Pennyhill Primary School

Pennyhill Primary School Hollyhedge Road, West Bromwich, B71 3BU

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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 Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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

 Teaching is not good enough to ensure that all groups of pupils make consistently good progress and achieve well.  Pupils do not achieve well in mathematics, because they do not have enough chance to apply their skills in real-life situations or use their mathematical skills in other subjects.  Some pupils do not read as confidently as they should and struggle using letters and sounds to read unfamiliar words. Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to read in different subjects.  Teachers do not always use the information they have about what pupils can do to plan work at the right level of difficulty, especially for the more-able pupils.  Sometimes pupils have to listen to the teachers’ explanations for too long when they could be getting on with the activities.  The marking of pupils’ work does not always provide clear guidance on their next steps in learning.  The monitoring of teaching by leaders is not

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

sufficiently focused on how well individuals and groups of pupils achieve in lessons.

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The school has the following strengths

 The commitment of the headteacher, other leaders and governors to improvement is helping to raise the quality of teaching and speed up pupils’ progress.  Children achieve well in the Early Years Foundation Stage because of effective teaching and an exciting and inviting environment.  Pupils behave well and have good attitudes to learning. They enjoy school, and feel safe and well cared for.  The school is good at helping pupils to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 35 lessons, of which four were seen jointly with the headteacher and six with the deputy headteacher. In addition, inspectors listened to pupils read.  Inspectors took account of the 32 responses to the online parent questionnaire (Parent View).  Thirty-nine staff completed questionnaires and the responses were analysed.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and school leaders.  Inspectors looked at many documents, including: the school’s own information on pupils’ current and recent progress; planning of work in different subjects; leaders’ monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning; and records relating to behaviour, attendance and the safeguarding of pupils.

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Inspection team

Steve Nelson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Michael Onyon Additional Inspector Douglas Folan Additional Inspector Carol Deakin Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average primary school.  The large majority pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is slightly above average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is slightly below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported at school action is below average. The proportion who are supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional government funding to assist certain groups, which in this school applies to pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those in local authority care) is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expected

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Information about this school

nationally for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There are breakfast club and after-school clubs on the school site, but they are organised and managed by an external provider.  The governing body manages the Sunny Skies Nursery, which is based in the Hillside Children’s Centre.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality and consistency of teaching by:  improving the pace of learning in lessons so that pupils spend more time on activities  setting work at the right level of difficulty, especially for those who are more able  ensuring that marking consistently helps pupils to improve their work  improving the monitoring of teaching with a clearer focus on how effectively individuals and groups of pupils learn and make progress in lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in reading and mathematics by:  giving pupils more opportunities to read across different subjects and helping those who struggle with reading to be more confident in their use of letters and the sounds they make when reading unfamiliar words  providing pupils with real-life problems to solve and investigate in mathematics and other subjects.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils do not make the progress they are capable of, so they do not achieve as well as they should. The most recent test results show that pupils’ attainment is below average in Years 2 and 6. The percentage of pupils making the progress expected of them in reading and mathematics did not compare favourably with the national figures. There are too few more-able pupils attaining the higher levels.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress data provided by the school show that increasing numbers of pupils are making better progress than before, but this pattern is not yet well established. The current Year 6 pupils are working at broadly the level expected, given their starting points, and the majority are on track to make at least expected progress in all areas by the end of the year.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Writing is improving because pupils are able to write confidently and at length in different subjects. Reading skills are rising because guided reading sessions develop pupils’ understanding. Some lower and middle ability pupils, however, lack confidence in reading unfamiliar words.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils are becoming more confident and skilled in calculation. However, they do not do sufficient practical, fact-finding work in mathematics. Pupils are not given enough opportunities to use their mathematical skills in different subjects.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children settle quickly into the Nursery and Reception classes. The majority begin school with lower than expected skills and make good progress, particularly in social and communication skills. Children enter Year 1 as confident learners with secure basic skills.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, and pupils who speak English as an additional language, made slower progress than expected. They are beginning to make better progress than in the past because their learning is now well planned and they receive good support from other adults.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In 2013, the attainment of pupils supported by the pupil premium was below that of their national counterparts in English and above in mathematics. In English they were about two terms behind their classmates, and in mathematics about a term a term behind. School evidence indicates that, as a result of the sustained extra help provided for them, they are now making better progress and the attainment gap is starting to narrow.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching, even though it has improved, it is not yet consistently good. In some lessons the work set is not hard enough for some pupils, especially the more able. This results in them not making the progress they are capable of.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The pace in lessons is sometimes not quick enough because teachers spend too long going over work already learned, or explaining the tasks ahead. This reduces the time available for pupils to work on tasks by themselves and complete their work.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The recently introduced guided reading activities are improving pupils’ reading. However, pupils are not given enough chances to read in other subjects. They have insufficient opportunities to use their mathematical skills to solve real-life problems or apply their skills in different subjects.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly, and they are encouraged to mark their own and each other’s work. However, the teachers’ marking does not consistently give clear guidance to pupils about how to improve their work.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the better lessons, teachers show that they have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and encourage them to take responsibility for their own learning. In a Year 6 English lesson pupils were encouraged to work independently and challenged effectively to develop dialogue in story writing. They made good progress in extending their writing skills.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers have good relationships with the pupils and expect pupils to work hard in lessons. All adults know what part they play in lessons. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to work together with others to develop their social skills and share ideas. In most lessons, teachers maintain pupils’ interest. Consequently, pupils have positive attitudes to learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage benefit from a good balance between activities led by adults and those that they themselves choose. Coupled with lots of opportunities for speaking and listening, and hands-on learning play areas, this means children make good progress in all areas of their learning. They are able to work and play inside and outside in equally stimulating surroundings.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Standards of behaviour around the school are good. Pupils are polite and courteous towards adults and each other. They ensure that visitors to the school are made to feel welcome.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour in the classroom is good. Pupils concentrate well in lessons and apply themselves enthusiastically to activities. Only when the pace of learning slows do a very few pupils lose concentration.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour management is good. Where some pupils have had problems managing their own behaviour, the school has supported them effectively. As a result their behaviour has improved.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils act responsibly on the playground, where they are well supervised. They have a good understanding of how to keep safe, including when using the internet, and take responsibility for their own actions. They understand the different types of bullying such as cyber-bullying and name-calling. They say that bullying is very rare, and that when it does happen it is dealt with swiftly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are proud of their school and carry out responsibilities eagerly and sensibly, such as helping out as play leaders. Pupils from different backgrounds enjoy each other’s company and play happily together.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are punctual and the school works well with parents and carers to tackle potential attendance problems before they escalate. As a result, attendance levels have improved over time and are now above average.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management are not yet good because the school’s leaders have not yet done enough to make sure pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching are routinely good.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Senior leaders have raised expectations, teamwork is coordinated well and there is strong agreement where further improvements are required. The headteacher’s passion for the school is evident in her clear vision to see every pupil do his or her best, and leaders have acted swiftly to improve teaching. In this way, equality is promoted for all pupils.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Teachers’ performance is managed carefully; their targets and pay are linked to pupils’ progress. Leaders at all levels are supported well in developing their roles and in how they use data to improve the progress in each year group. However, leaders’ monitoring of teaching does not take enough account of the impact of teaching on the progress of groups of pupils in lessons.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The school has appropriate procedures for checking the progress and attainment of all individuals and groups of pupils to help them perform as well as they can. The detailed school development plan outlines the correct areas to improve, and what needs to be done to achieve this. The strong sense of purpose and the improvements already made show the school has the capacity to improve and develop further.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The curriculum is well planned and engages pupils. Pupils study interesting and exciting topics such as Turrets and Tiaras, Walk like an Egyptian and Reach for the Stars. The wide range of visits and educational visits to nearby places of interest and the after-school clubs help to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. However, pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise their number or reading skills across all subjects.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The primary school sport funding is being used to promote competitive sport with other schools, provide additional training for staff to improve the quality of physical education lessons and buy extra sport equipment. The school has appropriate plans to measure the impact of this activity on pupils’ health and well-being.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The school has made good use of the expertise of the local authority. This has been helpful in setting clear priorities for the future, and is having a positive effect on raising achievement and improving teaching.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a good understanding of what the school does well and what it needs to do to improve further. They have been involved in the school’s self-evaluation and planning for improvement. Governors understand performance data and can carefully compare pupils’ achievement with national figures and how well different groups of pupils achieve. They are supportive while challenging the school to improve achievement further. Governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching. Pay and promotion are now more securely linked to pupils’ performance. Governors carefully monitor the school’s finances, including the pupil premium funding and how it is helping eligible pupils to achieve better. They assess their own training needs to get the best balance of skills to help the school. Governors ensure that safeguarding arrangements meets national requirements.

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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 135215 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 427027

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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 681 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Smith Headteacher Juliet Silverton Date of previous school inspection 18 October 2011 Telephone number 0121 588 2230 Fax number 0121 588 7457 Email address enquiries@pennyhill.sandwell.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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