Herrick Primary School

Herrick Primary School Lockerbie Avenue, Rushey Mead, Leicester, LE4 7NJ

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils achieve well. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is broadly average in reading and mathematics. Standards in writing are above average. This represents good progress over pupils’ time at the school.  Teaching is good because teachers regularly discuss a wide range of information about how well pupils are learning, and use it to plan lessons that ensure pupils make good progress.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs progress as well as their classmates because they receive effective help.  The provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage is good and has a positive impact on the progress children make. They settle quickly and have a good start to their education.  Teaching assistants are effective at helping pupils of all abilities to learn well.  Pupils feel safe in school. They arrive in school on time so that lessons start promptly.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning, are polite

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and considerate to each other and behave well around the school.  Relationships within the school are very good. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is particularly strong.  Leaders and managers are very ambitious for the school and have been successful in maintaining good teaching and achievement.  The governors provide good levels of support and challenge for the school.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils are not all confident in using their mathematical skills and solving problems.  Teachers’ marking does not always make clear what pupils need to do to improve their work.  The work set for pupils at the start of lessons is not always hard enough, particularly for the most able.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited 17 lessons. Inspectors listened to the reading of some pupils in Year 1 and 2, watched an assembly and observed pupils in the playground.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, the Early Years Foundation Stage leader, four members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and with a group of pupils.  The inspectors took into account the 19 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and also met with parents at the beginning and end of the school day. The 24 completed staff questionnaires were also taken into account.  The inspectors looked at the school’s work and at key documentation, including leaders’ evaluation of the school’s effectiveness, the school development plan and information relating to safeguarding. Inspectors also looked at records of pupils’ attainment and progress and at pupils’ books.

p.2

Inspection team

Richard Blackmore, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Nearly all pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds.  About two thirds of pupils speak English as an additional language, which is well above average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is average, about a tenth of all pupils. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly below average, being 6% of pupils.  A fifth of pupils at the school are eligible for pupil premium funding. This is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The Early Years Foundation Stage consists of the Nursery and two Reception classes. Children in the Nursery attend on a part-time basis in the morning and afternoon. Those in the Reception classes attend

p.3

Information about this school

full time.  The school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  An above-average number of pupils join and leave the school at different times throughout the year.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching by:  giving pupils more opportunities to develop their problem-solving and mathematical skills, including in subjects other than mathematics  making sure that marking always informs pupils about how to improve their work  ensuring that the work set for pupils is hard enough, particularly for the most able.

p.3

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher accurately evaluates the quality of teaching. Senior leaders regularly check the quality of teaching, focusing on how well it enables pupils to learn. They have taken effective action to improve any weaker aspects of teaching or of pupils’ achievement. The headteacher’s vision for the future of the school is understood and shared by staff and governors.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Subject and other leaders keep a close check on pupils’ progress to identify those who need extra help and to find out where there are gaps in learning. This is helping to provide pupils with equal opportunities and to prevent any discrimination. For instance, the decision to provide intensive support for pupils in Years 2 and 3 this year has helped to counteract past underachievement for these pupils.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum provides a wide and diverse range of interesting experiences, including inspiring first-hand experiences. The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain through the themes they study, residential trips and a wide variety of visits that enrich learning. Topics link subjects together, often helping pupils to use and apply what they learn in English to the work they do in other subjects. However, there are few opportunities for pupils to use and develop key mathematical and problem-solving skills through topic work.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Teaching is managed well and performance management is used effectively to focus teachers on improving pupils’ achievement. There is no automatic pay progression. All decisions about pay are based upon how well all groups of pupils achieve.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The parents and carers who contributed to the online Parent View survey were extremely positive about the school and all said that they would recommend it to others.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. They learn about a range of religions and talk with respect about different beliefs and customs. Many think deeply about complex aspects of life, such as poverty and charity. Pupils have good opportunities to learn about democracy and British values through the election of representatives to the ‘Herrick management team’.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The local authority provides valuable support and checks the school’s progress as it recognises the school’s good capacity to drive its own improvement.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The school makes good use of sports funding. Many more pupils have tried new sports over the past year than previously, including adventure activities such as orienteering and extra swimming lessons for those who find swimming difficult. The number of pupils representing the school in competitions and events is high. Clear procedures to check the use of funds ensure that leaders know funding is improving pupils’ experience of physical education.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding and child protection arrangements meet requirements.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a deep knowledge of the school’s strengths and priorities for improvement. Their good understanding of information about pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching, through regular reports and accurate analysis of data, helps them to ask challenging questions. It also helps them to plan actions and finances that support the school’s continued work for improvement. Governors know how performance management is used to check the quality of teaching in the school. For example, they know how teachers are being supported to improve their practice and how salary progression is used to reward good practice. Governors also know how any weak teaching is tackled. They keep a close eye on how well pupil premium funding is used and are well aware of its impact on narrowing the attainment gap between eligible pupils and others. Governors ensure that all financial and human resources are

p.4

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and welcoming. They enjoy school and they are usually very keen to learn. Pupils are punctual and arrive on time to lessons and assemblies.

p.5

Behaviour

 Relationships between pupils are good. Pupils chat sociably and sensibly while eating their lunch in the dining hall, and they play well together during break times. They play safely and are aware of the needs of others. Almost all parents feel that pupils are well behaved in school.

p.5

Behaviour

 Pupils move around the school in a calm and orderly way. When they come together as a whole school for assembly, pupils are well-behaved and respectful.

p.5

Behaviour

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are generally positive. They listen well and respond to teachers’ instructions. However, pupils sometimes lose concentration during lessons, particularly when the work set for them is not hard enough. On these occasions, their attention wanders and their progress slows.

p.5

Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel safe at school and when out and about in the community. They understand what constitutes unsafe situations and are aware of how to keep themselves and others safe in different situations, including when using computers and the internet.

p.5

Safety

 Discussions with pupils show that they feel safe in school. They are well informed about bullying in its various forms and observe that any bullying incidents are uncommon. Pupils express confidence that staff always listen to any concerns or worries they may have and take prompt action to resolve any bullying.

p.5

Safety

 Attendance is average and punctuality is good.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is consistently good so that pupils achieve well. There are many opportunities for pupils to think creatively about their learning, particularly in writing tasks. As a result, pupils enjoy learning and confidently express their ideas.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is good. Teachers and teaching assistants have a good understanding of how to teach phonics and reading. They ensure that pupils are given clear instructions to help them to understand, and use in their reading and writing, the letters and sounds they have learned.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 In lessons teaching literacy, teachers and teaching assistants are skilled in asking questions that help them to assess and extend pupils’ understanding of how to write well. For example, pupils in Year 5 improved their writing by using a combination of adjectives and adverbs after the teacher asked them challenging questions about previous work. Teachers do not accept simple responses but encourage pupils to explain and write about their ideas in detail.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants and teachers give thoughtful and effective support to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to enable them to be fully involved in learning in lessons. They give especially good support to pupils new to the school, including those from other countries and those learning English as an additional language, to help them understand what is being taught.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mostly plan work that matches pupils’ different abilities and helps them to progress at a fast rate. Occasionally, the most-able pupils, in particular, are given work that they find easy at the start of the lesson before moving on to more challenging tasks. Some pupils said they would like to get on with harder work right away.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use their good subject knowledge when teaching mathematics. They explain tasks clearly to pupils in lessons and give most pupils work that provides a good level of challenge for pupils of all abilities. Classrooms are attractive and teachers have high expectations for the way pupils present their work but pupils do not have enough opportunities to use and develop their problem-solving skills.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Regular marking ensures that pupils know how well they are doing. However, there are differences in the way teachers use marking in different classes. Some teachers provide written comments so that pupils know what they need to do to improve their work, but this is not consistent across the school. Pupils are not routinely expected to read and act on their teacher’s comments to improve their work.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment is broadly average in mathematics and reading, and typically above average in writing and English grammar, punctuation and spelling. Inspection evidence shows that the attainment of current Year 6 pupils is above that expected for their ages, particularly in reading and writing.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who join and leave the school at different times throughout the year make good progress from their often low starting points. A greater proportion of pupils who stay at the school for more than two years reach above-average standards in reading, writing and mathematics than those who are new to the school.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in mathematics, reading and writing. Continual improvements in the quality of teaching have resulted in a higher and growing proportion of pupils currently on roll making faster progress.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 In the 2014 Year 1 phonics check, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard was a little lower than the national average. The teaching of phonics to form words is systematic and successful; it moves pupils on well from their lower than typical starting points. As a result, attainment in the Year 2 assessments is broadly average in reading and writing, as it is in mathematics.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils from different minority ethnic backgrounds, including those who speak English as an additional language, make good progress.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils in the school make good progress overall in mathematics, reading and writing. Occasionally, however, the work set is not hard enough to extend pupils’ thinking, and this hinders their progress in some lessons.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. Teachers and teaching assistants understand these pupils’ individual learning needs and set them challenging tasks during lessons.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils eligible for support from the pupil premium make similar progress to their classmates. In the 2014 national tests, disadvantaged pupils were close to other pupils in the school in reading and writing but, in relation to pupils nationally, they were a term behind in writing and two terms behind in reading. This group were about four terms behind in mathematics in relation to other pupils at the school and pupils nationally. Improvements in teaching and extra programmes of support mean that the progress of disadvantaged pupils has improved in the last year across the school, particularly in mathematics. This is because leaders have targeted resources on this group of pupils by providing extra teaching in small groups and in one-to-one sessions. Consequently, the gap in attainment between these pupils and their peers is now narrowing rapidly.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 Although attainment in mathematics is average, pupils are not all as confident in their mathematical and problem-solving skills as they are in reading and writing. This is because they have fewer opportunities to use and apply these skills in their topic work which links different subjects together.

p.6

The early years provision is good

 Children’s knowledge and skills when they join the Early Years Foundation Stage are below those typical for their age. Children make good progress, particularly in the development of reading and writing skills. By the end of the Reception Year, the large majority of children reach the goals which show that they have typical skills for their age.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 The Reception and Nursery classrooms provide a good environment for children to explore and learn. Easily accessed resources promote curiosity and support carefully-selected activities. Children’s literacy and numeracy skills are used in all activities and constantly practised. For example, children in the Nursery were developing their speaking skills well when using words associated with comparing quantities in the ‘mud kitchen’.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 The staff track children’s attainment and adjust accordingly the activities children are asked to tackle. The steps taken by disabled children and those who have special educational needs are often small but all children, including the most-able, make good progress.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 Children’s behaviour is good, with only minor incidents of poor behaviour. These are challenged and dealt with effectively. Children are kept safe and their environment is secure because staff are monitoring children continuously. The outdoor area is made interesting and motivates children to use their skills in different ways.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 Children are inquisitive, work well together and are keen to learn. As a result, children rapidly develop into confident learners. In this well-run provision, teachers and teaching assistants make accurate checks on children’s learning. They use this information to plan further activities to ensure that children are making the progress expected of them.

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 120100 Local authority Leicester Inspection number 449622

p.9

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

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 387 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gill Smart Headteacher Umesh Patel Date of previous school inspection 15 October 2009 Telephone number 0116 2665656 Fax number 0116 2665656 Email address office@herrick.leicester.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10