Coley Primary School

Coley Primary School Wolseley Street, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 6AZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher leads the school effectively and is well supported by the deputy headteacher and governors.  The regular checks on teaching and the support given to teachers have ensured that teaching is rapidly improving.  All groups of pupils achieve well from their low starting points. They make good or better progress, especially in reading and mathematics, and learn well in their lessons.  Children enter Nursery and Reception with skills and abilities well below the levels expected for their ages. They make good progress and this provides a good start for Key Stage 1.  Pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics has risen since the previous inspection.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language are making good progress.  Pupils’ positive attitudes and their good behaviour make a strong contribution to their learning. They say that the school keeps them safe and all groups of pupils get on well together.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The positive relationships between pupils and adults help pupils that are new to the school to settle in quickly.  Governors rigorously hold the school to account for its performance and the management of finances. They have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not all pupils make good progress in writing. They do not have enough opportunities to apply their writing skills in different subjects.  Sometimes teachers do not make it clear enough through their marking how pupils can improve their work.  Not all middle leaders make a full contribution to checking the progress pupils are making.  The achievement of some pupils with special educational needs is not as good as that of other pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed parts of 13 lessons, taught by ten teachers. Six of which were jointly observed with senior leaders. In addition, inspectors observed small groups of pupils taught by learning support assistants.  Inspectors observed an assembly and heard pupils from Years 2 and 6 reading. They also held meetings with two groups of pupils, including the school council.  Inspectors were shown around the school by a group of pupils, who spoke about their learning.  Discussions were held with the Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Body, parents and staff, including senior and middle leaders. A telephone conversation was held with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including the school’s data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documents and records relating to behaviour, attendance and the safeguarding of children. Inspectors scrutinised the school’s arrangements for spending, the additional funding for

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Information about this inspection

sports and pupil premium funding.  Inspectors analysed questionnaires from 21 members of staff.  The inspectors took into account the responses of 32 parents to the online Parent View questionnaire during the inspection, as well as using the start of the day to talk to parents. Inspectors also responded to the comments of individual parents.

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Inspection team

Sarah Jones, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Coley Primary School is an average-sized primary school.  The large majority of pupils are from minority ethnic groups.  The proportion of pupils speaking English as an additional language is well above the national average. Over half of these are at an early stage of learning to speak English.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who are supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational need is above average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is just above average. Additional government funding known as the pupil premium supports these pupils.  There is an unusually high mobility rate of pupils, with an above-average proportion of pupils joining or leaving the school at other than the usual times. Four pupils joined the school during the week of the

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Information about this school

inspection.  The school met the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises of a part-time nursery provision for three-year-olds and two full-time Reception classes.  The school is part of the Oxford Road Partnership, a group of local schools supporting collaboration and school improvement.  The new headteacher took up her post at the beginning of September 2013. Since the last inspection there has been a high turnover of staff.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and further accelerate pupils’ progress in all lessons by making sure that:  pupils regularly make amendments and improvements to their work following feedback from teachers and other adults  pupils are given frequent opportunities to practise their writing skills in different subjects  pupils with special educational needs are always given the support and challenge they need to succeed.  Strengthen the good leadership and management by making sure middle leaders are given the confidence and skills to monitor the quality of teaching and progress of pupils within their area of responsibility.

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The leadership and management are good

 The strong leadership of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and governing body has provided a clear direction for the school. Central to the improvements the school has made have been the improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement as a result. This clear direction, coupled with high-quality professional development, means staff are able to embrace the school’s expectations quickly.  The school’s checks on how well it does are accurate and the development plan correctly identifies the priorities the school needs to work on for it to continue to improve.  Supporting the school’s success is the robustness of its systems for managing staff performance to ensure previous weaknesses have successfully been rectified. Leaders regularly observe lessons to monitor the quality of teaching and make sure all pupils achieve equally well.  The views expressed by staff both in discussions and through their questionnaires were very positive

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The leadership and management are good

about the support that is available in school, including that at the start of their teaching careers. The questionnaires clearly indicate that the staff appreciate and enjoy working at the school; one member of staff said that ‘all staff are dedicated to seeing every child achieve beyond their potential and work earnestly to procure for children the best opportunities for their learning’.  Systems for checking pupils’ progress are robust and give staff clear information about how pupils are doing. These systems enable senior leaders to identify any pupil who may be underachieving, such as pupils who have special educational needs as well as those who have just arrived at the school; additional support is implemented effectively to assist these pupils.  The curriculum is well planned and provides a positive experience with rich opportunities for learning. This is successfully broadened by subject days, such as in mathematics, arts and science, which pupils enjoy,

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The leadership and management are good

especially when visitors come in to talk to them. Pupils have many opportunities to participate in activities that promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.  There is a strong focus on celebrating each other’s faiths, which parents appreciate as it gives all pupils a clearer understanding of each other’s beliefs and traditions. The school council were particularly proud of the International Day they organised based on the football World Cup as it gave a further opportunity for pupils to learn about different countries and their traditions.  The school has detailed training planned to support teachers now that National Curriculum levels are no longer used. The school will be using a published scheme to complement the assessment procedures already in place at the school.  To support parents, the school has provided workshops on how they can help their children at home with

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The leadership and management are good

their reading, writing and phonics (letters and the sounds they make). This support has included imaginative resources parents are able to use at home and has greatly helped build pupils’ confidence in lessons.  School leaders recognise the need to extend the leadership responsibilities to more staff and have created more middle manager roles. Some are very new to this role and are still developing their skills to have a greater impact in monitoring the quality of teaching and progress of pupils within their area of responsibility.  The primary school additional sports funding, for promoting pupils’ greater participation in sport, is used well to train teachers so that they are confident to teach a variety of sports. This has been successful; staff and pupils have benefitted from increased confidence and the enjoyment of new sports as well as the opportunity to participate in local interschool competitions.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided effective support, including annual review meetings, subject support and support for those new to teaching, and training for the governing body to bring about improvements in both teaching and pupil achievement.  Arrangements to safeguard pupils meet statutory requirements.

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The governance of the school:

 The governing body make a strong contribution to the quality of the education the school provides. Governors bring a range of expertise to the school and have a good understanding of the school’s priorities, with an awareness of the importance of both challenge and support to make sure the improvement continues. Governors are not afraid to ask searching questions about the effectiveness of the school, the progress pupils make and the quality of the teaching. Governors have a good understanding of the schools approach to managing teacher performance, the implementation of Teachers’ Standards and how they affect salary progression. Governors effectively hold school leaders to account. For example, they ensure that the school is using both the pupil premium and additional sports funding to improve pupils’ overall achievement. Statutory requirements such as safeguarding are fully in place and effective. Governors attend training to ensure they know what is expected of them.

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The governance of the school:

The local authority also uses the expertise of the Chair and Vice Chair of the Governing Body to run training for governors in other schools within the area.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils say that there has been an improvement in behaviour since the introduction of the ‘Good to be Green’ behaviour policy. Pupils report they are very aware of the consequences of unacceptable behaviour.  Pupils’ attitude to their work is good and this is having a positive effect on the progress they make. On a few occasions there is some low-level chatter, when teaching is less effective.  Behaviour in lessons is good and pupils apply themselves well to their work. Pupils are encouraged to produce neat work and their books show that they take pride in their work. They show a sense of achievement when they gain their ‘pen licences’ in Key Stage 2.  Pupils are very proud of their school and move around sensibly showing consideration to each other and adults. They are polite and friendly to visitors and pupils who are new to the school.  Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities. Members of the school council are very pleased with their

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Behaviour

achievements over the last year which includes contributing to the new school website and helping to introduce the new behaviour policy. ‘Pupil Play Rangers’ have been trained to look after the younger pupils in the playground and organise activities for them at lunchtime.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying and prejudice- based bullying. They say there is very little bullying in the school and that when it occurs, staff deal with it quickly.  The headteacher has worked closely with parents to improve attendance. As a result, punctuality and attendance rates have improved over the last year; however, they remain slightly below the national average.  There have been no permanent exclusions for the last three years.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Observations of learning in lessons by inspectors and evidence from pupils’ books show that the quality of teaching is good. The school’s records show that weaknesses in teaching are tackled and good support is given to teachers, including those new to the school, to help them continue with this improvement.  Consistently good teaching has brought around the recent acceleration of pupils’ achievement, especially in reading and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 2.  Wall displays in classrooms are attractive and a welcoming environment in which pupils can learn. The information provided helps pupils when they are working on their own and in small groups.  Teachers and learning support assistants have good subject knowledge and expertise which they use effectively to promote pupils’ knowledge and skills in both numeracy and literacy. They provide a wide range of activities to promote pupils’ vocabulary and confidence when speaking. Pupils in a Year 1 science

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The quality of teaching is good

lesson could speak with confidence about the work they had done on recognising similarities and differences between each other.  Relationships are a real strength and are warm, friendly and supportive . Teachers encourage pupils to work with each other; they do this well and this helps pupils to value and accept each other’s opinions. This promotes their moral and social development.  Teachers plan their lessons with a focus on setting work at the right level and they have a flexible approach in responding to pupils’ learning as it develops in the classroom. They have high expectations of pupils’ work and their understanding is checked with skilful questioning before they move on to new work.  Pupils are always aware what they are expected to achieve in lessons and can talk about what they need to do to be successful and achieve. They use checklists to determine how well they are doing during lessons and what else they need to do to be successful.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The use of additional adults in class and the regular withdrawal of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs for extra help are not always effective enough to ensure that these students make the progress they should.  Pupils rate their teachers highly and say they enjoy their lessons, especially when they are made fun and involve a challenge. In a Year 6 literacy lesson based on Street Child by Berlie Doherty, a group of most able pupils were working on tasks aimed to access the highest levels in writing. Pupils worked effectively and could talk with confidence about their work, including their effective use of grammar, vocabulary and a range of different sentences.  Homework is varied and the variation gives pupils the opportunity to select work they feel would both interest and challenge them; this choice results in high participation rates from pupils. However, some parents have expressed concerns that they would like to see more formal homework, especially for those

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils wanting to sit entrance exams when moving on to the next stage of their school careers.  Teachers’ marking and assessment of pupils’ work are effective in some classes. However, there is a lack of consistency across the school. Some marking does not give enough advice on how they can improve their work and time is not given for pupils to have the chance to improve their work.

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is good

 Progress is accelerating quickly and, given the pupils’ starting points, achievement is good. This is as a result of the actions taken by senior leaders to improve teaching and raise expectations of pupils.  Pupils from ethnic minority groups, including a large proportion of pupils with English as an additional language, make good progress. There is more rapid progress in Key Stage 2 in relation to their understanding and application of the English language. This includes good progress of pupils new to the school as they are quickly assessed and support provided to assist their progress.  Attainment in reading is improving. When pupils read, they use their knowledge of letters and the sounds they make (phonics) well to help them read new words. Pupils benefit from the use of the library and the opportunity to read both fiction and non-fiction books. Reading is encouraged from a very early age, with

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is good

parents having the opportunity to read with their children in the Nursery class, having access to books in both English and a range of different languages.  Standards in Key Stage 1 vary, reflecting the number of pupils who arrived at different times throughout the year. There is clear evidence of the school’s actions to tackle underachievement, with pupils currently making good progress.  Pupils’ achievement at the end of Key Stage 2 is in line with national averages for reading and mathematics. The progress is good in reading and mathematics; however, it is not as rapid in writing. Results for 2014 show that attainment overall was an improvement on 2013, including an improvement in writing. The school has started to give pupils more opportunities to develop writing skills within different subjects, but this is not yet done consistently well enough to promote rapid progress.  Through challenging teaching, the most able pupils are well provided for. The number of pupils at the

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is good

end of Key Stage 2 who have the achieved highest level in mathematics and reading has increased.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, although improving, has not always been as good as that of other pupils. These pupils have not, until recently, received the precise support in lessons needed to allow them to make good gains in their learning, and their progress has not always been checked well enough by school leaders.   The attainment of pupils who are eligible for the additional funding is rapidly improving in relation to other pupils’. In 2013, Year 6 pupils were one term behind other pupils in the school in reading and writing, and two terms behind in mathematics. However, compared to pupils nationally, Year 6 pupils were behind by just over one term in reading and writing, and two terms behind in mathematics. Money spent on initiatives to improve the achievement of this group in 2014 has helped them catch up with

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is good

 Children entering the Nursery and those who start in Reception have lower skills and knowledge levels than expected for their age.  The Early Years Foundation Leader provides clear direction for what needs to be done to ensure the progress children make continues to improve. For example, classroom teachers visit all children at home before they start Nursery or Reception classes to make early assessments and plan activities in relation to children’s differing abilities, especially with those at the early stages of learning English.  Children learn well as a result of the consistently good teaching, and by the end of Reception the overall progress children make is good. For some who have transferred from Nursery to Reception, their development in personal, social and emotional development is outstanding.  The strong focus on promoting good language and communication skills from an early age helps children,

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is good

especially those who are learning English as an additional language or who join mid-term, become confident learners and settle into the routines quickly.  Children in both Nursery and Reception have the opportunity to engage with activities using both the inside and outside classroom space, with a clear emphasis on learning through play and investigation. A group in Reception enjoyed experimenting with the various sounds musical instruments made when working outside.  Children’s behaviour is good; they manage their behaviour well both in the classroom and at break times.  Parents appreciate the ‘open-door’ policy and say staff are very supportive and approachable. They are very happy with the speed at which their children have settled into daily routines and one parent said her child ‘races in every morning’.  Effective safeguarding procedures are in place and risk assessments of activities are completed.

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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 109779 Local authority Reading Inspection number 442438

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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 240 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Julia Cottee Headteacher Sarah Pengelly Date of previous school inspection 9–10 October 2012 Telephone number 0118 9375461 Fax number 0118 9594543 Email address admin@coleyprimary.reading.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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