Kineton Green Primary School

Kineton Green Primary School Kineton Green Road, Olton, Solihull, B92 7EB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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 Good 2

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

 Despite having above average starting points in Year 3, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6, in 2013, was broadly average. Too many pupils made expected rather than good progress.  The standards reached by pupils at the end of Key Stage 1 were below the national average in 2013, because pupils did not make as much progress as in previous years.  Currently, fewer pupils are making good progress in writing than in reading and mathematics.  The progress of a few pupils, whose attainment was below average at the start of Year 3, is slower than it should be.  In mathematics, teachers do not always plan activities that provide the right amount of challenge for different abilities, including the most able.  Teachers do not always check that the comments and questions they give pupils when marking their work are acted upon.  Teachers do not routinely check pupils’ spelling, punctuation and calculations are correct in subjects other than English and

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

mathematics.  Leaders and managers do not monitor the teaching of small groups as rigorously as whole class teaching.

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The school has the following strengths

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress, particularly in reading and mathematics, in Years 5 and 6.  Children make good progress in their key reading, writing and mathematical skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage because staff make learning rich and interesting.  Senior leaders and governors have driven necessary improvements with vigour and commitment over the past year. Their work is already improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement throughout the school.  Pupils’ behaviour around the school is good. The pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They say they love coming to school and enjoy lessons.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 teaching sessions.  Year 5 pupils took part in an educational visit on the second day of the inspection. Parent and child workshops for parents of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage also took place on both inspection days.  The inspectors talked with pupils, looked at samples of their work and listened to pupils read.  Meetings were also held with teachers, a group of governors including the Chair of the Governing Body, the headteacher and deputy headteacher, and the school’s subject leaders. A meeting was also held with a representative of the local authority to discuss the extent and impact of support provided to the school.  Inspectors took account of the 80 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), the views of nine parents who spoke with them during the inspection, and the 26 questionnaires returned by school staff.  The inspectors observed the work of the school and looked at many documents, including the

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Information about this inspection

minutes of governing body meetings, the school’s checks on how well it is doing, the school’s development plan, staff performance documentation, planning documents, monitoring and assessment information, school policies, and records relating to attendance, behaviour and safety.

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Inspection team

John Collins, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Linda Rowley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. It has a nursery on site.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. Four out of ten pupils come from a wide range of other backgrounds, the largest groups being of Pakistani heritages.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is very much smaller than the national average.  A below-average proportion of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in the care of the local authority and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, supported at school action, is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is also below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has an Artsmark silver award, Healthy school status, and Active school status.  The school has had several staff changes during the past year.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching and raise pupils’ attainment and increase their progress in writing and mathematics, by making sure that:  written feedback to pupils makes clear what they must do to improve their work and that teachers check up on whether pupils follow this guidance  pupils have more opportunities to practise their writing, spelling, and punctuation in a range of subjects and that mistakes are marked and corrected  work is well matched to pupils’ needs including for the most-able pupils, and requires them to think hard  the teaching of small groups of lower attaining pupils is monitored with the same rigour as whole class teaching, especially in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The standards reached by pupils by the end of Year 6 have been broadly average over the last few years. Pupils made the progress expected of them until 2013 when not enough pupils made good progress from their above average starting points in Year 3. The school has taken action to bring improvement. More pupils are now starting to make faster progress, particularly in reading and mathematics. Currently, fewer pupils are making good progress in writing.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In the national test in English grammar, spelling and punctuation at the end of Key Stage 2, pupils’ attainment was six months ahead of pupils nationally. However, pupils’ writing remains weaker than their reading because insufficient emphasis is given to correcting pupils’ errors in subjects other than English, throughout the school.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 fell sharply in 2013 from above average standards in the previous year. Staffing difficulties and other challenges meant that pupils’ progress slowed in 2013. However, focused support for pupils in Year 3 is helping them to make faster progress and catch up on lost ground, this year.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The school’s data and observations of learning in lessons shows that not all year groups are making good progress. In addition, a small number of lower attaining pupils in Key Stage 2 are not making as much progress as they should. The school has identified this and has put one-to- one and small group support into place to help these pupils to catch up, particularly in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Last year, progress in mathematics was weaker than in reading and writing. The school has taken steps to bring improvement but not all of the most able pupils are yet making good progress. Where pupils are challenged they speak knowledgeably and confidently about calculations of temperature changes from negative to positive, calculating debts caused by overdrawing at a bank and travelling above and below sea level.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children start in the Nursery with skills slightly below those expected for their age. They settle well into classroom routines and learn happily. By the time they leave Reception, a higher percentage have achieved a good level of development than is typical nationally. They can read and write simple words and short sentences, count accurately beyond 20, and place numbers in the correct order. This good start has not been consistently built upon in Key Stage 1.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 At the end of Year 6 in the 2013 national tests, pupils supported by the pupil premium were almost a term behind their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics. School records for pupils currently eligible for the pupil premium show that the gap in attainment between these and other pupils is closing. Most eligible pupils are now less than half a term behind, and, in Year 6, some are ahead of other pupils. This is because of the high quality support they receive.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good. This too is because of the focused attention they receive. For example, for reading and for mathematics this is often on a one-to-one basis with a specially trained teaching assistant.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching overtime requires improvement because sometimes work is too easy or too hard for different groups of pupils. For example, in mathematics the most able pupils sometimes find the work too easy and so they do not make as much progress as they could. As a result, although improving this year, progress, is not yet consistently good.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to practise their writing and spelling skills in subjects other than English. They do not routinely check and correct pupils’ punctuation and calculations when marking work in other subjects. Not all teachers make it crystal clear what pupils need to do to improve their work. Some do not check to see if pupils have taken their advice on how to improve their work.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Pupils who are at risk of falling behind, or who are finding their work difficult, are not always given work which builds on what they already know. This limits their ability to complete tasks for themselves, or to make the links with their previous learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers know their pupils well, are caring, and plan lessons that increasingly motivate pupils to learn. As a result, pupils enjoy learning and a growing proportion make good progress. This is consistent with the views of the great majority of parents who responded to Parent View.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Some teaching is inspirational and fires the imagination of the pupils. For example, in an English lesson, older Key Stage 2 pupils were looking at how descriptive language was used in the story of Beowulf. One pupil described the main character as the protagonist; another explained that a desolate area means ‘it was empty and lonely like a ghost town’.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Good emphasis given to the teaching of reading, including phonics (the sounds that letters make). Measures such as one-to-one tuition and small-group support for those who have fallen behind in reading ensure that pupils catch up quickly. Small group teaching is not as consistently effective in increasing progress in other subjects.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Science teaching, in combination with design and technology, also captures the imagination of pupils; for example, linking their learning about electricity with making a torch. As a result, pupils do well and say that they enjoy science.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching in Early Years Foundation Stage is good because teachers are skilled in linking children’s interests and learning. In the Nursery, children made good progress arranging shaped buttons onto gingerbread men; they showed good knowledge of shape names such as hexagon, octagon, and semi-circular.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils say they feel safe and happy in school and enjoy lessons. As a result, the great majority of pupils have positive attitudes to learning and behave well, both in lessons and around the school. The great majority of parents agree.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Children from different backgrounds play and work harmoniously together. They learn to appreciate each other’s cultures and benefit greatly from the schools’ strong links with different communities, both locally and abroad.  The school has done a great deal to be inclusive and does not tolerate discrimination of any kind. For example, it accepts children with challenging medical and behaviour problems and provides high quality support that enables them to settle well and make good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is above average and almost all pupils are punctual to school. There have been no permanent exclusions over the past three years and improved school monitoring and support have resulted in fixed-term exclusions being below average.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are very aware of the need to live healthy lifestyles, for example, at lunch many children chose fresh fruit over less healthy alternatives and they speak highly of their enjoyment of sport and physical education. The impact of the sports funding has enabled more pupils to engage in sports of various kinds and provided additional training and support for teachers from external experts.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. The safety and well being of all pupils is given paramount importance by all staff and governors. Risk assessments are regularly carried out by senior staff, absence is followed up rigorously, and pupils are well taught about keeping safe. The school provides a very safe, welcoming, learning environment. Parents agree that their child is as safe as possible in school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Parents told inspectors how pleased they are with the effectiveness of the anti-bullying policy. Pupils say that bullying rarely happens and, if it does, teachers deal with it very quickly.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a very good understanding and knowledge of how to keep safe; for example, when using the internet. They are taught from an early age how to deal with conflict in a calm and sensible manner, and this has resulted in the school being a very orderly community.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher have made improving teaching the key priority for the school. They have, with the judicious use of external review, determined accurately where changes need to be made and are systematically addressing any shortcomings. Some staffing challenges have slowed the impact of this. However, teaching is now improving as is achievement in both mathematics and reading, including pupils’ understanding of how to sound out words in order to read them (phonics).

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders, including those responsible for individual subjects use a wide range of information to evaluate the effectiveness of their work. These evaluations are accurate. Leaders know what is working and what they need to work on next. This is accompanied by focused and well thought- out plans for improvement where needed.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders make regular checks on how well pupils are achieving. This is used effectively to hold teachers to account for the progress pupils make in their class. They also make good use of this information to provide a wide-ranging and tailored programme of professional development to meet the needs of individual teachers and whole school priorities. These underpin the recent improvements in teaching and achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Checks on teaching are not systematically extended to the various one-to-one and small group sessions often taught by specially trained teaching assistants. As a result, some lower attaining pupils’ progress has been variable and they are not catching up fast enough.  The subjects taught are wide-ranging and include a good balance of creative and academic learning. Displays of work on corridor and classroom walls provide strong evidence of pupils’ artistic talents that justify the school’s Artsmark award.

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The leadership and management are good

 Similarly, the huge range of displays of pupils’ performances and artefacts bear witness to the many opportunities provided that support pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school offers an ambitious programme of clubs, and it provides a rich programme of visits and residential experiences. These enhance pupils’ opportunities for personal development and learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has formed strong links with a high street bank and nearly half of the pupils have opened and manage a savings account. This develops their sense of responsibility, their understanding of the value of money, and puts their mathematical skills into a real life context.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school also shares its expertise by providing student apprentices with practical training for national qualifications in childcare and administration, some of these, when qualified have returned to work in the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has benefitted from effective support and guidance from the local authority, especially during the period of extended staff absence.

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The leadership and management are good

 Almost all parents say that the school is well led and managed. Parents are well-supported by the family support coordinator. They are regularly invited to workshops to help them to improve their child’s achievement. Home-school communication is good.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The relatively new governing body is well trained and led by a very experienced Chair; restructuring has enabled it to become more effective. Governors have become very active in the life and work of the school; for example, through links to subjects or classes. They regularly check the views of parents and visitors, and they participate in planning for improvements, policy making, and decision making about improvements in pupils’ achievements. They know how the school compares with similar schools and use national information to hold the school to account.  Governors have been much involved in improving the quality of teaching through participating in checks on how well pupils’ achievement is improving. They have approved the use of funds for new mathematics and reading schemes as well as the training of teachers in new methods. They have good knowledge of the use and impact of sports funding.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors give significant emphasis to the safeguarding of pupils and meet all their statutory requirements. They use safe recruitment procedures and ensure that teachers deserve any increases in salary. They use funds wisely to support the learning of those pupils eligible for pupil premium. They regularly question the impact of this on improving their achievement and as a result their achievement is rapidly improving.

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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 104048 Local authority Solihull Inspection number 443978

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 240 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Isobel Ford Headteacher Teresa Mason Date of previous school inspection 10 January 2010 Telephone number 0121 706 3873 Fax number 0121 765 2941 Email address office@kineton-green.solihull.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 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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