Arnold View Primary School

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

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Mrs Denise Bryant Headteacher Arnold View Primary School Gedling Road Arnold Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG5 6NW

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 20 March 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 March 2014.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You, together with governors, have overcome the challenges presented by staff and leadership changes. You strive for continuous improvement. You use examples of best practice in other schools well to inform your decisions about any changes you make to the curriculum. You ensure that staff feel well supported. You enable them to improve their teaching and develop their leadership skills. You and other leaders recognise areas for further improvement and you work systematically towards achieving the school‟s main priorities.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

Your school is a purposeful place where pupils‟ social, academic and personal achievements are promoted and valued. The pupils I spoke to during my visit were keen to tell me about the awards they receive for demonstrating key „learning characteristics‟. They like to do well. They strive to present their work neatly in order to gain a „pen licence‟. Those who receive extra support in their learning say it helps them to improve. The most able pupils enjoy the „great‟, „awesome‟ and „epic‟ levels of challenge to help them to achieve the best they can.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

At the time of the previous inspection, leaders were asked to ensure that pupils have opportunities to develop their writing and mathematical skills in other subjects. You have addressed this well. Attractive displays provide good examples of pupils‟ writing for a range of purposes in subjects such as history. One display I saw encouraged pupils to use mathematics in relation to their learning about Islamic art. Pupils showed me examples in their books of writing and mathematics being used well in science.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

Pupils say they enjoy their learning. This view is supported by parents and carers, whose response to the school‟s work is overwhelmingly positive. This comment typifies the many received during the inspection:

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

„Our children are engaged in learning, particularly through “wow days” and interesting content. The school has developed a love of learning with our children, drawing on their interests.‟

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

Your analysis of the standards reached in phonics by pupils in Year 1 has led to an overhaul of teaching methods. You have purchased new resources and provided staff with relevant training. You and other leaders insist upon the consistent and regular teaching of phonics. You make good use of all staff to ensure that pupils work at levels that are well matched to their ability. Pupils‟ progress is checked regularly. Your information shows that standards in Year 1 are now rising. However, boys do not yet achieve as well as girls.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

You and senior leaders recognise where there are differences in performance between groups of pupils. For example, you know that some boys do not reach the expected attainment in reading and writing by the end of the early years. This has led to a review of the curriculum to ensure that boys are motivated to read and write. Interesting topics, such as learning about dinosaurs, inspire children. In key stage 1, pupils read and write about local heroes and famous sports personalities. These subjects interest pupils and help them to make strong progress.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

You and other leaders have evaluated the curriculum and the way staff assess pupils‟ work. This led to marked improvement in pupils‟ attainment by the end of Year 6 in 2017. You are determined that all groups of pupils make strong progress and you recognise that some pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are capable of doing even better. You provide a range of ways to help pupils to catch up and to achieve well.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

You and subject leaders ensure that teachers teach reasoning and mastery in mathematics. A new approach to the teaching of writing ensures that pupils use what they know about punctuation and grammar and formulate their ideas before they write. In reading, you have increased the focus on vocabulary and higher-level skills, such as inference. When I listened to pupils read, they showed me the targets they are working towards. They said that they read frequently and are helped to improve. Pupils like the choice of books, which are well matched to their abilities.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

You have introduced greater challenge for lower-attaining pupils and those who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities to enable them to achieve more highly. Pupils with complex needs receive good support to help their personal, social and emotional development. Recent changes have led to more precise goals for pupils to work towards. Some pupils now show greater independence than previously in tackling their work without over-reliance on adult support. These are positive improvements. However, it is too early to see the impact on the overall progress made by pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

All leaders check the quality of teaching in various ways. They make the most of good communication between staff to try out new ideas and evaluate the impact of teaching on learning. They enable less experienced members of staff to work with those who have greater expertise. You hold regular meetings with staff about pupils‟ progress and you expect staff to fully understand how well pupils in their classes achieve. However, there is room for greater rigour to ensure consistency is maintained, particularly in how well staff help pupils to know what they are working towards in lessons.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

You, together with governors, make sure that safeguarding procedures and safety measures are fit for purpose. You provide staff with regular training and ensure that they know what to do if they have worries about pupils‟ safety. You expect that the safety of pupils is the responsibility of all staff.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

The vetting procedures for adults who work with pupils are thorough. Relevant information is well organised and maintained.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

You and your designated leaders use systems effectively to collate and record any concerns that arise over pupils‟ welfare and behaviour. You show perseverance in reaching positive outcomes. You work well with external agencies and have good relationships with families. This means that any child protection concerns are dealt with promptly.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

Learning in lessons and during assemblies helps pupils to understand how to stay safe. The school uses resources from outside agencies, such as the NSPCC, to provide further guidance. There are regular e-safety and anti-bullying weeks to promote the understanding of pupils and parents.

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Short inspection of Arnold View Primary School

Pupils say they feel safe and parents agree. When I asked pupils about bullying, they said it is not an issue in their school. They know the different forms that bullying may take, including the potential hazards presented by the internet and social media. Pupils value the support they receive from staff and express confidence that any worries they have will be addressed.

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Inspection findings

 Leaders have rightly identified that improvement to the teaching of phonics is a main priority. Their actions are leading to consistently effective teaching and rising standards. Leaders recognise that further evaluation of the impact of teaching on boys‟ achievement in phonics is required.  Previous differences in the achievement of groups of pupils are being addressed. Boys in the early years and key stage 1 are making stronger progress in reading and writing because teachers motivate them well.  The school‟s information shows that above-average standards achieved in 2017 by the end of Year 6 are being sustained. Pupils who are currently in Year 6 are on track to achieve equally well.  Leaders‟ evaluation of the curriculum means that teachers systematically teach higher-level skills in reading, writing and mathematics in order for pupils to make strong progress. The lower-attaining pupils, including those from disadvantaged

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Inspection findings

backgrounds, receive good extra support to help them to improve.  The curriculum promotes writing effectively and mathematics in a range of subjects. This helps pupils to make sense of their learning and apply what they know in various ways.  There are good examples of individual pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities making strong progress. It is too early to see the impact of improvements on pupils‟ academic achievement over time.  Although leaders carry out regular checks on the quality of teaching, they have not thoroughly evaluated how well teachers inform pupils of their learning goals during lessons. This means that, in some cases, pupils do not understand what they are expected to achieve.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:  pupils in Year 1, particularly boys, reach the expected standards in phonics  the improvements made to the provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities lead to consistently strong progress  staff inform pupils of what they are expected to achieve in lessons consistently well.

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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 Nottinghamshire County Council. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met with you, the deputy headteacher and senior leaders. We discussed the school‟s progress information and we looked at work in pupils‟ books. I also met the chair of the governing body and three other governors. We visited some classes together to observe the teaching of phonics, writing and mathematics. I spoke to pupils during lessons about their work. I met with a group of pupils and listened to some pupils read. I observed activities at lunchtime and spoke to midday supervisors. I took into account the 34 responses to Ofsted‟s online questionnaire Parent View, and the written comments submitted by parents. I also spoke to parents during the inspection. I analysed the 24 responses to the questionnaire completed by staff. I scrutinised the single central record of recruitment checks, looked at documentation relating to safeguarding and discussed the school‟s safeguarding procedures with you and staff. I scrutinised a range of

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Information about the inspection

documentation, including the school‟s self-evaluation and the development plan.

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