Barry Primary School

Barry Primary School Barry Road, Northampton, NN1 5JS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Despite some strengths, the teaching has not been consistently strong enough to ensure that all pupils make good progress during their time at the school.  Pupils’ achievement in mathematics by Year 2, and in writing by Year 6, has not been as good as in reading.  The gap in attainment between pupils supported by additional government funding through the pupil premium and their classmates is narrowing but still too wide.  Not all teachers set work that challenges consistently the school’s more-able pupils.  Some teachers are not yet making full use of the improved data on pupils’ attainment and progress to plan lesson activities at the right level of difficulty.  A few subject leaders, relatively new to their posts, have not yet developed fully the skills needed to play their part in helping senior leaders to improve teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Most of the governors are newly appointed, and not all are yet in a position to fulfil their

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

role in holding school leaders to account.

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The school has the following strengths

 The acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher have worked together effectively to improve teaching and pupils’ achievement, and know what still needs to be done.  The quality of marking has improved. It is now supporting well the pupils’ improving progress and their attitudes to learning.  Pupils in the specially resourced provision are integrated fully into the school’s life and work.  A positive approach to pupils’ personal as well as their academic development results in their good behaviour, attitudes to learning and understanding of how to be and stay safe.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well.  The school successfully promotes a love of books and reading.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 27 lessons; 18 teachers and their teaching assistants were seen. Six lessons were seen jointly with the acting headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Daily registration time was observed and inspectors attended two music assemblies.  Inspectors looked at examples of pupils’ work, and heard a sample of pupils from both Key Stages 1 and 2 reading.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils selected at random by the lead inspector. In addition, many informal opportunities were taken to talk with pupils.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of school documents, including development plans, policies and reports on the school’s strengths and aspects for development, monitoring records and reports, safeguarding and curriculum materials, information provided for families, and governing body documents. The school’s data, including records tracking pupils’ progress, were reviewed.  Discussions and conversations were held with the acting head and deputy headteachers, special

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Information about this inspection

educational needs coordinator, Early Years Foundation Stage leaders, the specialist provision coordinator, subject leaders, class teachers, administrative staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The 46 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, were taken into account, as were individual letters and messages from parents to the inspection team. Inspectors also spoke personally with a number of parents at the start of the school day. The 23 responses to the questionnaire for school staff were also taken into account.

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Inspection team

Michael Miller, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lynne Thorogood Additional Inspector Stuart Williams Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher have both been fulfilling these roles in an acting capacity since September 2012. At the time of the inspection, the school was seeking applications for a permanent headteacher.  The majority of the pupils come from White British backgrounds.  The large majority of pupils speak English as their first language. Nearly one-third speak English as an additional language; this is well above average. However, few are at an early stage of English language development.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium (additional government funding for particular groups, including those known to be eligible for free school meals) is below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils or those who have special educational needs supported at school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a

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Information about this school

statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs. This caters for up to eight pupils aged 4 to 11 who have physical disabilities. There are currently three pupils, and they are integrated fully into the school’s mainstream classes. The provision is managed by the school on behalf of the local authority and takes its pupils from the Northampton and South Northamptonshire areas.  There is a privately run breakfast and after-school club during term time. Pre-school childcare is provided privately on the site. Both are inspected separately by Ofsted.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for the attainment and progress of pupils by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and achievement, particularly in mathematics and writing, by:  extending the opportunities for pupils to use and apply their mental mathematics and calculation skills across a wider range of subjects  taking every opportunity to develop and enrich their vocabulary so they can express themselves consistently well, and with increased confidence, in writing  ensuring that all teachers use data about pupils’ attainment and progress to plan and set work that is matched more closely to pupils’ different abilities  providing lesson activities that consistently challenge the most able pupils  sharing the best practice in the teaching of mathematics and writing across the whole school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the effectiveness of leadership and management by:  providing more support for the less-experienced subject and key stage leaders  enabling them to develop fully the skills they need to support senior leaders in checking the school’s work and raise pupils’ achievement further.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils make inconsistent progress in different subjects, and not enough pupils exceed nationally expected progress. Progress in reading is good, but attainment and progress in mathematics by Year 2, and writing by Year 6, require improvement. The school has recognised this and is taking appropriate action to resolve these issues, but it has not yet had a full impact on standards.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The gap in attainment between pupils eligible for the pupil premium and both their classmates and similar pupils nationally has been too wide. In 2013, Year 6 pupils eligible for the additional funding were on average six terms behind their classmates in reading, nearly six and a half terms in mathematics, and four terms in writing. Current data suggest that eligible pupils are starting to make increasingly improved progress and attainment is rising, but the gaps in some cases are still too large.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children enter the Nursery year with levels of skills and development which are below those expected nationally. For some, this is especially marked in their personal, social and emotional development and language skills. The school therefore concentrates on building children’s confidence and helping them prepare for learning in later years, so that by the end of Reception children have made good progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Good teaching of letters and sounds in the Early Years Foundation Stage contributes significantly to children’s improving progress in reading. By the time they transfer to Year 1, most have grasped well the strategies necessary for successful reading. This lays the foundations for the pupils’ enjoyment in reading, and their love of and respect for books, in later years.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils’ progress requires improvement. In 2013 attainment at the end of Year 2 was broadly average in reading and writing, but below in mathematics. At the end of Year 6, attainment was average in mathematics and reading, but below in writing. Weak spelling, grammar, punctuation and presentation of the work let a number of pupils down. Currently, teachers’ emphasis on marking and the expectation that pupils will undertake corrections and ‘edit’ their writing work is leading to improvements.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Most pupils make similar progress, including those who speak English as an additional language, pupils from different minority ethnic groups, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The few pupils who attend the school’s well-led specialist resource provision are integrated fully and successfully into the life and work of the school, so they achieve in line with other pupils. This illustrates well the school’s approach to ensuring pupils develop a clear understanding that any form of discrimination is wrong. The ways all pupils cooperate and work together also plays an important role in their willingness to learn and the ways they are able to contribute to improving their own achievement.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Sometimes pupils make better progress. An example of excellent learning was seen in a challenging Year 6 ‘Booster’ mathematics lesson. Two more-able pupils, both of whom spoke English as an additional language, held a most interesting discussion about whether negative numbers were as valid as positive ones. They explained well the different ways in which they approached the task. Discussions with other pupils showed how ‘Booster’ work has clarified their understanding of the use of the decimal point.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not yet consistently good. Inspection evidence including school records and other monitoring reports show that the quality of teaching has improved significantly since the previous inspection. However, these improvements have not yet resulted in improved attainment in national tests.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Good practice in the teaching of literacy and numeracy has not always been shared sufficiently in order to ensure pupils achieve consistently well in writing and mathematics across all year groups. Where this has happened, it is clearly having an impact. Where teachers provide work for pupils which is relevant to their everyday lives, progress is often at an even faster rate.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 In the Reception class, for example, children had great fun when using large building blocks to build a tower against which they measured themselves. This increased significantly their understanding of ‘taller’ and ‘shorter’, and they used their counting skills to calculate the number of sides of their structure. This not only enhanced their numeracy development, and concept of shape, but also helped to improve their physical control and concentration when building.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers plan work which pupils enjoy, but there is not always specific challenge to spark that extra level of interest of the more-able pupils. This aspect is improving but some teachers are not always using the school’s good data on pupils’ progress when planning work for pupils of different abilities.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Discussions with older pupils show how much they appreciate the fact that their books are now marked regularly and that this is kept up-to-date. Pupils are helped to know what to do to improve not only through comments in their books, but also through the oral feedback they receive in lessons. Pupils respond well to the expectation that they will react to feedback.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The improvements in tracking pupils’ progress have led to the much sharper monitoring this academic year of pupils who have special educational needs or who are at an early stage of English language development. Such monitoring takes place each half term, and the teachers are becoming more effective in recognising where accelerating progress may be supported through additional challenge or when to provide that extra bit of support to help those who may be finding learning more difficult.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils say that their teachers are good at letting them know there is no problem if they ‘get things wrong’ at times, and that it is a good thing to learn from their mistakes. Both teachers and pupils appreciate that it is helpful sometimes to take ‘risks’ and that this often adds to their enjoyment in teaching and learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They behave well in lessons and around the school and have good attitudes to learning. Pupils are keen to learn and rise well to the challenges their teachers set them. There is good cooperation between pupils; they take care for each other and value each other’s achievements, similarities and differences. Pupils from different backgrounds and ethnicities mix well together, sharing aspects of each other’s cultures, both at work and at play. Songs and games from different cultures enhance playtimes well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Consequently, pupils know and understand well how to keep each other safe in school. There are good working relationships between adults and pupils, and pastoral care is good. Discussions with pupils show that they know about the implications of bullying; they say that bullying is rare and if it does occur it is always dealt with helpfully by staff. School records support this.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils admit that there is some ‘naughtiness’ at times, but that this does not interfere with their learning. Most want to come to school; attendance is rising and is now average.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 All parents responding to the Parent View questionnaire, and all those inspectors talked with personally, say that their children are very happy at the school. The teaching and the curriculum contribute well to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and help them to develop as responsible young citizens. Throughout the inspection pupils were invariably, and naturally, polite. They often show a thoughtful and reflective curiosity and a positive view of life.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management are improving, but the leaders in charge of subjects and key stages and the governing body are not yet making a full contribution to improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 All staff who returned questionnaires agreed that they are proud to be at the school. Subject and key stage leaders are playing an important role in school improvement. Those who are new to their posts receive good support from senior leaders, but are still in the process of learning their craft as leaders. Subject leaders are also playing their part well in planning for the introduction of the new National Curriculum in autumn 2014.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The acting headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed to their posts only a few days before the previous inspection in September 2012. Since then, they have taken concerted action, reflected in the reports from three monitoring visits by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors, to resolve the issues from the last inspection. In this, the school has shown steady and secure capacity to improve. This has built towards the improving progress pupils are now making.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority has been monitoring the school carefully since its previous inspection, and has been active in helping staff with additional training and coaching. The authority is also active in suggesting potential links with other local good and outstanding schools to support the senior leadership team in their monitoring of teaching and learning.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Joint lesson observations with inspectors show that leaders have an accurate view of the quality of teaching and learning. The ways in which they analyse learning and discuss lessons with teachers are both supportive and effective.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders are making good use of the primary school sport funding. They have brought in an external provider to enhance the physical education and sporting activities for pupils. This is proving popular; one summed up the typical view when describing the lessons as ‘Epic!’ The school is already planning the next stage, which will involve the staff in additional training to develop their own expertise in sport and physical education. The funding has also been used to enable the school to join others locally in competitive sports.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The governors understand how the school is performing in relation to others nationally. They are aware of the quality of teaching, and appreciate well that in the 2013 Year 6 national tests, the achievement of pupils supported by the pupil premium was not good enough. The acting deputy headteacher has produced an analysis of eligible pupils’ current achievement, which has still to be presented to the governing body. The required statement for parents, reporting on the impact of the spending of this funding during the last academic year, and how it is to be spent during the current year, was not available at the time of the inspection  Governors ensure legal requirements are met, including those for safeguarding. The new Chair of the Governing Body, in particular, has worked with staff to ensure clear guidelines for them as to how salaries are linked to pupils’ progress, teaching quality and the national Teachers’

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The leadership and management requires improvement

Standards  The governing body has already commissioned an independent review of its work, and this is due shortly. It has also undertaken an audit of its own skills to identify training needs and make the best use of new governors. Because governors are still learning their roles and responsibilities, it has been decided to postpone the establishment of a full committee structure until after the independent review has taken place. Currently, all business in transacted by the full governing body at monthly meetings.

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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 121939 Local authority Northamptonshire Inspection number 431611

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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 468 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tim Bartlett Headteacher Anne Smith (acting headteacher) Date of previous school inspection 13 September 2012 Telephone number 01604 234574 Fax number 01604 639687 Email address head@barry.northants-ecl.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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