West Park Primary School

West Park Primary School Devon Road, Whitmore Reans, Wolverhampton, WV1 4BE

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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.  Pupils make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1.  In Key Stage 2, pupils make at least good and sometimes outstanding progress.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make outstanding progress.  Pupils’ attainment in Key Stage 1 has improved rapidly this year.  In lessons, pupils with a broad range of abilities are given work that is hard enough for them and interests them.  Pupils enjoy their learning, and are given exciting materials to work with.  Pupils really want to learn and get on well with their teachers and other adults.  Pupils help each other in class and are good at following instructions.  Pupils feel that the school is a safe place and they consider that keeping each other safe is a priority.  Leaders and managers have improved teaching and pupils’ performance through leading by example. Their lessons bring about outstanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupil progress.  Governors work closely with the senior leaders so that they know what is going on in the school. They take effective action quickly if there are risks of underperformance.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The progress of pupils can vary within a lesson. It can be outstanding for part of, but not all of, the lesson time.  Books are marked regularly. However, pupils do not always find the comments that teachers make help them improve their work.  Pupils assess how well they have done and how well their peers have done. However this does not always help them to do better.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 24 lessons or part lessons. Five lessons or part lessons were observed jointly with members of the senior leadership team.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, governors, staff and with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a range of evidence, including the school’s self-evaluation, its monitoring of teaching over time and safeguarding arrangements. They observed the school’s work, looked at pupils’ books and the tracking system used to monitor pupils’ progress and behaviour.  There were not enough responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, for inspectors to take into consideration. Inspectors spoke to parents and considered the responses to the school’s parent and pupil questionnaires, and the 11 responses to the staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Miranda Perry, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Helen Owen Additional Inspector Gerald Griffin Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 West Park Primary School is a larger-than-average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported through school action is above average. The proportion at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the additional pupil premium funding is above average. This is provided for children in the care of the local authority and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  The number of pupils who join or leave partway through the year is higher than in primary

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Information about this school

schools nationally, and has risen recently. The majority of these pupils join the school with limited English language skills and have not been in receipt of formal schooling.  The school is led jointly by the headteacher who is due to retire at the end of the summer term, and an acting headteacher who has been appointed as the full time headteacher from September 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that more of it is outstanding by ensuring:  pupils find teachers’ written comments in books helpful and support them in making outstanding progress

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the progress of pupils, so that it is consistently outstanding by planning lessons and activities which result in pupils making outstanding progress throughout the lesson.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children join Nursery with skills and knowledge below those typical for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage where children are given lots of opportunities to read and write, listen to stories and read to adults.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Good progress continues in Key Stage 1 so that pupils’ attainment is rising, particularly in reading and writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In reading, writing and mathematics the proportion of pupils making the nationally expected rate of progress or better in Key Stage 2 was above national rates in 2013. The progress of pupils who attended the school from Year 2 to Year 6 was outstanding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school does not tolerate discrimination and promotes equality of opportunity. As a result, pupils who speak English as an additional language make outstanding progress. If they need to improve their understanding of English, the school works with them in small groups and has high expectations of them, so their literacy improves rapidly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who have special educational needs make good progress. The school deploys staff effectively so these pupils get the extra help they need to achieve well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013 the attainment of pupils supported through additional funding was broadly equal to other pupils in the national tests at Key Stage 2 in mathematics, two terms behind in writing and three terms behind them in reading. The school measures the progress of eligible pupils thoroughly so they can take effective action if the pupils fall behind. As a result, the attainment of these pupils has improved further.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who arrive at the school partway through the year make good and sometimes outstanding progress. This is because the school works hard to develop their positive attitudes to learning, and good relationships in the classroom.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, the progress pupils make in understanding letters and sounds has improved rapidly over the last year. They are organised into groups so the work is difficult enough for them. However, because of their low starting points the proportion who reached the expected levels in the phonics checks at both the ends of Year 1 and Year 2 were lower than the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils make good progress. They are given extra work which engages them. For example, in a Year 2 mathematics lesson, one girl said, ‘I always get onto the extension work. It’s never easy, but I like it, because I have to put my clever hat on.’

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The progress pupils make is not always consistent during a lesson. For example, in a few lessons introductions become dull for pupils and sometimes the ends of lessons do not link enough for pupils to what they have already learnt.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good, and in some year groups, it is outstanding. Teachers use pupils’ work and displays to make classrooms attractive and inspiring.  Pupils learn well when questions make them think. In a Year 3 lesson on Greek myths, pupils were able to describe a character well because the teacher challenged them to consider the detail of the character’s actions, personality and appearance.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs learn well. This is because the adults who support them have expertise in how to help them overcome their problems with understanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In lessons, pupils are enthusiastic and proud of their learning. In a Year 4 lesson on dividing numbers, one boy said, ‘I have done three sums. I’m pleased. That’s the best learning I’ve done today.’

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. When children are learning to read, they are given books which excite them. One child said, ‘I am going to burst if I don’t hear the end of this story.’

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language are taught well. If their English is limited they develop their reading, writing, speaking and listening with great confidence. This is because staff working with them are very positive and encouraging.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All pupils have note books where they can make rough notes and jot down ideas. Pupils feel that this helps them to learn well in lessons. One Key Stage 2 pupil said, ‘I don’t worry about making mistakes because I work them out in my note book first. This means my best work is really my best work.’

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The quality of teaching is good

 The most-able pupils are taught well. They know the teachers have high expectations of them, and appreciate opportunities they get to challenge themselves. A group of Key Stage 2 boys said, ‘Whenever we get homework, we know the teacher expects us to push ourselves.’

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils say that their books are marked regularly. However, they say that sometimes they do not find what the teacher writes helpful.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good because, in all year groups, they concentrate in lessons, listen well to instructions and tidy up quickly and quietly after each activity, ready for the next.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 When they work in pairs or groups, they take responsibility for ensuring everybody is working hard, staying on task and learning well. One Year 5 pupil said to her group, ‘We all know here that we must concentrate, so let’s do that.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are polite, courteous and very willing to do jobs around the school. For example, they compete to be the ones who give out cutlery and drinks at lunchtime.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils who arrive partway through the year, with little previous experience of formal schooling, sometimes find it difficult at first to behave well. The school has been extremely successful in improving their behaviour by working very closely with parents and members of their local community.  Pupils’ long and short term absence has reduced significantly over the last year. Pupils respond well to praise and rewards for good attendance. They come to school because they enjoy it. One Year 6 pupil said, ‘I always come because I wouldn’t want to miss anything.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. The school focuses on the development of pupils’ social, moral, cultural and spiritual understanding. Pupils take the responsibility for being kind and caring to each other very seriously. They pride themselves on making any new arrivals to the school most welcome, for example, by learning words in their languages.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Because pupils come from so many different backgrounds, they think that bullying is not appropriate and they will not tolerate it. ‘You see,’ one Key Stage 2 pupil said,’ if children come from a difficult place, they can’t come here and be bullied, can they?’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe and, for example, are very clear about the potential risks of the internet. They feel the school keeps them up to date on how to be safe when using a computer.

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The leadership and management are good

 The way the headteacher and acting headteacher have worked together has made leadership very strong. They are united in their ambition and non-acceptance of any teaching and performance that is less than good.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders feel very well supported by their senior managers to bring about improvement. They have received considerable training to ensure they are experts in their field, and can share their expertise with colleagues.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage are good. The leader has been effective in identifying the right priorities which have led to the improvements in reading and writing.

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The leadership and management are good

 The performance of staff is managed so that teachers take responsibility for making sure pupils at risk of underachieving, achieve well. In the last year, senior leaders have introduced regular meetings with each teacher to discuss the progress of individual pupils and make sure appropriate action is taken.

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The leadership and management are good

 Managers at all levels have a good understanding of how their pupils can learn best. For example, they understand how to help pupils with limited English learn English quickly. They understand how to support pupils who have not had much experience of school to settle in lessons and behave well for learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority understands the demands placed on the school by having pupils who arrive partway through the school year and provides good support. They have been effective in supporting the school to understand its own strengths and weaknesses, and take action if there is a risk of teaching becoming less than good.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has been very successful in working with parents. Parents feel that they are involved in school life and have a clear understanding of how well their children are doing. Parents value the school’s parent group which helps them to support the learning of their children at home.

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The leadership and management are good

 As a result of primary school sports funding, pupils’ performance has improved because they are involved in a much greater range of activities this year than last year. For example, they now participate in a cross-country after school club, and the school has won local cross-country competitions.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils are given a broad range of opportunities to develop their social, moral, spiritual and cultural skills. They are very happy about the increase in after school sports clubs and proud of their sporting achievements in the local community.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils are given the chance to participate in artistic and creative experiences they would not otherwise get. One pupil commented on a recent theatre visit, ‘It opened my eyes to the world out there.’

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is committed to, and enthusiastic about, the school. Governors have undertaken training to enable them to both support and question the senior leaders about all aspects of the school. Governors are well informed about the quality of teaching at each key stage. They use their thorough understanding of information regarding the school’s performance to accurately identify priorities and challenge the school leaders to address any weaknesses. Governors appreciate the regular feedback from the headteacher they receive on the allocation and impact of additional funding. They are involved in making decisions about how teachers’ performance is rewarded, and have supported the school to tackle any potential areas of underperformance. Governors make sure all statutory safeguarding requirements 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 131153 Local authority Wolverhampton Inspection number 444329

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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 276 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Richard Ashwell Headteachers Caroline Godfrey & Bryony Jones Date of previous school inspection 8 March 2011 Telephone number 01902 558238 Fax number 01902 558240 Email address westparkprimaryschool@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 and 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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