Martinshaw Primary School

Martinshaw Primary School Forest View, Groby, Leicester, LE6 0BB

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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

 The quality of teaching is not consistently good enough to support good achievement.  Where teaching still requires improvement, this not only has a direct impact on the progress pupils make in lessons, but also has a negative effect on their attitudes to learning.  Pupils only make expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Too few make better than expected progress.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always high enough, especially when planning activities for the more-able pupils.  The quantity and quality of pupils’ work in literacy and numeracy lessons are not always sufficiently good enough.  Pupils are not provided with sufficient opportunities to develop their key skills in literacy and numeracy across different subject areas.  Pupils have too few opportunities to use modern technology to support their learning.  Until recently, governors have not been effective in holding the school to account for its

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The school has the following strengths

 The new headteacher has a clear vision for the school and is already improving teaching and learning.  Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Phonics (the sounds letters make) is taught effectively throughout the school.  Attendance is consistently above average and pupils feel safe in school.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress.  Pupils eligible for the pupil premium often achieve more that all other pupils in the school in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils’ achievements in sporting competitions are impressive.  Parental support and involvement reflect their positive views about the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 16 lessons taught by eight teachers. Two lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the pupil council, the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors, the headteacher, and teachers with leadership roles.  A discussion took place with a representative from the local authority about the support and advice it gives to the school.  There were 38 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) by the end of the inspection. The inspectors took account of these and also sought the views of parents and carers as they arrived at school with their children.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including the school’s own information on pupils’ recent and current progress, planning for school improvement, records of governing body meetings, and checks on teaching and behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Joseph Peacock, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Christopher Davies Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Most pupils live locally in Groby.  The vast majority of pupils are from a White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from a minority ethnic background is in line with the national average. Few of these pupils speak English as an additional language.  There is one class for each year group from the Reception class to Year 6.  The proportion of pupils supported by additional government funding through the pupil premium is well below the national average. In this school, it mostly applies to pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action, school action plus or a statement of special educational needs are all broadly average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There is a breakfast club, organised and managed by the school each morning.  A new headteacher started in August 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make more teaching good or outstanding to raise achievement and improve attitudes to learning, particularly in mathematics, by ensuring all teachers:  show that they have consistently high expectations for pupils of all abilities, especially the more able  make better use of information on pupils’ abilities and attainment so that work is not too easy or too hard when planning lessons  move pupils’ learning on more quickly, once they have understand what they are going to do in lessons, so that they make more progress and do no become restless and inattentive  use modern technology much more to support and enhance learning  increase the quantity and quality of pupils’ work in literacy, and particularly numeracy, lessons  plan regular opportunities for pupils to reinforce and apply these skills in other subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of the governing body in holding the school to account for its performance and teaching quality, including by setting performance targets for the new headteacher.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 There is too much variation in pupils’ progress between different classes, and although some pupils make good progress, at some point during their time in school, overtime almost all pupils only make that which is expected. This is particularly the case in mathematics, where pupils are not able to apply their mathematical knowledge to new problems as accurately or as confidently as they should.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Although attainment is improving by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2, it is still only in line with the national average in English and mathematics. Pupils’ books and the school’s own assessment data confirms that progress is not fast enough for pupils to reach the higher standards they are capable of.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The quality of work in pupils’ books is uneven. Where teachers’ expectations are high, standards of presentation are good and pupils’ work shows good progress over time. In some classes, however, pupils do not have regular daily opportunities to write in their books and this slows their rate of progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 There was little evidence of pupils using computers or of basic skills in literacy and numeracy being promoted in other subjects. This also holds back the progress pupils make.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress, and performance data show that they do well compared to similar pupils in other schools.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils eligible for the pupil premium achieve well. Their attainment exceeds that of other pupils in the school in reading, writing and mathematics. These pupils benefit from additional, well- targeted use of the additional funds to provide support as they work in lessons and to enable them to take part in all school activities such as residential visits. The school has a long and successful history of integrating and caring for pupils who are looked after by Leicestershire and other local authorities.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school adopts a structured approach to the teaching of phonics and groups pupils by ability. There is a strong focus on teaching pupils to read and parents and grandparents regularly hear children read in school and at home. This has resulted in the standards achieved in the Year 1 phonics screening check being above those found nationally.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children join the Reception class with skills and understanding below those expected for their age. The current year group have a high proportion of younger, summer born children. Early writing and mathematics skills are comparatively weak areas when children first arrive. All children settle in quickly and enjoy a wide range of interesting tasks indoors and outside, such as freeing cars from a block of ice or finding the right number of leaves to add to number squares. They work well on their own and with staff and make good progress in developing basic literacy and numeracy skills. Consequently, most achieve the standards expected in all areas by the end of the Reception Year. This prepares them well for learning in Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils successfully take part in a wide range of sports such as tag rugby and girls’ football, and have gained winning trophies from local and national competitions.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers’ expectations for pupils of different ability levels are not high enough in some lessons. Some teachers do not use pupil progress information well enough to plan the right level of challenge for all ability groups. As a result, tasks are sometimes too hard or too easy and this restricts pupils’ achievement, particularly in mathematics, and especially for the more able pupils.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In some lessons, pupils have a limited time to get on with their learning, because teachers over- explain what they expect pupils to learn. This sometimes leads to inattention and low-level disruption because pupils want to get on with their work.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The school has a computer suite but teachers make little use of computers in lessons to support or enhance learning. Children in Reception make good use of the interactive display board to sequence numbers, but this kind of imaginative use of new technology is not routinely evident across the school.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In lessons where teaching is good, teachers convey high expectations for pupils of all ability levels and plan tasks that challenge pupils and require them to apply their skills to extend their learning. In a Year 3 lesson, for example, pupils wrote well-crafted play scripts based on the story of The Three Little Pigs. The most effective teachers create a positive atmosphere for learning and pupils say that they enjoy lessons. They talk confidently about what they are learning and see its relevance for their future progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Marking in books is improving as this has been a recent focus for staff. Most teachers mark work carefully and give clear direction about how pupils could further improve.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Additional staff are generally used purposefully and work effectively to support individuals and specific groups of pupils. Support staff are used to ensure ‘phonics groups’ are small and contain pupils of similar ability. This results in good progress for pupils and is successfully building their essential reading skills.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Children in Reception benefit from good teaching and this ensures that they have a good start to school and make good progress. Here, teachers’ planning consistently ensures skills in all areas of learning are practised in indoor and outdoor activities. This helps new skills to be learnt quickly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning relate directly to the quality of teaching. Pupils loose interest and become inattentive when teachers do not make effective use of classroom learning time, and when activities are either too easy or too hard.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Behaviour is good around school and in the breakfast club. Pupils are usually polite and show respect to adults and one another. Staff manage the noisy, boisterous play by boys in the breakfast club very well. Pupils say that they enjoy this free time with their friends before school starts. School records show that there have been no exclusions since the previous inspection.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils say that they feel safe and that ‘everyone, including teachers, is friendly’. Those who spoke to the inspectors said that school is fun and that they are well looked after by staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying. They are clear about internet safety and know about cyber bullying. School records show that incidents of bullying or racist behaviour are extremely rare.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The school has strong procedures to ensure good attendance and these have resulted in consistently above-average attendance. There is hardly any persistent absence.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Behaviour is particularly good in Reception. Children share resources sensibly and enjoy playing on the adventure play equipment outdoors. Routines have been quickly established and all respond immediately to signals for their attention or requests to tidy up.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Virtually all the parents and carers who responded to the inspection questionnaire had positive views about the school. Most strongly agreed with every question and the vast majority said that they would recommend the school to others. Those spoken with during the inspection were equally positive. ‘They are happy here and always run to school’ was a typical view.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders and governors have not yet succeeded in making teaching, pupils’ attitudes to learning and achievement consistently good.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The curriculum requires improvement. Pupils have too few planned opportunities to reinforce and refine the skills learnt in literacy and numeracy in other subjects and there is little use of new technology, such as computers, across the school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The new headteacher, supported by external advice and support, is leading the work to ensure that all pupils enjoy high quality learning and achieve their full potential. Already, relevant priorities for improvement have been identified and the staff team are tackling them. Inadequate teaching, for example, has been eliminated. However, too much still requires improvement.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The experience and expertise demonstrated by the leader responsible for the Early Years Foundation Stage ensure children have a good start to school in the Reception class. The school makes good use of outside specialists to support disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs from entry and right through the school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The national standards for teachers are used by the headteacher to judge the quality of teaching, so accurate judgements are made on how well teachers are performing. Other staff with leadership responsibilities are becoming more involved in checking teaching and its impact on pupils’ progress. These assessments inform decisions about teachers’ pay.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Pupils are provided with enjoyable additional learning opportunities beyond the normal timetable, such as the choir, dance and orienteering. Residential visits for Years 4 and 6 add to pupils’ enjoyment of school. Learning French, topics about the world wars and the study of different faiths give pupils an understanding of other cultures and contribute to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They are keen to raise funds for a cancer charity or volunteer as helpers for the local street fair.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The additional funding allocated to increase sporting opportunities is being used effectively to enhance the quality and breadth of physical education and sports provision. It has significantly increased participation by enabling coaches with specialist skills to motivate pupils and share their expertise with staff. Currently, school teams have won trophies for basketball, tag rugby, girls’ and boys’ football and cross country.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Parents have a very positive relationship with the school, and almost all expressed positive views in the inspection questionnaire. They correctly believe that staff treat every pupil equally, their children are safe and looked after well, and that discrimination is not tolerated. Pupils are well prepared for life in Britain and a global society.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority has supported the school effectively and continues to offer its support, helping to make teaching more consistently good. Recently, it assisted governors in the appointment of the new headteacher. Governors benefit from regular training events, developing their skills and expertise.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors check that there is an appropriate link between teaching and how well pupils are achieving in comparison with others nationally. The governing body is starting to focus much more on helping the school to check how well it is tackling its identified priorities for improvement. However, it has not yet set targets for the performance of the new headteacher, and until recently, governors have not been effective in holding the school to account for pupils’ achievement and teaching quality. All current national requirements relating to employment and safeguarding are met. Governors carefully check the impact of the pupil premium and the funds allocated to provide additional sporting opportunities on the achievement and behaviour 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 119925 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 424988

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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 186 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gurdip Bharma Headteacher Neil Elson Date of previous school inspection 17 January 2012 Telephone number 0116 287 6749 Fax number 0116 287 6207 Email address manager@martinshaw.leics.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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