Mellor Community Primary School

Mellor Community Primary School 60 Checketts Road, Leicester LE4 7QN

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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.  Children enter the school with skills and knowledge well below those typical for their age. They make good progress through the school to reach average standards at the end of Year 6.  Teaching is good with some that is outstanding. Teachers have good subject knowledge and plan lessons so pupils of all levels of ability make good progress. There are positive relationships between staff and pupils and staff give good individual support to pupils in lessons.  Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Staff know the children well and make good use of the indoor and outdoor spaces to make learning interesting for them.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school. Parents who spoke to inspectors and those who responded to the school’s questionnaire agree that their child is safe in school.  Pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is good. Pupils from a wide range of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

backgrounds get on well with each other. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive and this supports their good progress.  School leaders and governors have successfully managed a new building programme and ensured that good standards of teaching and achievement have been maintained.  A particular strength in the school is in the wider opportunities available to pupils such as work with artists and a local university, which enrich their experience of school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching. Teachers do not always adapt lessons to maintain rapid progress, or give pupils time to respond to comments on marked work.  The role of the new phase leaders is not yet developed to ensure lessons and extra support helps all groups to make rapid progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 25 part-lessons. Five of these observations were carried out jointly with senior leaders.  Meetings took place with staff, pupils, the Chair and previous Chair of the Governing Body and a local authority representative.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in lessons and in their books completed over time. They talked to pupils about their views of the school, listened to some read and attended two assemblies.  Inspectors talked to parents about their views of the school in the mornings before school, and considered correspondence from parents. There were not enough responses to the online Parent View survey for these to be seen. The inspection team considered the responses to the school’s own parental survey.  The returns from 41 staff questionnaires were also scrutinised.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, reviewed records of pupils’ recent attainment and progress, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and plans for improvement, minutes of

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Information about this inspection

meetings of the governing body, safeguarding, behaviour and attendance documents.

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Inspection team

Susan Williams, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Mandy Wilding Additional Inspector Jonathan Sutcliffe Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils are Indian, with other pupils from a wide range of backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is over four times that seen nationally.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium funding, additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and other groups, is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school moved into new purpose-built premises in September 2012.

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Information about this school

 Following a restructure, new phase leaders took up their posts in September 2013.  A new Chair of the Governing Body was appointed in November 2013.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that more is outstanding by:  teachers checking on pupils’ progress in lessons more thoroughly and adapting or changing activities to ensure faster progress  ensuring that marking provides pupils with clear next steps and pupils have time to respond to these.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Developing the role of the new phase leaders in supporting teachers so all groups of pupils make faster progress in lessons and pupils who receive extra support, including pupil premium pupils, make more rapid progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the school with skills and knowledge well below those usually seen for their age, particularly in their language and communication development. A large proportion of children are at the early stage of learning English. The school plans a wide range of activities to support children in their learning, making good use of both outdoor and indoor learning experiences to support their development. Children make good progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage although standards at the end of Reception remain below average, particularly in their reading, writing and mathematics development.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress across Key Stage 1 and 2. Standards at the end of both key stages are broadly average. The significant number of pupils who join the school, particularly during Key Stage 2, make good and in some cases rapid progress. Indian pupils and pupils from different ethnic groups also make good progress during their time in the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils are well supported in their reading development. Pupils say they enjoy reading and read regularly both at home and in school. Following the disappointing results in the phonics screening check in 2012 there was a strong improvement in 2013, with a similar proportion reaching the standard of the check as seen nationally. A group of Year 6 pupils regularly supports Key Stage 1 pupils with their reading, keeping records of the work they do to share with staff.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 More able pupils are given more difficult work to do in lessons and this helps them to make good progress. The proportion of pupils achieving level 5 in reading, writing and mathematics is similar to national levels.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive extra support in classes and a wide range of specialist interventions. These pupils make at least good progress across the school with some making particularly rapid progress. The school has started to monitor the difference that different types of additional support makes more closely this year with the intention of identifying particularly successful practice. The school ensures equality of opportunity for pupils’ learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding receive support in lessons and a wide range of extra help. The school has particularly focused on programmes to improve reading. In 2012 the gap between these pupils and others was approximately four months behind in English and six months behind in mathematics. Progress for these pupils is improving across the school, although not always rapidly enough for them to catch up with others. Some intervention strategies have had more positive impact than others, particularly those supporting the development of reading.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is regularly good across the school with some that is outstanding. Teaching in English and mathematics is equally strong. Teachers have positive relationships with pupils in lessons and give them opportunities to discuss their ideas with each other and to work together in groups. Classroom routines are clear and this supports pupils’ positive attitudes to learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge. They work well with their teaching assistants to make sure they are deployed appropriately and they understand the focus of the lesson.  Work is usually prepared at different levels, with harder activities for more-able pupils and easier ones for less-able pupils, so ensuring that all pupils can make good progress. For example, in a Year 4 mathematics lesson, pupils learnt about getting change from money. The problems were carefully geared to the ability of the pupils, with more-able tackling higher values. The regular checking and individual support provided by the teacher and teaching assistant along with the adaption of activities during the lesson ensured pupils made particularly rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Staff have good relationships with children and give them good opportunities to discuss their topics. For example, in a Nursery session children discussed how they keep warm in winter. Staff use good questioning skills to develop children’s language and give them confidence to talk to adults and each other.

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The quality of teaching is good

 On occasions, teachers do not check on pupils carefully enough in lessons and adapt activities or provide additional challenge for more-able pupils to ensure progress remains rapid. There are some examples of excellent marking but this is not consistent across the school and pupils do not always have time to reflect and respond to teachers’ comments.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils from a wide range of backgrounds behave well around the school site, in lessons, at breaktime, lunchtime and in assemblies. Teachers use consistent routines in lessons such as ‘show me good listening’ to which pupils respond well. Pupils have good attitudes to learning in lessons. Teachers give them opportunities to discuss their work and work together in groups, which develops their social skills. They are helpful to each other and share resources sensibly. Their positive attitudes to learning support their good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils themselves say behaviour is good. The vast majority of parents responding to the school’s own parental questionnaire were positive about behaviour, as were those that inspectors spoke to, who also commented on how well their child was supported in the school. The school’s behaviour records show these views are accurate and that the school promotes positive relationships and tackles discrimination.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils learn how to keep safe, such as on the internet. Pupils say some bullying does occur but staff will sort it out. All parents responding to the school’s questionnaire said their child was safe in school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school has focused on improving attendance, working hard with the local authority, the behaviour and well-being mentor and with families. Attendance has improved and is now broadly average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has led the school successfully through a new rebuilding programme and maintained good standards of teaching and achievement since the previous inspection. She is well supported by her senior team. All staff responding to the staff questionnaire said the school is well led and managed. Parents that inspectors spoke to were equally positive about the leadership of the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Self-evaluation is accurate and plans for improvement are thorough and focus on appropriate priorities, with clear stages of how outcomes will be achieved, who will be responsible and how these will be monitored.  The management of staff performance is carried out thoroughly. Observations of teaching are accurate and staff receive clear feedback on how to improve. Targets are set linked to standards, areas for improvement in the school improvement plan and individual areas. Where targets are not met, challenge and support has been provided.

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The leadership and management are good

 There is a new leadership structure with phase leaders who are increasingly taking on more work, although they are not yet fully involved in developing teaching in their areas. They are tracking pupils’ progress closely but have not yet started to evaluate the impact of the different types of extra support that pupils receive.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school focuses on the development of the key skills of English and mathematics. At the same time, it is widening the range of curricular opportunities using, for example, links with a local university to develop dance and stockbroking skills; and the local arts centre and work with the local museum service to bring history alive. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong and is well promoted in assemblies, through a range of art experiences and in the strong moral values that are promoted within the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The new sport funding is being used to build on the wide range of sports already available in the school and to promote pupils’ health and well-being. Some funding is targeted at training for teachers in gymnastics to improve their skills as well as developing the partnership work for football and cricket. More after-school clubs are planned including multi-sports and tri-golf.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided some support to the school to look at data and self-evaluation.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have supported the leadership team well, dealing with all the issues associated with a building programme alongside other aspects of their role. They have a thorough understanding of the published data on the school and receive regular updates on pupils’ progress. They know what difference the pupil premium funding is making and discuss how this funding is spent. They oversee the management of the performance of staff and sign off pay awards for staff who meet their targets and teach well. They know about the quality of teaching in the school and what support has been provided in the past where teaching is less strong. They keep themselves up-to-date with regular training. They ensure safeguarding meets statutory 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 120073 Local authority Leicester Inspection number 440336

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. This inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 510 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gary Kirk Headteacher Karen Hammond Date of previous school inspection 3 March 2011 Telephone number 0116 294 6098 Fax number 0116 294 6099 Email address office@mellor.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

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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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