Caldmore Village Primary School

Caldmore Community Primary School Carless Street, Walsall, WS1 3RH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

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

 Leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching have not ensured that there is enough good or better teaching to enable pupils to make good progress.  Pupils’ progress in writing and mathematics is slower than their progress in reading.  Pupils are not always interested in writing. Pupils who speak English as an additional language often make slower progress in writing because they misunderstand the meaning of important words.  Pupils have too few opportunities to use mathematical skills in real-life situations.  Some teachers do not set work that is at the right level or sufficiently demanding.  Pupils sometimes talk when they should be working and this interrupts other pupils’ learning.  Leaders’ checks on pupils’ performance are slowed by over-complex systems that are sometimes difficult to use.

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The school has the following strengths

 The inspired leadership of the headteacher, together with the strength of a renewed senior leadership team, has halted the dip in achievement and accelerated improvement throughout the school.  The proportion of good teaching has increased term on term.  Pupils who have had the benefit of being at the school from the Reception class through to Year 6 make rapid progress.  Successful actions have brought about improvement in the rate of attendance.  Pupils feel safe and secure. They respect each other, know right from wrong and are polite and well mannered.  The governing body has a well-informed view of the school and what needs to be done

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, 16 lessons or part lessons were observed.  Two joint observations of teaching and learning were conducted with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, members of the governing body, the local authority, staff and groups of pupils.  The inspectors listened to pupils read.  The inspectors took account of 101 written responses to the Parent View survey.  The inspectors observed the school’s work, scrutinised pupils’ work books and looked at school policies, including those relating to safeguarding and equality, minutes of meetings of the governing body and planning documents.  The inspectors took account of the 28 questionnaires returned by staff.

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Inspection team

Robert Bourdon-Pierre, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Barbara Atcheson Additional Inspector Kate Robertson Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Caldmore Community Primary School is an average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils come from a Bangladeshi background. One third is from a Pakistani background and the rest are from a wide range of minority ethnic groups.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported through school action and those who are supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average. A large number of these pupils are at the early stages of learning English.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for extra funding provided for looked after children, pupils eligible for free school meals and children of service families (pupil premium) is above the national average. In this school, it provides extra funding for pupils eligible for free school meals

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Information about this school

and those in care. An above-average number of pupils are admitted to school at times other than the usual time of entry.  The school meets the government’s floor standards which set minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Between September 2011 and April 2012 the headteacher was seconded to be a school improvement adviser to a number of schools causing concern. During her absence the school experienced an unsettled period with regard to staffing.  In July 2013 the deputy headteacher left for a temporary post as acting headteacher at another school. An inclusion manager and Early Years Foundation Stage leader were appointed in January 2013. The school receives support from a local leader in education.  During the inspection the school was undergoing major building work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and by ensuring that all teachers:  set interesting work that is at the right level of challenge for all pupils, particularly the more able  create a language-rich environment and ensure that pupils have a clear understanding of the words that are used  make certain that pupils have a clear understanding of their learning and the steps they need to take to achieve success  insist that pupils get on with their work and do not interrupt the learning of others.  Improve pupils’ achievement in mathematics, particularly for those who benefit from the pupil premium, by increasing opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical skills in real-life situations.  Improve achievement in writing by planning exciting, purposeful reasons for writing and providing more opportunities for pupils to enrich their language skills.  Improve the quality of leadership and management by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 developing a clear, easy-to-use system that will keep a closer check on pupils’ performance  keeping a close check on how well programmes for improvement are applied.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because too few pupils make fast enough progress throughout their time at school.  The vast majority of children enter school with knowledge and skills that are well below the expected level. As many of these children are new to the country and at the very early stages of learning English as an additional language, their language skills are very limited. For three years standards at the end of Year 6 increased year on year as pupils made good progress to reach national average standards. However, during the turbulent period in staffing between 2011 and 2012, standards at the end of Year 6 dipped to significantly below the national average.  The immediate implementation of well-targeted extra support in 2013, together with good teaching in Years 5 and 6, quickly closed any gaps in learning and ensured that all groups of pupils in these year groups made rapid progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Checks on pupils’ progress show that, in some classes, pupils make slower progress than in other classes, particularly in writing and mathematics. Pupils say their least favourite subject is writing and often say it is ‘boring’. A lack of opportunities for all pupils to use their mathematical skills in real-life situations slows their progress.  Children in the Nursery and Reception classes benefit from well-planned activities and make rapid progress, particularly in their social and language skills.  The school places the promotion of equality of opportunity at the heart of all its work. There is no discrimination. All teachers are held to account for pupils' achievement and pupils’ progress is checked at regular meetings. If any pupil is seen to underperform, extra help is quickly arranged.  The small number of more able pupils in each year group, most of whom are learning English as an additional language, makes rapid progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The identification of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is becoming more accurate and an appropriate range of extra support ensures that most of these pupils make the same rate of progress as their peers.  Pupils learning English as an additional language get an appropriate level of support and often make the same progress as others. However, key words are not always explained and this can slow their progress.  Checks on pupils’ progress show that pupils who benefit from the pupil premium funding have made more rapid progress than their classmates in reading. Progress is similar to their classmates in writing, but two terms behind in mathematics.  Small learning groups, taken by skilled teaching assistants, make sure that pupils who are admitted to school at times other than the usual time of entry settle quickly and that any learning gap between the lowest 20% and the rest is quickly closed.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school has carefully devised plans of how it will use the new primary school sport funding in order to improve the performance of all pupils in physical education, develop healthy lifestyles and a promote greater participation in the additional extracurricular activities.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because it does not always promote good achievement.  Pupils’ progress slows when work is not set at the right level of challenge for pupils or does not fill them with enthusiasm. This is particularly true for the more able pupils.  Progress also slows when pupils are not clear about the purpose of their lesson or how they are going achieve success. Pupils, especially those who are learning English as an additional language, find progress, particularly in writing, hard because they do not either understand some of the words they meet or do not have the words to express themselves in a rich and meaningful way.  Where teaching is good, pupils’ learning is well structured because teachers use their own good subject knowledge effectively and ask searching questions which make pupils stop and think and reconsider their answers. For example, in a Year 4 mathematics class, the high quality

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

questioning by the teacher helped a small group of more able pupils to quickly extend their understanding of more complex problems.  Skilled teaching assistants make an important contribution to pupils’ learning by helping pupils to become independent learners.  Children made outstanding progress in a Reception class where, at the beginning of the day, children quickly settled to work, finding their name on their pen, finding their name on their board and tracing over it as a way of signing themselves in. Very well planned activities helped strengthen every step of their learning by singing, saying, signing, writing, painting and acting.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Behaviour requires improvement because, although pupils usually have positive attitudes to their learning, when teaching is not demanding some pupils lose concentration and become restless, and, at times, this interrupts the learning of others if it goes unchecked.  Pupils say they feel safe in school and know how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Behaviour around school is orderly and pupils display courtesy and good manners towards each other and adults in school.  Pupils know about the different forms of bullying, and say that it does sometimes happen, but there is always someone to talk to and it is always dealt with swiftly. Incident logs and records of rewards show that checks are kept on behaviour and that there have been very few major incidents and no exclusions in the past seven years.  The positive way of life within the school ensures that pupils respect the views of others and they get on well with each other.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Parents are generally happy with the behaviour in school, although some raised this as an issue in the Parent View questionnaire particularly with reference to minor bullying incidents.  The school has focused on improving attendance as it was an area for improvement in the previous inspection. As a result of the school’s efforts, the rate of attendance has risen markedly and is now in line with the national average.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The leadership and management of the school require improvement because new senior leaders and middle managers are only just beginning to undertake a more prominent role in school improvement. They now have a very clear idea of what is expected of them but have not yet had the time to translate that expectation into action.  On her return from raising standards in other schools, the headteacher immediately got to grips with what needed to be done in her own school. The immediate implementation of well-targeted plans to raise attainment and accelerate progress, through accurate checks on pupils’ learning, is already having a significant impact. Most pupils in Years 5 and 6 and the majority of pupils in Year 4 are making rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  The headteacher has a clear vision for the school and displays strong leadership in improving the quality of teaching. Inspection evidence and the school’s analysis of the rigorous checks

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The leadership and management requires improvement

made on teaching and learning show that the proportion of good teaching has increased each term over the last three terms.  The local authority has provided a good level of support to the headteacher in order to drive change forward. The school’s good partnership with a local leader in education from another school has also made a valuable contribution to securing a rapid rate of improvement in teaching, pupil progress and attendance.  The new senior leadership team works well together. The members share the headteacher’s enthusiasm and lead their areas well. They recognise it is early days and there is more work to do to ensure consistently good teaching and pupil progress throughout the school.  The high level of trust that the headteacher places in senior leaders inspires confidence. They share good practice and check the impact of improvements closely so that only the most effective are selected.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Teachers’ performance is managed well. School and personal targets are set and the level of support needed to reach those targets is then discussed. Reviews of performance tackle weaknesses and recognise and reward improvements in teaching.  Teachers value good quality professional development, which they say has helped to make lasting improvements in the quality of teaching.  Excitement, interest and relevance to real life are not always evident in subject plans, particularly in writing and mathematics. However, the school works hard to celebrate the many different cultures within the community and plans good opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  All statutory requirements regarding safeguarding in the school are met. Safeguarding is at the heart of all that the school does. As building is taking place on the site, rigorous risk assessments have been carried out and everyone is clear about procedures.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is passionate about supporting the school and the governors are eager to drive through improvements. New members have been recruited and their commitment has been an asset to the school. The governing body has an accurate view of the school’s performance and holds the headteacher to account effectively. Although they are already well trained, governors are aware that they require further training in order to heighten the level of support and challenge that they provide. The governing body has a good knowledge of the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement and knows where strengths and weaknesses lie. Governors have a good understanding of how performance management relates to teachers’ pay and promotion. They ensure that statutory duties, such as safeguarding, are met and that financial resources are managed well. They talk knowledgeably about the pupil premium and

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The leadership and management requires improvement

how the school uses it effectively to support that group of pupils.

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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 104193 Local authority Walsall Inspection number 411471

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 275 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Zahid Nawaz Headteacher Elizabeth Barratt Date of previous school inspection 10–11 February 2010 Telephone number 01922 721359 Fax number 01922 271359 Email address postbox@caldmore.walsall.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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