Ernesford Grange Primary School

Ernesford Grange Primary School Foxton Road, Binley, Coventry, CV3 2HN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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

 Pupils make good progress and achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teaching is consistently good throughout the school and some is outstanding. Other adults make a substantial contribution to pupils’ learning.  Children in Nursery and Reception classes make a good start in their writing and understanding of number. They quickly develop skills that allow them to play together and become confident learners.  Pupils are enthusiastic and keen learners who behave well in lessons and around the school.  Procedures to ensure that pupils are safe are outstanding. As a result, pupils feel very safe and very well looked after by staff.  School leaders and managers have a good understanding of the strengths of the school and what needs to be improved further. They have brought about improvements in the quality of teaching.  Governors know the school well and are committed to the success of every pupil. They provide effective

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

challenge and support making sure the school continues to improve.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Occasionally some pupils, especially the most able, are given insufficient challenge in lessons.  Standards in Year 1 phonics (letters and the sounds they make) dipped in 2014.  Pupils do not have sufficient reading activities across subjects to further develop their skills in reading.  The roles of subject leaders in monitoring and improving the work of their areas of responsibility are not yet fully developed.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 24 lessons, five of which were seen jointly with the headteacher and four with the deputy headteacher. In addition, inspectors listened to pupils read and examined their work in books.  Inspectors took account of the 148 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire.  Inspectors considered the views of 40 staff that completed the staff questionnaire.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, the Chair and Deputy Chair of the Governing Body, the local authority and school leaders.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of school documents, including: the school’s own information on pupils’ current and recent progress; planning of work in different subjects; leaders’ monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning; and records relating to behaviour, attendance and the safeguarding of pupils.

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Inspection team

Steve Nelson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average sized primary school.  The very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups and pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is below average. This is additional government funding to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.  Early years provision is part time in the Nursery and full time in Reception.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum standards expected nationally for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2013.  The school provides a breakfast club and out-of-school club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to outstanding so that all pupils make consistently rapid progress by:  providing even more challenge for pupils, especially the most able  building on the improvements to pupils’ learning in phonics  providing pupils with more opportunities to read across a range of subjects.  Further develop the role of subject leaders in monitoring and improving the work of their areas of responsibility.

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The leadership and management are good

 Strong leadership from the headteacher has been the key factor to pupils making good progress and achieving well. Since her appointment in 2013, she has improved the achievement of pupils where before it had dipped at the end of Key Stage 2. She has ensured that her belief in the potential of every pupil to succeed is a shared vision with all the staff.

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The leadership and management are good

 Self-evaluation by senior leaders has identified the right priorities, based on an accurate assessment of the school’s strengths and weaknesses, demonstrating a good capacity for further improvement. The school ensures that there is no discrimination and all pupils have equal opportunity to succeed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and leaders make good use of information from regular checks on teaching and learning to develop teachers’ skills and improve teaching. Targets set for teachers are closely linked to pupils’ achievement and shows their skills have improved. Teachers’ pay levels are determined by how successful they are in helping pupils to achieve well.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders at all levels have been coached well in how to use data to improve pupils’ progress and attainment in each year group. They use this information effectively to identify any underachievement and provide support so that pupils quickly catch up with their classmates. However, subject leaders are not fully involved in checking the quality of teaching in their subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral and social and cultural development is promoted well. Through assemblies and teaching, the school successfully promotes the values such as determination, responsibility, respect and tolerance. Pupils show good understanding of their own and different faiths. They are well prepared for life in a modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 The subjects taught are well planned and enable pupils to use their literacy and numeracy skills when studying interesting and exciting topics, such as The Great Fire of London and Stone Age History. Pupils enjoy the additional activities provided, such as residential visits to Wales and Spain. However, pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to develop their reading skills in different subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupil premium funding is used well to provide disadvantaged pupils with additional support, particularly in literacy and numeracy. This support is effective in ensuring that disadvantaged pupils make the same good progress as their classmates.

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary school physical education and sport funding is used well to ensure that all pupils become more physically active. It funds a specialist coach who takes sports lessons in conjunction with the teachers and also runs lunchtime and after-school clubs. Pupils participate well in local competitions and tournaments, which include football, netball and cricket.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school meets current safeguarding requirements. Arrangements to ensure pupils’ safety and protection are given a high profile and managed with diligence.

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The leadership and management are good

 Effective challenge by the local authority has led to clear plans for improvement. Staff and leaders are extending their skills as a result of the local authority’s guidance. This is having a positive effect on raising achievement and improving teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are effective because they have a broad range of skills, which results in their good understanding of the quality of teaching. They know the strengths and areas for development in the school. Governors make sure teachers’ annual targets, and any pay increases, are closely linked to the pupils’ progress. Governors set clear and challenging targets in managing the performance of the headteacher.  Governors are able to analyse information on pupils’ progress compared to that of other pupils nationally, and use this to arrive at well-informed conclusions. They are supportive, while challenging the school, and this helps improve pupils’ achievement further.  Governors monitor the school’s finances carefully and carry out their duties effectively. For example, governors work closely with the school to ensure that arrangements for safeguarding meet statutory requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors keep themselves up-to-date with relevant national changes in education.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Staff set high standards to which pupils respond well, showing high levels of respect and friendliness to adults, visitors and their classmates. This ensures a happy welcoming and harmonious school, committed to success for every pupil.

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Behaviour

 School records show that bullying or unkind behaviour in any form is rare and always speedily dealt with; pupils confirm that this is the case. They are aware of the different types of bullying, including cyber- bullying. Pupils behave well in classrooms, outside and around the school.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are proud of their school. The school buildings and grounds are litter-free, bright and filled with stimulating resources. Pupils speak positively about how much they enjoy being a part of the school and this is evident in their smart appearance and very good manners.

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Behaviour

 The responses to the on-line questionnaire show that nearly every parent thinks that the pupils’ behaviour is good, their child is well looked after and there is no bullying of any kind. The breakfast club is very well organised and gives pupils an excellent start to the day. Pupils are very well cared for in the out-of-school club and they enjoy the activities.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are usually very good across the school, but occasionally a few pupils become disengaged from learning and lose concentration.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. The friendly and harmonious atmosphere around the school typifies it. Pupils report that they feel very safe in school and know how to stay completely safe out of school.

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Safety

 Pupils greatly value the range of visitors to the school and the information they receive in assemblies and in lessons to help them stay safe both in and out of school. Their knowledge about the safe use of the internet and social networking is excellent.

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Safety

 The school takes every possible step to ensure that all pupils, particularly the most vulnerable, are very well cared for and protected. Case studies of the care and support for individual pupils provide convincing evidence of the school’s highly effective safeguarding arrangements.

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Safety

 The school has worked very effectively to promote good attendance. As a result, rates of attendance have improved and are now above average.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good across the school and some is outstanding. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and increasing proportions of pupils are now making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers insist on high standards of behaviour and manage their classes well. This enables a learning atmosphere that allows pupils to make good progress because they are keen to succeed by working hard. Relationships are good and levels of trust are high; pupils listen attentively to adults and each other.  In mathematics, basic skills are taught well and consolidated regularly, such as when Year 2 pupils used information from the geography lesson, to calculate air miles. Pupils made very good progress in adding four digit numbers, where answers are greater than 10,000.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils write enthusiastically and with imagination as a result of the exciting resources chosen to engage pupils. For instance, Year 4 pupils made excellent progress in their ability to write a diary entry that reflected the feelings, experience and opinions of a character very well.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In guided reading sessions, teachers and other adults skilfully question all pupils to make sure they know what they are doing and how to improve. However, reading activities across the school are not given a sharp enough focus to further develop and extend pupils’ reading skills in a wide range of subjects.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Other adults make important contributions to pupils’ progress, sometimes teaching small groups and at other times providing support for individuals. Good liaison with the class teachers gives assistants a clear understanding of what is expected of them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teachers’ marking of pupils’ work in books is consistently good throughout the school. Pupils are told how well they are doing and the teacher clearly explains what they need to do to improve. Pupils get regular opportunities to check the quality of their own work and that of their classmates.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Occasionally there is insufficient challenge for some pupils, especially the most able. As a consequence, work set is too easy for pupils and does it not make them think deeply enough.

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is good

 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 is above average. After a dip in 2013, attainment increased in 2014 and is broadly average at Key Stage 2. Pupils’ progress is strongest in Key Stage 1 where their achievement is good. Pupils continue to achieve well as they progress through Key Stage 2.

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is good

 Information provided by the school shows that the proportion of pupils making the progress they should in reading, writing and mathematics has increased this year. In 2014 pupils’ progress was above that of all pupils nationally in mathematics and similar to that of other schools in writing, although it was not as strong in reading.

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is good

 The most-able pupils make good progress and higher proportions are exceeding the expected standards for their age this year in reading, writing and mathematics compared to last year where their progress was lower than the national figures. Occasionally, however, the work for the most-able pupils is not difficult enough to make them think hard.

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is good

 Pupils write at length in different subjects, such as history and science, and they develop their writing skills well. Their grammar, spelling and punctuation are of a good standard. Pupils are confident speakers and are good at listening, because they regularly discuss their ideas together in lessons. Pupils are skilled in numeracy, have good knowledge of number facts and enjoy solving practical mathematical problems.

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is good

 Pupils enjoy books and stories and make good progress in reading, although teachers sometimes do too little to develop pupils’ reading skills in other subjects. An above average proportion of Year 1 pupils attained the expected standard in the phonics check in 2013. However, phonics results dipped below average in 2014. Positive steps are been taken to increase pupils’ progress in this area through staff training and ensuring that pupils practise their skills in the use of letters and the sounds they make more frequently.

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is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. This is because teachers and other adults support them well in lessons and provide work and learning materials best suited to their needs.  The gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils in the school and other pupils nationally is closing, because the school uses the extra funding to support individuals and groups of pupils effectively. The attainment of last year’s disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 was less than a term behind their classmates in reading and over a term behind in writing and mathematics. They were less than a term behind all pupils nationally in reading and about a term behind in writing and mathematics. In English grammar, punctuation and spelling, disadvantaged pupils’ attainment was less than a term behind their classmates and slightly better than other pupils nationally. In reading, disadvantaged pupils

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is good

made better progress than their classmates and similar progress compared with other pupils nationally. In writing, their progress was slightly behind, and in mathematics it was broadly the same as their classmates and other pupils nationally.

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is good

 The school has successfully improved the progress of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language, so that they make similar progress to other pupils. This is because their learning needs are identified and responded to well, so that they settle quickly.

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is good

 The leadership and management of the early years provision are good. The staff work well as a team. There are effective systems for checking and recording children’s progress and attainment. This information is used well to plan teaching and learning.

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is good

 The school uses information from pre-schools and home visits to plan activities that are appropriate for each child when they join the Nursery and Reception classes. Children settle quickly into routines and behave well, showing a desire to learn.

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is good

 The large majority of children join the school with knowledge and skills typical for their age. By the end of Reception, all children make good progress from their starting points across all areas of learning and reach a good level of development. As a result, they are confident independent learners well prepared to move into Year 1. Sometimes, however, tasks are too easy for the most-able children.

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is good

 Teaching is good. Adults check children’s learning and development frequently and find out what stimulates and interests them. This information is used to make learning interesting and fun.

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is good

 Teachers and support staff successfully develop children’s speaking and listening skills and extend their vocabulary. The development of children’s reading skills, particularly phonics, is given good attention. Children make good gains in working with number and solving basic problems. With good guidance and direction from adults, they make good progress in early writing skills.

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is good

 Children are safe and well cared for. Adults establish strong relationships with the children, and this leads to good behaviour. The children grow in confidence and relate well to adults and each other. They share learning resources and take turns. Children clearly enjoy their learning.

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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 103658 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 453199

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 526 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Simon Miller Headteacher Susan Andrews Date of previous school inspection 6 July 2010 Telephone number 024 7645 4843 Fax number 024 7663 6098 Email address admin@ernesfordgrange-pri.coventry.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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