Southfields Primary School

Southfields Primary School East Street, Coventry, CV1 5LS

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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.  In recent years, pupils have made good progress and achieved well at all stages of the school and especially in mathematics.  Progress has improved this year and pupils currently in school are making outstanding progress.  The large majority of teaching is good and the rest is outstanding. Teachers plan a range of interesting activities and different ways of learning, which make pupils interested in their lessons.  School leaders and managers keep a careful check on the quality of teaching and learning. They have made good use of information on pupils’ progress as well as regular lesson observations to improve teaching.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. As a result, pupils have very well-developed personal skills and excellent attitudes to school and learning.  Pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons, around school and at break times. They enjoy

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school and they feel very safe in school. Attendance is consistently above average.  The range of subjects and topics is very well developed and makes sure that all pupils have an equal chance to learn and make progress.  Governors know how effective the school is and how well teachers are doing their jobs. They fully support the senior leadership team in improving the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Marking of pupils’ work across the school does not always make clear how they could improve.  During lessons, a few teachers do not check how well pupils are learning so they can adapt their teaching accordingly.  Pupils capable of doing more difficult work are not always moved on to harder work quickly enough.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons and saw 11 teachers teach. Five lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher.  Inspectors heard pupils read and looked at the work in their books.  Meetings were held with governors, senior leaders, subject leaders for English and mathematics, the inclusion manager and pupils. An inspector had a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation, including the school’s improvement plans, its own judgements on its strengths and weaknesses, and the data it collects on pupils’ progress. Documents detailing the school’s arrangements for safeguarding were reviewed.  There were insufficient responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) for them to be published.  Questionnaire responses from 27 members of staff were analysed.

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Inspection team

David Speakman, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Heather Phillips Additional Inspector Yvonne Watts Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  A well above average proportion of pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds.  The percentage of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average. The large majority are at the early stages of learning English.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is well above average. This is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children in the care of the local authority, and those who have a parent serving in the armed forces.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported through school action plus or a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this school

 The school experiences an unusually high number of pupils joining or leaving the school during the school year.  The school is increasing in size. The two-form entry now throughout the Reception Year and Key Stage 1 is moving through into Key Stage 2.  The school runs a before-school club each morning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of teaching which is outstanding to strengthen the recent improvement in pupils’ progress by:  extending the high quality marking seen in some classes across the school so pupils become familiar with a consistent procedure from class to class  moving pupils able to do harder work more quickly onto the level of work they are capable of doing  teachers always checking carefully how well pupils are learning throughout lessons and then adapting the next steps in their teaching to match pupils’ progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with knowledge and skills which are very low for their age, particularly in their language development. They make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes, particularly in mathematics and in their physical development. On entry to Year 1, attainment is below average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well in Years 1 and 2. Standards at the end of Year 2 have been steadily rising so that in the 2012 end of key stage assessments, they were close to the national average in reading and mathematics. Writing has also been improving but attainment was still below average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s assessment information shows that attainment by the end of Year 2 has continued to rise so that this year, attainment is average in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ books show excellent progress over time for pupils at all levels of attainment. In lessons, pupils were observed carefully planning the writing of their own versions of Roald Dahl’s The Magic Finger. Some pupils needed extra support, but they all planned their stories well and some began writing them.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Results from the national screening in Year 1 to check pupils’ knowledge and understanding of letters and the sounds they make (phonics) were well below the national average in 2012. This was due to many pupils having limited English language skills. Because phonics and reading are taught well by staff who are skilled at teaching these skills, pupils soon catch up and by the end of Year 2, standards in reading are average. Older pupils become competent readers and use their skills to support work in other subjects. In a very successful Year 4 religious education lesson, pupils read about the plight of refugees in Chad fluently and with good understanding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Almost half of the pupils in Year 6 in 2012 joined Southfields mid key stage. About a quarter joined the school from overseas at some point during Key Stage 2. Almost all of these pupils were at the very early stages of learning English. For those who completed the key stage, progress was good, with an above average proportion making more than expected progress. All overseas pupils with no previous test results from Key Stage 1, made good and sometimes exceptional progress over the time they were in school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are currently making outstanding progress and standards have improved in English and mathematics. Attainment in mathematics now compares well with the national average. In writing, there has been a significant improvement, but standards in English, although improving rapidly, are still below average at the end of Key Stage 2. Pupils in Year 6 are catching up quickly and working at levels that are now only a term and a half behind the national average. Pupils’ books show they present their work very well. Excellent progress is clearly evident from the start of the year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Initially, progress made by pupils who speak English as an additional language is slow due to many having limited English. They receive focused, well-targeted support to learn English and once they have learnt enough to understand what is being taught in the different subjects, they make rapid progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because work and learning methods are matched closely to their individual needs. Support in class or in small groups by skilled teaching assistants helps move these pupils on quickly.  In last year’s Year 6, a high proportion of pupils attracted pupil premium funding. They made good progress and achieved similar standards to other pupils in English and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good and outstanding teaching is a result of teachers planning interesting tasks which are also challenging. As a result, pupils remain on task and excited about new learning. Pupils are encouraged to discuss their ideas and are given good opportunities to explain their thoughts and ideas. In a highly successful Year 6 mathematics lesson where teaching was outstanding, pupils were fully engaged and through working things out for themselves, acquired excellent problem- solving skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants have high expectations of their pupils and set demanding work which moves pupils on quickly. They have good subject knowledge to skilfully guide and question pupils, making them think for themselves. In a particularly effective Year 3 literacy lesson, the teacher’s outstanding modelling of writing provided an excellent basis from which pupils could develop their own writing skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants provide effective support, including for pupils who require additional help, such as disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs or those who join the school with limited English. Teaching assistants are skilled and competently teach groups of pupils. They break tasks down into small achievable steps, explaining clearly and asking well- thought-out questions to move pupils on.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is often helpful, but it is not consistent across the school in giving them good advice for improvement.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Tasks are matched well to pupils’ abilities so they can learn confidently. There are occasions when pupils capable of doing harder work could move straight onto extension tasks without completing less challenging activities. They would then reach higher levels more quickly. This was particularly effective in a Year 6 mathematics lesson, but is not common practice throughout the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Some teachers check pupils learning throughout lessons and respond by slowing the pace if pupils are finding the work difficult, or moving on more rapidly if they are finding it easy. This excellent practice is not yet seen in all classrooms.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are excellent. They show perseverance, resilience and patience when tackling demanding work. They work exceptionally well with other pupils and discuss very sensibly how to solve problems, and listen respectfully to what others have to say. By Year 6, pupils are particularly good at working independently and managing their own learning. They take pride in their work and their books are well presented.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Behaviour in lessons and around school is excellent. Pupils say poor behaviour is rare and that there is no bullying. They know what to do to keep themselves safe. Pupils who need extra support with their own particular difficulties know they can go to the learning mentors, who provide excellent support and guidance. Pupils have a good understanding of the different types of bullying and know how to recognise different types, should it ever occur. They have a good knowledge of how to stay safe on the internet.  Pupils enjoy school. Attendance is consistently above the national average. Pupils come to school in good time. Those who need to come to school early are looked after in the before-school club.

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The leadership and management are good

 Good leadership and management have maintained the good quality of education reported at the time of the previous inspection. While leadership and management are good overall, the senior leadership team is outstanding. It has had an excellent impact on the school’s provision and outcomes.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders are particularly good at early identification of difficulties created by the school’s high level of pupil mobility and the high number of pupils, with little or no English, joining the school. They have provided excellent opportunities for staff to develop relevant skills so they provide a good quality education, which meets the needs of these pupils very well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Regular and thorough checks on teaching have helped maintain the quality of teaching and learning at good. School leaders visit classrooms regularly, look at teachers’ planning and check pupils’ work to see that they are making good or better progress. Teachers negotiate the setting of professional targets to improve their work. Their individual targets are linked into the school’s priorities for development. These form a secure basis for maintaining and improving the quality of education.

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The leadership and management are good

 The range and quality of learning opportunities are excellent. Development of these has been very carefully considered to meet pupils’ particular needs. There are many opportunities in a range of subjects to develop skills in reading, writing and mathematics, giving all pupils equality of opportunity to learn. Excellent enrichment, in the form of visitors and trips out of school make the curriculum very rich and interesting. The curriculum makes an outstanding contribution to pupils’ personal development, their behaviour and to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The inclusion of all pupils is exceptionally well led and results in outstanding equality of opportunity. The multicultural mix of the school is celebrated widely and openly to discourage any discrimination. There is a strong emphasis on quality classroom practice responding to individual needs as the first approach to improving pupils’ learning. Learning mentors have an excellent reputation in the locality and support both pupils and their families through exemplary practice.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority’s support has an adequate impact on the overall effectiveness of the school. The local authority recognises the school’s improvement and is re-grading it as a good school. The authority agreed that the school needed to develop its assessment systems so that it could better demonstrate the progress pupils were making during their time in school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors work well with the headteacher in tackling issues which they identify through regular monitoring and changing circumstances. For example, the school is growing in size and two-form entry is now moving into Key Stage 2. They have carefully considered finances and have given approval to appoint a number of new teachers from the beginning of next term so the school will be ready in advance to cope with growing numbers.  Some governors are regular visitors to the school and gain a good knowledge of how well teachers are doing through first-hand experiences as well as through the headteacher’s reports. They understand assessment data clearly and know how well pupils’ achievement compares with that of other schools. They are fully aware of how pupil premium funding is spent and what impact it has on pupils’ progress.  The governors have good levels of relevant expertise and challenge senior leaders on school

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The leadership and management are good

improvement. They set clear targets in managing the performance of the headteacher and staff, making sure teachers’ pay is linked to competence. They fully support the headteacher in dealing with sensitive staffing issues.  Statutory requirements are met, including for safeguarding.

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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 131442 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 412524

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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 263 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gordon Meredith Headteacher Paul Tuffin Date of previous school inspection 25 November 2009 Telephone number 02476 226 810 Fax number 02476 257 457 Email address office@southfields.coventry.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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