Rood End Primary School

Rood End Primary School Rood End Road, Oldbury, B68 8SQ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Inadequate 4

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires special measures.  Achievement is inadequate because standards at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 are consistently low compared with the national average. In the last two years, pupils have not made enough progress in English and mathematics.  Teachers do not expect enough of pupils, resulting in work that does not challenge them enough.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) needs to improve. This means that pupils do not develop their reading skills effectively.  Pupils have too few opportunities to read and write and apply their mathematical skills in a range of subjects.  Attendance, although improving, is below average.  Leaders and managers do not check whether their actions have had a beneficial effect on pupils’ achievement.  Governors do not hold the senior leaders rigorously to account for the school’s effectiveness. Leaders and governors have not set themselves timely, measurable targets in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

their action plans. They do not hold teachers fully to account for pupils’ progress.

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The school has the following strengths

 School leaders have begun to make improvements in the quality of teaching and this is starting to have a positive effect on the progress of pupils currently in the school.  Pupils say they feel safe and are very aware of how to keep themselves safe on the internet.  Progress in the Nursery and Reception classes is now good. New ways of checking on children’s progress mean that staff identify children who might need extra support quickly and put appropriate help in place.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 24 lessons or part lessons, of which two were joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. In addition, inspectors made several short visits to lessons.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body, senior and subject leaders and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, monitoring documentation, records relating to the management of teachers’ performance and safeguarding, and the school’s self-evaluation and improvement planning.  Questionnaires completed by 26 staff were analysed.  There was a very low response to the online questionnaire (Parent View) but inspectors used the start of the day to talk to parents and gather their views.

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Inspection team

Patricia Hunt, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Stephen Matthews Additional Inspector Alwyne Jolly Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  A high proportion of pupils are from minority backgrounds. The majority are of Pakistani heritage. The remaining pupils are of White British, Indian, Caribbean and White and Black Caribbean and Eastern European heritage.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average, although few are at the early stages of learning English.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is well above average. This is government funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority, and pupils with a parent in the armed services.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special education needs is broadly average.

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Information about this school

 There have been a number of staff changes recently, including changes to the leadership team.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better in order to raise pupils’ achievement by:  making sure that all teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve  placing an increased emphasis on improving pupils’ skills in English and mathematics and giving pupils more opportunity to apply these skills across different subjects  using assessment information to set work at the right level of difficulty to challenge different ability groups, so that learning moves at a faster pace  improving the teaching of phonics so that pupils learn to read well and are able to apply their skills to developing their spelling and writing.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:  checking frequently and rigorously that all pupils are making good progress in all subjects, and making sure that teachers are challenged about underperformance in their class  ensuring that systems for managing teachers’ performance are robust and that staff are made accountable for meeting challenging performance targets relating to pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics  including clear measures of success in the school’s improvement plans to help leaders and governors evaluate how well teaching is improving and how much progress pupils are making  identifying more effective measures to tackle persistent absence and improve attendance to at least the national average  ensuring that governors have the expertise to hold the school rigorously to account.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

Ofsted has made recommendations to the authority responsible for the school on governance. This will include an external review of governance.

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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 in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Standards at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 are consistently low. In 2013, the proportion of pupils who reached Level 4 in reading at the end of Key Stage 2 dipped further, widening the gap between the attainment of pupils in this school and that of pupils nationally. In the last two years, not enough pupils have made expected or better than expected progress in English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Although achievement is beginning to rise, this improvement is only very recent. Systems for monitoring pupils’ progress have been established but the school is too slow in identifying those at risk of underachieving.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 The results of the screening check in phonics (letters and the sounds they make) at the end of Year 1 were below the national average in 2012 and 2013. In the Nursery and Reception, staff training and careful tracking of children’s progress mean that current children have a secure grasp of the links between letters and sounds. However, systems to help pupils learn phonics are not used consistently well to develop their reading skills in Key Stage 1 and beyond. Pupils throughout the school read regularly but they do not get the opportunity to read in different subjects. Displays around the school do not promote a culture for reading.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 The progress made by disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is also inadequate. These pupils receive good pastoral support that means they make strides in their confidence and engagement in lessons. However, although there are individual examples of pupils making good progress from their starting points, too few have made expected or better than expected progress. Where teaching is good, these pupils’ learning is well supported by the work set and the additional help available. However, too often, these pupils are not given enough time to practise key skills and teaching assistants do not give them the chance to have a go at working things out for themselves. This means that some become overly dependent on support.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 There is no significant difference in attainment and progress between pupils from different minority ethnic backgrounds.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 More-able pupils are not all making the progress they should. These pupils make faster progress in those lessons where they are set appropriate and challenging work and they rise to this challenge.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 There is some evidence that pupils are now making faster progress than in the past, particularly in Key Stage2. However they have much ground to make up before they can close the gap between their attainment and that of pupils nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are usually positive, especially when the activities are exciting and offer good challenge. During the inspection, pupils talked confidently about the features of an autobiography and then showed they could apply this knowledge in their writing.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Pupils across year groups eligible for support from the pupil premium make good progress and so catch up with their classmates as they go through the school. However, in 2013, although the attainment of Year 6 pupils eligible for support from the pupil premium was in line with that of their classmates in mathematics and writing, it was a term behind in reading.  Children start in the Nursery and Reception classes with knowledge, skills and understanding well below those typical for their age. During the Early Years Foundation Stage, the majority of children make the progress they are expected to. However, by the end of Reception they still have grounds to make up as only just over a third have achieved a good level of development, including literacy and mathematical development.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 The school regularly receives new pupils into different year groups. Many of these have English as an additional language. There are appropriate systems in place to integrate them quickly into the class. These pupils settle quickly and start to make progress immediately, particularly in their spoken English.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 The school’s use of its primary sport funding is leading to pupils’ physical skills improving and providing them with a greater understanding of healthy lifestyles.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Although teaching has started to improve so that there is now some good and outstanding teaching in English and mathematics, the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning over time is inadequate. This is because it has not ensured that pupils make the rapid progress needed to catch up on lost ground.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Most pupils are keen to learn and quick to settle to activities, particularly when their teachers set work or introduce topics that excite and challenge them. However, sometimes teachers set pupils activities that do not encourage or motivate them. This leads to pupils becoming inattentive.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Teachers do not always expect enough of pupils or use assessment information well enough when planning their lessons and setting work for the pupils. Sometimes, pupils are frustrated because teachers spend too much time going over things they already know and can do, when they want to get on with the activities. This is especially the case for the most able pupils.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Pupils' work is regularly marked in English and mathematics and generally gives guidance on next steps that pupils need to take to improve their work. However pupils' work is not marked as regularly in other subjects.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The school has identified weaknesses in pupils’ skills in English and mathematics across all year groups. Leaders know where these weaknesses are and they are attempting to address them. Nevertheless, teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to practise their key skills across the curriculum. For example, pupils only practise their writing in English and rarely in other subjects.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Teaching and learning is good in the Nursery and Reception classes. The classrooms offer a rich variety of learning experiences. Children enjoy the activities and show perseverance in their chosen tasks. Teachers in the Early Years Foundation Stage have strengthened their focus on promoting early reading skills. Children in Reception are able to link letters and sounds together to read simple words and sentences as a result of this more systematic teaching. They show a keen interest in books.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 At times, teaching assistants’ skills are not used to best effect. This is when pupils are have work that is too easy for them and at times when pupils are have too much help.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The school has a clear reward and sanctions system. However, in lessons, not all teachers use this consistently; for example, to praise, reward and encourage pupils who are doing well.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The school’s commitment to improving pupils’ mathematics skills was clear during the inspection, particularly in ‘snappy maths’ in the mornings, and ‘problem-solving Friday’. Pupils enjoy the practical learning activities, particularly in ‘snappy maths’ where rote learning and rhyme are used effectively.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Pupils come into school early, often to read teachers’ comments in their books and act upon them. Teachers base tasks on the gaps in pupils’ learning. The pupils say that they find this valuable and it helps them to move on to new learning. However, not all of these tasks are challenging enough.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The quality of support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs varies, as does that for other pupils who need extra help with their learning. Although examples were seen of well-focused support that helped individual pupils to make good progress, this was not always the case. Sometimes the support focused too much on completing a task rather than helping the child to understand it.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 In some classes, displays are vibrant and support learning . In one lesson, where the pupils were thinking of adjectives to describe a character in the story Little Red Riding Hood, pupils used the displays to help them.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

The behaviour and safety of pupils require improvement.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Although pupils can, and often do, behave well in classrooms and around the school. In lessons which do not stimulate their interests, match their abilities or allow them to find things out, pupils find it hard to sustain their concentration. A few become restless or subdued.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Attendance is below average. While improvement has been made since the previous inspection, too many pupils are persistently absent. The school works in partnership with the education welfare officer to target the high numbers of pupils who do not come to school. This is having a positive effect in some cases.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The school analyses absence data in detail and has identified patterns of absence. For example, discussion has taken place with local community leaders about how the community can support the school in its drive to improve attendance.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Relationships in lessons are positive. Pupils respect and care for each other and their teachers.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Pupils usually behave well at break times and lunchtimes. They are polite and courteous to each other and to their teachers. In the dining hall, older pupils are given responsibility for supporting younger ones and for clearing the tables.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Arrangements for safeguarding and child protection fully meet current requirements. Pupils are clear that they feel safe at the school. Their view is supported by parents and carers who expressed their opinions through Parent View and by those who spoke to inspectors. Pupils understand the risks associated with the internet and have a good knowledge of how to keep themselves safe.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive a high level of pastoral care.  Pupils say there is hardly any bullying and that any that occurs is dealt with effectively by the school. Pupils have a good understanding of what constitutes bullying, including cyber-bullying.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Leadership and management are inadequate because the school’s performance has declined since the last inspection. Leaders in the past have not checked rigorously enough whether their actions are having a beneficial effect on pupils’ achievement.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The school’s improvement plan identifies key development priorities but it does not set out timescales for actions or clear success criteria to measure their impact. The local authority is now supporting the school to address this.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Leaders now have clearer systems to record data and are starting to hold teachers accountable. There is a system for managing teachers’ performance, but the targets set for teachers are not sufficiently challenging for pupils to make rapid progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Members of the senior leadership team are leading and managing a number of key areas. This overstretches them and ultimately slows down school improvement.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Leaders do not yet demonstrate the capacity to improve. They have only recently started to address some of the key areas for improvement from the previous inspection. There have been recent improvements in teaching following the appointment of the deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher, but this improvement has been too slow to reverse the decline since the last inspection.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The school provides well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through its broad and balanced curriculum. In lessons, inspectors often saw pupils willingly reflecting on their own experiences and using their imagination and understanding of the consequences of their actions.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities that topic work and enrichment activities offer, such as using the information they have learnt about the Aztecs to plan, design and build the sort of bridges that may have been built by the Aztecs to avoid invasion. Inspectors also saw drumming lessons where pupils showed enthusiasm and a keenness to practise and perform their skills. However, the curriculum does not give pupils enough opportunities to use and develop their writing and mathematical skills across different subjects.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The primary sports funding is being used to increase the number of physical activities for pupils. As well as directly working with the pupils, teachers are developing their own confidence and subject knowledge in physical education.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Pupil premium funding is being used to support the attainment of pupils for whom it is intended and the impact of the funding can be seen in the achievement of pupils in mathematics and writing who are eligible for pupil premium. A large amount of the money has been spent on tablet computers so that pupils can access the internet. The school has not yet checked the impact this had on pupils’ progress, especially on pupils’ literacy skills. Enrichment activities are also funded by the pupil premium. These include visits to the theatre and a residential trip.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The local authority has provided good support to help leaders identify and work on the most important things which need improvement. It has worked closely with the school, providing leaders with various forms of assistance. This has included help with observing the quality of teaching and support in analysing data. However there is still much ground to make up and the quality of teaching and learning is not yet secure.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Newly qualified teachers should not be appointed.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The governance of the school:  Governors are committed to supporting school leaders but they have not held them to account for the low standards over time and since the previous inspection. Governors understand the need to improve achievement in the school but were unaware of the areas for development in the school’s improvement plan and, consequently, have not challenged the headteacher rigorously enough. They are aware of how teachers’ performance is managed and that pay rises are linked to performance. Governors are aware of how pupil premium funding and sports funding are being spent but do not know what impact these have had. Governors receive training and are aware of the skills among its members. However, new governors have not yet received any specific training. Governors make sure statutory responsibilities are met.

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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 103984 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 431879

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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 Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 395 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sam Atkinson Headteacher Barbara Carter Date of previous school inspection 12 July 2011 Telephone number 0121 552 1866 Fax number 0121 552 1922 Email address barbara.carter@roodend.sandwell.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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