Coleridge Primary

Coleridge Primary School Coleridge Road, Rotherham, South Yorkshire, S65 1LW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Early years provision Requires improvement 3

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

 Most pupils start in the early years with skills significantly below those typical for their age. Standards remain low in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 because pupils do not make good progress.  Teaching is not yet consistently good enough to ensure all groups of pupils make good progress. The most able pupils particularly are not always challenged in their learning.  In lessons teachers do not always use information about what pupils know and can do, or rectify pupils’ misconceptions or difficulties quickly to ensure that all pupils move on fast enough.  Teaching is not consistently strong enough to bridge the gaps in pupils’ previous learning. Basic speaking skills, spelling, punctuation, grammar, reading and mathematical skills are weak.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length across the curriculum.  Pupils do not always have time to respond to teachers’ comments in marking to improve their

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

work.  The senior and middle leaders do not look closely enough at pupils’ work in books and so they do not have an accurate picture of how well pupils are doing.  New initiatives put in place by the senior leadership team have not had time to impact on the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement over time.  Behaviour in a few lessons is less than good. Pupils become less focused on their learning when work is too easy or too hard.  The quality of provision in the early years does not support good progress.

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The school has the following strengths

 The new executive headteacher and headteacher have implemented new initiatives based on a detailed and secure understanding of all aspects of the school’s performance to improve achievement and the quality of teaching.  Recent monitoring of teaching and learning is accurate and identifies strengths and weaknesses. Staff are encouraged to develop their skills and expertise. Staff morale is high.  The school promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively and pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.  Effective governor training is enabling governors to challenge the senior leaders and ask pertinent questions about pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching.  Pupils say they enjoy coming to school and have a good understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 14 lessons, an assembly and short observations in all Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 classes during the themed philosophy day. Observations were carried out jointly with the executive headteacher, the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the assistant headteacher.  Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body, two representatives of the Academy Trust and senior and middle leaders. A telephone conversation was held with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at documentation including: teachers’ planning; the school’s analysis of its strengths and weaknesses; information on pupils’ attainment and progress; records of behaviour and safety; monitoring of teaching and performance management; minutes of the governing body meetings; and safeguarding documents.  A discussion was held with a group of pupils and informal conversations took place during lessons and at

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Information about this inspection

break times. Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to them about the books they enjoy.  Inspectors took account of the 28 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Parent View, the school’s parent questionnaire of autumn 2014, and 15 questionnaires from parents who speak English as an additional language, supported by a translator. Inspectors also spoke to parents informally at the start of the school day. The questionnaires completed by 13 members of staff were also considered.

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Inspection team

Julie Harrison, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is well above average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and the proportion who speak English as an additional language are both well above average. The school has pupils from 18 different minority ethnic groups.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is well above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Early years provision is full time for the Reception pupils and part time for the Nursery pupils.  The school is part of the Central Learning Partnership Trust.

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Information about this school

 Coleridge Primary School converted to become an academy school on 1 April 2013. When its predecessor school, Coleridge Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be satisfactory.  The Central Learning Partnership Trust employed an executive headteacher in September 2014 to support the headteacher. The executive headteacher is a National Leader of Education.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching across the whole school to at least good and so raise standards and accelerate pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics by making sure that all teachers:  pitch work at the correct level so it is not too easy or too hard, to always provide good challenge for all groups of pupils, including the most able  provide more opportunities for pupils to write at length across the curriculum  provide enough time for all pupils to respond to teachers’ comments to improve their work  fill in the gaps in pupils’ basic skills in speaking, spelling, punctuation, grammar, reading and mathematics  use assessment information during lessons to ensure that all pupils move on fast enough and that misconceptions and pupils’ difficulties are rectified quickly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership further by:  ensuring that senior and middle leaders look closely at pupils’ work in books to gain an accurate view of how well pupils are doing  embedding the actions recently taken to improve pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching, ensuring regular and robust checks are carried out to inform actions to bring about continual improvement.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching are not good. The executive headteacher has strengthened the leadership and management skills of the school and with the school’s headteacher they have implemented new initiatives with very challenging targets. These have led to improvements in pupils’ behaviour, achievement in reading, writing and mathematics across the school and the quality of teaching but these improvements have not yet shown impact over time. Senior and middle leaders, trustees and governors are in a good position to make further improvements, especially as planning for improvement contains the correct priorities.  The quality of teaching is improving. There is a drive to raise standards and fill in the gaps in pupils’ basic skills in speaking, spelling, punctuation, grammar, reading, writing and mathematics. The quality of

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The leadership and management requires improvement

teaching and pupils’ progress are checked regularly by senior and middle leaders. However, they do not rigorously compare the work in pupils’ books with assessment data to get an accurate picture of how well pupils are doing. Consequently, areas for improvement are not identified specifically and quickly.  Effective systems are in place to assess the performance of teachers. This ensures that teachers are held to account for the progress of the pupils in their class. Professional development is well planned for all staff and morale is high. Performance management ensures that the middle leaders are now accountable for the progress pupils make in their areas of responsibility. Staff have the opportunity to share professional development opportunities with other schools within the Trust to improve their teaching skills.  Senior leaders accurately identify what makes teaching effective and what needs to be improved.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

Feedback to staff is thoughtful and well considered. This provides a firm foundation for future improvement to teaching and learning.  The school has a clear focus on raising standards in 2015. Challenging targets for the early years, Year 2 and Year 6 teachers and for pupils have been set. To support this, senior leaders and teachers have regular pupil progress meetings to identify what is needed. For example, a residential trip has been planned for May specifically to enhance the Year 6 pupils’ self-esteem to help them to achieve better in their subsequent statutory tests.  The new associate early years leader from a local school which is part of the Central Learning Partnership Trust is working well with the early years teacher to improve the provision and standards in the early years unit, which currently requires improvement.  There is a particular focus on English and mathematics because standards in the early years, Key Stage 1

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The leadership and management requires improvement

and Key Stage 2 are well below the national average. The curriculum has a positive impact on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and prepares them well for life in modern Britain. Discrimination is not tolerated and good relations are fostered well. As a result, pupils show tolerance and respect for all 18 minority ethnic groups within the school. The themed philosophy day observed during the inspection enabled pupils to build up their confidence and raise awareness of ‘identity and diversity’. The curriculum promotes equality of opportunity for all pupils, whatever their needs, and ensures that they are fully involved in the life of school.  Pupil premium funding has enabled the school to employ additional teachers and teaching assistants. This along with various targeted interventions is enabling disadvantaged pupils to improve their skills in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The primary sport funding is used well to pay for sports coaches and enable staff to improve their skills. Funding is also used to support before- and after-school clubs and sports festivals to help pupils lead a healthier lifestyle.  Attendance is improving but it is still below the national average.  The Central Learning Partnership Trust has provided valuable support to the school, especially by recently employing the executive headteacher and through the sharing of staff training opportunities.  The school meets statutory safeguarding requirements and arrangements are effective in keeping pupils safe.  The governance of the school:  Governors understand the schools strengths and weaknesses. Recent training has enabled them to now ask pertinent questions about the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement within school and against national averages. They have just recently completed a skills audit to enable the governing body to

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The leadership and management requires improvement

become more effective. The governors carry out a range of visits and meet senior and middle leaders regularly. They have a clear overview of teachers’ performance management and monitor any underperformance. They ensure that teachers’ pay awards are dependent upon pupils’ progress and teachers meeting their targets. The governing body ensures that all statutory responsibilities are met, including those related to safeguarding. It checks that the school is helping pupils to understand tolerance and respect for different faiths and cultures. Governors scrutinise the finances well and ensure that the pupil premium funding and the primary sport grant are spent effectively.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. It is not good because in some lessons pupils become distracted, do not listen to others and call out. This causes their progress to slow. Some pupils do not fully understand the school’s behaviour policy.  The school has ensured attendance is improving but it is still below the national average. This improvement has been supported by a free breakfast club for disadvantaged pupils and the work of the attendance officer. Effective procedures are in place for the few exclusions that take place.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and form good relationships with other pupils and staff members. Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy being school councillors.  In some lessons pupils show positive attitudes to learning and are keen to take part in activities. They work well with others and share their ideas willingly.  Pupils move around the school calmly and they are polite to staff and visitors.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. All relevant policies and procedures for ensuring pupils’ health, safety and well-being are in place. The knowledgeable head of pastoral care and the special educational needs leader work well together and take rapid action if any pupil is deemed to be at risk.  Pupils feel confident that any concerns will be dealt with quickly by an adult. Pupils of different ages say they feel safe and there are happy faces with plenty of laughter going on during break times.  Pupils are aware of various forms of bullying. They have an understanding of how to be safe when using the internet. Anti-bullying strategies have been effective and pupils say, ‘bullying has gone’, and, ‘we are all friends here’.  Parental responses to the school’s questionnaire in autumn 2014, those who spoke to inspectors, the parents who completed a paper questionnaire and staff questionnaire responses praised the school’s

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Safety

behaviour and safety strategies. The parental responses on Parent View showed concerns about pupils’ behaviour and bullying but inspectors found that the school’s systems to monitor and support pupils’ safety and behaviour are thorough and that behaviour is improving.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Although the quality of teaching is improving and is checked regularly and accurately by leaders, it is judged to require improvement because it is not always good.  Lessons are generally planned well to interest all groups of pupils. However, occasionally, the activities are not pitched at the correct level and some pupils find the work too easy or too difficult. There is not always enough challenge especially for the most able pupils. This reduces pupils’ enthusiasm and concentration, and slows the pupils’ progress.  The themed philosophy day during the inspection enabled staff to develop pupils’ speaking and listening skills. In most classes pupils were on-task, listening to each other and sharing their ideas on identity and diversity. For example, one mixed class of Year 5 and Year 6 pupils asked thought-provoking questions about new and adoptive parents, a mixed Year 3 and Year 4 class sensitively discussed the similarities and

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

differences between two pupils, and a mixed Year 1 and Year 2 class gave their views about different religions and cultures. However, in a minority of classes pupils were off-task, fidgeting and not listening to each other and occasionally calling out.  Some teachers do not assess pupils’ learning during a lesson to ensure pupils move onto the next task fast enough. They do not correct misconceptions or support pupils’ difficulties quickly enough. Pupils then drift off-task and become less focused in their learning.  The amount and standard of work produced over time in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 is not sufficient to ensure consistently good progress in all subjects.  Most teachers follow the school’s marking and feedback policy well. They mark pupils’ work regularly and conscientiously and they often give good advice on how to improve it. However, some teachers do not provide pupils with enough time to follow up on this advice to improve their learning further.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The school now gives effective support through ability-grouped classes, additional teachers and teaching assistants and targeted intervention for all pupils including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, disadvantaged pupils, minority ethnic pupils and those pupils who speak English as an additional language. This closer attention is helping pupils to gain self-confidence and to close the gaps in pupils’ basic skills to improve their progress.  Some teachers have good subject knowledge and use questioning well to extend learning and they have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and their pace of work. They challenge the most able pupils sufficiently. In such cases, pupils enjoy their learning and make good progress. However, there is not enough of this good practice across the school.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) is taught well across the early years and

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

Key Stage 1 and so standards are now rising. Pupils read regularly at school and use their knowledge of phonics to help them to read and spell unfamiliar words accurately. Some pupils read regularly at home which supports their progress further.  Teachers are supporting pupils’ basic writing skills but standards are low across the school and work in books shows progress is not consistently good. Teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to use their skills to write at length across all subjects of the curriculum.  Gaps in pupils’ knowledge are now being filled through a better match of work to pupils’ needs and a close focus on teaching basic skills in lessons, supported well by prompts on wall displays and the mathematics basic skills ‘help desk’.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because progress is not consistently good across the school in reading, writing and mathematics.  Most children enter the early years with knowledge and skills significantly below those typical for their age. Even though they make at least the progress expected of them in Nursery and Reception, children start Year 1 still well below the expected standards. The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development, which is the expected standard at the end of the Reception Year, is, however, improving rapidly. Indeed the percentage of the current Reception children reaching a good level of development is set to rise from 41% in 2014 to 64% in 2015.  The results for the Year 1 phonics screening check show an improving trend and the gap to national expectations is closing. The clear focus in the early years and Key Stage 1 on the teaching of phonics is helping to improve standards.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 in 2014 were well below the national average standard in reading, writing and mathematics. However, the predictions for 2015 show a vast improvement. Already the current Year 2 pupils are at a higher standard in writing and a similar standard in mathematics to last year’s group of pupils. Reading standards are also rising.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2014 in reading, writing and mathematics were also well below the national average. However, the proportion of pupils who have made the progress expected of them, or more than this, from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2 shows a much stronger picture. In 2014, the proportion of pupils who made the progress expected of them in writing was above the national average and in mathematics was similar to national. Additionally, the proportion of pupils who made more than the progress expected of them in writing and reading was above the national average. This Year 6 group of 25

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

pupils had a very high turnover of pupils with 81 pupils being taught in that group at the school and yet only 13 pupils stayed from Year 1 through to Year 6.  The school has set challenging Key Stage 2 targets for pupils’ progress for the end of 2015 but predictions suggest they will again be below national average standards. Nevertheless, the work in books shows that the current Year 6 pupils are making at least the progress expected of them in English and mathematics. The mitigating circumstances explaining this picture are that this group currently has 27 pupils, but 64 pupils in total have been taught in this year group from the start of Key Stage 2. Of the current 27 pupils, the 16 pupils who have attended the school since the start of Key Stage 2 are already at a higher standard in reading and a similar standard in mathematics to those pupils who left at the end of Year 6 in 2014.  Pupils enjoy reading and standards, though low, are improving across the school. Year 2 pupils use their

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

knowledge of phonics adequately to support their reading. The most able Year 2 and Year 6 pupils read with fluency and expression.  Raising the achievement of the most able pupils is a priority in the school development plan. These pupils are not always sufficiently challenged during lessons for them to make the best possible progress to reach the higher standards of which they are capable.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, pupils from minority ethnic groups and those at the early stages of learning English are making at least the progress expected of them from their various starting points in reading, writing and mathematics.  In 2014 at the end of Year 6, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils who made the progress expected of them and more in writing, was greater than all pupils nationally and similar to their classmates. They made the progress expected of them in mathematics and less than the progress expected of them in

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

reading. However, in reading a greater proportion made more than the progress expected of them. In terms of standards, disadvantaged pupils were approximately one term behind their classmates in reading and writing, and in mathematics they were two terms behind. In comparison with all pupils nationally, the difference was approximately six terms behind in reading and mathematics and three terms behind in writing. Changes to class organisation are enabling teachers with support from teaching assistants and through targeted intervention programmes to close these gaps.

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The early years provision requires improvement

 The early years provision requires improvement because achievement and the quality of teaching are not good enough. The children enter the Nursery and Reception unit with skills and knowledge significantly below those typical for their age. The majority of Reception children are making the progress expected of them from their low starting points. Standards are beginning to rise because recent changes in the leadership and management team are enabling the quality of teaching to improve. Last year, many children started Year 1 with skills and knowledge well below expectations.  The newly appointed associate early years leader and the class teacher are working well together to improve the inside and outside provision to support all the early years areas of learning. However, this is still a ‘work in progress’, but it is already giving the children wider learning opportunities.  The children engage in a variety of interesting activities, currently many related to winter and the Chinese

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The early years provision requires improvement

New Year. However, some part-time Nursery children have little concentration and become easily distracted during activities or flit from one activity to another. Even so, the teaching assistants work hard to support the children to complete tasks.  During the inspection staff focused on developing the pupils’ speaking and listening skills and Nursery children enjoyed singing nursery rhymes.  Both the inside and outside areas provide a safe learning environment. Resources are easily accessible to the children. The children follow class routines and tidy up well. The children work and play well together and the Reception children are good role models for the Nursery children.  The teaching of phonics is now a strength in the early years. Five ability groups allow the children to reinforce previous learning and learn new sounds quickly. A variety of activities for all groups enable children to read and spell sounds or words, sing songs and develop their speaking and listening skills. For

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The early years provision requires improvement

example, during the inspection, Reception children used their phonics knowledge to write sentences about the Chinese New Year.  The children with special educational needs, those for whom the school receives additional funding and those who are in the early stages of learning to speak English are supported well and make similar progress to that of others.  The new leadership and management team now ensures accurate assessment of pupils’ progress is recorded in learning journeys for all areas of development. Parents are also encouraged to add regular information into this book. The parents of children attending the early years who spoke to the inspector expressed positive views about the school.  All safeguarding policies and procedures are implemented effectively.

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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 139223 Local authority Rotherham Inspection number 449905

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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 Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 232 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ray Griffiths Headteacher Jane White Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01709 828988 Fax number 01709 829409 Email address coleridge.primary@rotherham.gov.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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