Frederick Bird Primary School

Frederick Bird Primary School Swan Lane, Coventry, CV2 4QQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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.  Good teaching helps all pupils, including those who need extra help and the most- able, to make good progress.  Although the standards pupils reach at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are below average, pupils have made good progress from their often very low starting points at whichever point they join the school.  Pupils’ behaviour around the school is good. Their positive attitudes and ability to concentrate on doing their work help them to do well.  Pupils say the adults in school look after them well and help them to feel safe.  The school has good systems for checking how well pupils are doing and for giving those who could do better, the extra help they need.  Leaders at all levels are ambitious for the school. The headteacher has skilfully used the strengths of her senior leadership team to develop other experienced teachers to ably lead key areas of the school’s work.  Governors have a good understanding of what

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the school does well and where it could improve. They are not afraid of asking challenging questions to make sure leaders are doing all they can to improve pupils’ achievement.  Senior leaders improve teaching and pupils’ achievement by giving staff clear advice and guidance about how to improve. They successfully encourage them to learn from each other and to take advantage of good quality training.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching to take pupils’ good achievement to the next level.  Not all teachers place sufficient emphasis on developing pupils’ handwriting and presentation skills. Therefore, pupils’ work is sometimes untidy and difficult to read.  In some classes, pupils do not always learn from their mistakes or practice their skills because they are not sufficiently encouraged to respond to teacher’s comments about their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 35 lessons or parts of lessons, taught by 29 teachers, and two assemblies. Five lessons were jointly observed with senior leaders. Inspectors also undertook learning walks which comprised a number of short visits to lessons to look at the teaching of reading, including phonics (the links between letters and the sounds they make) and learning across subjects and topics.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, subject leaders, staff and members of the governing body. In addition, an inspector talked with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors met with pupils, listened to them read and observed them at play during breaktimes and at lunchtime.  The school’s safeguarding policies, improvement plans, notes from meetings of the governing body and records of pupils’ behaviour were reviewed. Inspectors also looked at pupils’ work and records of their progress.  Inspectors took account of the 39 replies to the staff questionnaire. There were insufficient

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Information about this inspection

responses to the online parent questionnaire (Parent View) to show the results. Inspectors looked at the responses to the school’s most recent parental questionnaire. They also spoke to parents at the start of the school day as they brought their children to school.

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Inspection team

Sarah Warboys, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Linda Brown Additional Inspector Keith Brown Additional Inspector Susan Hickerton Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Frederick Bird Primary School is much larger than most primary schools. It is expanding from a three-form to a four-form entry school to provide 840 places for pupils by September 2018. A new building extension is due to open its doors in July 2014.  Most pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds. A few are of White British heritage. Four in every five speak English as an additional language. This is much higher than is found in the majority of schools.  A well-above-average proportion of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding to the school. The funding is based on, for example, the number of children at the school in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The percentage of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported by school action is well-above-average, as is the proportion of pupils supported by

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Information about this school

school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The number of pupils joining and leaving the school at different times of the year is well-above- average.  The school meets the current government floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Five new teachers have joined the staff since September 2013. All are at an early stage of their teaching career.  A breakfast club, managed by the governing body, operates on the school site.  As a National Teaching School, this school takes a leading role in the training and professional development of teachers, support staff and headteachers. It also supports other schools in improving teaching and learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and help pupils make even faster progress by:  making sure pupils respond to teacher’s marking by doing their corrections so that they can learn from their mistakes, practise their skills and deepen their thinking  raising teachers’ expectations of pupils’ handwriting and encourage pupils to take a greater pride in the presentation of their written work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with knowledge and skills well below those typically expected for their age. Nearly all are at the early stages of learning to speak English. A below-average proportion of children reach a good level of development by the time they enter Year 1, especially in literacy and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children make good progress in Nursery and Reception because, with good support from all adults, they quickly learn to develop their English vocabulary and learn new skills. For example, as Nursery pupils watched a bread-making demonstration, they learned the names of the tools and ingredients. Similarly, as Reception children explored the texture of play foam, they learned to use words such as ‘soft’ and ‘squishy’.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although pupils in different year groups make good progress during their time at the school, standards in reading, writing and mathematics remain below average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. In 2013, pupils made better progress in writing than in reading and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Many of the large number of pupils joining the school in different year groups are not able to speak English. Early assessments of their skills and abilities are used well to make sure they get the extra help they need, so that they, too, make good progress during their time in school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Inspection judgements differ from published data because the large numbers of pupils joining and leaving the school at different times make it difficult to draw conclusions from the data. Inspectors therefore used the school’s own data alongside pupils’ work and discussions with staff and pupils to ascertain the progress made from the different points at which the pupils joined.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Recent assessments of pupils currently at the school, confirmed by the work in their books, show that standards are raising because of the pupils’ increasingly good progress. More pupils are now on track to make and exceed expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards in reading are improving. The proportion of Year 1 pupils who reached the required standard in phonics increased considerably in 2013. Young children and older pupils new to English are being taught phonics daily and systematically. All pupils read regularly, guided by adults or on their own. They enjoy reading and use their reading skills well to help them learn in different subject

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. Teachers and other adults make good use of a wide range of interesting resources to help pupils to understand and learn important ideas. This was evident in a Year 3 lesson, where adults helped pupils to solve mathematical problems by setting out counters in different ways to look for patterns and relationships between the three and four times tables.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language are supported effectively and consequently make good progress. Adults regularly use pictures and diagrams well to communicate meaning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Across the school, all staff provide good language role models. They introduce, explain and reinforce new words and phrases. Pupils are expected to repeat them back automatically and this provides plenty of chances to practise their speaking and listening skills.  The extra funding received by the school to support pupils eligible for the pupil premium is used successfully to close gaps in their learning. It provides one-to-one tuition and extra help in lessons, and enables the school to provide emotional support for pupils who need it to help them learn better.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In addition, the funding enables pupils to enjoy educational visits that extend their learning. It also pays part of the cost of the Breakfast Club. Consequently, it helps pupils to grow in confidence and to make good progress, similar to their peers. Of the Year 6 pupils who left the school in 2013, eligible pupils were, on average, about a term behind their classmates in reading, at a similar level in mathematics and six weeks ahead in writing. Nationally, the gaps are over two terms in each.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 More-able pupils make good progress because teachers expect them to explain their thinking, and set work for them that deepens it and challenges them to do better. For example, in Year 6, the pupils were required to ‘read between the lines’ of Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet plays to find evidence to explain why certain events might have taken place.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school is using the primary sports funding to provide Years 5 and 6 pupils with swimming lessons and activities such as trampolining. It is providing specialist sports coaches to enhance the wide range of sports clubs on offer at lunchtime and after school. As a result, more pupils are developing a healthy lifestyle by being physically active. The school is making good use of specialist staff alongside teachers to ensure good quality teaching of sport.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Children in the Nursery and Reception classes are taught well. Adults actively teach children good learning behaviours, such as good looking and listening skills. They foster children’s curiosity and encourage them to try new things. As they work with the children, they successfully encourage much speaking and listening and, therefore, increase the children’s vocabulary and communication skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers systematically build on what pupils already know as they plan new work for them. The work they set is usually at just the right level of difficulty to help them learn new skills. Teachers use their good understanding of what and how to teach different groups of pupils to ask searching questions that check pupils’ learning and make them think hard. This helps them to make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching and support staff provide pupils with good examples of how to write in different ways. This helps pupils to know exactly what is expected of them. As a result, pupils quickly get on with their own writing and no learning time is lost. In Year 5, for example, teachers demonstrated for pupils the first line of a diary entry, to help them begin to write about how it might have felt to live through Second World War.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants work closely with class teachers to support pupils’ learning in lessons, with individual pupils and in small group work to fill the gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills. These activities are engaging and help to maintain pupils’ interest. As a result, they make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Homework is set routinely. It enables pupils to practise their reading, writing and mathematics skills and varies according to each year group. Older pupils say that it helps them to prepare for their move to secondary school.  The quality of pupils’ handwriting is uneven across the school. Some do not take enough pride in the presentation of their work because not all teachers have high enough expectations that they will, or do not insist that their handwriting is neat and legible. As a consequence, writing is difficult and tiring for some pupils and they do not make the best possible progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Throughout the school, teachers’ marking of pupils’ work praises their efforts. It shows them what they have done well and, by using the school’s ‘green pen’ approach, how their work can be improved. However, pupils are not routinely encouraged to respond to the teacher’s suggestions and, therefore, do not gain maximum benefit from them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. It is managed consistently well by all adults. Pupils have a thorough understanding of the rewards and sanctions of the school’s systems for managing behaviour. They are regularly rewarded by ‘golden tickets’ for good behaviour and enjoy earning ‘Golden Time’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The views of pupils, parents and staff about behaviour are favourable. As pupils move around the school, in lessons, in small group work and at lunchtime, they show respect for adults and respond positively to their instructions. They look neat and tidy in their uniforms and are keen to learn. Lessons start promptly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ generally positive attitudes contribute well to their good progress. Most are eager to learn and want to do well. Therefore, they listen carefully, respond quickly to instructions and quickly become involved in their tasks.

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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 say they feel safe and are clear about how to seek help. They report, and the school’s records show, rare incidents of bullying, such as name-calling, but say staff deal very quickly with their concerns. Staff ensure pupils are safe despite the temporary lack of space in the dining hall and play areas caused by the building works.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 At the Breakfast Club pupils enjoy each other’s company and eat together. The club helps them to develop social skills, to arrive at school on time and to be ready to learn. Attendance rates have improved to average levels as a direct result of more rigorous guidelines for promoting good attendance. Levels of punctuality are good.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils new to the school in different year groups settle quickly and are helped to do so by being allocated a ‘buddy’. They swiftly become a valued part of the school’s diverse community, and rapidly learn to speak English. Typical comments from these pupils are ‘I am happy’ and ‘I enjoy school’.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s determination and skilful management has created a strong team of staff, committed to improving teaching and pupils’ achievement. Staff morale is high.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders know the school’s strengths and weaknesses well. Plans for improvement are clear and concise. Those in charge of leading different subjects and those who lead each year group, make regular checks to make sure that their improvement plans are working.  Systems for improving teaching are robust. Leaders at all levels work well together to share their expertise and to aid each other. The school’s status as a National Teaching School enables all teachers, including those at an early stage of their career, to be rigorously coached and supported by more experienced colleagues. The help that staff provide to other schools enables them to learn from each other and keep improving their own skills. However, there is not enough outstanding teaching to ensure pupils make excellent progress to reach at least average standards at the end of Year 6.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers are held responsible for the progress their pupils make and are set targets for improvement. Good quality training is closely related to the management of teacher’s performance and helps teachers to improve.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school goes to great lengths to ensure all pupils, whatever their ability or background, are equally and fairly treated. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Rather, it is tackled robustly.

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The leadership and management are good

 The Early Years Foundation Stage and the Breakfast Club are managed well. Leaders providing support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs work extensively with outside agencies. They ‘go the extra mile’, to make sure that all pupils, whatever their particular needs, get extra help, be it on an individual basis, in small group work or in lessons.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents who spoke to inspectors are positive about the school and say that their children are well cared for. They are regularly invited into school to celebrate their children’s learning. Parents attending the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 ‘family’ assemblies are enthusiastic in their praise, saying, for example, ‘That cheered me up!’ and ‘My child has learned loads’.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school offers pupils a broad range of subjects enhanced by trips, visitors and additional activities outside of the school day. It hosts the ‘Frederick Bird University’, which enables pupils, for example, to learn to ride a bike or visit an Egyptian Museum. They then teach others what they have learned. A Saturday morning film club and Year 6 activities give pupils the chance to try new and exciting things, such as rock climbing.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils take part in a wide variety of sport and appreciate art and music through their learning of other subjects. Key Stage 2 pupils, for example, experienced the sights and sounds of Second World War in a class assembly. Such experiences promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has supported the school well through regular reviews of its performance, and has helped to develop the skills of the school’s leaders. It has worked in close partnership with leaders to plan and provide financial support to fund the new school building.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors make good use of the skills they bring to the governing body. They look at a wide range of information about pupils’ achievement, track pupils’ progress and ask leaders important questions to hold them to account for it. Governors know that standards are below average, but improving. Governors actively seek training to make sure their knowledge and understanding is kept updated. Recently, they have learned more about keeping pupils safe when using the growing number of different computer technologies available. The local authority has helped governors to observe learning so that they are well informed in making decisions about what happens in school. Governors make sure that the headteacher’s performance is regularly reviewed. They support leaders in making sure that only those teachers who meet their targets progress along pay scales. Governors manage the finances

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The leadership and management are good

effectively, including the spending of the pupil premium. They check that it enables eligible pupils to make progress at similar rates to their peers. Governors are aware that the sports funding is successfully promoting pupils' healthy lifestyles and physical well-being. They also work closely with to school to ensure safeguarding arrangements meet current 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 103695 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 440409

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School details

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

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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 760 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Richard Carter Headteacher Christine Lockwood Date of previous school inspection 15 March 2011 Telephone number 024 76221920 Fax number 02476 228026 Email address admin@frederickbird.coventry.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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