Graiseley Primary School

Graiseley Primary School Pool Street, Graiseley Hill, Wolverhampton, WV2 4NE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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 school with skills and knowledge well below those typical for their age. They make good progress throughout the school and reach average standards at the end of Year 6.  Since the last inspection, the school’s leaders and managers, including governors, have successfully improved teaching. It is now good and results in pupils achieving well.  The progress of each pupil is monitored very carefully and action is taken to get it back on track should it falter for any reason.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive and this supports their good progress.  Pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons is good. Pupils from a wide range of backgrounds get on well with each other. The school is a harmonious community.  Pupils feel safe because they understand ways to keep themselves safe. They know how important it is to speak to an adult if they have any concerns, and they trust the adults to help

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

them.  The leadership team has been strengthened since the last inspection and leaders at all levels have an understanding of school priorities.  Governors have an accurate view of the school and are not afraid to ask challenging questions and hold the senior leaders to account.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding. The outstanding teaching in the school is not shared with other staff to develop their skills further.  Teachers’ questions are not always phrased in a way that extends learning. Pupils are not always given enough opportunities to think things out for themselves.  Despite the efforts by the school, a few pupils do not attend regularly and attendance is currently below the national average.  Assessments in the Early Years Foundation Stage are not carried out consistently well by all staff.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons or parts of lessons and saw all classes in operation. Three of these observations were shared with senior leaders.  The inspectors observed morning playtime, lunchtime activities and attended two assemblies.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s data on pupils’ current progress, leaders’ reports on lesson observations, the school’s improvement plan, planning and monitoring documents, documents relating to safeguarding, and records relating to behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors looked at the work in pupils’ books and also scrutinised a range of their work as displayed around the school. They also talked to pupils and listened to them read.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, governors, senior leaders, staff and a representative from the local authority.  There were not enough responses on Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents (Parent View) to

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Information about this inspection

give a summary of parents’ views. However, inspectors looked at summaries of questionnaires sent out by the school to parents and interviewed a group of 10 parents at the start of the second day of the inspection.  The inspectors also received and considered the views of the 15 staff who completed questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Sarah Somers, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Carol Deakin Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average size for a primary school.  Almost all pupils are from minority ethnic groups. The large majority are from Punjabi Indian backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is much higher than the national average. It is growing year-on-year, with an increasing proportion of pupils joining the school in different year groups, many of whom speak little or no English when they arrive.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (which provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care, those known to be eligible for free school meals and others) is well above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported through school action is above average. The proportion of those who are supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the amount of outstanding teaching in order to raise pupils’ achievement further by:  ensuring that teachers use questioning consistently well in lessons to encourage pupils to give extended answers and deepen their thinking and understanding  ensuring that pupils are given time to think for themselves and show what they have learned  in the Early Years Foundation Stage, making consistently good use of assessment and the information gained from it, to plan learning and to show and track the progress and attainment of children  sharing and learning from the outstanding practice that exists within the school and its partner schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attendance levels to be consistently at or above national average by working even more closely with parents and carers who do not send their children to school on a regular basis.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When children start school, their language and communication skills are particularly weak. Although they make good progress, their attainment is still below average at the end of Reception because of their low starting points and the proportion who enter the school during the year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment by the end of Key Stage 1 was well below average overall in 2013. It was affected by the influx of the significant number of pupils who joined the school during Years 1 and 2. Data on the attainment of pupils who spent the whole of their time in Years 1 and 2 presents a much more positive picture and was broadly average in 2013.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The results of the reading check at the end of Year 1 were below the national average in 2013. To improve pupils’ understanding of phonics, the school has trained all staff in the use of a new scheme that has been implemented fully and is improving pupils’ phonic skills. Older pupils enjoy reading and read confidently.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is also adversely affected by the high proportion of pupils joining the school in different year groups with low prior attainment. Nevertheless, there has been an upward trend in attainment in recent years, which, as evidence from pupils’ work shows, is being sustained.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in mathematics has improved faster than the national rate, and reached the national average in 2013. Attainment in reading and writing were below but close to the national average. From the pupils’ low starting points, all of this represents good achievement.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 More-able pupils are given more difficult work to do in lessons and they enjoy the extra challenge arising from it. This helps them to make good progress. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher level 5 in reading, writing and mathematics was similar to national levels in 2013. All pupils demonstrate a willingness to learn and do well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The high number of pupils joining and leaving the school at different times in the school year makes it difficult to measure the progress of year groups as a whole. Most pupils made the progress expected of them from their different starting points and the proportion making good progress and better progress in mathematics in 2013 was above the national figure.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils supported by the pupil premium funding also make good progress. Since 2011, the gap in their attainment compared to their classmates has closed significantly across the school. In 2013, Year 6 pupils’ attainment in reading, writing, mathematics and grammar, punctuation and spelling was the same as that of other pupils in the school. Nationally, these pupils were over two terms behind other pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The high proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, including those speaking little or no English when they join the school, make good progress, particularly in learning to speak English, because the school provides good support for their diverse needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, make good progress because of the focused support they receive that is tailored to their specific needs.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers rightly place a high focus on developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills. They give pupils many opportunities to talk with and learn from each other in lessons and, at the same time, to develop their social skills. This contributes well to pupils’ learning and personal development. Reading and writing are also taught well therefore, throughout the school, pupils’ progress is improving.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Where teaching is at its most effective, for example, in an outstanding mathematics lesson in Year 6, tasks are challenging for pupils of all abilities. In that lesson, the levels of co-operation between pupils, their good mathematical thinking and the teachers’ incisive questioning, helped them to make rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers ask pupils questions and check their work to find out what they know. However, they do not always follow their initial questions up with additional questions to find out why pupils gave the answer that they did, and so check their understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching fosters in the pupils good attitudes to, and enjoyment of, learning. However, they sometimes provide answers too readily, thus pupils are not given the time or the opportunity to deepen their thinking and understanding even further, and their learning slows.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Some of the information from the assessments teachers have made in the Early Years Foundation Stage has not been consistent in showing attainment and progress and not used fully to plan learning. However, good achievement is evident in the children’s work, and in discussions with them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking and feedback are mostly regular and positive. In the best practice, pupils are informed of what they have done well, what they need to do to further improve, and have opportunities to respond to teachers’ comments and to correct their errors. Pupils know their individual targets and are able to discuss with the inspectors their next steps in learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive effective help from teaching assistants in lessons, as do pupils who are at the early stages of learning to speak English. This helps both groups to understand their work, to be fully involved in all activities, and make good progress. The school is effective in ensuring equality of opportunity for all pupils in their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and courteous to each other. Throughout the school, they demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and are keen to do well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils from a wide range of backgrounds behave well around the school site, in lessons, at breaktime, lunchtime and in assemblies. Pupils enjoy taking responsibilities, such as members of the school council and acting as peer monitors at playtime, all of which contribute to the orderly atmosphere.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s warm, supportive and respectful atmosphere is promoted effectively by staff who know the pupils well. Pupils understand the school’s behaviour management system and are delighted to receive rewards for their achievements and their behaviour. As a result, their self- esteem, confidence and self-discipline are nurtured well.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. As a result, pupils know how to keep themselves safe, and report that they feel very safe in school. They have a good awareness of different types of bullying, including name-calling, physical and cyber bullying. They say that bullying of any kind is rare. School records confirm this.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are confident that, should there ever be any form of harassment, teachers would deal with it quickly. They know that discrimination is not tolerated, and they are confident that any issues they raise will be dealt with promptly and effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance has improved since the previous inspection. It is below average but the school monitors it carefully and has clear systems in place to promote good attendance. Despite the best efforts of the school, a few families still take children out of school in term time.

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The leadership and management are good

 Good leadership and management by senior leaders have resulted in many improvements since the last inspection, all of which have had a positive impact on pupils’ progress and personal development. Thus, pupils’ learning and personal development have continued to improve, and the school is able to demonstrate the capacity for further improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Almost every one of the questionnaires returned by staff gave a very positive view of the school, the way it is led and the way staff are supported. One member of staff commented,’ The school has an excellent collaborative ethos that benefit both staff and pupils.’

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The leadership and management are good

 The school leadership, with external support from a National Leader in Education and the local Teaching School, has been effective in training and coaching staff in order to improve their teaching and pupils’ learning. The Local Authority has provided effective support to the school, including in providing training to support the teaching of pupils who are at the early stages of learning English.

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The leadership and management are good

 As a result of regular monitoring and support, teaching is now mostly good and, although some teaching still requires improvement, there are also examples of outstanding teaching in the school. The outstanding teaching has not been fully shared across the school to develop the skills of all staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 There has been a concerted drive to develop the leadership skills of those who have specific responsibilities. For example, the improved leadership of mathematics has been effective in improving standards and progress in that subject. The approach to improving the teaching of phonics has been measured and well received by staff. The leadership of special educational needs, which was a weakness at the last inspection, is now strong.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders at all levels demonstrate a commitment to equal opportunities and ensuring that there is no discrimination within the school. All staff contribute considerably to the school’s values of caring for and supporting the individual. Discussions with parents show that parents and carers have a positive view of the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school, rightly, focuses on developing the key skills in English and mathematics, and it successfully encourages pupils to use these skills in different subjects. At the same time, it is widening the range of additional activities available to the pupils, such as opportunities to play a musical instrument, visits to a literary festival to listen to authors and the development of a business enterprise for pupils.  Pupils’ good sense of right and wrong, their tolerance of and respect for other cultures and religions are all underpinned by a strong set of moral beliefs. As a result, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The school leadership sets the tone that prepares pupils remarkably well for life in a culturally diverse society.

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary schools sports funding is being used wisely to give pupils a better choice of before- and after-school sports clubs and to provide specialist training for teachers. Pupils are gaining more confidence and greater well-being from the additional physical activities.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school: - Governors have undertaken a range of training in key areas since the last inspection. They now provide a good level of support and challenge for the school. They understand data and how well the school is doing in comparison with other schools. They understand the challenges the school faces regarding pupil mobility. - Governors receive regular reports about the performance of the school and the quality of teaching, and what is being done to improve them. Salary proposals are subject to scrutiny to ensure that any increases are merited by a teacher’s performance. - The Governing Body also ensures that the school meets its statutory duties, and that safeguarding procedures, including those for child protection, meet current requirements. It also makes sure that pupil premium funding is used effectively to support and improve the pupils’ achievement, for example, through providing extra help in the classroom. It manages

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The leadership and management are good

the school’s finances effectively to ensure that all resources, including the primary schools sports funding, are spent wisely and in the best interests of the 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 104302 Local authority Wolverhampton Inspection number 431166

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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 200 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Elias Mattu Headteacher Sharifan Nasa Date of previous school inspection 10 July 2012 Telephone number 01902 558745 Fax number 01902 558745 Email address graiseleyprimaryschool@wolverhampton.gov.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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