Pedmore CE Primary School

Pedmore CE Primary School Hagley Road, Pedmore, Stourbridge, DY9 0RH

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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

 The school is led and managed well. The headteacher leads the school effectively with good support and challenge from the governing body.  Standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Years 2 and 6 are well above national averages.  Pupils make good progress and achieve well in a wide range of subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics. They are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Teaching is never less than good and is occasionally outstanding.  There is very effective teaching, particularly of phonics, in the early years.  Leaders at all levels have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and have maintained and improved the school’s existing strengths in teaching and learning. Middle leaders have a good knowledge of how pupils are progressing in their areas of responsibility.  The great majority of pupils behave very well around school and in lessons. The school ensures

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

they are completely safe at all times.  Attendance is above the national average and no pupil has been excluded in recent years.  Pupils’ very good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. Pupils’ enthusiasm for learning is supported through a wide range of interesting topics.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to write extensively outside literacy lessons themselves. Consequently, not all pupils are consistently able to reach the highest possible standards in all their written work.  In lessons, teachers do not always use their knowledge of what pupils already know when planning lessons, or adapt tasks quickly if they are too easy or too difficult for pupils.  The resources and environment in the early years outdoor area are limited, and this reduces the effectiveness of the activities teachers can provide in this area.  Some parents would like more information about the effectiveness of the school’s actions to support their child’s learning and how it intends to respond to any concerns they might have.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in 15 lessons or part lessons, three of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. Inspectors also visited an act of worship, some small group teaching sessions and listened to pupils read.  Inspectors examined work in a sample of pupils’ books to assess their progress and attainment.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. An inspector also had a telephone conversation with the local leader of education (LLE).  Inspectors took account of the 82 responses to the online parent questionnaire, Parent View, and to the responses to the school’s own version. They also spoke to parents at the start and end of the school day. Inspectors took account of the 21 responses to the staff survey.  Inspectors took account of the school’s work and examined a range of documents. These included the

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Information about this inspection

school’s information on pupils’ current progress and standards, checks on the quality of teaching, evaluations of the school’s performance and the curriculum. Inspectors also examined documents relating to child protection, safeguarding, attendance and behaviour.

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Inspection team

Sarah Somers, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. A very small minority of pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium is below the national average. This is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible to receive free school meals and those in local authority care.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below the national average.  Children in the early years attend Reception on a full time basis.  The school meets the government floor standards. These set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  The school is being supported by a local leader in education (LLE), who is providing support for the headteacher and leaders who are new in post.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that more is outstanding, by:  ensuring teachers make better use of assessment information when planning lessons and adapt tasks and activities when they find that these are too easy or too difficult  improving the quality of resources and the environment in the early years outdoor area  providing more opportunities for pupils to write extensively and to the highest possible standard in subjects other than literacy.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop links to work even more closely with parents by :  fully informing all parents about the school’s actions to support their children’s learning and behaviour and responding quickly to any concerns they might raise.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher leads the school well. He has managed a number of staff changes efficiently whilst maintaining high standards of achievement and behaviour across the school. The leadership team has been strengthened by the appointment of senior leaders, some of whom are relatively new to their position. Leaders have created a team spirit amongst staff. In the staff survey, all those who responded said that they felt proud to be members of the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders check the school’s development plans regularly to ensure the implementation of planned actions is on schedule and proving effective. Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. For example, the careful analysis of the dip in the percentage of children in the early years attaining a good level of development in 2014 led to the school taking immediate and effective action. As a result, attainment this year is well above average in the early years. There is good capacity for further improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders at all levels are involved in checking teaching and pupils’ learning within their areas of responsibility, and do so effectively. Those with more experience provide helpful support to leaders who are more recently appointed. The school makes good use of a local leader of education to provide additional expertise. The school has effective systems for identifying teachers’ training needs and improving their skills. This has enabled the school to maintain its high standards despite a number of staff changes.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders link the pay and allowances for staff to their effectiveness and impact on pupils’ progress well. Teachers are held responsible for the progress made by pupils in their classes and senior staff make systematic checks on the quality of teaching and pupils’ work.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum covers a wide range of subjects and provides good quality activities that interest pupils and make them keen to learn. The good range of clubs, trips, artistic and cultural events the school offers further enhances learning. Displays in corridors indicate the breadth of work taken, and includes work with a local artist to produce glass artwork of a high quality. The school develops pupils’ musical understanding well. Pupils play a range of instruments and attainment is high.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Pupils learn to value other cultures and to show tolerance and understanding of those whose lives are very different to their own. The school promotes British values and teaches pupils about key British institutions well. For example, pupils visited the council chambers to explore an understanding of democracy. Pupils spoke with enthusiasm about their philosophy lessons. They relish the opportunity to debate a range of themes including how beliefs and lifestyles may differ from their own. In this way, the school ensures that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 The additional sports funding to develop pupils’ ability and participation in physical education is having a positive impact. Specialist sports coaches have provided a programme of training to support teachers, increasing their skills and confidence in the teaching of sport. Pupils participate in a range of competitions and after school clubs.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding arrangements are effective and meet statutory requirements. The school’s procedures and systems ensure pupils and staff are well looked after and kept safe from harm.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school promotes equality of opportunity well. Staff stress the value of positive relationships and respect and ensure that there is no discrimination.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority is aware of the strengths in the school, is confident in the school’s leadership and so provides limited but appropriate levels of support.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is well organised and governors bring a wide range of relevant experience to the tasks they undertake. Governors carry out their main responsibilities effectively. They are very well aware of the standards that current pupils reach and know how these compare with other schools. The headteacher provides comprehensive information about the progress of pupils, and governors have developed the skills to interpret the available data on pupils’ achievement accurately. Governors are ambitious for the school and know that their job is to hold leaders to account. They understand their roles in ensuring that pupil premium funding is used appropriately. They understand the strengths in teaching and the areas to be improved. Governors ensure that potential pay rises for staff are carefully linked to the learning and progress of pupils.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. In lessons, pupils are polite and courteous and cooperate well with each other and adults. This good behaviour helps pupils learn successfully in lessons. Inspectors’ lesson observations showed that pupils take pride in presenting their work well. They enjoy contributing to class discussions and this helps them develop good speaking and listening skills.

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Behaviour

 Pupils behave well as they move around the school buildings. They are respectful when they meet adults around the school. At lunchtime, pupils behave well and make friendly, social contact with others which makes the midday break a pleasant experience.

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Behaviour

 There have been no permanent or fixed-term exclusions in recent years.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are keen to come to school. Attendance is above average, with a low rate of unauthorised absence.

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Behaviour

 Most pupils have a good understanding of different forms of bullying. They know that name calling, inappropriate language or any form of discrimination is not acceptable. Pupils told inspectors that there is no physical bullying but on a few occasions there is name calling, which is quickly resolved by staff.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel very safe in all areas of the school. Nearly all parents who responded to the on-line questionnaire said that their child felt safe, was happy and was well looked after at school.

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Safety

 The school site is secure and policies for vetting staff and visitors meet requirements.

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Safety

 Pupils are aware of how to keep themselves safe. They receive good advice on personal safety, including keeping safe on the internet. Pupils receive guidance through lessons and assemblies to develop skills that will keep them safe in and out of school.

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Safety

 While the majority of parents are very happy with the school, spoke positively about behaviour and said bullying was rare, a small minority feel there are some areas which could be improved. In particular, they wanted more information about how well the school deals with low level disruption and bullying, how well their child was learning and how the school responds to any concerns they might raise. Inspectors judged that the school generally provides appropriate levels of information but that it could do more to address the concerns of individual parents. Most parents, who spoke to inspectors, praised the school including the standard of behaviour. One parent commented, ‘The school provides a first class education.’

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching, including the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics, is good across the school. This results in pupils making good progress in their learning and achieving consistently high standards in national tests.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers deploy teaching assistants effectively. This ensures that they make a good contribution to pupils’ learning, including that of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.  Teachers set tasks that generally engage pupils’ interest very well. For example, in a Year 1 lesson, the teacher used a healthy eating topic to develop pupils’ mathematical skills well. This made a strong impression on pupils, who were motivated by the task set for them. On occasions, however, teachers do not use assessment information sufficiently to pitch work at the right level of difficulty or adapt tasks if pupils find them too easy or too difficult. When this happens, progress stalls and teachers do not provide enough challenge, including for the most-able pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading is good across the school. The teaching of phonics (letters and their sounds) is good in all age groups and is now particularly effective in the early years. Writing is also taught well in literacy lessons. However, there are few opportunities for pupils to write extensively in other subjects and this means their written work across the curriculum as a whole is not always as impressive as it is in their literacy work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of numeracy is good. Staff have good subject knowledge and ensure that pupils ‘master the basics’ quickly and use their skills to complete investigations and solve problems well. As a result, significant numbers of pupils were able to reach the highest levels in the mathematics tests in Year 2 and Year 6 in 2014.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of marking of pupils’ work is good. The school’s approach to marking is helpful because teachers praise pupils’ achievement, but also show pupils how to improve their work. Most teachers consistently ensure that pupils act on the advice they are given and improve their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have adapted their teaching well to support the new National Curriculum requirements. They are developing new methods of assessing progress to reflect the amended assessments arrangements that are being introduced nationally.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The majority of parents who responded to the online survey and spoke to inspectors agreed that their children are making good progress and are taught well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enter the early years with skills that are at least typical for their age and a number enter school with skills above what is expected. The proportion of children reaching a good level of development in 2014 was below the national average, and some children did not make the expected progress. The leadership team quickly identified the reasons for this and put effective action in place to improve children’s learning. Consequently, children in the current Reception class are back on track to attain a good level of development when they leave the early years. Children are well prepared to move confidently into Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils throughout the school read well. The youngest pupils are quickly taught phonics and in 2014, nearly all met the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1. Pupils’ phonic skills are systematically developed as they go through the school and they mature into confident, fluent and enthusiastic readers.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards are consistently well above average at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. In the national tests in Year 6 in 2014, the proportion of pupils reaching or exceeding the expected standard for their age in reading, writing and mathematics was well above that seen in most other primary schools.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils generally achieve well. In 2014, at Key Stage 1 the most-able pupils exceeded national averages in achieving the higher levels in reading and writing but were in line with the national in mathematics. In Year 6 in 2014, pupils also attained significantly above the national averages at Level 5 in all subjects, and large numbers achieved Level 6 in mathematics. However, a few potentially high attaining pupils did not make the expected progress from Key Stage 1, particularly in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils currently in the school make at least good progress from their already high starting points, although this is less frequently the case in writing. The school is already taking steps to address this difference by increasing the opportunities for pupils to write at length in a range of subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The school makes good use of its pupil premium funding to provide eligible pupils with extra support and small group sessions, as well as helping to pay for school trips and after school clubs. The pupils known to be eligible for free school meals make good progress but, because number are small, it is not possible to comment on the relative attainment of these pupils in Year 6 last year without identifying individual pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress and develop secure skills in reading, writing and mathematics. They are well supported in their learning through the effective deployment of teaching assistants. As a result, most pupils make good progress from their starting points.

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The early years provision is good

 The early years provision is well led and managed. The leader quickly identified the dip in the proportion of children achieving a good level of development in 2014 and the reasons for this. She swiftly put actions in place to ensure that children get the very best start in learning. As a result, current data shows that most children are making at least good, and sometimes better progress. Children are well prepared for their learning in Key Stage 1.

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The early years provision is good

 Teaching is consistently good in the main classroom. Staff keep detailed records of children’s progress in learning journals. This ensures that staff have an accurate understanding of what children can and cannot do so that they can plan and provide activities which match their needs. Displays celebrate children’s achievements and reflect the care staff take to making children feel welcome and ‘special’. For example, the writing wall shows examples of children applying their phonic knowledge very effectively in their writing.

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The early years provision is good

 Leaders have accurately identified the need to improve the outdoor provision, which has a limited range of resources and activities to promote learning. The school plans to improve the learning area to ensure that all children make the best progress in all areas of learning.

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The early years provision is good

 Behaviour in early years is good. Staff have clear expectations of behaviour and there are well established routines in place. Pupils quickly learn these routines and arrive in school ready to learn.

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The early years provision is good

 Disabled children and those who have special educational needs learn and develop good skills in reading, writing and mathematics. They are well supported in their learning through the effective deployment of teaching assistants. As a result, most pupils make good progress from their starting points.

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The early years provision is good

 Safeguarding procedures are good. Adults ensure children are kept safe at all times. Staff liaise closely with parents and ensure they are confident their children are safe and well looked after.

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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 103848 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 461606

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 220 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Yarwood-Smith Headteacher David Dunn Date of previous school inspection 25 April 2007 Telephone number 01384 818955 Email address info@pedmore.dudley.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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