New Oscott Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Alison Walklett Headteacher New Oscott Primary School Markham Road Sutton Coldfield West Midlands B73 6QR

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Short inspection of New Oscott Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 27 June 2017 with Michael Appleby, Ofsted Inspector, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in October 2012.

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Short inspection of New Oscott Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You and your governing body have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development and, as a result, you are taking effective action to improve the school further.

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Short inspection of New Oscott Primary School

You have addressed the areas for improvement identified at the time of the last inspection by providing training for staff and creating opportunities for the most effective teachers to share their excellent classroom practice with their colleagues around the school. As a result, teaching is consistently good in every key stage.

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Short inspection of New Oscott Primary School

Staff attended training to improve their use of questions soon after the last inspection. The good practice developed has been adapted and shared with new staff. Consequently, questions are used well to check understanding, assess learning, address misunderstandings and challenge pupils to make good progress. Pupils respond well to targeted questions with detailed answers containing the appropriate use of academic language. Teachers prompt pupils to justify their opinions effectively.

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Short inspection of New Oscott Primary School

As teachers use accurate information about what pupils know and can do, they routinely plan opportunities for pupils to work without close direction from staff. Pupils are able to learn independently and in groups and usually make good progress. However, the most able pupils are not consistently challenged to reach a greater depth in their writing.

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Short inspection of New Oscott Primary School

The learning environment, which includes displays that aid learning and celebrate success, is of a high quality. Pupils are enthusiastic learners and they enjoy positive relationships with each other and staff. Teaching assistants extend and support learning effectively and all staff consistently follow the school’s marking policy. Teachers have a secure subject knowledge, set homework that extends and consolidates learning and promote reading well. Pupils read a range of different texts and many read fluently and confidently. However, those who find reading more difficult are able to use the sounds that letters represent to decipher words.

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Short inspection of New Oscott Primary School

Learning time is usually used well but some activities do not fully engage pupils or challenge them to make rapid progress. Despite the fact the best practice is shared, not all teaching is consistently of the highest standard in order to secure the best outcomes for all groups of pupils. Outcomes for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils have not been consistently strong since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of New Oscott Primary School

Pupils behave well in class and around the school. Behaviour is managed well and pupils play with consideration for others during social time. Pupils are willing to take on responsibilities and fundamental British values are promoted effectively. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Short inspection of New Oscott Primary School

Most pupils have excellent attendance and overall absence rates have been similar to the national average since the last inspection. However, the attendance of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils does not match that of other pupils.

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Short inspection of New Oscott Primary School

Leadership is good at all levels. The governing body offers appropriate support and challenge. Performance management is used well to improve the quality of education provided by the school. The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website and parents are supportive of the work of the school. They value the information that the school provides them with and almost all would recommend the school to another parent.

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Short inspection of New Oscott Primary School

The school has a well-developed culture for keeping pupils safe. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose and records are detailed and of high quality. Staff and governors have had up-to-date training and are well informed about their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding pupils. Staff know what to do if they have a concern about a pupil’s welfare so referrals are timely and outside agencies are used appropriately.

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Short inspection of New Oscott Primary School

The site is secure and careful checks are made on staff and visitors. The single central record contains all the required information and records are stored securely. Staff are aware that safeguarding pupils is everyone’s responsibility and this aspect of the school’s work is very well led.

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Short inspection of New Oscott Primary School

Pupils are taught to stay safe. For example, they are aware of potential dangers when they are using the internet and they have been taught about road safety. Pupils feel safe in school and believe that bullying is extremely rare. However, they are confident that staff would deal with any unkindness quickly and effectively, should it occur.

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Inspection findings

 Teaching is good in every key stage and there are examples of some very strong practice. However, not all teaching matches the quality of the very best that can be found in the school.  Most children make good progress from their starting points in the early years provision. Outcomes in phonics have improved over time. The proportions of pupils who met the expected standard in the 2015 and 2016 phonics checks were above the national average.  Following the introduction of the new assessment framework, outcomes at the end of key stage 1 declined in 2016. Pupils’ attainment from their starting points was below the national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. However, leaders have taken effective action to address this and current pupils are making improved progress.  Outcomes were strong at the end of key stage 2 in 2015. Pupils made secure progress in reading, writing and mathematics in 2016. A small proportion of the most able pupils

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Inspection findings

reached a high standard in writing in 2016.  Disadvantaged pupils achieved well in key stages 1 and 2 in 2015, but the attainment of disadvantaged pupils has not consistently matched that of other pupils nationally over time. Improving the attainment and progress of pupils supported by the pupil premium is a school improvement priority and actions to address their underachievement are beginning to have a positive impact. However, although progress is improving, securing better outcomes for disadvantaged pupils remains a key next step for the school.  Some pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities did not make the progress they were capable of by the end of key stage 2 in 2016. However, individual pupils are monitored closely and interventions are leading to improved progress for this group of pupils.  Attendance of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and

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Inspection findings

disadvantaged pupils was low in 2016. Despite effective action being taken to reduce the absence rates of these groups of pupils, their attendance does not match that of other pupils in the school.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 all teaching matches the best that is found in the school so that all groups of pupils, including the most able in writing, make rapid progress  pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils make improved progress and the attainment of disadvantaged pupils consistently matches that of other pupils nationally  the attendance of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils improves so that overall absence rates are consistently lower than national averages.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Birmingham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, other leaders and a group of staff. I met with six governors, including the chair of the governing body and spoke to a representative of the Birmingham Education Partnership by telephone. We also spoke to pupils formally and informally and heard a small number of pupils read. We made short visits to every classroom with the headteacher and assistant headteacher and looked at pupils’ work in books. The team inspector spoke to parents at the start of the day and we considered a letter from a parent and 184 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire.

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Information about the inspection

Various school documents were scrutinised, including the school’s self-evaluation, improvement plan, information about managing teachers’ performance and staff training records. Minutes of meetings of the governing body and information about pupils’ progress, behaviour, attendance and safety were also analysed. We also looked at published information on the school’s website.

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