Firs Estate Primary School

Firs Estate Primary School Raven Street, Derby DE22 3WA

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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This is an inadequate school

 Leaders’ plans for school improvement are not precise enough to hold leaders, staff and governors fully to account. The school’s self- evaluation is over generous.  Leaders have not done enough to improve the quality of teaching and ensure that pupils make the progress of which they are capable.  As a result of weak teacher assessment, leaders do not have accurate information on the progress pupils make. Therefore, they do not intervene quickly enough when pupils underachieve.  Leaders and governors have not used pupil premium funding effectively. The gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and that of other pupils nationally is too wide.  Leaders have not done enough to provide a range of activities that promote pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values.  Teaching, learning and assessment are inadequate. Teachers do not have high enough expectations of pupils. Pupils do not make as

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This is an inadequate school

much progress as they could.  Teachers do not use their knowledge of pupils’ prior learning effectively. Tasks are not matched well enough to pupils’ ability. Too often there is low-level disruption in lessons because too few pupils are appropriately challenged in their work.  Attendance is below the national average.  Leaders in the early years do not understand the learning needs of children well enough. Provision for Reception-aged children is inadequate. Teaching does not match activities to support children’s learning needs.

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The school has the following strengths

 Leaders care passionately about the children and the school provides a happy environment. They have made a sound start in driving improvements in the quality of teaching.  Children make a good start to their education in Nursery Year. The majority of children make good progress by the end of Nursery.

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by: accurately assessing the school’s strengths and weaknesses and using this information to identify clear priorities for improvement sharpening the quality and detail of improvement planning so that there are specific, timed milestones to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment ensuring that subject leaders use information about pupils’ progress to raise standards in the areas they lead monitoring teacher assessment rigorously and regularly to ensure that it is accurate and used by teachers to correctly match tasks to pupils’ abilities ensuring that the school includes the progress and attainment data of groups of pupils, including the most able pupils, in whole-school performance information securing the effectiveness of the governing body through well-targeted training and development providing governors with detailed and easily understood information on pupils’ outcomes so that they

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

can challenge senior leaders more knowledgeably and tenaciously about the progress of different groups of pupils ensuring that governors monitor the use and impact of additional school funding for disadvantaged pupils and use this information to improve outcomes for eligible pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Rapidly improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and raise pupil outcomes by: ensuring that all staff have the highest expectations for all pupils, at all times making sure that teachers use ongoing assessment and tracking of pupils’ learning to ensure that work is well matched to pupils’ abilities and prior learning ensuring that work provided for pupils has sufficient challenge for all groups of pupils, particularly the most able providing pupils with feedback that clearly identifies the next steps in their learning and enables them to make more rapid progress in all subjects accurately teaching phonics so that pupils are able to use pure sounds in their reading and writing using appropriate resources in lessons to support pupils who speak English as an additional language so that they can build on their vocabulary and comprehension skills.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ personal behaviour, development and welfare by: the consistent application of the school’s behaviour policy by all staff, at all times of the school day, so that low-level class disruption is eradicated and pupils feel safe on the playground rapidly improving attendance so that it is at least in line with the national average, and reducing the level of persistent absence so that it is lower than the national average ensuring that all pupils understand how to keep safe when using the internet and social media increasing the quantity and quality of opportunities for pupils to learn about democracy and celebrate cultural diversity.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of provision in the early years by: ensuring that senior leaders support the early years leadership so that leaders and staff understand what needs to be done to raise standards rapidly strengthening the impact of leadership, particularly in relation to the Reception Year, through accurate self-evaluation which precisely pinpoints priorities for improvement making sure that teachers use ongoing assessment and provide learning activities that more closely match the children’s needs matching appropriate resources to the learning needs of children, particularly those who speak English as an additional language ensuring that teachers and teaching assistants accurately model letter sounds in the teaching of phonics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance, to include a specific focus on the school’s use of the pupil premium, should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

 Leadership and management are inadequate. Leaders do not evaluate their actions regularly or accurately. Plans for school improvement lack urgency and detail, and are not linked to school performance information. As a result, they have had little or no impact on improving pupils’ achievements.  Governors do not receive comprehensive information about pupils’ attainment and progress. Therefore, they are unable to challenge leaders effectively about pupils’ outcomes.  Teachers’ assessment of pupils’ progress and attainment is inaccurate. As a consequence, leaders do not have reliable information about how well pupils are doing and do not have an accurate picture of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching or pupils’ outcomes.  Leaders do not monitor classroom practice and pupils’ outcomes closely enough. They have taken too long to address weak teaching. As a result, the quality of teaching is inconsistent and pupils’ progress is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

often too slow.  Subject leaders do not fully understand their roles and responsibilities because senior leaders have not provided enough support or direction. Subject leaders do not use information about how well pupils are doing to inform their planning. Consequently, their impact on improving pupils’ outcomes is limited.  Leaders have not ensured that all groups of pupils, including the most able, make sufficient progress or attain well enough. Leaders do not analyse information on pupils’ outcomes in detail. Consequently, leaders are not aware of how well groups of pupils are performing and do not intervene quickly enough to support them when they are not doing as well as they should.  Leaders have not tracked the additional funding provided to the school to improve the outcomes for disadvantaged pupils well enough. Leaders do not know how well this group is doing and cannot show the impact of the pupil premium funding.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

 The physical education (PE) and sports grant has been used to support the continuing professional development of staff, including lunchtime support staff. This has ensured that the quality of learning in PE has improved and pupils’ participation rates in school clubs and local tournaments have increased.  Leaders have not ensured that the school’s curriculum effectively supports pupils’ personal development and welfare. The majority of pupils show tolerance and respect for each other through positive relationships in the classroom. However, opportunities for pupils to experience a number of key British values such as democracy are limited.  The new headteacher has made a promising start in the process of improving the quality of education offered by the school.  The recently appointed inclusion leader provides teachers and teaching assistants with wide-ranging support on pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The impact of additional

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

support is now closely monitored and adjusted quickly to meet the changing needs of pupils. As a result, teaching and support are more closely matched to the needs of individual pupils.  Newly qualified teachers have already been appointed for the forthcoming year. The headteacher has committed to take responsibility for their induction using links with other providers to ensure that they receive the best possible support.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

 The governance of the school Governance has not been effective because governors have not done enough to prevent the decline in the school. The vast majority of governors are new to the role and do not have a full understanding of what they need to do to improve. As a result, they are unclear about what the school’s performance information is telling them and how to challenge leaders to secure improvements for the school. The governing body has not ensured that the additional funding provided for disadvantaged pupils has been spent effectively to help disadvantaged pupils make progress in line with other pupils. Governors’ understanding of pupils’ achievement is limited and therefore they are unable to hold leaders to account for pupils’ attainment and progress. Governors have ensured that arrangements for the safeguarding of pupils are effective. School staff understand the importance of safeguarding and the need to protect children from the risks of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

radicalisation and extremism.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All statutory safeguarding checks meet requirements.  The recently appointed safeguarding manager has ensured that systems and policies for safeguarding children are improving rapidly. Staff and governors receive regular training and understand their responsibilities in keeping children safe from harm. Record keeping is detailed and analysed regularly in order to identify trends and areas for further improvement.  Leaders and staff are alert to, and respond tenaciously to safeguarding concerns, thereby ensuring that the risk of harm to children is minimised.  The school has forged strong links with external agencies and this ensures that the majority of pupils understand how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. However, not all pupils understand how to keep safe when using the internet.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

 Teaching is inadequate. Teachers do not use information about pupils’ progress and attainment well enough to plan appropriately for pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils do not make progress which is at least in line with that of other pupils nationally.  Teachers do not have high enough expectations of pupils’ learning. Pupils’ books show that teachers do not provide opportunities for pupils to extend their skills and deepen their learning, particularly in writing and mathematics. As a result, pupils do not make enough progress and lack motivation when work is not challenging.  Teachers do not assess pupils’ learning well enough to inform their next steps in learning. Tasks do not build on pupils’ prior learning, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils do not use and apply these skills across the curriculum well enough.  Feedback to pupils is not precise enough in identifying the next steps in pupils’ learning. Too often,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

teachers’ comments focus on praise and do not help pupils to develop their learning. As a result, pupils are unclear about how to improve their work.  The presentation of work in pupils’ writing and mathematics books is inconsistent. Teachers do not correct routine spelling and punctuation errors in pupils’ books or inaccuracies in pupils’ calculations. Consequently, errors recur, particularly when pupils are working independently.  Teachers encourage pupils to talk to each other to generate ideas. However, there are occasions when pupils do not use the time appropriately. Pupils become distracted and are disengaged from the set task. Consequently, pupils miss important parts of teaching and this impacts on progress made in class.  Teachers do not provide appropriate resources to support pupils who speak English as an additional language. Pupils are not supported well enough in lessons to develop their vocabulary and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

comprehension skills. As a result, they do not develop basic literacy skills as quickly as they should.  In key stage 1, teachers do not model phonics sounds accurately and learning does not progress quickly enough in phonics lessons. Pupils are unable to apply their phonics skills well enough to reading and spelling activities.  Teaching assistants provide effective support to pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They know and understand the needs of each pupil. For example, in a lesson in the school’s sensory room, pupils developed their speaking and listening skills because of the thoughtful questioning of the teaching assistants.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate. Too often, pupils’ attitudes to learning are poor because learning activities are not well enough matched to pupils’ needs. Too many lessons are affected by low-level disruption, which inhibits pupils’ learning and the progress they make.  Pupils are not given enough opportunities to participate in activities linked to the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law and respect for other cultures. On most occasions, pupils collaborate and cooperate well together. However, teachers miss opportunities to celebrate the rich diversity of the range of cultures in the school.  Pupils are able to identify the steps taken by the school to keep them safe and are aware of how to keep safe in a range of situations. However, not all pupils understand how to keep safe when using the internet.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is inadequate. Teachers and staff do not apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently. Too many pupils attend playtime or lunchtime detention as a consequence of their poor behaviour at different times of the school day.  A number of pupils and parents who spoke with inspectors stated that behaviour in school is not very good. They particularly highlighted examples of boisterous play by some of the oldest pupils, which led to younger pupils not feeling safe at playtimes. Pupils and parents do not always have confidence in staff to address incidents of poor behaviour quickly and effectively.  Attendance is below the national average and is not improving over time. However, leaders have taken measures to promote school attendance and punctuality. Strong links with the educational welfare officer, the use of an interpreter and immediate telephone response to the first day of a pupil’s absence

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Behaviour

have helped to ensure pupils’ safety, but have not yet raised attendance.

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

 Pupils do not make sufficient progress between Year 1 and Year 6. As a result, standards of attainment at the end of key stages 1 and 2 have remained well below average since the time of the previous inspection.  Children enter the Reception Year at levels of development that are below, and often well below, those which are typical for children of their age. In 2015, the vast majority of children did not secure a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year. As a result, too many children were not well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Pupils do not gain a secure knowledge and understanding of phonics by the time they leave key stage 1. Pupils’ attainment in the Year 1 national phonics screening check has been well below average for the past three years.  Pupils do not make enough progress in reading, writing and mathematics during their time in key stage 1. As a result, their attainment at the end of key stage 1 remains below average in these subjects and is

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

not rising quickly enough. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities do not make progress in line with their peers. Information provided by the school shows that in almost all classes, these pupils make less progress than their peers in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language do not attain well enough and are significantly behind other pupils nationally at the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2. This is because these pupils do not receive help quickly enough when they first arrive at the school.  Progress in key stage 2 is inadequate. The proportion of pupils making the expected progress in reading and mathematics is well below the national average. Pupils’ attainment is well below the national average, as it has been for the past three years in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and mathematics.  Disadvantaged pupils do not make enough progress over time. Consequently, the gap in attainment

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

between disadvantaged pupils at this school and other schools nationally has increased.  Few of the most able pupils achieve the higher levels of attainment because they are not sufficiently challenged in their learning, and because leaders do not track the achievement of these pupils discretely. They therefore do not take action to accelerate the progress they make.  Work in pupils’ writing and mathematics books shows that pupils across the school have made limited progress this year because of inconsistent teaching, a lack of challenge, and tasks that are not consistently well matched to their abilities.

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Early years provision is inadequate

 Leadership in the early years is not yet fully developed. Leaders’ action planning is not yet sufficiently rigorous or underpinned by a sound knowledge of what the children know and can do. Consequently, children do not make good progress in the Reception classes. Fewer than half of the children achieved a good level of development in 2015.  Teachers do not use information about the progress children make well enough. Consequently, they do not match activities to children’s abilities accurately and children’s progress is not as rapid as it could be.  Teachers do not provide learning activities that challenge the most able children enough. There are too few opportunities for children to write independently, using longer sentences. Teachers do not plan activities for children who speak English as an additional language well enough. Their expectations of what this group of children can achieve are not high enough. The learning activities do not sufficiently

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Early years provision is inadequate

enable children to use and apply their new language skills fully.  Teachers do not teach phonics well enough. Teachers do not demonstrate the sounds made in words well enough, and as a result, children do not apply their phonics knowledge accurately when reading and writing.  Teachers in the early years work hard to engage parents. They set up fun events such as tea parties, construction mornings and theme days. These events enable parents to share in their children’s achievements.  Nursery provision is effective. Children enter Nursery at levels of development that are typically below those expected for their age. Their progress is tracked and monitored closely. As a result, the Nursery team is able to support children’s learning and children make good progress.  Nursery staff communicate with parents effectively and have strong relationships with the community. The Nursery leader has worked hard to build positive relationships with new parents. New parents and

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Early years provision is inadequate

children receive a range of welcome days and information mornings so that they know what to expect.

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School details

Unique reference number 112778 Local authority Derby Inspection number 10011675 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 369 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mo Pateman Headteacher Paula Martin Telephone number 01332 346230 Website http://firsestate.derby.sch.uk Email address admin@firsestate.derby.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 20–21 November 2014

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Information about this school

 Firs Estate Primary School is an above-average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported through pupil premium funding is higher than average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or children looked after.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well above average and has increased over the past three years.  A significant proportion of pupils join and leave the school midway through the year. This proportion has increased over the past year. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average and has steadily increased over the past three years.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the requirements for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in most classes in the school, some on more than one occasion. In total, they observed learning in 21 lessons or parts of lessons. Inspectors also checked pupils’ behaviour at playtime and lunchtime and as pupils moved about the school during the day.  Inspectors held meetings with senior and middle leaders in the school, including the special educational needs leader, the leader of the early years and the subject leader for mathematics and English.  The lead inspector spoke with a school improvement officer from the diocese of Derby and with a local authority officer.  Inspectors discussed pupils’ work with them in lessons, heard pupils read aloud and met more formally with them in a group to discuss particular aspects of their experiences at the school.  Inspectors looked at a range of school documentation, including the school’s improvement plan, the school’s information for tracking pupils’ attainment and progress, minutes of meetings of the governing

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Information about this inspection

body and the school’s self-evaluation document. They also looked at a large sample of work in pupils’ books, anonymised records of the performance management of staff, and school documentation relating to safeguarding. Inspectors also examined the school’s website.  Inspectors analysed the responses from 12 parents and carers on Parent View, the Ofsted online questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Emma Nuttall, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Carolyn Wood Ofsted Inspector Nicola Walsh Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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