Wylde Green Primary School

Wylde Green Primary School Green Lanes, Sutton Coldfield, B73 5JL

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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

 The headteacher and other leaders, including governors, have improved teaching since the previous inspection. As a result, pupils now achieve well across the school.  Standards have risen in all key stages and at the end of Year 6 they are above average. Attainment in reading has improved this year.  All groups of pupils do well. Pupils know they are making good progress and how they can improve their work. This fosters their self-confidence and enjoyment of learning.  Children in the Reception Year are taught well and make good progress, especially in the work they do indoors.  Teaching is good. Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ progress. They link subjects well together to provide pupils with interesting, challenging activities.  Pupils are happy in school. They behave well. Trusting relationships with staff ensure that pupils are safe and well cared for. The school’s procedures to ensure pupils’ safety are good.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very effectively.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher, supported well by other senior and middle leaders, check the school’s work very carefully. They pay close attention to the progress of all groups of pupils and take swift action to tackle identified priorities.  Governors have sharpened their understanding of pupils’ performance and the quality of teaching. This has helped them to allocate resources more effectively to raise pupils’ achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In the outdoor area, children in the Reception Year do not have enough activities which develop their imaginations and extend their skills.  Pupils in Key Stage 1 do not always spell correctly.  Teaching is not yet outstanding. Teachers sometimes do not question pupils well enough to enable them to gain a deep understanding of new ideas.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching through visits to classrooms to check on pupils’ learning. On four of these visits they were accompanied by the headteacher, the deputy headteacher or an assistant headteacher.  Some pupils were heard reading. Inspectors also looked at samples of pupils’ work with the deputy headteacher.  Inspectors held meetings with school staff, a group of pupils, five members of the governing body, and two representatives working on behalf of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 46 questionnaires completed by staff, the 75 responses made by parents over the last year to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, and parents’ responses to the school’s own recent questionnaire. An inspector spoke informally to some parents during the inspection.  Inspectors checked a range of evidence, including monitoring records, consultants’ reports, the school improvement plan, the school’s own data on pupils’ attainment and progress, and policies, procedures and

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Information about this inspection

practice relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Derek Aitken, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than most primary schools.  Reception children join school from a large number of small pre-school providers. They attend on a full- time basis and are taught in two classes.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium, which is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority, is average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics, at the end of Year 6.  The school’s leadership structure has changed since the previous inspection. New senior and middle leaders now share responsibility with the headteacher for checking the school’s work.

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Information about this school

 Since September 2014, the school has been supported by the headteachers of two local schools, Boldmere Juniors and Walmley Juniors. These schools were judged ‘outstanding’ at their previous Ofsted inspections. The headteacher of Boldmere Juniors is a National Leader of Education (NLE).

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and pupils’ achievement by:  providing more activities for children in the Reception Year to develop their imaginations and extend their skills outdoors  providing pupils in Key Stage 1 with more practice to improve the accuracy of their spelling  ensuring that teachers question pupils well to challenge their thinking skills and to deepen their understanding of new ideas.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher lead the school very effectively. Together with other senior and middle leaders and governors, they have worked successfully to improve teaching and to raise pupils’ achievement. Leaders’ checks on the school’s work are timely, detailed and accurate. They have carefully used this information, including well-focused observations of teaching and learning, to identify training needs and to tackle underperformance.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders analyse information about pupils’ achievement robustly, share it fully with colleagues and use it very effectively to hold all staff to account for pupils’ attainment and progress. Staff, knowing each pupil well, use this information purposefully to direct teaching for all groups of pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has reviewed its assessment systems successfully. It has developed its preferred form of assessment following withdrawal of National Curriculum levels and is trialling it in mathematics in preparation for full implementation in September 2015.

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The leadership and management are good

 In 2013 and 2014, improvements in Year 6 pupils’ achievement were greater in writing and mathematics than in reading. Leaders have targeted their efforts successfully this year to improve pupils’ reading skills. New resources and initiatives, including an online reading resource and the employment of reading assistants, have enhanced pupils’ attainment and increased the proportion of current Year 6 pupils working at the higher National Curriculum Level 5 in reading.

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The leadership and management are good

 Systems are well organised and clear. Good teamwork has helped new middle leaders of key subjects to fit in smoothly into their new roles. Their clear action plans, focused on the achievement of different groups, make a good contribution to the school’s view of its effectiveness and the improvement of their subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 The very positive gains made in Key Stages 1 and 2 are slightly less marked in the early years. This is because leaders’ initial focus after the previous inspection was on improving provision in Key Stages 1 and 2. The restructuring of leadership responsibilities for the early years was completed in January 2015. The assistant headteacher in charge of the early years has an effective overview of children’s learning and achievement and is showing good leadership. She and the early years’ staff have acted quickly on external advice to improve resources and to make suitable adjustments to teaching, which have enhanced children’s achievement and engagement in learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school ensures that all pupils enjoy the same, good opportunities to succeed and that no pupils suffer from discrimination, as was demonstrated in the ‘cornet’ assembly where all participating pupils had an opportunity to demonstrate their talents. Leaders know where support is needed to raise the attainment of disadvantaged pupils. They have taken purposeful decisions with regard to the pupil premium, including small-group support and a learning mentor, to accelerate these pupils’ progress and to improve their well- being.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders plan the curriculum (the subjects taught) well to ensure pupils benefit from a good range of experiences. Pupils enjoy a wide range of creative activities, including work based on Roald Dahl, other authors and artists. There are many strengths in the enjoyable ways the school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils have re-enacted the Christmas truce observed in the First World War and visited Birmingham University to watch ‘Tunes from the trenches’. Comments in pupils’ learning journals show an increased understanding of different points of view, the consequences of certain behaviours, and empathy for the troops’ predicaments. Eco-club activities encourage pupils’ curiosity about their environment and support pupils’ efforts to keep the school’s premises tidy.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school promotes British values well, and in interesting ways. For example, during the school’s ‘British Values Week’ in October 2014, Year 6 pupils worked on a creative arts project on the importance of democracy and laws, modelled on the artistic works of the popular cult artist, Banksy.

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The leadership and management are good

 Planned activities with the partner schools, such as teaching reviews and assessment checks, have enhanced the school’s capacity to drive improvement very effectively.  The school’s website, text-messaging service and regular newsletters ensure that parents are kept well- informed and up-to-date. Questions and comments received by inspectors show that the large majority of parents are satisfied with the school’s work. They appreciate the increased opportunities they have to help their children to do well, for example, through workshops, the online reading resource and new homework projects.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have spent the additional primary sports funding appropriately, for example, to train staff, to fund transport costs to competitions and to employ qualified sports coaches to lead activities during the school day. Participation in after-school sports clubs has risen substantially; the number of pupils who have enjoyed individual success in competitions has increased and playground behaviour has improved.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders, including governors, check that government requirements for safeguarding are fully met and that safeguarding requirements are effective. They carry out the required checks when recruiting staff and ensure that required health and safety procedures are observed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  The governing body has made considerable improvements in all areas of its work since the previous inspection. In common with staff, governors have a better understanding of information about standards and how it can be used to identify ways of raising pupils’ achievement. They know how well groups of pupils are performing compared to other pupils nationally. They are aware that there was a relative weakness in pupils’ reading skills and have allocated funds suitably to tackle this small imbalance.  Governors are fully informed about the results of external checks on the school’s performance and curriculum initiatives. They question leaders robustly about pupils’ academic achievement and well- being. Individual governors have undertaken learning walks, scrutinised pupils’ books, produced written reports and attended school leaders’ self-evaluation meetings. This has given them a good

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The leadership and management are good

understanding of the quality of teaching and how leaders manage teachers’ performance.  Governors ensure efficient management of financial resources. They have dealt appropriately with underperformance in teaching and exercise their responsibilities for making pay awards for staff who meet targets set, diligently.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Children in the Reception Year enjoy trusting relationships with adults, who engage well with them in lessons. Consequently, children share eagerly their achievements with staff on completion of tasks.

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Behaviour

 Pupils behave well in the public areas of the school. They are polite and well mannered. They are nearly always attentive and cooperative in lessons. On a few occasions, their behaviour is outstanding. Pupils’ enjoyment of their subjects, their keenness to work hard and their willingness to help each other in paired or group tasks help them to achieve well. Pupils understand and respect the school’s rules and expectations. They show this by modelling good behaviour and achievement to younger age-groups, for example, during the ‘stay and play’ sessions for prospective Reception children and their parents.

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Behaviour

 Pupils respect staff and follow their guidance. Most pupils are self-reliant and work conscientiously on their own while staff work with their classmates on other tables. This ensures that lessons proceed smoothly and that tasks are completed on time. On a few occasions, some pupils are not fully engaged with their tasks, which slows the pace of their learning.

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Behaviour

 Pupils show a growing assurance in assessing how well they are doing and in deciding what they need to do next to help them to improve their work. Pupils in all year groups are articulate and present their views thoughtfully. They engage in learning actively in class discussions and in poster competitions, for example, on the issue of illegal parking close to the school.

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Behaviour

 Over time there is clear evidence of improvements in pupils’ behaviour. Pupils commend the new behaviour policy and report that staff treat everyone the same by applying it consistently and fairly. The school promotes good behaviour in numerous, useful ways, for example, through the award of a ‘courtesy’ cup.

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Behaviour

 Attendance has risen slightly, to average this year. This has been achieved partly by the use of effective approaches to reduce the numbers of pupils who are persistently absent.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Staff and pupils work well together to ensure that the school site and facilities are litter-free, tidy and well maintained. High fences, locked gates and lanyards for visitors provide reassurance for pupils.

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Safety

 Staff have had suitable training on all aspects of safeguarding and risk assessments are fully compliant. All senior staff have had safer recruitment training. Staff’s employment checks are up to date.

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Safety

 Staff supervise pupils well and provide them with a variety of play equipment, including the ‘jungle gym’ and other activities, which help them to take physical exercise at break- and lunch-times. The learning mentor works effectively with pupils who show challenging behaviour. He coordinates the work of the pupil peer mediators who help their fellows to resolve friendship and other issues. Leaders carefully check the impact of mentoring work through questionnaires.

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Safety

 Pupils are safe in school because they know that staff act in their best interests and care for their well- being. They report that bullying incidents occur very rarely and that staff deal with them swiftly. The school’s behaviour logs indicate that individual pupils seldom repeat a misdemeanour after staff have applied a suitable sanction.

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Safety

 Pupils have a clear understanding of how to stay safe in different situations, including on social media. While pupils understand it is appropriate to take a risk and do ‘tricky maths,’ they show in assemblies that they know they should not take risks near busy roads. Pupils respect the playground rules and rotas for the use of equipment so that all pupils can enjoy their leisure time to the full.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Improvements in teaching have ensured that pupils are achieving well in all key stages, especially in Years 5 and 6. Teachers have acquired a much clearer knowledge of the levels at which pupils are working. They use this information effectively to recap pupils’ knowledge and to guide their learning. Lesson activities are mostly well focused on the skills that pupils need to acquire or to practise next.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers manage pupils well. Good relationships and high expectations for pupils ensure that most lessons move at a brisk pace, with a smooth transition between activities. Teachers explain clearly and question pupils regularly to check that they have understood the main points of key ideas. However, they sometimes do not probe pupils’ thinking sufficiently to enable them to gain a deeper understanding of new concepts.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported well in small-group and one- to-one work. Teachers and teaching assistants understand what these pupils know and can do. They plan closely together, do not ‘spoon-feed’ pupils and use resources well to equip pupils with the skills and confidence they need to advance their learning effectively.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Early reading skills are taught well. Leaders have adapted the timetable and teachers have made useful changes to the ways they teach reading. They choose texts purposefully which spark pupils’ interest and help them to consider and to explain different points of view. This was observed, for example, in a Year 2 writing lesson, when pupils debated the contrasting experiences and attitudes of a wartime evacuee and a billeting officer.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching of basic mathematical skills enables pupils to acquire a secure understanding of calculation skills and mathematical vocabulary, such as factor and denominator, and aspects of scales, for example the different sizes of rectangles. Teachers provide pupils with varied tasks which enable them to apply their knowledge in ‘real-life’ situations. They give them frequent opportunities to review their learning and to discuss the methods they have used when carrying out investigative tasks with their partners. This helps pupils consolidate their knowledge of key concepts, for example, the volume of a cuboid, quickly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most aspects of writing skills are taught well and teachers regularly give pupils opportunities to practise these skills in other subjects, for example, within their topic work in science. Teachers in Key Stage 1 provide pupils with interesting contexts for writing, including poetry and radio scripts. All teachers review pupils’ writing targets regularly, and, through their marking, show pupils clearly what they need to do next. Pupils, especially in the older age groups, often seek to respond to written feedback by ‘working back’ and this helps them to improve their work. However, teachers in Key Stage 1 have not placed sufficient emphasis on developing accuracy in pupils’ spellings.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment at the end of Years 2 and 6 in reading, writing and mathematics has risen considerably since the previous inspection. In Year 6 it is above average. Boys and girls take pride in their work, present their work neatly and achieve equally well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Results in the Year 1 screening check for phonics (the sounds that letters represent) improved last year and were above the national average. Less-able pupils in Year 2 mostly read fluently and confidently. They recognise punctuation, split up words and blend sounds capably, which helps them read texts correctly with suitable use of expression.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 were working five terms behind their classmates in mathematics, three terms behind in reading and two-and-a-half terms behind in writing. Compared to other pupils nationally, disadvantaged pupils were three terms behind in mathematics and two terms behind in reading: there was no difference in writing. These pupils made good progress from their different starting points. Across the school, gaps in attainment and variations in progress between these groups have reduced considerably this year, particularly in Years 5 and 6, as a result of the actions taken by senior leaders and governors.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress, especially in Years 2 and 6, because staff know them very well and check closely the impact of support programmes to meet their needs precisely.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils achieve well overall, because they mostly receive suitably challenging work. This was observed, for example in a Year 6 mathematics lesson, where pupils worked systematically through the addition of fractions using common denominators.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In most classes, pupils are working above nationally expected levels. Pupils’ progress accelerates steadily in Key Stage 2, as they benefit from an increasing range of ways to practise their skills in other subjects. Current Year 6 pupils are working at similar levels to their counterparts last year.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils develop their speaking and thinking skills well from an early age. This stands them in good stead to surmount the challenges they are given to develop their reading and mathematical skills. Pupils have confidence in their reading skills and, as parents report, they now read more extensively and with increased enjoyment. Pupils understand number operations, such as addition and multiplication, well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils use punctuation well, write extended accounts, set out their ideas logically in paragraphs and use ambitious vocabulary effectively. Year 6 pupils use a wide variety of sentence openers and connectives to enhance their persuasive writing and use technical aspects, such as colons and semi-colons correctly. However, the quality of pupils’ work in Key Stage 1 is sometimes hampered by faulty spellings.

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The early years provision is good

 Children’s knowledge and skills when they join school are broadly typical of their age in most areas of learning but below in communication and language and in aspects of mathematics, such as size, shape and measure. All groups of children make good progress. The proportion of children who achieved a good level of development rose in 2014 and was in line with the national average. This means that most children were fully prepared for learning in Year 1.

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The early years provision is good

 This year, the proportion of children working at the higher, exceeding level of development has increased. This is because staff are providing better opportunities for children, when they work on their own, to apply the skills they have been taught in teacher-led activities. The most-able children identify phonemes in their reading, write interesting accounts on the current ‘monster’ topic and show that they can solve accurately written subtraction problems.

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The early years provision is good

 Children take a little time to adjust to their new, larger setting. After a few weeks, they are fully settled and have understood and accepted the daily routines. They particularly enjoy opportunities to share their recent experiences with each other and with staff. They are happy and feel safe. Staff model good behaviour effectively and form trusting relationships with children. They ensure that welfare requirements are met and that the indoor and outdoor play areas are secure.

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The early years provision is good

 Children behave well, both indoors and outdoors, especially when working on their own, in pairs or in small groups. They choose the resources they want to work with confidently. They find learning exciting in the indoor area, because staff plan various topic-based activities which capture their imagination and help them to make connections in their learning. Children also enjoy working and playing in the outdoor area but have fewer exciting opportunities there to develop their powers of imagination and to extend their skills fully.

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The early years provision is good

 Teaching is good. The new early years’ leader has shown good leadership by acting swiftly on recommendations from an external consultant to ensure that teachers provide stimulating activities for children. Staff plan tightly together and ensure equality of opportunity for all groups of children. They use resources, including staffing, effectively across the two classes to adjust teaching for individual, or groups of children. Sometimes, however, teachers’ questioning is not of sufficient depth or focus to accelerate children’s learning and, on a few occasions, this causes some children to lose concentration.

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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 103349 Local authority Birmingham Inspection number 462600

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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 421 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sharon Wells Headteacher Donna O'Toole Date of previous school inspection 17 December 2013 Telephone number 0121 3732691 Fax number 0121 3820950 Email address enquiry@wyldegrn.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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