Bentley West Primary School Additionally Resourced for Hearing Impaired

Bentley West Primary School Additionally Resourced for Hearing Impaired Monmouth Road, Bentley, Walsall, WS2 0EQ

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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.  Standards at the end of Year 2 and at the end of Year 6 are above national averages in reading and mathematics. The proportion of pupils making expected progress is high in all areas and the proportion making more than expected progress in reading is much higher than the national average.  Teaching is good and leads to pupils’ good achievement. Most teachers are making effective use of the new tracking system to pinpoint the stage that pupils are at in their learning and what they need to do next to improve.  The teaching for pupils with special educational needs, particularly the hearing impaired, is also good.  The executive principal and the head of school work closely with the local authority consultant and the school’s governing body to make positive changes and drive rapid improvements.  The governors are well informed and are knowledgeable about all aspects of the school. They make sure that pupils’ safety is given the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

highest priority.  Parents and carers praise the work of the school, the executive principal, the head of school and the staff.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 A small minority of pupils are not making the same accelerated progress as the rest in writing and mathematics. This is because some teaching is not effective in setting work that moves these pupils on to the next stage  Recent changes in the way pupils’ progress is checked have not yet had enough impact on improving teaching and outcomes for all pupils. September 2013 2 of 10

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

of their learning quickly enough.  Marking is not always constructive enough to show what the pupils need to do next in their work. September 2013 3 of 10

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 26 lessons, five of which were joint observations with the executive principal and the head of school. Inspectors also listened to pupils read and observed them during break time, during assembly and around the school.  A range of documentation was looked at, including the school’s improvement plan, the school’s own assessment data, records of lesson observations, reports from the school’s local authority consultant and the school’s safeguarding documentation. A wide range of pupils’ books and a collection of examples of the school’s work with pupils over time were also examined.  The inspector held meetings with the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, the local authority consultant, senior members of staff and a group of pupils.  The inspectors took account of 20 responses to the online Parent View Survey and 41 staff questionnaires, and met with some parents and carers informally at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Graeme Burgess, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Cliff Mainey Additional Inspector David Wolfston Additional Inspector September 2013 4 of 10

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Information about this school

 This primary school is larger than the average-sized primary school and is additionally resourced for the hearing impaired.  Bentley West Primary School Additionally Resourced for Hearing Impaired is part of the Bentley Federation, which includes King Charles Primary School and Surestart Bentley Children’s Centre. The Federation has existed since 2007 but an executive principal was not appointed until 2011.  Since the last inspection the governing body has appointed a new head of school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus and those supported with a statement of special educational needs is lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding, which is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children or children of service

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Information about this school

families, is above the national average.  The large majority of pupils are White British.  The school meets the government’s floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Enhance the quality of teaching so that more pupils make better than expected progress in writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 by ensuring that: – fully effective use is made of the school’s data tracking system to identify those pupils who are not yet doing better than expected – work set for these pupils is matched closely to their needs and accelerates their learning – marking in books tells pupils what they have done well and what they need to do next in order to improve. September 2013 5 of 10

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils in all year groups make good progress from their typically below average starting points and some make exceptional progress, particularly in reading. Standards are typically above average by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. Pupils achieve well because of good teaching, including effective use of the new system of tracking pupils’ progress. The good progress being made by all groups reflects the school’s strong commitment to ensuring that all pupils succeed.  Pupils with hearing impairment are fully integrated into all aspects of school life and supporting adults are highly skilled in reinforcing learning. As a result, the engagement of pupils is good and they make good progress.  Pupils in Nursery and Reception classes make good progress as a result of activities which are well planned and which engage and motivate them. Creative links are made to the curriculum. For example, pupils learn about London through the story of Paddington Bear and make three-

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The achievement of pupils is good

dimensional models of different types of London transport. Linking letters to the sounds they make is taught well and the above average standards reached in the phonics screening check in Year 1 reflect this.  However, a few pupils are not yet making the same rapid progress as their classmates in writing and mathematics because the work set for them is not at the right level of challenge. Teachers’ increasingly effective use of the tracking system to pinpoint pupils’ next steps in learning is accelerating pupils’ learning, but it is not yet outstanding.  The curriculum successfully focuses on ensuring that pupils’ learning is made real from Year 1 to Year 6 and this engages their interest and high-level motivation. For example, during music lessons, pupils are encouraged to use the Tudor tune Greensleeves as a basis for developing their own knowledge and understanding of beat and rhythm, thus bringing their history topic to

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The achievement of pupils is good

life.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are successfully meeting the targets set for them and make good progress. Staff know the pupils well as individuals and act quickly, when a need is identified, to provide the correct level of support. The school can point to some striking examples where this support has been extremely positive for particular pupils in overcoming barriers to learning and allowing them to make good progress as a result.  The majority of pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium funding make progress which is better than expected given their starting points. The school has used its funding to provide these pupils with extra support in lessons by appointing additional members of staff to work with them individually and in groups.  The overwhelming majority of parents and carers who responded to the online questionnaire are very positive about the progress their children are making at the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good and sometimes outstanding teaching in most subjects, including English and mathematics, is leading to most pupils making rapid progress and achieving successfully. Teachers have high expectations, plan interesting lessons and use questioning very skilfully to move learning forward. Pupils in Reception get an excellent start to their education as a result of being so well taught.  The way in which teachers set clear lesson objectives and the pace with which they move pupils on to their next stage of learning are securing good and sometimes exceptional progress.  There is a positive climate for learning within the majority of classes as a result of the highly effective way in which staff manage behaviour. For example, expectations are set from Reception by encouraging a ‘my turn, your turn’ approach to engaging with ‘talk partners’. As a result, pupils’ listen carefully and are keen to engage with their tasks and make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Additional adults in classes are effective in supporting pupils’ learning, particularly those who are vulnerable or have hearing difficulties. These pupils benefit from staff expertise, for example in the use of sign language and sensitive guidance, and are able confidently to access tasks and, as a result, enjoy success in their learning.  Occasionally, in some lessons, teachers do not always provide tasks which are challenging enough, particularly in writing and mathematics. As a result, a few pupils are not making as much progress by the end of Year 6 in these areas as they are in reading.  The quality of teachers’ marking is typically encouraging but varies in its usefulness. For example, the best marking celebrates what the pupils have done well, points to the next steps to be taken in order to improve their work and encourages pupils to respond to these comments. However, not all marking across the school provides such helpful feedback, so opportunities to

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is good and this has a positive impact on the progress they make and the standards they achieve. This starts in the Reception classes where they are encouraged to play purposefully together and to become independent in their learning.  Pupils are polite and respectful to each other and respond well to support and guidance given by adults. They are keen to talk to visitors about their work and show a real pride in their school and their school uniform.  Little time is wasted in the majority of lessons as a result of appropriately paced teaching. Pupils say that they rarely get disturbed during lessons and this contributes to the good progress they are making.  They believe that incidents of bullying or poor behaviour are very rare in school and that, if they do occur, they tell the head of school. They say that the head of school then speaks with these

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

pupils straight away so that anything that is happening stops immediately.  The vast majority of parents and carers who met with inspectors and who completed the online questionnaire, Parent View, agree that their children are safe and well looked after in school. The views of the school staff are also extremely positive.  Attendance is in line with the national average and the school actively promotes high standards of attendance and punctuality. Contact is routinely made with parents and carers if pupils arrive late or are absent and this is followed up, where required, by meetings with parents and carers and home visits. This demonstrates the strong commitment of both the school and the parents and carers to the pupils’ education.

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The leadership and management are good

 The recently appointed executive principal and head of school provide decisive leadership with a clear emphasis given to teaching quality, learning and achievement, and focus on checking progress in driving good improvement. The staff questionnaires show that the vast majority share this vision for taking the school forwards. Senior leaders and teachers have taken on the new tracking system that provides accurate information about pupils’ starting points and the progress that they are making. As a result, pupils are making good and sometimes outstanding progress in every year group and standards in the school are improving at a rapid rate.  The executive principal and head of school have worked successfully with the local authority and the governing body in addressing the issues identified in the previous inspection report and good progress has been made. In addition, the appointment of the executive principal in 2011 has had

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The leadership and management are good

a positive impact on the outcomes for pupils within the Bentley Federation.  There is effective monitoring of teaching and its impact on learning. The executive principal and head of school work closely with staff on ‘lesson studies’ which focus on further raising the standard of teaching. Paired observations with the inspectors found that the judgements on September 2013 7 of 10

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The leadership and management are good

lesson quality of both the executive principal and the head of school are accurate and that well- focused feedback is improving quality and securing consistently good teaching. All teachers meet termly with the head of school to check the progress that pupils are making.  Professional development for all staff is organised well by the school. In-house training focuses on improving lesson quality and the use of data to ensure that lessons are delivered that are appropriate to pupils’ needs.  Performance management arrangements are robust. Performance targets for teachers are linked to the progress of pupils they teach and decisions about pay are closely linked to how successfully teachers meet their targets.  Pupil premium funding is used highly effectively to help pupils at risk of underachieving to succeed. In fact, the majority of the pupils identified for this additional support are making progress which is exceeding expectation. This is because the funding has been used to provide

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The leadership and management are good

additional support for small-group work and individual tuition. In addition, pupils who are on the special educational needs register are tracked closely and targeted intervention is tailored to match their needs. These actions are helping pupils who were behind in their learning to catch up.  Additional resources for the hearing impaired are managed effectively in ensuring these pupils make good progress.  The school promotes the pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural, development exceptionally well. A range of before- and after-school clubs and activities meets the interests of the pupils and the school sports teams are held in high regard within the local area.  The governance of the school: – The executive principal and head of school keep the governing body well informed regarding the progress of the pupils in school and, as a result, governors have an accurate understanding of what needs to be done next in order to improve standards. They know

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The leadership and management are good

about the quality of teaching and are fully aware of their responsibilities regarding teachers’ pay and the systems for setting performance management targets. They work closely with the executive principal and head of school to prioritise the allocation of school funds in order to improve outcomes for pupils. They ensure that the school’s funds are used well to help pupils achieve well, including those eligible for the pupil premium, and regularly review how the school’s accommodation can be enhanced for the benefit of the pupils. They ensure that procedures for keeping pupils safe meet requirements by attending relevant training. September 2013 8 of 10

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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. September 2013 9 of 10

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School details

Unique reference number 104174 Local authority Walsall Inspection number 426951

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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 496 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mike Lee

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Head of School

Rod Dickson Laura Bayliss Date of previous school inspection 17 October 2011 Telephone number 01922 720792 Fax number 01922 34706 Email address bentleywest.postbox@bentleyfederation.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 .

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Head of School

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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Head of School

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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Head of School

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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Head of School

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Head of School

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

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