Carrington Primary and Nursery School

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

p.1

Mrs Christine Skeats Headteacher Carrington Primary and Nursery School Jenner Street Carrington Nottingham NG5 1AB

p.1

Short inspection of Carrington Primary and Nursery School

Following my visit to the school on 11 January 2018, 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 November 2013.

p.1

Short inspection of Carrington Primary and Nursery School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. In particular, you and your staff have successfully raised the level of challenge for pupils. As a result, in 2017 many more pupils attained at greater depth in reading and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 and in writing at key stage 2.

p.1

Short inspection of Carrington Primary and Nursery School

The local community has changed over recent years, and an increasing proportion of pupils do not speak very much English when they join the school. As a result of effective teaching, many pupils who are in the early stages of learning to speak English make rapid progress in reading and writing. Where additional support is needed for individual pupils, you are persistent in making sure that pupils’ needs are assessed as quickly as possible so that they can receive the support they require. You are proud of the school’s diverse population, and your work to support equalities is a strength.

p.1

Short inspection of Carrington Primary and Nursery School

Pupils, parents and carers, staff and governors spoke warmly about the caring ethos of the school. Parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, described the school as having ‘an inclusive community ethos’ and said that ‘the school cares about the children and welcomes diversity.’ Pupils value the family atmosphere because, as they said, ‘It’s small and you get to know everybody.’

p.1

Short inspection of Carrington Primary and Nursery School

You are clear about the strengths of the school and the areas you now wish to develop. Leaders, governors and staff are firmly focused on raising standards in mathematics across the school. This clear intent is identified in the school development plan, and the relatively new leader for mathematics is providing an effective role model for staff in leading improvements. Evidence gathered through the inspection indicates that the early impact on progress of this work so far has been positive. Your autumn term assessment figures show that pupils in all year groups are currently making accelerated progress in mathematics.

p.1

Short inspection of Carrington Primary and Nursery School

Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning in mathematics. All of the pupils with whom I spoke said that they enjoy the subject very much. Teachers make sure that the most able pupils do not linger too long on the less demanding activities, but proceed quickly to more challenging problem-solving tasks. As a result, pupils quickly acquire new mathematical knowledge and skills.

p.2

Short inspection of Carrington Primary and Nursery School

In the early years, there is scope for further development in mathematics. In particular, the outdoor learning area does not lend itself well to promoting mathematical experiences for children. The area is uninspiring and the activities provided do not offer an inviting, attractive and mathematics-rich learning environment.

p.2

Short inspection of Carrington Primary and Nursery School

The leaders responsible for safeguarding have made sure that all arrangements are fit for purpose. All of the school’s checks and procedures meet statutory requirements. Child protection training for staff and governors is comprehensive and up to date.

p.2

Short inspection of Carrington Primary and Nursery School

All staff work with a common purpose to ensure pupils’ safety. The pupils themselves are very clear about this, saying, ‘Teachers look out for us and care for us.’ Records show that bullying is rare, but when it occurs, it is dealt with appropriately. The very small proportion of pupils with challenging behaviours receive effective support so that they are able to maintain their learning and avoid repeated exclusions.

p.2

Short inspection of Carrington Primary and Nursery School

As a result of your effective work with pupils and families, rates of absence and persistent absence are consistently below national figures.

p.2

Inspection findings

 You have reviewed the senior leadership structure and appointed new leaders to important positions. Frequent, focused monitoring activities enable leaders to see the impact on standards of their work quickly and make changes as soon as they are needed. There is good capacity in leadership to ensure continued improvement.  As a result of staff turnover, standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 declined in 2016 and 2017. The staffing issues are now resolved and you have made several effective appointments. The school’s latest assessments show that current progress in key stage 1 is good. This was confirmed during the inspection through observing learning in lessons and checking the quality of pupils’ work in their books.  Since the last inspection, leaders have renewed their focus on teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, over the past three years there has been a

p.2

Inspection findings

consistent trend of improvement in the proportion of children reaching a good level of development at the end of the early years. Likewise, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has climbed steadily for three years.  Pupils in all classes show positive attitudes to learning. They listen respectfully to adults and to each other and apply themselves calmly to their work. A group of pupils with whom I spoke were very reflective about their learning. They described certain memorable topics which had inspired them, such as learning about Anne Frank and some real-life experiences of slavery. They were undaunted by these serious subjects and found them to be as interesting as the more ‘hands-on’ and ‘fun’ lessons such as science experiments, which they also enjoy.  Governance is strong. Governors are mindful of their statutory responsibilities and hold leaders rigorously to account for the school’s performance. Governors

p.3

Inspection findings

know the school very well; they have a firm grasp of its strengths and areas for development.

p.3

Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

p.3

Next steps for the school

 the recent improvements in the leadership and teaching of mathematics lead to sustained improvement in pupils’ attainment and progress in mathematics by the end of key stages 1 and 2  improvements are made to the early years outdoor area, with particular regard to promoting number, space, shape and measures more effectively.

p.3

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 Nottingham. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

p.3

Information about the inspection

During this inspection I met with you, the deputy headteacher and other leaders. I also met with a group of governors, including the chair of governors. I held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority. I visited classes with you and the deputy headteacher, including the Nursery and the outdoor learning area. I spoke with pupils informally during lessons and during a group discussion. I examined pupils’ work in their books and listened to pupils read. I considered 45 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. I considered a wide range of documents, including those relating to safeguarding, minutes of the meetings of the governing body, information relating to pupils’ achievement, attendance and behaviour, leaders’ monitoring records, external reports about the school, the school’s self-evaluation summary and the school’s development plan.

p.3