Colebourne Primary School

Colebourne Primary School Stechford Road, Hodge Hill, Birmingham, B34 6BJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 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

 Very carefully considered and rigorous actions taken by the headteacher, senior leaders and governors, have been highly effective in bringing rapid improvement in all aspects of the school’s work, in a short period of time.  The outstanding leadership of the headteacher and new leadership team have been central to the creation of an environment in which the staff are highly motivated, pupils can learn very effectively and where excellent behaviour is typical.  All groups of pupils now achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, attainment is rising throughout the school.  Children get a good start to their education and achieve well in Reception.  Teachers set demanding work that ensures all groups of pupils learn at an equally quick pace.  Teachers expect a lot from pupils in terms of the quality of their work, attitudes to learning and behaviour.  Teachers plan interesting lessons that keep pupils

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

attentive. Teachers provide pupils with many opportunities to practise and apply reading, writing and number skills.  Pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and at all other times during the school day. They show impeccable manners towards each other and to adults. This makes the school a very safe place in which pupils can learn.  Pupils are very good at finding things out for themselves in lessons and when completing their homework.  Attendance has improved steadily and is broadly average. As a result of careful checks and excellent support for pupils, the number of pupils regularly away from school has fallen significantly.  Senior leaders check teaching regularly. They identify areas that need improving and provide immediate and effective support. As a result, the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress have improved sharply.  Governors know the school very well. They play an important role in making plans for improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

that are highly effective and enable school leaders to sustain improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Attainment dipped in 2014 and achievement during that year was not as good as it should have been.  Teachers do not consistently make sure that pupils act on the guidance they give them in marking their work.  There are a few occasions when teachers do not move pupils on to the next steps in their learning quickly enough.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 21 lessons. Fifteen of the observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher or the deputy headteacher. In addition, inspectors completed ‘learning walk’ observations to get an overview of one-to-one and small-group support for focus groups of pupils and of the quality of the school’s curriculum.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and looked at the work in pupils’ books.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documents, including the school’s own judgements on its strengths and weaknesses, and the data it collects on pupils’ progress. Documents detailing the school’s arrangements for safeguarding were reviewed and discussed.  Meetings were held with governors, senior leaders, subject leaders, teaching assistants and pupils. A meeting was held with a representative of the local authority.  Questionnaire responses from 22 members of staff were analysed.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of the 22 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. They also took into account the results of a larger sample of parents’ views gathered through the school’s own recent questionnaire. An inspector talked to parents on the telephone.

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Inspection team

David Speakman, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Pupils are taught in single-aged classes but in ability groups for mathematics and for phonics (letters and the sounds they make) in the early years and Key Stage 1. Pupils in Key Stage 2 are taught in ability groups for English and mathematics. Children attend Reception full time.  Most pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds. At about three-quarters of the pupils, the largest group is Pakistani. A well-above average proportion, about half, speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium (additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or in the care of the local authority) is average.  The proportion of pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs is average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  There is a breakfast club before school each morning. After-school care provides for Colebourne pupils and others from a neighbouring primary school. Both are managed by the school and were part of this inspection.  Colebourne Primary shares the buildings with Beaufort School, a special school for children with multiple learning difficulties. The two schools have separate governing bodies but a joint collaborative governors’ committee looks after issues common to both schools.  Since the school was last inspected, a high proportion of the teaching staff have joined or taken on new responsibilities:  the senior leadership team has been restructured  senior leaders’ roles have been reviewed and updated  the governing body has reconstituted  seven of the 22 teachers are new to the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ attainment and accelerate their progress further by ensuring that all teachers:  make sure that pupils act on the advice they are given through marking  recognise when pupils are ready to move on to the next steps in learning and give them harder work more quickly.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher, senior leadership team and the governors have very high aspirations for the work of this school. The restructured leadership team has brought new skills into the school which has resulted in a fresh approach to school improvement. This group has been highly effective in inspiring the staff team to aim for high quality in their work. This approach has resulted in significant improvements in all key areas of the school’s work in a short time. Teaching has improved, which has led to better learning and good achievement for all pupils. Leaders have created an environment in which high expectations are the norm, where pupils enjoy coming to school and where they become effective learners.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Senior leaders responded to the findings of the school’s last inspection and the weaknesses in the end of key stage assessments in 2014 with a determination to improve pupils’ achievements. The new senior leadership team, including subject leaders, made thorough checks on all main areas of the school’s work. To address any weaknesses, they produced detailed action plans with challenging targets and tight timescales. As a result of this highly effective action, teaching has improved so that standards throughout the school have risen significantly. The results of these actions clearly demonstrate leadership has the capacity to sustain improvement.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The 2014 Year 6 cohort had a particularly high number of pupils with identified behavioural difficulties and significant barriers to their learning. Leaders and staff managed the situation exceptionally well, taking measures such as adapting timetables to engage these pupils’ attention and make sure that they continued to learn. These arrangements were very effective in safeguarding other pupils from disruption to learning, so that these pupils continued to made good progress.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Rigorous checks on the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning have been effective. Senior and subject leaders observe lessons, check the work in pupils’ books and talk to pupils to find out what they think about their learning. They cross-reference this with teachers’ assessments of pupils’ progress and use this detailed package of evidence very effectively to help teachers and teaching assistants improve through excellent support and coaching. There has been a significant change in the teaching staff as a result of robust monitoring by senior leaders and governors. Changes in staff and highly effective support where weaknesses have been identified, have resulted in a skilled and competent staff team.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Governors and the senior leadership team have set up arrangements for all staff to work alongside others in subject teams. This means that knowledgeable subject leaders help develop the leadership skills of other staff so that there is a team approach to subject leadership. This arrangement gives teachers and teaching assistants valuable training opportunities and ensures continuity in subject leadership.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school makes sure that pupils develop very positive attitudes to others, whatever their background or ability. Diversity is celebrated and there is no discrimination of any kind. Staff ensure that all pupils are included in all activities. With these very positive attitudes and good academic progress for all, pupils are well prepared for the next stages of their education.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Extra funds are spent with great care and checks are made to ensure effective impact. Excellent use of funding to support disadvantaged pupils has ensured that any gaps between the attainment of these pupils and other pupils nationally have closed. Qualifying pupils receive small-group or one-to-one support to help them catch up. The school ensures that they are fully included in all school events and visits, and this helps to encourage their positive attitudes to school and learning.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Leaders spend the primary school physical education and sport funding exceptionally well. Sports coaches working alongside class teachers have improved the teaching of physical education. Pupils enjoy a very wide range of sporting activities to develop their skills and they enjoy taking part in sports such as tennis or golf. Fitness clubs have been arranged to encourage the least-active pupils to participate. Careful attention is paid to encouraging pupils who show reluctance to joining in sport to build their self- confidence. Staff have noted that pupils now have more positive attitudes to fitness and they say they enjoy taking part. There has been a great increase in the number of pupils attending sports clubs.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school gives high priority to safeguarding and child protection. Thorough checks are made on all adults coming into contact with pupils. Child protection training for all adults is up to date. Staff are vigilant and know what to do should any child share sensitive information with them. Thorough risk assessments and safety checks are ongoing.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted exceptionally well throughout the curriculum and the daily life in the school. Pupils’ achievements are celebrated. High standards are encouraged in everything the school does, and pupils develop a strong awareness of what type of behaviour is right and which is wrong. Pupils are encouraged to place a high value on respecting diversity, and this is demonstrated in the effective way pupils from different backgrounds work and play together.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The promotion of British values is targeted throughout the curriculum by studying how Britain has developed into the country it is today. Pupils learn respect for the world’s major faiths in assemblies and religious education lessons. Whole-school ‘Respect Weeks’ promote positive attitudes towards others. Pupils learn about democracy through the election of pupils to posts of responsibility.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority has provided minimal support since the school’s last inspection. They have, however, commissioned a recent school review with a team of external advisers. The team spent a day in school and produced a report with some helpful points for improvement.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Since governors reorganised, they have been much more effective in their work. They commissioned a detailed review of their work, and based on the recommendations have created a new set of ‘scrutiny groups’. Training needs were identified and governors, including those new to the Governing Body, now have good levels of relevant expertise.  Governors work exceptionally closely with senior leaders and provide excellent levels of support and challenge. They have made wise decisions about the appointment of new staff and the organisation of staffing into subject teams to enhance subject leadership and identify staff training opportunities.  The governors make regular checks on the work of the school to ensure it continues to improve. They are fully aware of how well teachers are doing their jobs through regular visits and the headteacher’s detailed reports. They understand assessment data thoroughly and know how well the performance of

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The leadership and management are outstanding

this school compares to others.  Governors challenge senior leaders on school improvement. They ask searching questions and look for examples of impact. They are fully involved in planning for development and their decisions are well- informed.  The governing body sets challenging targets in managing the performance of the headteacher and other staff, making sure that teachers’ pay increases are linked to the good progress of their pupils.  The governors ensure that all statutory requirements are met, including those for safeguarding.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Conduct in lessons and at other times throughout the school day is exemplary. Pupils are exceptionally polite and considerate towards each other, adults and visitors to the school.

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Behaviour

 The school has considerable success in helping pupils who have difficulties in behaving well and this is indicative of the overall impact staff have on pupils’ behaviour. Robust yet sympathetic implementation of pastoral support plans help pupils with behavioural issues to achieve well and make good progress in their learning. The number of behavioural issues recorded over time is now very low. There is no evidence of disruptive behaviour in class; pupils value their own and others’ learning.

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Behaviour

 Pupils say they greatly enjoy school. Attendance has improved and is average. The number of persistent absentees has fallen sharply.

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Behaviour

 Pupils comment enthusiastically on the wide range of interesting learning opportunities. Pupils contribute to school life very well, including suggesting and planning some of the themes studied in class. School councillors take their role seriously. Pupils value the opportunity to ‘buddy’ with Beaufort pupils. They work closely with these pupils and say they have learned to appreciate disability.

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Behaviour

 The pupils are very keen to do well. They concentrate hard in lessons and approach the challenging work set for them confidently and with enthusiasm. They are quite used to finding things out for themselves and do not rely on the teachers all the time for help. Pupils take a great deal of care over the quality and presentation of their work, but do not always act on the advice that teachers give when marking pupils’ work.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils are very safe in school. They view school as a safe place and say they can always find help if they ever feel worried about anything taking place in or out of school.

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Safety

 Pupils have a thorough understanding of how to keep safe when using the internet or when they are out of school. They are aware of the many ways young people can be bullied and know what to do to try to avoid difficulties. They say there is no bullying in school but they know what to do should it ever happen. All parents who responded to the online survey feel their children are safe in school.

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Safety

 Staff are knowledgeable about child protection. They are vigilant and intervene if they note that any child may be at risk. Safeguarding training for staff and governors is up to date. Child protection procedures are applied thoroughly.

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Safety

 Pupils are very well cared for in the popular breakfast and after-school clubs. These have a positive impact on pupils’ health and nutrition, ability to socialise, attendance and punctuality to school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved significantly since the school was last inspected. This is as a result of very effective steps taken by senior leaders to identify weaker areas and provide targeted support in their drive to improve pupils’ achievement. Teachers have responded well to monitoring and support and the staff team at each key stage now show good teaching skills and strong subject knowledge.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mostly have high expectations of what pupils are capable of doing. They set challenging and interesting tasks for pupils at all levels of attainment so that all groups make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching of reading, writing and mathematics has resulted in a rapid improvement in the quality of learning and much-improved attainment, particularly in writing. Staff have a good understanding of how to teach reading at all ages so that pupils are taught skilfully to understand what they read to become capable readers. Teachers provide opportunities to write in different subjects so that pupils become competent writers. Pupils get many opportunities to solve problems in mathematics to deepen their understanding and use their learning in real-life contexts.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers keep a careful watch on pupils’ progress so they can quickly identify any pupil in danger of falling behind. Prompt and effective support is provided, often from the knowledgeable and competent teaching assistants. This includes specific support for disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils, who make the same good progress as others.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge. They are competent in providing accurate and clearly explained teaching points. Teachers make it very clear to pupils what the expectations are for pupils at different levels of attainment and what pupils need to do to improve. As a result, pupils understand their targets and use them to achieve their best work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are taught effectively by class teachers and teaching assistants. Accurate identification of their special educational needs helps staff provide effective and targeted support to help these pupils achieve well. In the same way, extra, targeted support is used effectively to help disadvantaged pupils to catch up with others.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark work regularly, using a consistent approach across all classes so that pupils clearly understand how marking can help them to improve. Comments are focused and give pupils precise feedback to improve their work. However, teachers do not always make sure that pupils act on these comments and learn from the mistakes they make.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers help and guide pupils effectively when necessary, but mostly they encourage them to find things out for themselves. However, there are a few occasions when teachers give pupils too much information, rather than using carefully planned questions to encourage them to come up with the answers for themselves. Very occasionally, teachers are slow to move pupils on to the next steps in learning when they are ready.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school has very effectively dealt with weaker test results in 2014. Achievement has quickly improved over the last year as a result of targeted action to improve teaching and raise pupils’ achievement.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start Reception with skills and experiences below those typical for their age. The weakest areas are language and communication, particularly speech. Children make good progress and, as a result, attainment at the end of Reception is close to average in all areas of learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement at Key Stage 1 is good. Although attainment at the end of Year 2 in 2014 was below average in writing, it was broadly average in reading and mathematics. This year, progress has accelerated and pupils are on track to achieve above-average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This represents good achievement from their starting points at the beginning of Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils in Year 1 build well on the good start made in Reception in learning early reading skills. Results of the Year 1 phonics screening were above average. All pupil groups did as well as, or better than, the same group nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement at Key Stage 2 is good. Pupils’ books, current school assessment data and lesson observations show significant improvement in standards and the progress pupils make in all year groups. Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is in line with that expected for the pupils’ age. Current Year 6 pupils are on track to reach average levels of attainment at the end of this year. This represents good achievement from their starting points at the beginning of the key stage.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils are making good progress in all year groups, with a sharp increase in the numbers reaching the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The various minority ethnic and other groups in the school are making good progress and achieving well from below-average starting points. Pakistani pupils are currently working at levels expected for their ages in reading, writing and mathematics. There are no significant differences in the achievements of boys and girls.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve well. Through effective and well-targeted support, and through the help of bilingual teaching assistants, they quickly learn enough English to access the full curriculum. From this point on, they make the same good progress as their classmates.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are making good progress and achieving well in reading, writing and mathematics as a result of the good support they receive. They are meeting their own individual targets and a good proportion are reaching the levels nationally expected for their ages.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment at the end of Year 6 dipped in 2014, so that it was below average overall. This was due to the relatively high number of pupils with behavioural difficulties. Through strong management, these pupils were helped to remain in school and continued to learn but their test results were disappointing. Their progress was slower than that of their classmates and, although other pupils achieved well. The dip was for one year only; the school’s tracking data clearly shows other year groups made better progress and achieved higher standards. Better attainment for other year groups has been built on successfully through improved teaching. Progress throughout the school is greatly improved, particularly in writing, which was the weakest area in 2014 and is now the strongest. This further highlights the significant impact leadership has had on pupils’ learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement of disadvantaged pupils in 2014 was not as good as that of other pupils and the gaps in attainment widened over those in 2013. This was partly due to pupils with behavioural difficulties who were also disadvantaged. In 2014, disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 were two terms behind their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics, but just over a year behind others pupils nationally. Highly effective management has focused on this and currently, disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 have closed the gaps between them and other pupils in school and nationally. The latest school assessments show they are working at levels where they are expected to be for their age in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The early years provision is good

 Effective leadership of the early years has brought about improvement in the children’s progress. From starting points below those typical for their age, children achieve well to attain standards at the end of Reception that are average, with a proportion similar to the national average achieving a good level of development, an increase on last year. Children are prepared well to start Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 The quality of teaching is good. Adults are fully aware of what each child knows and what each is capable of doing. They plan activities that challenge and extend children’s knowledge and understanding across all areas of learning, but with a strong focus on developing children’s language to support learning across all areas of learning. Consequently, from their differing starting points, children do well generally and particularly in developing early literacy and number skills.

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The early years provision is good

 Adults talk a lot with children to extend their vocabulary and encourage curiosity, especially when children have chosen activities for themselves. This is particularly effective in developing children’s speech because of the high numbers starting with little or no English. Children interact well with adults, listen carefully and concentrate for lengthy periods. They respond enthusiastically to the wide range of interesting activities planned for them, which helps to consolidate their learning.

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The early years provision is good

 Adult-led learning activities are carefully planned to help children develop secure basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Reading is taught well, with children grouped according to their capabilities so teachers can match the work and the reading books accurately to the levels their children are working at and move them on quickly. Children develop a good command of number and learn to count, add and subtract numbers. They develop good understanding of how to measure length, with the most-able measuring in centimetres. Learning in adult-led sessions is reinforced through a good range of activities that are linked closely to the teacher’s introduction.

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The early years provision is good

 Children of different ability levels are catered for well. Those experiencing difficulty are given targeted support. Those who find the work easy are given more demanding work so they can reach their full potential.

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The early years provision is good

 Children behave well. They get on well with each other and work productively together. They quickly respond to requests, listening politely to adults and each other. Adults are vigilant in regard to safety; children are safe and secure during all activities.

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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 103263 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 462594

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 439 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Matt Green Headteacher Stuart Guest Date of previous school inspection 4 June 2013 Telephone number 0121 675 8500 Fax number 0121 675 8499 Email address enquiry@colebourne.bham.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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