Eyres Monsell Primary School

Eyres Monsell Primary School Simmins Crescent, Leicester, LE2 9AH

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement.  The quality of teaching is not good enough to secure consistently good achievement across the school.  Progress is not consistently good because, in some lessons, teachers provide work for pupils that is either too hard or too easy.  Good progress is not sustained in lessons where teachers do not make checks on learning to see if pupils are ready to move on to more difficult work.  Pupils do not use vocabulary well enough to express their ideas clearly when writing.  In mathematics, pupils' calculation and mental arithmetic skills are not accurate or quick enough.  Subject leaders of English and mathematics do not have a precise picture of progress in these subjects because they have not ensured that teachers make accurate assessments of pupils' attainment.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes.  The progress of pupils in Years 2 and 6 is good.  Pupils feel very safe in school. Their behaviour in lessons and around the school has improved strongly this school year.  Attendance has risen markedly because pupils enjoy all aspects of school.  The school uses its extra government funding effectively.  Parents are happy with the changes and improvements made by the new headteacher.  The new, dynamic, Headteacher is already having a very positive impact on raising achievement, improving teaching, behaviour and attendance.  Leaders' checks on the quality of teaching are frequent. Their clear feedback ensures that teaching is improving.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed the teaching in all classes. They visited 21 lessons taught by 10 teachers, as well as sessions for small groups of pupils led by teaching assistants. The headteacher joined them for some of these visits.  The inspectors held discussions with pupils, the headteacher, other teachers, and the Chair of the Governing Body. The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors heard pupils read and looked at a range of evidence, including records of pupils’ progress, safeguarding documentation, records of unsatisfactory behaviour and the results of the school’s checks on the quality of teaching. They also examined the work in pupils’ books.  Too few parents completed the survey on the Parent View website for their views to be considered. Inspectors took account of the views of 22 parents with whom they talked at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Gerald Griffin, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Andrew Phillips Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average sized primary school.  Three quarters of all pupils are from White British families. The remainder come from a wide variety of backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those in the care of the local authority, and those with a parent in the armed forces) is above the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is average. The proportion of such pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  In 2013, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher took up post in September 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching by making sure that:  pupils are not given work that is too easy or too hard  teachers make accurate checks on learning to see if pupils are ready to move on to more difficult work, and intervene when needed.  Raise attainment and progress in writing by improving pupils' use of vocabulary so they can clearly express their ideas.  Raise attainment and progress in mathematics by improving the accuracy and speed of pupils' calculations and mental arithmetic.  Train staff to accurately assess pupils' work in English and mathematics so that leaders have a very clear picture of progress in these subjects.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In Years 1 to 6, achievement requires improvement because progress is inconsistent. Attainment is below average for pupils in Year 6.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school's recent record of achievement and progress has been inconsistent because the quality of teaching has been too variable. For example, pupils who left at the end of Year 6 last year made better than expected progress in English and mathematics. The year before they made inadequate progress in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 This inconsistency is seen, too, in the results of the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. In 2012 they were at the national average; last year they fell to below average.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Over the past two years, too few more-able pupils reached their potential by the ends of Years 2 and 6. This year, the proportions will be nearer the national average because teaching has improved in these classes.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Standards and progress in writing are not better because pupils' use of a wide range of vocabulary, to express their ideas clearly, is weak.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In mathematics, pupils’ calculations are not accurate enough and their mental arithmetic is not quick enough. As a result, their progress requires improvement and attainment in this subject is below average.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Across the school, achievement in reading has improved this year. This is because teachers’ skills at teaching phonics (linking letters to the sound they make) have been sharpened. Additionally, pupils are reading more often because the school has been successful in encouraging more parents to read with their child at home. Pupils enjoy reading and were keen to tell inspectors about the books they had read. However, progress in reading is still not consistently good.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils in Year 6 are making good progress in English and mathematics because their teaching this year is good. However, much of their time is spent catching up work missed in the past when their teaching was less effective. Because of this, their achievement requires improvement and attainment is below average.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children start school with levels of knowledge, skills and understanding that are low for their age. Children make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes because their teaching is consistently good, as it has been over the past few years. However, their attainment is still below average in all areas of learning by Year 1. More-able children make good progress. For example, by the time they start Year 1, they write interesting sentences with accurate spelling and punctuation.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Good progress in Year 2 means that the rise in attainment for younger pupils over the past two years is set to continue.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make similar progress to their peers because of the extra support provided to meet their specific needs.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The gap in attainment between those eligible for the pupil premium and their classmates at the end of Year 6 last year remained at one term in English. The gap widened to one term in mathematics. For pupils now at the school, there is no difference in attainment between these two groups. This shows the school uses its extra funding effectively. It is used to fund extra support for these pupils who have missed work in the past. It is also used to boost their self- esteem and attendance, which is making them better learners.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Too much teaching is in need of improvement. Teachers do not always plan work that challenges all members of the class. When this happens, some pupils struggle with work that is too hard while others race through tasks that are too easy. This was seen in some mathematics books where more-able pupils repeated simple calculations that they could easily solve.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In some lessons, teachers do not sustain a good rate of progress by regularly checking pupils' knowledge and understanding to see if they are ready to move on to more difficult work, or if revision is needed to reinforce their learning. As a result, some struggle and others coast without achieving what they should.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In lessons, relationships are positive. Teachers plan interesting and relevant work that pupils say they enjoy. Teachers set appropriate homework.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Marking is improving and mostly shows pupils how they can make their work better.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Inspectors saw some outstanding and good teaching and in these lessons pupils made good or better progress.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching assistants are usually deployed effectively to promote pupils’ learning, especially disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers plan many opportunities to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. For example, older pupils were encouraged to reflect on the morality of war as part of a Second World War project.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the Nursery and Reception classes, teachers plan an appropriate balance of adult-led and child-chosen activities that cover all the areas of learning, both in the classroom and outdoors. Assessments of children's work are accurate and used well to provide children with challenging activities across all areas of learning. Lessons are a hive of activity with children working hard and engrossed in their learning. In one lesson seen, a group of children were making good progress planning a birthday party, writing invitations and making cakes with the correct number of candles.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. This is true in lessons and around the school. However, behaviour is getting better and this is confirmed by the views of parents, pupils and the school’s records of unsatisfactory behaviour. Pupils understand and like the school's new code of behaviour; its rewards for good behaviour and the clear consequences of that which is not.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 As a result of the above, it is now very unusual for lessons to be interrupted by poor behaviour and the number of exclusions, which has been high in the past, has reduced significantly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Attitudes towards learning are getting better but there is still some way to go. For example, in a mathematics lesson seen, pupils who had finished their work chose to sit back and rest rather than ask the teacher for another task.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 In the Reception class, children take responsibility for collecting the resources they need for their chosen activities. While older pupils are keen to accept responsibilities for example as members of the school council, some of them feel that there are not enough opportunities to do so.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The school's work to keep pupils safe is good. Pupils feel very safe in school. Their knowledge of how to keep themselves safe is well developed. For example, older pupils know about how to keep themselves safe when using the internet.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Bullying is very rare and pupils are confident that staff would resolve any incidents effectively. Older pupils understand its different forms, such as cyber-bullying, and how to respond to them. Pupils feel very well looked after and supported by adults.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 Attendance is above average this school year, continuing the steady rise over recent years. This reflects pupils' enjoyment of learning and improving behaviour. The attendance of pupils eligible for the pupil premium has risen considerably over the past year and is above their peers nationally.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because leaders have not improved teaching enough to secure consistently good progress throughout the school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school does not provide enough time for pupils to improve the weaknesses in writing and mathematics. Leaders of English and mathematics do not have a precise view of progress in these subjects because the assessments of pupils’ standards by some teachers are not accurate enough. This means that they are not able to take immediate action if progress slows. Senior leaders recognise this shortcoming and have begun training staff to rectify the matter. It is too early to judge its success.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 School leaders have taken appropriate steps to improve teaching. For example, they have sharpened staff skills in behaviour management, which is helping to improve pupils' conduct and learning. However, some plans have not yet had enough time to become good practice. For example, leaders have worked to improve lesson planning to make sure tasks not too easy or too hard but it is too early to say if this is successful.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Senior leaders have an accurate overview of the strengths and areas in which the school needs to be better through their regular checks on the quality of teaching, progress and behaviour.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The new headteacher is aiming high and is setting challenging targets for the school. Together with other leaders and the governors, she has already secured much-improved behaviour, marking and attendance. Weaknesses in pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education, highlighted in the last inspection report, have been successfully tackled. This shows the school has the capacity to get better.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The leader of the Reception class has successfully trained teaching assistants in the skills of accurately assessing children’s capabilities and planning work in all areas of learning.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school has made good use of support from the local authority and outside advisers, for example, to ensure the school's self evaluation is accurate.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The way subjects are taught promotes well pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, the school provides many opportunities for pupils to reflect on right and wrong, their feelings and respect for others. Recent changes, to make work more engaging, have been successful, especially in mathematics.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Pupils thoroughly enjoy their physical education lessons. These make an important contribution to their healthy physical development. Leaders have firm plans for spending the new primary school sports funding. For example, it will be used to improve the teaching of physical education, and pay for coaches to broaden the range of out-of-hours sports clubs to increase pupils' participation in school games.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Parents spoken to expressed positive views about their children’s progress, the quality of teaching and leadership of the school. The school has introduced a number of popular courses that help parents support their child's learning at home.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders have a very clear commitment to combating discrimination and promoting equality of opportunity. This is shown in the better attainment of those for whom the school receives the pupil premium. The school fosters positive relationships with outside agencies and other schools to improve pupils’ life chances even more.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Child protection training for staff is thorough, and leaders implement child protection policies rigorously. The school completes all statutory checks on the suitability of staff to be employed.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has an accurate picture of how well pupils are progressing compared with those in other schools through their regular visits to see the school at work and their understanding of data. They use this information well to ask the school searching questions about its performance. For example, they are taking a keen interest in the different ways the school is spending its pupil premium money. Governors make sure that the school is spending the pupil premium funding on those eligible for it. The governing body has a strong focus on staff training and is keen to improve its own skills. Governors check that the management of teachers’ performance is rigorous. Only those teachers that have met the challenging targets set by the school, including those for pupils’ progress, are considered for pay increases and promotion.

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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 120069 Local authority Leicester Inspection number 430578

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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 220 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Julie Dale Headteacher Kerry Hill Date of previous school inspection 26 June 2012 Telephone number 0116 2773855 Fax number 0116 2773855 Email address khill@eyresmonsell.leicester.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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