Montrose School

Montrose School Wigston Lane, Aylestone, Leicester, LE2 8TN

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils attained standards which were average in reading and mathematics, and above average in writing in 2014. This represents good progress from their starting points.  Work in books and current tracking data show that most pupils in all year groups are making good progress.  Teachers use their understanding of what pupils already know to set work which stretches most pupils and enables them to make good progress.  Pupils enjoy applying their reading, writing and mathematical skills in topics across the curriculum.  Pupils are respectful of staff and each other. Their positive attitudes to each other help them to build good relationships and to make good progress.  Pupils behave well because staff have high expectations of all pupils and create an atmosphere where learning can thrive.  Most pupils say that they feel safe in school and know how to get help when they need it.  The headteacher and governors have established a

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

clear strategy for continuing to raise pupils’ standards. The success of this is rigorously checked against the progress made by all pupils.  Most parents say that they are very happy with the work of the school. They are keen to take part in a wide variety of activities in school.  Governors have undertaken a wide range of training which has helped them to improve the way in which they hold the school to account, and to use resources effectively in improving pupils’ outcomes.  Children make good progress in the early years. Teachers use their knowledge of what children can do to offer exciting activities, and children’s behaviour is outstanding.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Planned activities do not consistently stretch the most able pupils  Pupils are not yet given the opportunity to develop reading research skills or mathematical investigation skills in their topic work.  The school has not yet communicated its ambitions and aspirations within the wider community.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited assemblies and 20 lessons, and also looked at pupils’ workbooks.  They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, at break and lunchtimes, and around the school site. They had a formal discussion with the school council and informal discussions with other pupils.  Account was taken of the 78 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and also of the 25 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors met with parents, the headteacher, other school leaders, a group of governors and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors checked safeguarding arrangements and progress data for those pupils attending off-site provision on a part-time basis.  Inspectors looked at school documents, including those about pupils’ achievement, behaviour and attendance, records of monitoring, school self-evaluation, plans for improvement, and information relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Lynne Bradbury, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Children attend part time in the Nursery and full time in the Reception class.  One third of the children in the Reception class have not attended the school Nursery.  The large majority of pupils are White British, and almost all pupils speak English as their first language.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for support from the pupil premium is broadly average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.  A large percentage of pupils live outside the school’s catchment area.  In recent years, the school has lost pupils at the end of Year 5 because they move to high schools with early intakes. These places in school have been filled by pupils moving at this late stage from other schools.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is in line with the national

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Information about this school

average.  One pupil currently spends two days a week at The Phoenix Pupil Referral Unit, one pupil spends two days a week at Pinder Road Nursery, and another pupil spends one day a week at Westgate Special School.  The school offers a breakfast club for all pupils.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build on pupils’ good achievement by enabling even more pupils to make rapid progress by:  planning learning activities which offer even greater challenge to develop deeper understanding for the most able pupils in all parts of lessons  enabling pupils to develop research skills and mathematical investigation skills in subjects across the curriculum, in order to deepen their understanding.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop strategies to share the school’s ambitions and aspirations with the local community so that wider resources and expertise may be accessed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, governors and senior leaders took urgent action following the last inspection to establish a united vision for school improvement. This has been supported by most members of staff who have high expectations of themselves and their pupils. Improvements in teaching have led to improvements in achievement in all year groups.

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The leadership and management are good

 Rigorous processes are in place for leaders and governors to monitor pupils’ progress and to quickly identify appropriate areas for improvement. This leads to focused development planning and high-quality training for all staff. The appraisal system is used to ensure that these measures are effective in raising the standard of teaching and the progress made by all pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders use tracking information, lesson observations and book scrutinies to check the progress made and to identify any pupils who are falling behind. They build appropriate plans to address development needs.

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The leadership and management are good

 The vast majority of parents who met with inspectors are highly satisfied with the work of the school and feel that their children are making good progress in a very happy environment. The school has not yet communicated its ambitions and aspirations among the wider community in order to attract those with skills and talents to become involved.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding policies, and arrangements for those pupils attending off-site provision, meet national requirements and are rigorously implemented. Leaders rigorously monitor their attendance, progress and behaviour.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s commitment to equal opportunities is demonstrated by the good progress made by all groups of pupils and the way in which finances are allocated to support this. Leaders successfully tackle any form of discrimination.

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The leadership and management are good

 Additional funding for those pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium has supported extra teaching staff and teaching assistants who offer small-group work, dinner-time activities, access to visits, sports and musical activities. These additional opportunities are helping disadvantaged pupils across the school to make more rapid progress than in the past. The employment of a family support worker has been particularly effective in enabling those pupils who have complex needs to make improving progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary school sports funding pays for specialist coaching which enables the school to offer an exciting programme of sports (football, rugby, dance, dodgeball and gymnastics) and to train staff to develop their skills in these areas. Pupils are highly motivated to take part in extra sports clubs and they display healthy attitudes to exercise.

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The leadership and management are good

 Interesting topics are used to enable pupils to develop reading, writing and mathematical skills in subjects across the curriculum. Pupils particularly enjoy the wide range of visitors and visits which help them to develop a deeper understanding of their work.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents talk excitedly about the wide range of opportunities they have to be involved with their children’s learning and in the life of the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 In all year groups, there is a strong focus on helping pupils to understand values in life and, in particular, British values. This has helped to develop tolerance and respect which is evident among pupils across the range of groups and backgrounds.

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The leadership and management are good

 Assemblies offer high-quality opportunities for pupils to reflect upon important moral, social and cultural topics. This awareness is further developed during lessons, team challenges and at playtime.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils develop an understanding and appreciation of different faiths and cultures through their topic work, and they talk with great respect about other people’s beliefs and traditions.  There is a great emphasis upon the development of musical skills and a love of music, and parents are also invited to join in this aspect of school life.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has given extensive training and support to staff and leaders and this has been effective in improving standards of teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  An external review of the effectiveness of the governing body has improved governance. As a result of the training governors received, they understand achievement data and use these to hold the school to account for the progress pupils make. They identify strengths and weaknesses in the school’s provision. They use their understanding to plan appropriate development which they support through the school budget. They monitor carefully how effectively the school development plan is implemented.  Governors use additional funding, such as the pupil premium, to support eligible pupils and then check the effectiveness of resources allocated against the progress made.  Governors have an accurate view of the quality of teaching. They hold teachers and leaders accountable for pupils’ achievement through the appraisal system to make decisions about staff and career progression.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. They demonstrate good attitudes and greatly enjoy their learning, and this helps them to make good progress. They establish good relationships and show respect for others from all backgrounds and groups. They show particular care and support for pupils with disabilities and those who have special educational needs.

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Behaviour

 Pupils work hard and greatly enjoy collaborating and cooperating in their learning. In lessons across a range of subjects and in all year groups, they support each other’s learning through discussion and team work, and show a great deal of patience and cooperation. For example, in lessons observed during the inspection, pupils in the junior classes shared thoughts, skills and knowledge to devise experiments to explore electrical circuits or the way in which light travels; in mathematics in Year 1, they shared their understanding to support and challenge each other to make as many numbers as possible using a set number of cubes in partitioned columns, thus deepening their understanding of number.

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Behaviour

 Any low-level disruption in lessons is dealt with urgently and effectively. At play time and dinner time pupils of all ages play happily, take turns and run around with exuberance. While some have minor disagreements, these are quickly solved either between themselves or with the help of staff.

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Behaviour

 Pupils work hard and their books show their commitment to their learning. They present their work to a high standard and respond positively to staff feedback and marking.

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Behaviour

 Those who attend part-time provision to support their special needs behave well and work hard.

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Behaviour

 The breakfast club offers a wide range of well-supervised play opportunities for pupils, who behave well and enjoy this experience.

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Behaviour

 Representatives to the school council are elected and trusted by their classes to represent their views. Pupils enjoy the responsibilities they have for organising resources, and keeping classes tidy. Some pupils act as bullying buddies to offer help if any pupils believe that they may be being bullied.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are very excited about the sports, music and clubs offered. They also enjoy the many rewards for good work and behaviour, celebrated in assemblies.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. The school site is well organised and offers exciting areas to investigate. The local authority has checked site security and the school is committed to continuing to review this aspect of its work in the light of recent building extensions. All necessary checks are carried out on visitors and before appointing new staff.

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Safety

 Pupils say that they feel safe at school because of the care provided by staff. They know who to ask for help if they need it. Assemblies and work in lessons help them to identify dangers, particularly from the internet, mobile phones and social media.

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Safety

 Pupils understand the various forms of bullying. They say that instances of bullying have reduced greatly and that staff deal with any which arise quickly and effectively. The school helps them to build good relationships and to recognise the difference between bullying and falling out. Most parents who approached inspectors confirmed that this was the case.

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Safety

 All staff and governors undertake regular training to protect pupils, particularly those who are vulnerable.

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Safety

 Attendance is in line with the national average. A great deal of work has been done by staff to reduce the levels of persistent absence among some groups.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All staff have high expectations of pupils in all aspects of school life. They establish warm relationships and use praise, encouragement and rewards well so that pupils concentrate and work hard in all classes. Pupils who have particular difficulties coping with the demands of school life are managed well so that extra support is accessed when necessary.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers understand what pupils already know and they plan work which stretches pupils of all abilities, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. The most able pupils are not yet consistently stretched in lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use the extensive tracking systems to identify quickly any pupil who is at risk of underachieving and ensure that they receive extra support, including from the family support worker where appropriate.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Phonics teaching (linking letters and sounds that they make) is well organised so that pupils of all abilities make good progress which supports their reading and writing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Writing skills are particularly well developed in science, topic work, and explaining religious beliefs and festivals. Reading and mathematical skills are also developed through these topics, but there are not yet sufficient opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding by carrying out reading research and mathematical investigations in these subjects. Visits and lessons focused on values help pupils to explore what it means to be British.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are encouraged to identify criteria which will make their work successful and often mark their own work to try to identify how they can improve. This is followed by teachers marking work carefully, indicating what has been achieved and how it can improve further. Pupils follow this up by responding to the marking.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Staff assess pupils’ understanding throughout the lesson, and use probing questions to move their learning on further.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants are well trained. They play a key role in assessing the progress that pupils make during lessons and they work with a range of pupils to support their progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the Nursery with a wide range of skills and knowledge. Their skills in speech, language, number, and managing feelings are below those typical for their age.  In the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 in 2014, levels achieved by pupils were a little below those seen nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards at the end of Year 2 in 2014 were broadly average, although standards in writing were below those in reading and mathematics. Pupils develop a great enjoyment of reading and use their reading skills well so that they understand the topics in class. They enjoy a wide range of books and authors.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, the attainment of pupils at the end of Year 6 was above average in writing, and average in reading and mathematics. It was below average in English grammar, punctuation and spelling. The proportions of pupils making expected, or more than expected, progress from the end of Year 2 were average in reading, below average in mathematics, and above average in writing. Overall, this represented good progress from their starting points when they joined the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils of all abilities made good progress in the other year groups last year and this has continued to be the case for this year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 in 2014 were just over a term behind their classmates and nearly two terms behind others nationally in mathematics; just over two terms behind their classmates and others nationally in reading; nearly two terms behind their classmates and nearly one term behind others nationally in writing; and nearly two terms behind their classmates and nearly three terms behind others nationally in English grammar, punctuation and spelling. Some of these pupils had complex needs and challenges. Information about pupil’s current progress indicates that gaps are now closing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, including those who attend part-time provision elsewhere, make good progress from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able pupils in all year groups are making good progress in all subjects. Nevertheless, although the proportions of pupils making more than expected progress by the end of Year 6 are close to the national average in reading and above average in writing, the level of challenge provided, particularly for the most able, is not always sufficient to enable more pupils to make such gains in their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils greatly enjoy the range of subjects, topics, and visits. While these enable them to develop their reading, writing and mathematical skills well, they do not provide opportunities for pupils to apply higher- level skills in reading and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In assemblies, topic work and religious education, pupils learn about people from other cultures, faiths and backgrounds and this helps them to understand and respect those who may be different from themselves.

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The early years provision is good

 Leaders monitor the work of the early years carefully and provide appropriate training which enables staff to plan work which stretches children based upon what they already know. These improvements are helping children to make good progress.

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The early years provision is good

 The learning environment in early years is well organised, encouraging learning across all areas of the curriculum. It is safe and secure.

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The early years provision is good

 Children have a wide range of creative activities to choose from, and staff generally intervene appropriately to extend and deepen their thinking and understanding.

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The early years provision is good

 Phonics is taught well and this prepares children well for their move into Year 1. Children apply their phonic skills well when reading and writing.  Children come to school happily and develop a good level of confidence. Parents are welcomed as partners in their children’s learning and are given lots of opportunities to find out how to support learning at home.

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The early years provision is good

 Children’s behaviour in the early years is outstanding as they develop very positive attitudes to learning. They show growing respect for each other and learn to work well independently and in groups. They concentrate and persevere so that they achieve their tasks and make good progress.

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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 120029 Local authority Leicester Inspection number 462010

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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 463 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jenny Squance Headteacher Andy Owens Date of previous school inspection 18 April 2013 Telephone number 01162 832328 Fax number 01162 839069 Email address aowens@montrose.leicester.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . 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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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