Offmore Primary School

Offmore Primary School Wordsworth Crescent, Kidderminster, DY10 3HA

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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

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

 Teaching has not been good enough to make sure that all pupils, including those who need extra help and the most able, make consistently good progress.  Teachers do not use their checks on how pupils are doing well enough to plan tasks for them that closely match their different needs and abilities.  Not all teachers have high enough expectations of what pupils can do. Some lessons are conducted at a slow pace. As a result, the behaviour of a small minority of pupils deteriorates, they lose interest and their learning slows.  Teachers’ introductions to lessons and their explanations are often too long and limit the time pupils have to work on their own and to find things out for themselves.  Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is uneven across the school. It does not always help pupils to understand what they need to do to improve.  Those in charge of subjects and other areas are new to their roles and do not have a broad

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

enough view of what is happening in all classes to be able to drive improvement.  Some improvement plans are at a relatively early stage, as are systems for leaders and governors to check the effectiveness of their actions on pupils’ achievement.  Leaders, including the governing body, are taking the right steps to improve teaching and pupils are making better progress than in the past. However, these improvements have not yet been sustained over time.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress.  Pupils say they feel safe and well cared for at the school. Their attendance has been above average for the past three years.  Led by a determined headteacher, the school is moving forward at a quicker pace. Governors provide a good level of challenge and support. Together, they have worked successfully to tackle weaknesses in teaching.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 24 lessons or parts of lessons taught by 15 teachers, and two assemblies. Three lessons were jointly observed with senior leaders. Inspectors also undertook learning walks, which comprised a number of short visits to lessons to look at the teaching of reading and learning across subjects and topics.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, subject leaders, staff and members of the governing body. In addition, an inspector talked with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors met with pupils, listened to them read and observed them at play during breaktimes and at lunchtime.  The school’s safeguarding policies, improvement plans, notes from meetings of the governing body and records of pupils’ behaviour were reviewed. Inspectors also looked at pupils’ work and records of their progress.  Inspectors took account of the 56 responses to the online parent questionnaire (Parent View),

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Information about this inspection

met with parents and noted their written communications as well as the 23 replies to the staff questionnaire. Inspectors also spoke to parents at the start of the school day as they brought their children to school.

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Inspection team

Sarah Warboys, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jonathan Smart Additional Inspector David Shears Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Offmore Primary School is larger than most primary schools. The school has a new two-storey building which opened its doors to pupils in April 2012.  Nearly all pupils are White British. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  An average proportion of the pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding to the school. The funding is based on the number of children in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The percentage of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action is average. A well-above-average proportion of pupils are supported at school action plus or through a statement of special educational needs.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 The A.B.C. before- and after-school club operates on the school site. It is not managed by the governing body and is inspected separately.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to consistently good or better and, thereby, raise pupils’ achievement by ensuring that all staff:  make better use of assessment information to plan activities for pupils that are at just the right level of difficulty to move their learning forward  raise their expectations of what pupils can do and speed up the pace of learning in all lessons  make explanations shorter to give pupils more time to work on their own and find things out for themselves  make lessons more interesting and engaging in order to improve pupils’ behaviour and encourage them to show more positive attitudes to learning  provide pupils with precise guidance when marking their work to let them know what they need to do to improve their skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and increase the rate at which the school improves by:  developing the role of those in charge of subjects and other areas so that they have a clear overview of what is happening across the school in order to drive improvements  ensuring that leaders at all levels rigorously check the effect on pupils’ achievement of their improvement plans and actions.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 have generally been broadly average in recent years, although they were below average in 2013. Standards at the end of Year 6 have been broadly average. Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because not all make consistently good progress. Test results in 2013 showed that too few Year 6 pupils, including those who are more able, made or exceeded the progress expected of them in reading and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Although the rate of progress is now improving for all groups of pupils, including those from different backgrounds, assessments show that it is uneven across the school. In most classes, the majority of pupils, including those who need extra help, make expected rather than good progress. Pupils in Year 6 make progress at a faster rate because they are taught in small groups where teachers make sure that specific gaps in their knowledge, skills and understanding are addressed.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 From their different starting points, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make the progress that is usually expected. In lessons, adults provide pupils with extra help by reinforcing the class teacher’s instructions and adapting learning materials to help pupils to understand new ideas.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Although more-able pupils made good progress last year, they do not make the best possible progress because not all teachers set work for them which is sufficiently challenging.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils reach average standards in reading at the end of Years 2 and 6. Young children and older pupils are taught phonics (the links between letters and the sounds they make) every day. Although adults make sure pupils learn to break down and build up words appropriately, these sessions are conducted at speeds that are too slow. Consequently, a few pupils lose interest and their progress is limited. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 are given regular opportunities to use their reading skills to learn about other subjects.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupil premium funding received by the school provides one-to-one support, extra help in small groups and in lessons as well as access to after-school clubs and educational visits. These pupils make good progress so that by the time eligible pupils left the school in 2013, they were, on average, six weeks ahead of their classmates in reading, two terms ahead in writing and a year ahead in mathematics. The school provides extra care and support for those pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 As a result of the school’s use of primary school sport funding, more pupils are developing healthy lifestyles and improving their well-being. The school has helped train Year 6 pupils, known as ‘Jumping Jaxx’, to lead other children in playground games. More pupils are joining in, encouraged by adults. In addition, the number of pupils taking part in after-school sports clubs has increased.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills below those typically expected for their age. They get off to a good start and make good progress. For the past two years, children’s skills have been above average by the time they entered Year 1. This is because adults provide plenty of activities to help them to develop skills across all areas of learning. Children who arrive new to English learn new words and phrases rapidly because adults provide good role models and give them lots of opportunities to practise their speaking and listening skills.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching has not enabled all pupils, including those who need extra help and the most able, to make the best possible progress. While teaching requires improvement in English and mathematics, it has tended to be better in writing than reading.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers do not use assessment information sufficiently well to plan activities for pupils that help them to move their learning to the next level. More-able pupils, for example, are set work which is too easy and which does not encourage them to think hard enough. Consequently, pupils do not do as well as they could.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Not all teachers have high expectations of what pupils can do. Learning does not engage and challenge all pupils. As a result, a few lose interest and go off task. Teachers’ introductions and explanations are often too long. This slows the rate at which pupils learn because it limits the time they have to work on their own and to find things out for themselves.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teachers’ marking is uneven across the school. On the whole, their comments are encouraging and tell pupils clearly what they have done well. However, not all pupils are given precise enough guidance about what they need to do to improve.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In good lessons, teachers have high expectations of behaviour and learning proceeds at a brisk pace. They ask pupils questions to check their understanding and make sure the tasks they set help them to develop their knowledge and skills well, whatever their ability. Other adults are used well to support pupils who need extra help. They use a variety of resources, including pictures and diagrams to help explain new ideas.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the best lessons, teachers show good subject expertise. They plan tasks that inspire pupils to write and this helps to maintain their interest. For example, Year 6 pupils wrote persuasively, encouraging children to visit Brazil with phrases such as, ‘The glistening, beautiful sea caresses the golden sands’. On occasions such as these, pupils show curiosity about the world around them, demonstrate positive attitudes and rapid learning takes place.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Adults in the Early Years Foundation Stage celebrate children’s achievements and suggest what they might like to try next. They turn children’s play into learning opportunities. For example, in the Reception class, children learned to use words like, ‘before’, ‘after’ and ‘next’ as they were challenged to order numbers correctly. In the Nursery, children learned opposites such as ‘loud’ and ‘quiet’ as they made their own musical instruments.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 In too many whole-class lessons and in small group work with teachers and other adults, pupils are insufficiently interested and engaged, often because of a lack of challenge. On these occasions, pupils either do not actively take part in learning or drift off task. Consequently, their learning slows and their behaviour requires improvement.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils say that they feel safe in school and almost all parents agree that the school keeps their children secure. Pupils report, and school records show, that there a few incidents of bullying, mainly name-calling, but pupils know how to seek help. In assemblies and lessons, they are taught how to keep themselves safe. For example, the school provides them with guidance on road safety and on ‘how to keep safe when using the internet’.  Pupils’ behaviour as they move around the school is good. They are polite and courteous to adults and to each other. Systems for promoting good behaviour are used consistently by all staff. When pupils are asked to behave well, they respond positively to adults’ guidance.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Most pupils enjoy coming to school and arrive on time. Their attendance has been above average since the previous inspection.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders have not taken sufficient action to ensure that all pupils achieve well. Those in charge of subjects and other areas of the school’s work are relatively new to their roles. They are not as well informed as they could be of what is happening in all year groups to be able to make decisions about what needs to improve. Leaders at all levels do not always measure precisely enough the effectiveness of their actions on pupils’ achievement.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Although the headteacher, supported well by governors, has tackled weaknesses in teaching, it is not yet consistently good across the school. More recently, almost all pupils are making progress at a faster rate than in previous years. Nevertheless, these improvements are not yet sustained over time.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders, including the governing body, are ambitious for the school and know what they want to achieve for its pupils. The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed. Systems to make sure that teachers are held to account for the progress their pupils make are at an early stage. Senior leaders observe teachers and give them feedback about how they could improve. Training, in a variety of forms, helps them to develop their skills. Those new to teaching and to leadership roles are supported by more experienced colleagues.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Senior leaders know what the school does well and what is still to be done. They have effectively managed the considerable disruption to the school’s work over recent years because of demolition and building work. The new accommodation is now working well. It is very nearly complete and Year 5 should move into the main building by September 2014.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Due care and attention are paid to ensuring equality of opportunity and to robustly tackling any kind of discrimination. Leaders and teachers meet regularly to check on how well different groups of pupils are doing. Those in danger of falling behind are given one-to-one tuition or work in small groups to help them catch up. The school works well with outside agencies to make certain that pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable get the extra help and support they need.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The vast majority of parents who responded to the online questionnaire and who spoke with inspectors were positive about the work of the school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school offers a range of subjects, enhanced by visits and visitors, and teachers’ use of computer technology engages pupils’ interest. Pupils are provided with the chance to appreciate and create art and music, including learning to play a musical instrument. Assemblies help pupils to learn about other beliefs and cultures. Such activities promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Plans are in place to use the primary school sport funding to provide specialist coaches to work alongside teachers to ensure better quality teaching. It is planned to provide staff with time to check pupils are reaching the performance levels of which they are capable. Pupils will have more opportunities to visit other schools to take part in competitive sport.  The local authority has provided good support for the school, particularly in terms of improving teaching and developing the skills of its leaders, including the leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors ensure that safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. They hold the school to account for its work and support actions to improve pupils’ achievement. The records of their meetings show they are well organised and efficient, enabling the majority of their discussions to focus on pupils’ attainment and progress. Governors know standards are improving at the end of Year 6 and that, although pupils are making better progress, it is not yet consistently good in all year groups. They visit the school regularly to see at first hand how well pupils are doing. Governors have encouraged those in charge of subjects and other areas of the school’s work to take on more responsibility and invite them to attend governor meetings to share what is happening in school. They support the headteacher in tackling weaker teaching and are aware that teachers are set targets which they must meet in order to

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The leadership and management requires improvement

move up the pay scales. Governors manage the school’s finances wisely, including ensuring that the pupil premium funding is spent in the best interests of the pupils. They have made sure it is targeted precisely on eligible pupils and know that it is successful in closing attainment gaps with other pupils by the end of Year 6.

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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 135052 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 427025

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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 348 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Graeme Anderson Headteacher Kate Beer Date of previous school inspection 28 November 2011 Telephone number 01562 753934 Fax number 01562 630002 Email address office@offmore.worcs.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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