Wellesbourne Community Primary School

Wellesbourne Community Primary School Abbotsford Road, Liverpool, Merseyside, L11 5BA

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Overall effectiveness

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

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

 Pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 do not make enough progress, particularly in reading and writing.  Some of the younger children have not been able to use their knowledge of phonics (the sounds letters make) to help them to become fluent readers and writers.  Over time, teaching has not been consistently good or better to ensure that all pupils achieve well and understand the steps to take to reach the highest levels in English and mathematics.  Information about pupils’ achievement has not always been fully used to help teachers refine their planning so that they can quickly reduce gaps in pupils’ learning.  Teachers provide too few opportunities for pupils to correct their work or to check their own progress so that they can learn more quickly.  Pupils have not been given enough guidance on how to develop their understanding of language, grammar, punctuation and spelling and to use these skills to write for different purposes.

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

 Since the last inspection, because of the many changes to staffing, the headteacher has not been in a strong position to monitor teaching sufficiently well or to quickly address weaknesses in pupils’ achievement.  Middle and senior leaders are new to the school and are not yet fully involved in checking teachers’ work to help improve the quality of teaching and learning.  The school’s work with wider partnerships, to help it to improve the quality of teaching and learning, is underdeveloped.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher is a positive influence in the school and is determined that every pupil will achieve their potential. There are clear indications that actions taken are now having an impact on pupils’ progress, especially in mathematics.  The newly appointed leaders have the skills and the enthusiasm to support all teachers to improve teaching and to raise achievement.  Provision in the early years has improved. Children are making good progress.  The newly elected Chair of the Governing Body is extremely knowledgeable and is developing a team which is capable of challenging and supporting the school so that the school can improve.  Pupils behave well, are polite, friendly and enjoy their lessons. They feel safe, work well together and respect each other.

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Information about this inspection

 The three inspectors observed 26 lessons and part lessons, one of which was observed with the headteacher and one with the deputy headteacher. A visit was also made to the school assembly.  A wide range of pupils’ books and learning records were looked at, including those retained by the school from the previous year. Additional scrutiny of current Year 6 and Year 2 workbooks was also undertaken.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, groups of pupils, members of staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and the local authority School Improvement Adviser. Additional meetings were held with two Year 6 and two Year 2 teachers and with a group of Year 6 pupils.  A group of pupils brought their reading books and diaries, read to the inspector and discussed their views on the school.  The inspection took account of 32 staff questionnaires and the results of a recent school survey of parents. There were insufficient responses to the Ofsted’s online parent survey, Parent View. Discussions

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Information about this inspection

were also held with parents at the start of the school day.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including achievement data, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and development plan, behaviour and attendance records and information relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors also explored the school’s provision for the social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of pupils.

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Inspection team

Pauline Pitman, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Inspection team

Prydwen Elfed-Owens Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Wellesbourne is larger than most primary schools.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those supported through the pupil premium, is well above average. This is additional government funding which supports pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils whose first language is other than English is much lower than average.  The proportion of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is higher than the national average.  In 2014, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  Five members of the middle and senior leadership team, including the deputy headteacher, left the school in the last few years. There is a temporary manager for special educational needs in post.

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Information about this school

 The deputy headteacher and the phase leaders were appointed in the autumn term 2014.  The Chair of the Governing Body was elected in September 2014.  The school has nursery and reception provision. Nursery provision is part-time.  The school provides a breakfast club and a broad range of after-school sports and activities clubs.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 In order to raise standards and to accelerate pupils’ progress in English and mathematics, improve the quality of teaching by:  making sure all teachers make effective use of information on pupils’ progress to better understand where pupils are in their learning, so that they can more closely plan their teaching and match work to pupils’ different needs  offering more opportunities for pupils to respond to marking so they can learn from their mistakes and improve their work  supporting all pupils to understand how well they are progressing towards their targets and what they need to do to reach the highest levels possible.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attainment and progress in reading and writing by:  continuing to develop a systematic and regular approach to teaching phonics (understanding letters and the sounds they make) so that the youngest pupils, including those in reception, have the tools to read and write more successfully  further developing pupils’ reading skills, including their vocabulary, so they can enjoy reading and use their skills to support them to make better progress  supporting all pupils to become more accurate in their use of grammar, punctuation and spelling  providing more opportunities for pupils to write for different purposes and to check and redraft their work  supporting teachers to more effectively demonstrate and better guide writing so pupils completely understand how to improve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of leadership and management by:  building on the development already started to improve the school’s performance by ensuring that the new phase leaders and senior leader, under the direction of the headteacher, are equipped with the skills to rigorously check the quality of teaching and its impact on learning  continuing to gather and share good practice within the school and with other partners to find innovative ways to improve teaching and learning and to record progress.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management are not good because the quality of teaching has not been consistently good or better since the last inspection. This has caused the school’s performance to decline. The school’s improvement has been hampered by significant changes to the senior and middle leadership teams in recent years.  The very recent appointment of the new deputy headteacher and the four phase leaders, who are capable and enthusiastic professionals, has built leadership capacity. This is allowing more time for the headteacher to work more strategically. The new leaders are already starting to drive the school’s work forward; they are developing the skills to monitor the impact of teaching on learning and to offer appropriate and timely support. However, their roles and responsibilities are not yet fully established.  The headteacher, supported by the new team, is reflective and mindful of the importance of improving the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

life chances of every child in the school community. She has made all staff aware of the school’s priorities for improvement. With good support from the governing body, the headteacher has started to tackle weaker teaching and has put in place a range of training and support to narrow any gaps between the attainment of different groups of pupils and to drive up standards. This has already resulted in improvements in the teaching of and pupils’ achievement in mathematics.  The local authority provided ‘light-touch’ support which was proportionate to the results of the last inspection. However, they did not alert the governing body fast enough to the emerging problems with teaching and learning over time. The school now makes good use of local authority advice and specialist support.  Recent changes to teachers’ appraisal and performance management have led to improvement. Teachers are now able to explain progress towards the school’s priorities which are linked to their own personal

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The leadership and management requires improvement

targets. They now fully understand that their progress through the pay scales is dependent on how good pupils’ achievement is.  The pupil premium funding is used well to support disadvantaged pupils to do better than in the past. The school is constantly evaluating how best to use staff and resources to narrow attainment gaps. It has purchased new books and mini-computers to encourage pupils and to engage reluctant readers and writers. The school also makes good use of its minibus to take pupils out of school to enhance their learning. This has resulted in improvements in learning.  The curriculum is well matched to the interests of the pupils and reflects the local community. External advisers for information and communication technology (ICT) and Spanish have provided valuable support to enrich the curriculum. Pupils are encouraged to play music and to sing and have been motivated to write following a visit from a poet. Pupils enjoy learning and benefit from the broad range of additional

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The leadership and management requires improvement

activities and sporting opportunities available to them after school.  The school values and promotes the principles of inclusion and equality. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is rich; it enables pupils to grow emotionally and to understand the world around them so that they can take their place in life in modern Britain. All necessary requirements to safeguard pupils are in place.  The primary school sport funding has been used effectively to promote access to and enjoyment of a range of sporting and health-related activities. The school has used the funding to provide equipment and kit and to enable pupils to enter competitions. The recent appointment of a full-time sports coach has enhanced provision. There are also numerous after-school sports clubs which pupils enjoy.  Parent and staff questionnaires are positive about the school. Almost all staff and parents feel the school

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The leadership and management requires improvement

is well managed and led.  The governance of the school:  The recently elected Chair of the Governing Body leads the team well because he is ambitious for the school and has the knowledge and skills to understand what the school’s priorities are for improvement.  The governing body is stronger because it now consists of a range of parent and community governors who are becoming more skilled at holding the school to account. A range of training has been undertaken, including safeguarding and a course to help them to understand the school’s data. They challenge the headteacher and have helped the school to focus on its priorities. There are regular opportunities for the school to feedback to the governors on the progress towards its priorities.  Financial management of the school is strong because the governors, the Chair of the Governing Body in particular, challenges the headteacher on how resources are deployed. For example, before buying

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The leadership and management requires improvement

canopies to encourage outside learning, they asked about the cost benefits of such a purchase.  Governors regularly ask questions about the quality of teaching in the school and how it can be improved. They visit the school and classrooms more often. Since the recent restructure of the appraisal and performance management policy, key governors have a much better understanding of the impact of teaching and the links between pay progression and teachers’ performance.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. This is because the headteacher and staff enable pupils to understand the differences between right and wrong and expect them to behave well. All pupils have equal opportunities to work and play in a calm, happy environment where everyone is treated equally. They learn about British values and, through assemblies and the wider curriculum, understand their place in the world community.  Behaviour in the classroom and around the school is calm and pleasant. The majority of pupils enjoy coming to school. They regularly learn how to manage their own feelings and how to be successful and happy members of their school community. For example, in Year 2, pupils shared photographs and experiences of playing together, making friends and becoming a good buddy to others.  Pupils enjoy playing and learning together and demonstrate good social skills in the playground or when

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Behaviour

working with others in the classroom. Sometimes they fall out with each other but, with support, quickly make friends again.  Lessons are very rarely interrupted by bad behaviour. When behaviour is less than good, for example for a small group of children who have greater difficulties with their behaviour and learning than others, teachers deal with this quickly and effectively. Pupils understand the school rules and enjoy the rewards that good behaviour brings. They generally take a pride in their work and present it well.  Staff manage behaviour in classrooms well and have built up strong relationships with their pupils. A dedicated member of staff works with the community to support children who are upset or who find school life more difficult. Records of behavioural incidents and actions taken are kept up to date and occasional incidents of bullying or racism are dealt with quickly and appropriately. These are rare and

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Behaviour

pupils know whom to go to in order to seek help should they occur.  Attendance has been below the national average for three years but it improved in 2014 and is continuing to do so this term. However, the incidence of persistent absence is still above average. The school makes good use of its learning mentor and the local authority initiative ’Inclusion Matters’ to support pupils to attend school. There is a stronger focus on attendance during regular assemblies and pupils enjoy reward certificates and praise when they come to school regularly. This is beginning to have a positive impact on attendance.  Pupils, parents and all staff agree that behaviour is good in school. The majority of parents would highly recommend the school.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Systems to check staff and other adults who work in the school are also good. Staff and governors are well trained and vigilant. When necessary, they work with local agencies to reduce the risk of harm for all pupils in the school.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe inside and outside school and are taught about using mobile phones safely. They are taught to avoid risk on the internet, including social media sites. Children produced e-safety posters which are proudly presented on the school’s website. The Chair of the Governing Body has been very proactive and acts as an advocate for e-safety.  Teachers pay due attention to safety when taking pupils out on school trips, with effective risk assessments carried out.  Parental questionnaires and discussions with pupils and staff indicate that everyone feels that Wellesbourne Community Primary School is a safe place to learn.

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Safety

 The safety of pupils who attend the breakfast club is good.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Not enough teaching over time has been good enough to help pupils make consistently good progress and to reach the higher levels of attainment, particularly in reading and writing. Currently, evidence indicates that teaching is improving.  Over time, data relating to pupils’ achievement has not been used consistently to support teachers to plan work to help pupils to quickly correct misconceptions and reduce gaps in pupils’ learning.  Teachers manage pupils ‘behaviour well and relationships between pupils and their teachers are good. However, teaching does not make full use of pupils’ targets to encourage or motivate pupils to try their hardest. This means that some can become disengaged or rely heavily on adults to support them.  Pupils have not been given enough opportunity to write for different purposes or to practise their literacy skills in other subjects. Teachers have not consistently provided examples of what good writing looks like

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

or guided pupils’ writing to help them understand how to improve. Weaknesses in the use of grammar, punctuation and spelling have inhibited pupils’ development as writers. Many do not have sufficient language skills to draw upon to use interesting and varied vocabulary to extend their writing. Teachers are now more aware of the importance of improving writing and the recent work on the journalistic style of writing has helped to inspire pupils to enjoy writing.  Teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to respond to marking by correcting their own work and learning from their mistakes. This has led to progress slowing. During the last few months, teachers have started to meet regularly to share and discuss pupils’ workbooks in different classes to help them to check books more methodically and to write more meaningful and helpful advice to move pupils on in their learning.  More recently, assessment has improved so more teachers now have the skills to help pupils to progress

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

by providing more consistent and pertinent feedback, to which some pupils are now starting to respond.  Recent improvements in the teaching of English are beginning to have an impact on pupils’ achievement. For example, in Year 6, pupils found it easier to extend their writing skills because they are taught what steps they need to take to improve. In another class, carefully guided reading and challenging questions made pupils think more deeply about their work. Pupils were encouraged to seek out information and to predict what might happen next. However, this effective practice is not yet established fully across the school and across different subjects.  Funding is used to provide a significant amount of literacy and numeracy support for disadvantaged pupils and any others who are falling behind. This support is mostly managed well by teaching assistants. However, the school does not yet fully evaluate the impact of this support in order to know precisely how

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

well these pupils are progressing.  Pupils are encouraged to learn about other cultures, religions and beliefs and to understand what life in modern Britain means. For example, Year 1 pupils, from different backgrounds and cultures, confidently took part in a recent family assembly based around their singing of a modern version of ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. All were encouraged to be part of the school community and to worship together.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Since the last inspection, the achievement of pupils in Year 2 has remained static, meaning that too few have made good progress, particularly in reading and writing. Observations of teaching and learning, school tracking data and pupils’ workbooks, show that Key Stage 1 pupils are now making better progress than previously.  Although achievement in the Year 1 national phonics check improved in 2014, a below average proportion of pupils reached the expected standard. Recent improvements, however, in the teaching of phonics, have started to have an impact on the confidence and ability of pupils to blend and break up sounds to help them to read and write. The improvements are not yet systematically established in all the classes for younger pupils.  In 2013 and 2014, the standards reached by Year 6 pupils in the national tests were below average in all subjects, especially in English grammar, punctuation and spelling. However, in 2014, there were

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

improvements in the proportion of pupils reaching the expected levels in mathematics, reading and grammar, punctuation and spelling. In mathematics, the proportion of pupils who made the progress expected of them was similar to the national average.  School records and pupils’ workbooks in all classes, including in the current Year 6, show that progress is beginning to accelerate in reading, writing and mathematics and a small group of pupils are on track to achieve the highest Level 6 in mathematics in 2015.  In 2013, national assessments at the end of Key Stage 2, in English and mathematics, showed disadvantaged pupils outperformed other pupils in the school but not others nationally. This was an improvement on 2012. In 2014, disadvantaged pupils continued to outperform others in the school but there was an attainment gap of approximately half a term compared with other pupils nationally. Internal

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

school data shows that disadvantaged pupils across the school have benefited from additional support and intervention and generally perform as well as and sometimes better than other pupils in the school and nationally.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs do not consistently make good progress in all subjects in relation to their starting points. Their progress has not always been tracked and analysed as precisely as it could be. However, the school has put in place a range of support, which is helping some of the weakest learners to make good progress in relation to their low starting points.  In 2013, the most able pupils in Year 6 performed as well as similar pupils nationally. This was not the case in 2014 as too few pupils failed to reach the higher levels. The school’s tracking data show that progress is now being accelerated for the most able pupils in all year groups and subjects.

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The early years provision is good

 Many children enter the Nursery class with weak skills, particularly in communication, language and literacy. By the time they leave the Reception class, many children have reached a good level of development. This represents good progress. Children who find learning more difficult have been well supported to help them make progress from their low starting points.  Most children enjoy learning to read and write. In one activity, teachers used a range of resources to develop children’s phonics skills so that they could accurately respond to letters and the sounds they make. However, on occasion children are not always given enough time to consolidate these skills and to apply what they know to help them with new learning.  The early years is led and managed well. Staff have been supported to make better use of information to track progress and leaders are quick to act if any issues arise. This has enhanced the quality of children’s

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The early years provision is good

achievement.  Teaching is good, especially in the Nursery class. There are more effective systems to check on the progress children are making. This information is used to help teachers and other adults to plan learning so that gaps in learning are quickly addressed.  School tracking shows that a much higher proportion of pupils who have attended the school’s nursery make better progress by the end of the Reception Year than those coming from other nurseries.  Members of the early years team work with the local authority and other schools to check on the quality of their assessments. They also work closely with the staff in Year 1 to support children to make a smooth transition into Key Stage 1.  Children have well-established routines and their attitudes to learning are very strong. They are polite to each other and confidently speak to adults they know. They respond well to a range of activities provided

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The early years provision is good

which support them to develop well.  Staff are building effective links with parents to help them to support their children to make good progress in all areas of learning, especially reading and writing. Parents are positive about the school and feel they are kept informed about their children’s development. They are encouraged to contribute to their learning record by providing information about developments seen at home.  Each child has a key worker, which helps to ensure that every child is looked after well. The early years is a safe place for children to learn and their parents agree.

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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 133329 Local authority Liverpool Inspection number 448861

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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 345 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Carl Gilbertson Headteacher Marj Mallon Date of previous school inspection 4 November 2009 Telephone number 0151 226 9765 Fax number 0151 226 9781 Email address wellesbourne-ao@wellesbourne.liverpool.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

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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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