Arnbrook Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 6–7 March 2012 Inspection number 381616 Arnbrook Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 134132 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 381616 Inspection dates 6–7 March 2012 Lead inspector Lois Furness

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare provision, managed by the governing body, was inspected under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 301 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Martin Coleman Headteacher Caroline Ford Date of previous school inspection 21 January 2009 School address Bestwood Lodge Drive Nottingham NG5 8NE Telephone number 0115 9190199 Fax number 0115 9649380 Email address head@arnbrook.notts.sch.uk

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Registered childcare provision EY312595 Arnbrook Playgroup Number of children on roll in the registered childcare provision Date of last inspection of registered childcare provision 21 January 2009 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 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

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

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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.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. Inspectors visited 27 lessons observing 12 teachers. They heard pupils read, watched them being taught in small groups and individually, analysed their work, and discussed their learning with them. Meetings were held with the headteacher, subject leaders and representatives of the governing body. A wide range of documentation was analysed, including information relating to the achievement of all groups of pupils, as well as the school improvement plan, governing body minutes and evidence of monitoring and evaluation. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. They analysed 54 parental inspection questionnaire responses, as well as responses to the inspection questionnaires returned by staff and pupils.

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Information about the school

In this larger than average sized primary school the proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. Most pupils come from White British backgrounds and the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average. The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is well above average. The school’s provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage includes a pre-school playgroup for children aged two to four years of age, which is managed by the governing body, a part-time nursery class and two Reception classes. There are nine other classes each consisting of pupils from two year groups. In 2011, the school met the government’s current floor standard which sets the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics. Since the time of the previous inspection a new headteacher has been appointed and, in September 2011, a Local Leader of Education was appointed to

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Information about the school

work with the school. The school has achieved a number of awards including Healthy Schools status, Activemark and Investors in People. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 In accordance with section 13 (3) of 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.

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Key findings

 This is not a satisfactory school because pupils’ achievement is inadequate and all groups of pupils make too little progress as they move through the school, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Attainment by the end of Year 2 has declined over time and is well below average. Pupils’ attainment in English by the end of Year 6 has been well below national averages for the last two years.

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Key findings

 There are small pockets of good teaching, but not enough to raise attainment and ensure that pupils’ progress is good. There is too much inadequate teaching and often pupils are given the same work irrespective of their needs or abilities. The planned curriculum lacks sufficient depth to ensure that pupils’ knowledge and skills are developed systematically in all subjects. The marking of pupils’ work, particularly in subjects other than English and mathematics, is inadequate.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ behaviour and safety are satisfactory. Pupils reported that behaviour in the school has been an issue in the past which has been dealt with. The school is an orderly and welcoming environment. Pupils are keen to work and, in the lessons observed, they were well-behaved.

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Key findings

 Despite some improvements since September 2011, leaders and managers have not had enough impact on eradicating weaknesses and improving standards. Self-evaluation is over-generous and monitoring does not focus sufficiently on the link between teaching and learning. Two key issues from the previous inspection, to improve the quality of teaching and the governance of the school, Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

remain areas for improvement. For these reasons, the leadership does not demonstrate the capacity to secure improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards of attainment and accelerate pupils’ progress by:  using assessment information rigorously to ensure that learning activities match the needs of all pupils  providing more opportunities for pupils to apply their writing and mathematical skills across a range of different subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure all inadequate teaching is eliminated and an increasing proportion is good by:  developing staff expertise in the teaching of writing  making sure all pupils are challenged throughout all parts of lessons  developing teachers’ questioning skills so they are able to reshape tasks during lessons to improve pupils’ learning  ensuring there is a strong focus on teaching the basic skills of handwriting, spelling, grammar and punctuation  improving the quality of marking so that it clearly identifies strengths and what pupils need to do to improve.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by:  developing the skills of all those with leadership responsibility, including the governing body, in effective monitoring and evaluation  establishing a rigorous cycle of checking planning, work in pupils’ books and pupils’ termly progress information  implementing a curriculum that supports the systematic development of pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding in all National Curriculum subjects  monitoring rigorously the impact of interventions on the progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.

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Achievement of pupils

Inspection evidence indicates that achievement is inadequate because pupils’ attainment overall is low and their progress is too slow as they move through the school.. Too few pupils work at age-related expectations in writing, although attainment in reading is broadly average. Pupils’ attainment in mathematics has fluctuated, although in 2011 it was average by the end of Key Stage 2. These findings do not endorse the views of the small minority of parents and carers who returned the inspection questionnaire and who thought their children were achieving well. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

Children’s skills on entry to the school in the Early Years Foundation Stage are well below age-related expectations. Although there is evidence of satisfactory progress in some areas, overall children make inadequate progress as a result of inadequate teaching. There is too little good-quality dialogue between adults and children and opportunities are missed to develop children’s language skills. For example during one observation, adults mainly gave children instructions rather than questioning them about their activities. Over the last three years, children have started Year 1 with skills and knowledge that have been well below average.

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Achievement of pupils

Inspection evidence shows that progress varies in Years 1 to 6 but overall it is inadequate. In mathematics, progress is uneven and more able pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable, as they are often given the same work as others. This was observed in a Year 5/6 class when all Year 6 pupils completed the same problem-solving activity regardless of their prior attainment. Inspectors identified inaccuracies in the assessment of pupils’ work and assessment information is not used well enough to ensure that activities meet all pupils’ needs. While the school’s tracking data show that attainment is rising and progress is improving, the work in the majority of pupils’ books scrutinised does not support these assessments, particularly in mathematics and writing.

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Achievement of pupils

The school’s emphasis on teaching phonics (the knowledge of letters and the sounds they make) is helping younger pupils to develop their reading skills. Teachers in Key Stage 1 have a good understanding of teaching this aspect of reading. The Every Child a Reader (ECAR) initiative is proving successful in supporting a few of the less- able readers in Year 1. Guided reading sessions are effective and help older pupils to develop their understanding of different texts. However, as yet, a daily session of phonics has not been implemented for a few pupils in Years 3 and 4 who lack the skills to help them read.

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Quality of teaching

The quality of teaching is inadequate because teachers do not take enough account of what the pupils already know and can do. Planning, especially in subjects other than English and mathematics, does not focus well enough on developing key skills or ensure that each unit of work places sufficient demands on pupils. For example , a scrutiny of topic work on Egypt for pupils in Years 5 and 6 shows that little attention is given to the development of historical skills and lessons consist of too many low- level drawing activities. Teachers do not use questions well enough to check on pupils’ understanding, as observed in a Year 3 and 4 writing lesson, where pupils struggled to complete an advertisement using persuasive language because the teacher had not modelled what was required. There are a few good examples of clear marking in pupils’ extended writing books, but little indication that advice is acted upon. In mathematics, marking is usually an affirmation of correct and

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Quality of teaching

incorrect answers with no explanation. In other subjects, most marking viewed by inspectors alongside the headteacher, consisted of a tick and the teacher’s initial. This misses the opportunity to help pupils learn from their mistakes and to give praise so that they take more pride in their work. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Quality of teaching

Opportunities to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are satisfactory. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught the importance of sharing resources and of helping each other. Pupils in other year groups are keen to please and, despite weaknesses in teaching, most want to work hard. They listen carefully to each other and on the occasions pupils are encouraged to share ideas, they do so willingly. Cultural development is promoted satisfactorily through topics such as the ‘World Kitchen’, ‘Rainforests’ and ‘Celebrations’.

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Quality of teaching

Most parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire believe their children are taught well at the school. Inspection evidence indicates that, as a result of weak teaching, pupils are making inadequate progress. There is, however, evidence of small pockets of good teaching, for example in phonics, guided reading and in the ECAR initiative, but these good features are not embedded across the school.

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Quality of teaching

The planned curriculum is inadequate. Pupils’ work in folders for topic, science, and religious education in all year groups contain a collection of unconnected activities, often on pieces of loose-leaf paper which are not dated, and give no indication of progression. Teachers do not have the necessary subject knowledge to ensure the systematic development of pupils’ skills in writing. Planning is too focused on activities rather than on the progressive development of skills needed to produce good-quality writing. There are too few opportunities for pupils to write at length in other curriculum areas and numeracy skills are not reinforced in other subjects. Although school leaders have identified writing as a concern, insufficient attention is paid to handwriting, spelling, punctuation and grammar and teachers are not meticulous enough in helping pupils to correct their errors.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ behaviour is usually satisfactory in lessons, even when the work is uninspiring or too difficult for them . School records show that poor behaviour is infrequent, and there have been no exclusions this year. Some pupils with additional needs present very challenging behaviour which is dealt with sensitively and effectively . The headteacher has worked hard to improve this aspect of pupils’ personal development. In the playground and in eating areas, behaviour is satisfactory.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Inspection evidence supports the view of parents and carers that pupils are kept safe in school. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of how to keep themselves safe, knowing not to speak to strangers, for example. A few parents and carers expressed concerns about bullying in the form of name-calling. Records show that the school always responds to such concerns, and pupils say they have confidence in teachers acting decisively. Assemblies are used well to stress the importance of getting on with each other and acting always in a considerate manner. Attendance is broadly average and improving as the rate of persistent absenteeism falls.

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Leadership and management

While the headteacher and governing body have an accurate view of what needs to Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

be done to raise pupils’ attainment and accelerate progress, in the period following the previous inspection, the school’s emphasis has been on improving behaviour and, until recently, there has been a lack of urgency in addressing the issues of declining attainment. Since September 2011, there has been concerted action and a Local Leader of Education has worked closely with the school to help with school improvement. Staff appreciate this support. As yet, however, the action taken has not been sufficient to ensure that pupils make good progress in lessons and staff professional development has not resulted in enough improvement to teaching. Monitoring and evaluation are not rigorous and lesson observations do not focus sufficiently well on pupils’ learning. A range of interventions has been introduced to accelerate the progress of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. However, there has been limited monitoring of the impact of these actions. Pupils’

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Leadership and management

work in English and mathematics is checked periodically, but the checking of planning and of work in other subjects is less systematic. Also, those undertaking this checking do not pay enough attention to pupils’ prior assessment information to ensure that rates of progress are sufficiently rapid.

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Leadership and management

While the governing body is supportive, its effectiveness in challenging leaders and holding them to account for the quality of provision and outcomes is inadequate. However, statutory obligations in respect of safeguarding requirements are met. Parents and carers appreciate this aspect of the school’s work.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum does not meet the needs of all pupils. Leaders have tried hard to make it more interesting through topic work and linking subjects together. However, the lack of progression in knowledge and skills, and limited opportunities for pupils to apply their literacy and numeracy skills, makes the curriculum inadequate. The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, however, is satisfactory. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of right and wrong and have the social skills necessary to work together cooperatively. Opportunities for pupils to find out about, and contribute to, the work of local, national and international charities have increased their awareness of life for less advantaged children and societies.

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Leadership and management

Leaders do not promote equality of opportunity adequately because the school is failing to provide a satisfactory standard of education for a large proportion of its pupils. Given this, alongside a failure to rectify two of the key issues of the previous inspection relating to increasing the proportion of good teaching and the governing body holding leaders to account for pupils’ performance, the capacity to improve further is inadequate. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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childcare provision

Arnbrook Playgroup operates from a room within the Sure Start Children’s Centre, which is situated in the school’s grounds. This facility is available for children aged between two and four years of age, and a maximum of 16 children can attend the playgroup at any one time. The facility is open each weekday during the school term times.

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childcare provision

Provision for children's welfare, learning and development in the pre-school setting are satisfactory, as are leadership and management. All staff are suitably qualified and have undertaken safeguarding training. They are fully aware of the necessary steps to take should they have any concerns about the welfare of a child. Parents are informed about provision through the notice board, which displays the pre-school’s policies and procedures. Observations show that children are happy and settled. They enjoy learning through painting activities, playing with construction toys, or solving problems as they experiment with volume by filling and emptying containers during sand play. They are encouraged to play safely and to eat healthy food. Personal hygiene practices are developed satisfactorily as children are encouraged, for example, to wash their hands after painting, using the toilet and before eating.

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childcare provision

Children follow instructions and behaviour is good. Although there are lots of activities, language skills are not promoted well enough and interactions between adults and children do not consistently maximise learning opportunities. There is no attractive designated reading area where children can sit quietly and listen to stories. Children's ‘magic moments’ provide a satisfactory record of their learning and these are shared with parents and carers. However, parents and carers are not encouraged to contribute to this record. A member of staff is taking additional qualifications so that children with special educational needs can have their needs identified and supported.

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childcare provision

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage of the registered childcare provision, inspected under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006

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childcare provision

Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage for the registered provision

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Arnbrook Primary School, Nottingham, NG5 8NE

Thank you for making us so welcome when we visited your school. Thank you also to those of you who filled in the inspection questionnaire and those of you who spoke to us, telling us about your work and the things you do. It was good to hear that most of you like coming to school and feel safe. Some of you were a little concerned about name-calling, but you felt that teachers always took this seriously and dealt with it fairly. You behave and work sensibly in lessons. We were pleased to find out that your attendance is improving.

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Inspection of Arnbrook Primary School, Nottingham, NG5 8NE

Although you try hard in lessons, not all of you make the progress you should in your learning. By the time you leave school, we think you should attain higher standards in your work. This is because we think your teachers do not use information about what you know already well enough to make sure that you learn as fast as you can. Although we know some of you are making faster progress in your reading, because teachers are helping you to learn about letters and sounds (phonics), a few of you are not getting the benefit of this teaching.

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Inspection of Arnbrook Primary School, Nottingham, NG5 8NE

We have judged that your school needs some extra help to do things better. We have decided that inspectors should come to see you more often to see how the school is progressing. We call this Special Measures. These are the things that we have asked the adults in charge of your school to do to make things better.

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Inspection of Arnbrook Primary School, Nottingham, NG5 8NE

 Make sure all of you are learning as fast as you can so you attain higher standards in English and mathematics.  Increase the amount of good teaching in the school.  Regularly check what is working well and what could be improved.

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Inspection of Arnbrook Primary School, Nottingham, NG5 8NE

Thank you again for your help during the inspection. All of you can help by attending regularly and telling your teachers if work is too easy or too hard. We have asked your teachers to give you clear advice about how to improve your work. So please follow this advice and always do your best to present your work well.

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Inspection of Arnbrook Primary School, Nottingham, NG5 8NE

Lois Furness Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . 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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