Stechford Primary School

Stechford Primary School Albert Road, Stechford, Birmingham, B33 8SJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics as a result of good teaching and because of their own understanding of the importance of working hard at school.  Children experience vibrant and imaginative teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are very well prepared for Year 1.  Actions to improve reading are effective and standards are rising in all year groups.  Pupils’ positive attitudes and their good behaviour make a strong contribution to their learning.  Pupils know how to keep safe and have a good understanding of different types of bullying including cyber-bullying.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well and strong positive relationships help pupils to feel safe. Pupils are caring and respectful to each other, and polite and helpful to adults.  All leaders accurately evaluate the school’s work and know what needs to be done next in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

order to improve further.  The good leadership of the headteacher has made sure that good teaching and achievement have been maintained since the previous inspection. He is well supported by the governing body and all staff.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally teachers do make sure that work provides the right level of challenge, and at times more able pupils have work that is too easy for them.  Marking does not always give pupils enough guidance about how to improve the quality of their work.  School leaders, including governors, are not fully informed about the achievement of different groups of pupils and the difference the use of the pupil premium for example, is making to pupils’ achievement throughout the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in all classes. They observed 20 parts of lessons, three of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. They examined the work in pupils’ books and listened to a sample of pupils read.  Discussions were held with pupils, staff, governors, and a telephone conversation was held with an officer representing the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documents covering safeguarding and child protection, attendance, behaviour, pupils’ progress and attainment, the minutes of the governing body, the school improvement plan, and the monitoring of the quality of teaching.  As there were too few responses on the Parent View website, inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day to find out their opinions of the school. The 13 replies to the staff questionnaire were also considered.

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Inspection team

Lois Furness, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Catherine Beeks Additional Inspector Alan Chaffey Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Stechford is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Almost all pupils are from minority ethnic groups of which the large majority are from Pakistani backgrounds. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is much higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil-premium funding is well above average. This additional government funding is provided for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported through school action is well below average. The proportion of those who are supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that more teaching is outstanding by making sure that:  the work planned accelerates the progress of all pupils especially those who are more able  marking provides clear guidance to pupils about how to make their work even better.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by making sure that:  leaders, including governors, rigorously check the proportions of different groups of pupils who are making expected and better than expected progress to identify any anomalies  leaders check the impact of funding such as the pupil premium on the progress of all eligible pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children join the Nursery class with skills that are well below those usually typical for their age. Children make outstanding progress so that by the end of the Reception Year most children are working close to the expected levels for their age in all areas of learning. Some children are at a very early stage of learning to speak English when they arrive in the Nursery class. Their communication skills develop rapidly because they are well supported. This means that they, like other children, are well prepared for Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Reading has been the strongest subject over time and attainment is broadly average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Year 6 pupils enjoy reading and say they read regularly in school and at home.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The results of the reading check at the end of Year 1 were below the national average in 2012, improving to slightly above the national average in 2013. This improvement is a result of the good teaching of early reading skills including phonics (the sounds that letters make).

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013, attainment rose in reading writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Current assessment information shows that this rise in attainment is on course to continue in 2014. In the new Year 6 grammar, punctuation and spelling test, a broadly average proportion of pupils attained the expected level and also above the expected level. Pupils have good opportunities to practise their literacy skills in other subjects of the curriculum. Their attainment by the end of Year 6 in reading and writing shows good progress from their starting points on entry to Year 3.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In mathematics, the 2013 Year 6 attainment information suggests that progress required improvement. However, the work in pupils’ books and the most recent assessment information shows improving progress over time and progress is generally good. In Year 6 in particular, a high proportion of pupils are expected to attain Level 5 with a few pupils expected to attain Level 6.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and the well above-average proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language, make good progress in line with other pupils. They benefit from good support from teaching assistants. The more-able pupils, although making good progress overall, occasionally ‘mark time’ when the work given to them is too easy.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium make the same progress as other pupils. In 2013 Year 6 pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and grammar, punctuation and spelling was similar to that of other pupils, but in mathematics their attainment was two terms behind, reflecting their lower starting points.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The good and imaginative teaching in the Nursery and Reception classes gives children a secure start to their learning. Children’s social, language and mathematical skills are promoted effectively.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers generally use assessment well when planning lessons. Just occasionally more-able pupils, are not set work in all parts of the lesson that demands enough of them.  Relationships in all classes are strong with pupils confident to ask questions and offer ideas. Collaborative working is encouraged and this supports the good outcomes seen in lessons. The strong focus placed upon spiritual, moral, social and cultural development means that all pupils have many opportunities to be reflective and thoughtful.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Additional adults are used well to provide timely support in class and to give additional help to individuals and groups with specific needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Work in books is presented neatly and pupils take a pride in their work. Marking practice is consistent across the school. However, not all teachers give effective advice to pupils which will enable them to improve the standard of their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils in lessons and around school is consistently good. They are enthusiastic learners which has a positive impact on their achievement and progress. Children’s good attitudes towards learning are developed and fostered well in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are eager to learn, and they show this by participating readily during lessons. They are enthusiastic about producing their best work and remain focused on the tasks they are given. Just occasionally, if the work is not challenging enough, they can lose interest.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are kind and respectful to each other. They genuinely try to support one another as was seen in Year 3 as one pupil tried to encourage another into joining in with a reading activity. They have a good sense of moral purpose. For example, one pupil said, ‘It is our duty to tell an adult if someone is being unkind.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they feel safe in school and appreciate the care that staff give them. They have a good awareness of different types of bullying, including name-calling, physical and cyber- bullying. They say incidents of bullying are extremely rare, and scrutiny of school records confirms this. Pupils are confident that staff or the ‘peer mediators’ will deal with the small number of concerns quickly and fairly. They know that discrimination is not tolerated. They describe the school as ‘one big happy family’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school works hard to maintain pupils’ attendance at a level that is at least in line with the national average, and the vast majority of pupils attend well, showing their enjoyment of school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership and management are good as shown by the way the headteacher and deputy headteacher have built on the strengths evident at the time of the previous inspection, and have made sure that standards are rising by the end of Year 2 and Year 6.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff are well motivated and support the strong ambition of the senior leadership team. All leaders, including governors, are committed to ensuring all pupils are well cared for and included in all school activities. The school’s view of itself is accurate and identified priorities linked effectively to the school improvement plan.

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The leadership and management are good

 Carefully planned performance management targets take account of the career stage and training needs of all members of staff. More is expected of those on the upper pay scale.  All pupils’ progress is tracked and checked closely. Meetings are held regularly by staff with responsibility for particular areas and the information about pupils’ progress is used to make sure that all pupils achieve. Pupil-premium funding is used appropriately to support the progress of eligible pupils and to promote equality of opportunity. However as yet, leaders do not evaluate rigorously enough the impact of additional support and additional funding on the progress of all different groups of pupils, including those eligible for pupil premium.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leadership, including that of the special educational needs leader, is good. Leaders know what they need to do to improve provision further and take an active role in the checking of the quality of teaching and learning. Leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding. This highly effective leader makes sure well-planned activities enthuse and motivate children and have a clear focus on good learning and personal development

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as well as their academic achievement. Subjects are brought together into topics that capture pupils’ interests well. It is enriched by visitors and by visits to places of interest. For example, one pupil explained that he had enjoyed learning about the significance of Remembrance Day and the opportunities pupils have to visit the First World War battlefields in France.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has used its primary sport funding effectively to provide training for staff, specialist coaching and improved resources such as the ‘boulder wall’. It is too soon to measure the impact of this work.

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The leadership and management are good

 The senior leadership team has forged strong links with other local schools and groups, and uses these to check the work of the school as well as providing opportunities to make sure that all staff have the skills and knowledge to carry out their roles effectively.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is working hard to increase the involvement of parents in their children’s education. The school website is easily accessible and provides very useful information about the school’s work. All staff have a performance management objective this year related to involving parents more with helping their children learn.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides ‘light touch’ support to this school as they recognise that attainment is steadily rising. Following a request for assistance with more-able pupils, the local authority is now arranging this support for leaders.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has a broadly accurate view of how well pupils are doing and the quality of teaching in the school. This is because governors make regular visits to the school and receive useful information from the headteacher and senior leaders. However, while they have been effective in making sure standards have risen by the end of Year 2 and Year 6, they are not as well informed about the achievement of different groups of pupils and the impact of funding, for example the pupil premium, on the achievement of eligible pupils.  Governors make sure that the school’s finances are well managed and they have attended training involving financial management. They know that teachers’ pay is dependent on teachers meeting their performance management targets. They also know what the school is doing to tackle any underperformance.  Governors ensure that safeguarding arrangements meet all current requirements. Governors

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The leadership and management are good

have attended the safer recruitment training.

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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 103262 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 433182

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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 325 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nick Ambler Headteacher Roger Rathbone Date of previous school inspection 2 March 2011 Telephone number 0121 4643245 Fax number 0121 4649806 Email address enquiry@stechford.bham.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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