Ocker Hill Infant School

Ocker Hill Infant and Nursery School Gospel Oak Road, Tipton, DY4 0DS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Senior leaders have a significant and positive impact on improving the school. Standards at the end of Year 2 are rising steadily and are now above those expected for pupils’ ages. This represents outstanding achievement.  As a result of outstanding provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage, children achieve exceptionally well in all areas of learning.  Close checking on the progress of all pupils enables adults to provide highly focused and effective support.  Pupils have a secure understanding of letters and the sounds they make (phonics). They are responding to the school’s work to improve spelling across the school.  Pupils are skilled at identifying what is good about their work and how they think it could be improved.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted exceptionally well so pupils develop outstanding attitudes to learning.  Pupils are kept exceptionally safe in school. Adults

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

are vigilant and the care shown by the school is of the highest quality.  Senior leaders work alongside other staff to set a high-quality example and to ensure that teaching is outstanding. The rigorous targets which leaders set to improve the work of all adults are highly effective in improving the quality of teaching.  Governors have excellent levels of involvement with the school. They challenge senior leaders very effectively to improve the quality of education.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed lessons in all classes. Most observations were of full lessons so inspectors could look at work in books. All observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher. An inspector observed one-to-one and small-group support sessions with disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Inside and outdoor learning was observed in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Inspectors heard pupils read and looked at the work in pupils’ books.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation, including the school’s own judgements on its strengths and weaknesses, and the data it collects on pupils’ progress. Documents detailing the school’s arrangements for safeguarding were reviewed.  Meetings were held with governors, senior leaders and pupils. A meeting was held with a representative of the local authority.  Questionnaire responses from 33 members of staff were analysed.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of the 19 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. They also considered the results of the school’s recent questionnaire giving parents’ views.

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Inspection team

David Speakman, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This infant and nursery school is about the same size as the average-size primary school.  Children attend part-time in the Nursery.  Most pupils are White British. The largest minority ethnic group is of Indian heritage. A below-average proportion speaks English as an additional language.  At around 30%, an average proportion of pupils are disadvantaged and eligible for support through the pupil premium.  Around a fifth of the pupils are identified as disabled pupils or with special educational needs. The proportion supported at school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. Very few have education, health and care plans.  The school provides professional development to other schools through its links with an independent consultant.  Since the last inspection, the headteacher, deputy headteacher, the Key Stage 1 leader and the leader of

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Information about this school

the Early Years Foundation Stage are new to their posts of responsibility. Two teachers have recently joined the school.  A breakfast club is run by the school and was part of this inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure the work to improve pupils’ spelling is consistently effective.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide leadership that is highly focused on pupils’ progress. They have very high expectations and check the work of staff thoroughly, using a range of relevant evidence. Consequently, all key areas of the school’s work have improved.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Rigorous implementation of arrangements for checking on the quality of teaching and of pupils’ progress has resulted in teaching that is now outstanding. Targets set to improve teachers’ work are challenging and underpin the high quality of education provided.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leadership at all levels is excellent. Training provides staff with skills needed to check the effectiveness of their particular area, including teaching. Recent initiatives are beginning to improve pupils’ use of phonics and, consequently, their spelling, throughout the school.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leadership of special educational needs provision is excellent. Very effective one-to-one and small-group support is very well organised and closely checked to ensure its high quality. The progress of these pupils, as with all other pupil groups, is very closely checked, so the special educational needs coordinator has a very clear picture of how well pupils are achieving.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The curriculum is carefully planned to engage pupils’ interest and attention. There is a strong emphasis on developing literacy and numeracy and on developing pupils as effective learners through the many opportunities to assess their own learning. The curriculum makes excellent links between subjects so learning is meaningful. Of particular note is the wide range of after-school clubs, in which about 80% of pupils take part.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted exceptionally well. It supports the strong provision for inclusion and equality. Pupils expand their understanding of cultural diversity well through a range of activities to help them understand different cultural and religious traditions, including modern British values. They develop a strong moral code through respecting the school’s code of conduct.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Pupil premium funding is used very effectively to improve the progress of disadvantaged pupils by providing high-quality one-to-one and small-group support. Funding assists individuals to attend school clubs and other events. The school builds the confidence and self-esteem of disadvantaged pupils through the work of a learning mentor.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school has made detailed arrangements for spending the primary sports funding to improve and widen opportunities for pupils to take part in sports activities, develop the leadership skills of the coordinator and improve teachers’ expertise. Leaders monitor the impact of this spending and the school can demonstrate its impact; for example, through the high numbers attending school clubs.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority is effective in helping the school improve. The school is identified as one needing minimal intervention so just one monitoring visit is conducted each term; focusing on achievement, teaching and learning, and leadership and management.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governors work exceptionally well with leaders at all levels, helping them with important issues identified through regular monitoring.  Governors are regular visitors to the school. Through their first-hand experiences and through discussions with staff, they gain a clear picture of how well teachers are doing. Governors are knowledgeable, and their training programme has given them a thorough understanding of assessment data. This enables them to be fully aware of how well the school is doing and how achievement of pupils compares with other schools.  Governors challenge senior leaders on school improvement. They set clear targets in managing the performance of the headteacher and staff, making sure that teachers’ pay increases link to competence.  Governors ensure statutory requirements are met, including for safeguarding.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. This results in a safe and calm atmosphere in classrooms and around school. Pupils enjoy school and join in all activities enthusiastically. Most parents who stated a view indicated that the school makes sure that its pupils are well behaved. Pupils speak very positively about behaviour in school.

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Behaviour

 Relationships between children, and between children and adults, are of the highest quality. Due to mutual respect, pupils are keen to please. They work hard in lessons and take care to present their work tidily.

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Behaviour

 Children in both the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 have an exceptionally positive approach to learning. They attempt new work with confidence and with a determination to do their very best. From a very young age, they become adept at evaluating the success of their own learning and at identifying ways in which they might improve. This contributes enormously to their learning and to their excellent achievement.

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Behaviour

 Attendance has improved and is above average. The school uses rigorous procedures to follow up absence and to discourage unauthorised absence.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils know what is safe and what is not. They feel very safe in school and say that their teachers would look after them if needed.

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Safety

 They have a growing awareness of the different types of bullying and know what to do if they ever need help. They say bullying is very rare, but would be dealt with straight away if it ever did happen. Most of the parents who responded to the school’s own survey agreed that the school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour.

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Safety

 Vulnerable pupils are cared for exceptionally well. Child protection processes are applied thoroughly and are effective. School premises are kept secure and staff are rigorously checked before appointment. Safeguarding training for staff and governors is up to date.

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Safety

 Pupils are very well cared for in the popular breakfast club. This provision is having a positive impact on pupils’ health and nutrition, their ability to socialise, and their attendance and punctuality.

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Safety

 All parents who responded to Parent View, say their children are kept safe and are well looked after. Inspectors agree with parents’ positive views.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Adults have very high expectations of pupils’ capability and provide consistent challenge to make sure all children progress rapidly. In the Nursery and Reception classes, teachers provide stimulating opportunities for children to learn through exploring and investigating. Adults talk a lot with children to improve their speaking and listening skills.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, adults keep ongoing records of individual progress in children’s ‘learning journals’ and use this information exceptionally well to plan the next steps for all children and to ensure a balanced curriculum. When children choose activities for themselves, adults work with individual children or small groups on identified areas that need support.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 In Key Stage 1, adults know how well each pupil is doing and what each one needs to do next. They plan activities to match pupils’ different abilities, thereby ensuring successful learning for all. Teaching assistants are deployed effectively to support disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to help them catch up.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Adults are highly effective in enabling the most-able pupils to achieve their full potential. Challenging tasks, well-targeted questions and close checking of progress leads to these pupils making rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Those supported through pupil premium funding make outstanding progress. They are grouped according to their specific learning needs and well-targeted support is provided.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers provide excellent role models. They model good handwriting to set a very good example to pupils in terms of keeping their books neat and tidy. They have good subject knowledge and their teaching is accurate and well explained.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers encourage pupils to assess the quality of their learning for themselves in highly effective ways. Pupils are asked to evaluate pieces of their own writing and are exceptionally well guided to point out very good ways in which work can be improved.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children start the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and knowledge well below those typical of their age. They make excellent progress in the Nursery and Reception classes, and, by the time they join Year 1, attainment is average.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children develop a range of excellent skills across all areas of learning. They are good communicators. They talk about their work using a wide vocabulary and are beginning to produce short but interesting pieces of writing. They count accurately and work out the answers to simple problems. They are good investigators, as shown by their science investigation work in the school’s grounds.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Disabled children and those who have special educational needs are identified very early and, because of prompt, well-targeted support, they make excellent progress. Over half these pupils reached the expected level for the end of the Reception Year, despite their very low starting points.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The most-able children, identified by their skills and abilities on entry, achieve exceptionally well in the early years. Few enter the Nursery above age-related expectations but, by the end of the Reception Year, around a fifth exceed the Early Learning Goals in all areas of learning.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Over the last three years, there has been a steady rise in standards at the end of Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. Attainment is above average overall, in reading and writing and close to above average in mathematics. This represents outstanding progress in relation to pupils’ starting points.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Good proportions of pupils reach the required standards in the Year 1 phonics check. From this point, achievement in reading is excellent because higher proportions reach or exceed levels expected for their age by the end of Year 2. Pupils use their phonics skills very well to read unfamiliar words and are becoming fluent readers. However, their good phonics knowledge is not yet sufficiently used by pupils to spell as accurately as they read.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The achievement of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is excellent. Pupils at both school action and school action plus make excellent progress in reading, writing and mathematics. In the last school year, both sets of pupils made between five and six terms progress, indicating excellent achievement. As a result, the attainment gap between these and other pupils narrowed significantly. About three quarters of pupils with special educational needs achieved the nationally expected Level 2 by the end of Year 2.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Most pupils supported through the pupil premium made rapid progress in 2014 compared with what is expected for their age. This ensured that gaps are narrowing. In 2013, their attainment was about a year behind others in their class in reading and writing and a little closer, in mathematics. They were a little less behind other pupils nationally, being about half a year behind. In 2014, the gaps in attainment had narrowed to about a term by their classmates, but they were about two terms ahead of pupils nationally, when compared to the most recent data available.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The most-able pupils’ achievement is outstanding. In 2013, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher Level 3 was above the national average. The percentage increased in 2014, widening the gap with the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Indian pupils achieve exceptionally well. Once they have mastered the English language, they make rapid progress and attain standards a little above other pupils in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Leadership of the early years provision is excellent. Since the school was previously inspected, there has been much improvement, with particularly good progress in developing the outside learning environment. Excellent leadership had led to outstanding teaching, behaviour and safety, and has ensured that children achieve exceptionally well.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 When children choose their own activities, adults talk with them. They extend learning by asking searching questions and encouraging curiosity. As a result, children’s speech develops well.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Children respond very positively to the wide range of interesting learning opportunities, such as exploring how large blocks of ice change into water or experimenting with capacity through water-play. Reception children make their own choices. The learning skills of Reception children are very well developed through opportunities to self-assess their work.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 In both Nursery and Reception, children work cooperatively with each other, helping and supporting others. They share equipment and take turns, so the setting is calm yet busy.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 During adult-led activities, staff are fully aware of each child’s learning needs and match tasks very well to the children’s different abilities. During these times, the most able, those with identified special educational needs, pupils who speak English as an additional language and disadvantaged children do well in developing early literacy and numeracy skills and in other areas of learning.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Children behave exceptionally well in Nursery and Reception. They quickly respond to adults’ requests to gather as a group or to clear up the work areas. They listen politely to adults and to each other. Adults are vigilant in regard to safety; children are safe and secure during all activities.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 103919 Local authority Sandwell Inspection number 448256

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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 Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 245 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Davina De-Bear Headteacher Heidi Faulkner Date of previous school inspection 23 June 2010 Telephone number 0121 5561119 Fax number 0121 556 3314 Email address admin@ockerhill-inf.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 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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