Lanesfield Primary School

Lanesfield Primary School Newman Avenue, Lanesfield, Wolverhampton, WV4 6BZ

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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.  Achievement is good. From starting points which are below those typically expected for their age, pupils make good progress across the school and reach standards that are broadly average by the end of Year 6.  Most teaching is good and some is outstanding. Lessons are well planned and teachers expect pupils to do their best at all times.  Behaviour is good in the classroom and around school. Relationships between pupils and adults are very positive and, as a result, pupils work hard and want to do well.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils, parents and staff agree that pupils feel safe and that they know how to keep themselves safe.  The bright and vibrant displays around school and in all classrooms celebrate the high-quality work pupils produce and show the wide range of subjects they cover.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted by the school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher inspires her entire team to work well together for the good of the pupils. As a result, considerable improvements in teaching, achievement, behaviour and attendance have been made since the previous inspection.  Governors are very well informed and have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They are not afraid to ask challenging questions and hold senior leaders to account.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching to increase progress rates further.  Teachers do not always allow pupils to move on quickly with their work when they understand it, especially the most able. This slows their progress down.  In some lessons, pupils are not clear about what they have to do.  Leaders collect information about pupils’ progress but do not make full use of the range of evidence available to improve teaching further.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in all classes. They saw 21 part-lessons, three of which were jointly observed with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  Discussions were held with pupils, teachers, the headteacher, governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 12 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) together with other survey information collected by the school. They also spoke informally to parents as they brought their children to school.  Questionnaires from 24 staff were received and their views taken into account.  Inspectors observed the behaviour of pupils at break time, lunchtime and around school.  The inspection team listened to pupils read, spoke with them about their learning and looked at the work in their books.  The inspectors looked at a number of documents, including the school’s checks on how well it is doing, the school improvement plan, data on pupils’ current progress, leaders’ reports following

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Information about this inspection

lesson observations, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lesley Else Additional Inspector Glen Goddard Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises of Nursery and two Reception classes.  Less than half of the pupils are White British with the remaining pupils coming from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds, but predominantly Indian. Most pupils speak English at home as their first language.  A higher proportion of pupils leave and join the school other than at the normal time of entry.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils in local authority care, children with a parent in the armed services and those known to be eligible to receive free school meals, is above average.

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Information about this school

 The on-site breakfast club and after-school care are managed by a private provider and therefore inspected separately.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching so that it is all consistently good and more is outstanding to drive progress at an even faster pace, by making sure that:  the most-able pupils are quickly moved on to harder work in lessons, where appropriate, especially in Key Stage 2  teachers model and explain tasks clearly so that pupils know precisely what to do.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make the effectiveness of leadership and management outstanding by:  drawing on all sources of evidence about pupils’ progress to improve teaching further  using the outstanding practice that already exists in the school to help improve teaching in other classes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with skills, knowledge and understanding which are below those expected for their age in all areas of learning. Good-quality teaching and care help children to make good progress. As a result, children reach a good level of development across the main areas of learning and join Year 1 with age-appropriate skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in Year 1 and 2 is good in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have risen over the last three years and are now average. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels has also risen impressively in reading and mathematics. The schools’ own records show that pupils in the current Year 2 are making rapid progress and are on track to exceed previous results.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress across Years 3 to 6 is also good. Pupils reach standards which are average at the end of Year 6, whereas they were below average when they entered Year 3. A significant number of pupils also join part way through Key Stage 2, but these pupils achieve as well as those who are on roll from Year 2 due to the good induction procedures and support they receive. The school’s own assessment information and work sampled in pupils’ books confirm that all groups of pupils achieve well, including those from minority ethnic backgrounds. However, not enough pupils reach the higher levels.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with very low levels of reading but make good progress due to the early and effective teaching of letters and the sounds they make (phonics). Their progress accelerates as they move through the school. Results in the Year 1 phonics screening check are below average but, by the end of Year 2, standards are average. Reading is very strongly promoted across the school and older pupils continue to read regularly and develop good reading habits; for example, reading at bedtime.

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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 good-quality teaching they receive, both within and outside lessons. Specialist advice and support are provided by outside agencies. Teaching assistants also provide help, individually and in small groups, on areas which pupils struggle with. This practice helps these pupils to keep up with their classmates, demonstrating the school’s active promotion of equality of opportunity.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school uses its additional pupil premium funding well to provide additional teaching support in literacy and numeracy, to raise attendance, purchase additional resources to help pupils learn more rapidly and to develop pupils’ personal development by subsidising clubs and visits. Although the eligible pupils who left Year 6 in 2013 were on average about two terms behind other pupils in writing and mathematics, there was no gap in their reading. Most pupils who receive additional support make good progress and achieve well, including those who join the school part way through their primary education.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 While almost all more-able pupils make the progress expected nationally, relatively few make faster progress because they are not moved forward quickly enough in lessons when they show they understand and can easily do the work set for them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teaching is good and some is outstanding. The proportion of outstanding teaching has increased over the last two years but a small proportion still requires improvement.  In the Nursery and Reception classes, children make good progress because of effective teaching and well-planned activities. There is strong emphasis on developing children’s language skills, especially their reading. Adults regularly ask questions to check and extend children’s levels of understanding and they provide high-quality care.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils have clear targets for improving their learning and all classes receive regular homework, including Nursery. Exciting and imaginative lessons are planned which build effectively on pupils’ prior learning. Computers and laptops are also used regularly to reinforce and develop pupils’ skills; for example, reading stories in Reception and solving mathematical problems in Year 6.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants make an effective contribution to pupils’ learning and collaborate well with class teachers. They provide valuable support for individuals or small groups within lessons and they run purposeful sessions outside the classroom for pupils who are struggling. This extra well-targeted support ensures that the pupils who are supported make the same progress as their classmates.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Work in pupils’ books displays clear progress showing that teaching has been good over time. Work is marked regularly and teachers add helpful and positive comments. Guidance is often given to tell pupils how they can improve their work. Often, pupils themselves assess how well they feel they have done.

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The quality of teaching is good

 When teaching is at its best, teachers use lively and imaginative teaching strategies to capture pupils’ imagination and develop their thinking. For example, in a Year 5/6 mathematics lesson, pupils sorted various items including sweets, fruit and shoes to find the mean, median and mode. All pupils were engrossed and concentration levels were extremely high. They worked co- operatively in small groups and agreed their responses. As a result, progress in this lesson was rapid.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the few lessons where teaching is not as strong, work is not clearly explained or modelled by the teacher so pupils are unsure about what they have to do, and so they make mistakes. Sometimes, teachers do not move pupils on swiftly enough when pupils are able to do the work confidently, especially the most able. This limits pupils’ progress, with the result that not enough reach the higher levels of which they are capable.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils have very positive attitudes to learning and love school. Several pupils said they were ‘sad when it’s school holidays’. Pupils are smart in their appearance and wear their school uniform with pride. They also ensure that they look after school property and present the work in their books neatly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave responsibly in and around the school. Behaviour in lessons and on the playground is consistently good. Pupils are polite and respectful to adults at all times. It is the norm to hold doors open for adults and even the youngest children say ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ without being prompted. All pupils work well together in lessons and play happily together at playtimes.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a very clear understanding of the school behaviour policy and the sanctions and rewards in place. The use of behaviour charts in all classes is highly effective. Pupils are democratically involved in deciding if pupils have earned the right to return to the ‘green’ zone on the behaviour chart if they have misbehaved. Pupils have an excellent understanding that poor behaviour can have a detrimental impact on their learning.  Parents, staff and pupils who expressed their views agree that behaviour is good. This is also evidenced in school records. Where incidents do occur, these are dealt with effectively and appropriate actions taken.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Leaders make sure that pupils are safe in school. Entry to the premises is well managed and staff who are recruited are rigorously checked.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe and have an excellent knowledge about potential dangers, including over using the internet and talking to strangers.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are very clear that there are no bullies at Lanesfileld and they have a good level of understanding about different forms of bullying, including physical, verbal and cyber-bullying. They are aware of who to talk to if they have a concern or problem.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school works exceptionally well to ensure the safety and well-being of pupils and their families facing challenging circumstances. This involves a close team, including a home-school liaison officer, who liaises between home and school. They provide excellent support to pupils in school and to hard-to-reach families, promoting good attendance and going the extra mile to make sure that pupils are safe.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school and this is shown in their improving attendance, which so far this year is broadly average. There are effective systems for checking on and following up any pupils who are persistently absent. As a result, the numbers of pupils who do not attend regularly is reducing year-on-year.

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The leadership and management are good

 The quality of leadership and management at all levels, including governance, is good throughout the school. This is evidenced by the improved achievement, teaching, attendance and behaviour over the past three years.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s strong leadership and effective management of the school have established high staff morale and a widely shared commitment to continuous improvement. She is ably supported by the deputy headteacher and wider leadership team, all who have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Well-devised action plans carefully match school priorities and are successful in bringing about improvement; for example, in relation to attainment in Key Stage 1.

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The leadership and management are good

 The tracking and recording of information on pupils’ progress is detailed. The information on different groups of pupils, which the headteacher collates, is comprehensive and used to identify pupils who are in danger of falling behind. This information is then shared with teachers and support assistants who provide additional teaching as needed. Pupils who join the school partway through their primary education are assessed early and provided with extra help immediately if needed. Good teaching then ensures they make good progress along with other pupils who have been at the school longer.

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The leadership and management are good

 Regular checks are made on the quality of teaching but the information is not always scrutinised sufficiently to determine where additional support can be put in place to help individual teachers improve their practice further; for example, sharing outstanding practice that exists within the school or looking at progress data to see if teachers need support in a particular subject.  Annual targets are set for teachers based on the school priorities and linked to the Teachers’ Standards. Reviews are carried out to make sure that teachers are achieving these targets. Progression on the pay scale is closely linked to these reviews and pay increases only awarded where the targets set have been met.

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The leadership and management are good

 The lively and creative curriculum helps pupils achieve well. Exciting topics, such as ‘The Frozen Planet’ and ‘The Rainforest’, are always linked to a set reading text. This strongly promotes literacy skills. Very high-quality displays are also the norm in every classroom and provide a rich and stimulating learning environment for pupils, where examples of their work are celebrated. A wide range of visits and visitors contribute to pupils’ learning and provide memorable experiences. Pupils appreciate and are involved in a wide range of extra-curricular clubs.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are strongly promoted. Regular assemblies and reflection time make a significant contribution to pupils’ spiritual and moral development. Visits to museums and galleries, and learning about different religions, together with learning about other countries, make sure that pupils have a good understanding and appreciation of other cultures and practices.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school uses its primary sports funding well to provide additional physical education lessons led by a sports coach. Other activities have also been extended, including a wider range of after- school clubs and offering swimming lessons to more classes. This is leading to improved physical skills, health and well-being, and increased participation in local competitions.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has confidence in the leadership and management of the school. It has provided valuable support which has been effective and appreciated by leaders. It keeps a careful eye on how well the school is doing and provides challenge and support as needed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are highly committed and fully involved in the life of the school. They are very well informed as they visit classrooms and receive regular and comprehensive information on how well pupils are doing and on the quality of teaching. They ensure that staff, including the headteacher, meet their targets before considering any recommendations for pay awards. They have a good understanding of data about pupils’ achievement and compare it to other schools’ nationally. They are also aware of how the pupil premium and sports funding are spent and the effect the funding is having on pupils’ achievement. Governors take full advantage of training opportunities; for example, in relation to safer recruitment and managing finance. This helps keep their knowledge and skills up to date and ensures that they fully meet their statutory duties, including those in relation to pupils’ safeguarding.

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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 104327 Local authority Wolverhampton Inspection number 431536

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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 337 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Adeana Foulkes Headteacher Julie Slater Date of previous school inspection 20 May 2009 Telephone number 01902 558950 Fax number 01902 558951 Email address lanesfieldprimaryschool@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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