Slade Primary School

Slade Primary School Slade Road, Erdington, Birmingham, B23 7PX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics has improved greatly over the two years that the school has been an academy. All pupils make at least good progress as a result of improved teaching.  Children make a good start to their personal development and education in Nursery and Reception classes. They are well prepared for Year 1.  Teaching is good. Teachers have high expectations and plan work that is at the right level for different groups of pupils so that they all make at least good progress.  Teachers provide pupils with good feedback on how well they are doing and give clear guidelines on how to improve their work.  Behaviour in class and around school is good. Pupils are friendly and polite towards adults and one another. They have positive attitudes to learning and want to do well.  Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe and well cared for. They are proud of their school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted particularly well through a variety of subjects and activities.  The school is well led by the executive headteacher and the newly appointed head of school. They have introduced changes that have brought about rapid improvements in the quality of teaching and have raised standards of achievement. They are well supported by all of the staff.  Governors know the school well. They visit regularly and ask searching questions. They provide good levels of support and challenge to make sure the school continues to improve.  The sponsor of the school is providing valuable and active support to improve all aspects of the school’s work and to bring about rapid improvements.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching to ensure that all pupils make rapid progress.  Opportunities are not always taken to share outstanding practice found in school and across the partnership.  Teachers do not always give pupils enough time to think about their work.  Subject and team leaders are keen to fulfil their roles but lack experience and expertise.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 part lessons, six of which were observed jointly with senior staff. Other lessons were visited to sample the quality of marking of pupils’ work and their progress over time.  Inspectors examined pupils’ books, talked to pupils about their work and heard them read. They observed other aspects of the school day, including pupils’ behaviour at break and lunchtime, and their arrival and departure from the school.  Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, the head of school, other leaders and three groups of pupils. A meeting took place with four governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body.  Inspectors took account of the views of 40 parents who responded to Parent View, the online questionnaire, the school’s own parental survey, a telephone conversation with a parent supported by e-mails, a letter from a parent, and 40 responses to the staff questionnaire. They

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Information about this inspection

spoke to parents at the start and the end of the school day.  A wide range of documents was reviewed, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current attainment and progress, its self-evaluation and development plans, information about the management of staff performance and training arrangements, monitoring of teaching, pupils’ behaviour and attendance, the safeguarding of pupils and minutes of the governing body’s meetings.

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Inspection team

Ann Behan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector John Pitt Additional Inspector Glen Goddard Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Slade Primary School converted to become an academy school on 1 September 2012. When its predecessor school, Slade Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good.  The school is sponsored by the Arthur Terry Learning Partnership which is a Multi-Academy Trust. It is run by an executive headteacher and a newly appointed head of school. The school works in collaboration with other schools in the Trust.  The school is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The Early Years Foundation Stage of the school is made up of a Nursery and two Reception classes.  A large proportion of pupils come from minority ethnic groups, the majority are Pakistani, followed by White British.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well-above average.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium, which is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or

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Information about this school

looked after, is above average.  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 through a statement of special educational needs is also above average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching so that all pupils make more rapid progress, by making sure that all teachers:  give pupils more time to think about their work in lessons so that they can develop their learning and understanding more thoroughly  have opportunities to observe outstanding teaching in school and across the learning partnership.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the leadership and management of the school by providing subject and team leaders with opportunities to develop the necessary skills to fulfil their roles effectively.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of pupils has improved significantly over the two years since the school became an academy. From their individual starting points, pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the Nursery with levels of skills that are well below those typical of their age group. They settle to learning well and make at least good progress because teachers and teaching assistants carefully plan activities to develop their confidence and improve their literacy and communication skills. When they start more formal learning in Year 1 their skills and knowledge are closer to those expected of their age group.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 This good progress continues across all years. By the end of Year 2 current assessment information shows that pupils are meeting or exceeding expectations for their age. Assessment for Year 5 and 6 shows that all pupils are working at expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics with some on course to be well above by the time they leave. The accuracy of the school’s assessment of pupils’ current attainment and progress was confirmed by inspectors’ examination of pupils’ work and their observations of lessons.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school’s focus on improving reading and the teaching of phonics (sounds and the letters they represent) has had a positive effect on the progress of pupils. In 2013, those Year 1 pupils taking in part in the annual screening check in phonics achieved results in line with national averages. School information shows that current Year 1 pupils are more advanced in their reading and they are expected to achieve well in this year’s phonics screening.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve well. Those at the early stages of learning English are provided with in-class support and are given very effective additional one- to-one teaching alongside their parents, by specialist language assistants. As a result they make rapid progress and quickly catch up their classmates.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because teachers plan their work carefully and they are given extra support. This good progress reflects the school’s success at promoting equal opportunities.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The gaps between the attainment of pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium and other pupils have narrowed over two years. Current data indicate that the gaps have closed, from eligible pupils being approximately 18 months behind their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics in 2013, to six months behind now. This is as a result of the school revising the way additional funding is used. It is now providing extra support in lessons and has increased small-group work and one-to-one teaching.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils achieve well because work in lessons is planned carefully to give them the right level of challenge. They are enthusiastic learners and make at least good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved significantly since the school became an academy and is now consistently good in all years.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations and plan lessons that are interesting and challenging so that pupils are fully engaged. In a geography lesson, for example, the teacher used the World Cup to capture ideas about the different lifestyles of people who live in Brazil. Pupils were eager to find out about life in the favelas, worked in pairs and groups discussing ideas, and were keen to write down their findings. They were well supported by the teacher and teaching assistants in their learning and as a result made rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ work is marked regularly and thoroughly. Teachers make clear what pupils have done well and give good advice on how to improve. They give pupils the opportunity to act upon their guidance and check that pupils have understood and followed through their comments.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers carefully check the progress of different groups of pupils and make sure additional support is given when it is needed. Well-trained teaching assistants are skilfully deployed to give good support to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. They also make a valuable contribution to the learning of those pupils who are supported by the pupil premium, and those for whom English is an additional language, so that these pupils make at least good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in Nursery and Reception has improved greatly. Teaching areas, inside and out, have been reorganised and the checking of children’s progress revised so that it is much more rigorous and detailed. Teachers and teaching assistants focus strongly on developing literacy and numeracy skills with a clear emphasis on speaking and listening. This is providing children with a stronger basis for future learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teachers check pupils’ progress and understanding regularly during lessons and adapt their teaching appropriately. However, occasionally teachers do not give pupils enough time to think about their work and move on too quickly. As a result pupils do not always develop their learning as well as they might.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. They are respectful and polite to one another and to adults. This contributes to the friendly, safe and calm atmosphere of the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are keen to do well. They are prompt to lessons and settle quickly because they enjoy their learning and take pride in their work. These positive attitudes contribute greatly to their good progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Children in the Nursery and Reception gain good habits from the start. They are enthusiastic about the friendships that they make and are keen to work and play together. They told inspectors that they enjoy coming to school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe and well cared for by adults in school. They told inspectors that they are given good advice about how to stay healthy and secure through topics in lessons and assemblies. They are confident that adults will support them if they need help. Older pupils show a good understanding of internet safety.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are aware of the different forms of bullying. They say that bullying does happen but as long as they tell an adult it is dealt with quickly and effectively. Parents who were spoken to during the inspection and those who responded to the Parent View supported these views.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Although the large majority of pupils behave well at all times, the behaviour of a few still has to be managed by adults. Staff do this well. Systems have been introduced to reward good behaviour and provide sanctions for pupils who misbehave. Pupils who spoke to the inspectors thought that these were fair and consistently applied by staff. School records show that there has been an improvement in behaviour and no pupils have been excluded.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school has worked hard to raise parents’ awareness of the importance of good attendance and has used additional funding to provide support for families of pupils who are regularly absent. As a result attendance has improved rapidly this year and is now average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The executive headteacher and the recently appointed head of school have provided strong leadership and have made a very positive impact on improving teaching and raising pupils’ achievement. They are well supported by all members of staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff morale is high and all responses to the staff questionnaire were positive: many wrote that they were proud to be part of the school. One member of the teaching staff wrote, ‘The school is community focused. Our school is a family school with children at the very core.’ A member of the support staff wrote, ‘Leadership and management have improved greatly over the last two years but more significantly recently.’

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s view of its effectiveness is sharp and focused. Senior staff have an accurate understanding of areas for development. Their rigorous monitoring of teaching, together with much improved tracking of pupils’ progress and well-targeted training, have led to rapid improvements.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject and team leaders are playing a greater part in monitoring the work of the school and are increasingly held accountable for the success of their areas of responsibility. However, some are new to their posts and lack experience in leadership and management.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior staff have introduced more rigorous systems for checking the quality of teaching and learning. Staff performance is well managed and appropriately linked to salary awards and training.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has strong partnerships with schools and academies linked through the Trust. Staff and governors are very positive about the benefits of this partnership and the excellent contribution that it is making to the rapid improvements in school. This collaboration has given many opportunities to share ideas and expertise in developing leadership skills of staff and governors, and in revising the curriculum. However, teaching is not yet outstanding and the school would benefit from further opportunities to develop outstanding teaching with the help of partner schools.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school actively celebrates a range of cultures and religions, promoting a respectful and harmonious atmosphere for pupils from different backgrounds. One parent told inspectors, ‘This is a multi-cultural school where everyone is respected and staff go out of their way to make us all feel welcome’.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils experience a wide range of subjects and activities which enhance their learning. They are provided with a good grounding in basic skills in literacy and numeracy so that they are well prepared for the next stage in their education. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted through activities in the classroom and beyond. There are many after school clubs and educational visits that are well attended by pupils.  Responses to Parent View and discussions with parents during the inspection show that parents are pleased with the education and care provided by the school. Staff are available to meet with parents every day to discuss pupils’ progress and welfare and parents value the support they receive.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school makes sure that all pupils have the same opportunities to take part in all aspects of school life. There is no evidence of discrimination in the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupil premium funding is used effectively to improve the progress and attendance of eligible pupils through additional one-to-one or small-group support. It is also used to purchase additional learning resources and to ensure that qualifying pupils are able to take part in school trips and after-school clubs.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is making good use of the additional primary sports funding to enhance resources and widen opportunities. A specialist teacher has been appointed to lead the changes and teachers and other adults have received extensive training to develop their expertise. Strong links have been forged with local cricket and football clubs and a variety of coaches provide a wide range of opportunities for pupils to take part in different activities including archery, Zumba dancing and cheerleading. As a result, the numbers of pupils taking part in sporting events and after-school clubs have increased dramatically, and pupils’ enjoyment and skill levels are growing rapidly.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school meets all government requirements in relation to safeguarding, including recruitment. All policies and procedures are in place to ensure students’ health and safety.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Since the school became an academy governors have benefited from a large amount of training provided through the sponsored partnership. They have a good knowledge of the school and are committed to improving all aspects of its work by challenging leaders to do better. They are able to use information on pupils’ progress to compare the performance of the school with others nationally. They regularly check the quality of teaching through visits, speaking to senior leaders, staff and pupils, and looking at pupils’ work. They oversee the systems for managing staff performance well and make sure that salary increases are linked to staff meeting targets.  Governors monitor the school’s finances closely including how effectively pupil premium and sports funding are being used to improve pupils’ progress.

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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 138590 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 440142

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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 270 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ashley Innis Head of School Dominic Davis Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0121 675 0618 Fax number 0121 303 4812 Email address enquiry@slade.bham.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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