pupils were three terms behind the others. This gap is closing quickly and in the current Year 6 it is one term in mathematics. This shows the school uses pupil-premium funding well. For example, it is used to provide these pupils with help to catch up with work when they have fallen behind and to provide them with support to raise their aspirations.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Test results and other data are used well by teachers to plan demanding tasks that make sure all pupils make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ questions are probing and make pupils think deeply. They use resources such as computers and educational games effectively to deepen pupils’ understanding.  Teachers manage behaviour well, especially the small minority of pupils who sometimes show challenging behaviour.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the Reception classes learning takes place inside and outdoors, which develops children’s understanding well. There is a good balance of adult-led and child-chosen activities. Occasionally adults do not give children quite enough time to think before they step in and provide them with the answer.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan many opportunities to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. For example, the Remembrance Day poems written by Year 6 showed that these pupils had reflected deeply on the impact of war and the effect it can have on people’s lives.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The pace of learning occasionally slows and pupils’ attention wanders; for example, when introductions or practical work lasts for too long.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants give valuable support especially to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and those known to be eligible for the pupil premium. For example, they take notes on pupils’ progress and pass them to the teacher to help plan the next steps in their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking and feedback provide pupils with a clear understanding of how they can improve their work. However, teachers do not provide pupils with enough time to act upon this good advice by correcting errors in their written work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents who registered their views, school records and discussions with pupils confirm that the good behaviour seen by inspectors in lessons and around the school is the norm.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are very polite and courteous, enjoy school and are very keen to learn. This is reflected in their improving attendance, which is average. They cooperate and work well together in groups.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 They readily accept responsibility. For example, all Year 4 and 5 pupils were seen by an inspector listening to younger pupils read and providing them with valuable help when it was needed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good understanding of what constitutes bullying and understand its different forms, such as cyber bullying. They say that bullying is rare. Pupils are highly confident that any bullying would be quickly sorted out by the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel very safe and know precisely how to keep themselves safe, for example on the internet.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders, including the governing body, have high expectations and set the school challenging targets. Under the new headteacher and expanded governing body the school has smoothly extended into a happy primary school in which pupils work hard.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the previous inspection, progress for all pupils has improved, especially for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Additionally, teachers now make good use of data to plan work that closely matches pupils’ needs. This shows the school is well placed to improve further.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders make regular checks on teaching and the quality of learning. The follow-up from these successfully tackles weaknesses to improve teachers’ skills. For example, successful training has improved the staff’s teaching of phonics.

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The leadership and management are good

 They are fully aware that they need to allocate more time to checking the success of work given to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to determine which plans work best.

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The leadership and management are good

 The help provided for pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable is very effective.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has made a valuable contribution in checking that the school’s view of its performance is accurate and providing training for school leaders.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents expressed positive views about their children’s progress, teaching and the leadership of the school. The school provides meetings that are well attended by parents, for example about reading and mathematics. These help parents to support their child’s learning at home.

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The leadership and management are good

 The way subjects are taught strongly promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, the school provides many opportunities for pupils to reflect on right and wrong and the impact of their behaviour on others. The school organises a wide range of clubs for its pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have strongly improved the quality of writing and marking since the school expanded. They have firm plans to make sure pupils are given enough time to make corrections to their written work.

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The leadership and management are good

 The Early Years Foundation Stage provision is well-managed to ensure children have a good start to their education.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school completes all statutory checks on the suitability of staff to be employed. Leaders implement child-protection policies rigorously.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have a clear commitment to combating discrimination and promoting equal opportunities. This is shown in the good progress made by all groups of pupils, from all backgrounds. The school fosters good relations with outside agencies and other schools to improve pupils’ life chances even more.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body ask searching questions of the school and make regular and accurate checks on the rate of improvement. Governors know about the quality of teaching and how well pupils are achieving. They make sure that the school is spending the pupil premium funding on those eligible for it and check how effectively the money is spent. Governors see that teachers’ targets are specific and challenging and that pay rises and promotion are linked with performance. They know what the school is doing to tackle any underperformance. Governors understand the information published about the school very well and are able to make accurate judgements about how well the school is doing compared to similar schools. They fully support staff training and are keen to improve their own skills.

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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 123526 Local authority Telford and Wrekin Inspection number 400250

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 398 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Phil Revell Headteacher Matthew Gould Date of previous school inspection 29 June 2010 Telephone number 01952 388188 Fax number 01952 388185 Email address a3152@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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