Two Gates Community Primary School

Two Gates Community Primary School Tamworth Road, Two Gates, Tamworth, Staffordshire B77 1EN

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders, including governors, have not halted a decline in pupils’ achievement. As a result, pupils’ outcomes are too low, especially in key stage 2.  Leaders do not have the capacity to make the changes necessary to improve the school.  Frequent changes and weaknesses in staffing have hindered school improvement over the past two years. Instability in staffing continues to hinder improvement.  The quality of teaching across the school is too variable. Too much teaching is weak. As a result, pupils do not make the progress they should in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to apply their mathematical skills in problem solving and reasoning. Additionally, teachers do not develop pupils’ writing skills well enough.  Leaders at all levels do not make rigorous checks on the quality of teaching or pupils’ outcomes. This limits their ability to evaluate

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the school’s performance and pupils’ achievement accurately.  Teachers do not provide pupils with the guidance needed to improve their work. Teachers’ expectations of presentation of work are too low. This slows pupils’ progress.  Teaching does not challenge the middle- attaining and most-able pupils sufficiently. Consequently, these pupils underachieve.  Leaders do not check how well additional funding is used to support disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. As a result, these pupils make inconsistent progress.  Governors do not have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher knows that the school needs to improve. She has actively sought external support to provide additional capacity to check on the school’s performance.  The teaching of phonics is improving. An increasing proportion of pupils in Year 1 have age-appropriate phonics skills.  Pupils enjoy school and want to do well. They are polite, respectful and confident.  Teaching in the early years is good. Children benefit from a strong start to their education and make good progress from their starting points.

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) 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 in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality and impact of leadership and management, including governance, by: – increasing capacity at senior and middle leadership levels in order to drive the necessary school improvements – ensuring that robust systems are in place to monitor and evaluate all aspects of the school’s performance – making sure that leaders at all levels have the knowledge and skills necessary to rigorously evaluate and improve the quality of teaching and rates of pupils’ progress – ensuring that the assessment of pupils’ learning and progress is accurate – checking that additional funding received to support disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, and the physical education (PE) and sport premium funding, improve pupils’ outcomes – equipping governors with the skills and knowledge to hold leaders to account for the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress effectively.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, especially in key stage 2,

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

by: – ensuring that teachers receive the training, feedback and support necessary to improve their knowledge and skills – planning learning that sufficiently challenges pupils and deepens their understanding, especially middle- and higher-attaining pupils – providing pupils with clear guidance on how to use and apply their writing skills so that they write with increasing complexity and depth – ensuring that reasoning and problem-solving activities are routinely embedded within the mathematics curriculum – having consistently high expectations of the quality, quantity and presentation of pupils’ work – providing pupils with accurate and timely feedback to improve their learning and ensure that basic errors are not repeated – recruiting, training and retaining good teachers. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

Newly qualified teachers may not be appointed.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders, including governors, have been too slow to respond to the decline in the school’s performance since the previous inspection. While leaders fully understand what needs to improve, they do not have the capacity to act swiftly to address the weaknesses within the school. As a result, the school is failing to provide an acceptable standard of education for pupils.  Leaders’ evaluation of the quality of leadership and teaching is overgenerous. This is because leaders at all levels do not check the impact of their actions to improve pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching. As a result, leaders have an inaccurate view of these aspects of the school’s work.  Leaders’ actions to improve the quality of teaching and raise pupils’ achievement have not been rapid enough or consistently applied. In some classes, teaching is effective and pupils’ progress is evident. However, in other classes, weak teaching impedes

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

pupils’ progress. Consequently, pupils do not have equality in the education they receive.  Leaders do not check the quality of teaching effectively. As a result, leaders do not have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and are unable to provide appropriate support where teaching is poor. This means that improvement is too slow and weaknesses in teaching continue. Those leaders who carried out joint activities with inspectors made accurate comments about the strengths and weaknesses seen.  Frequent and ongoing changes in staff have hindered leaders in improving teaching over the past two years. Although leaders have recruited staff to fill vacancies, newly qualified teachers and trainees do not receive sufficient support and training to develop their skills quickly and effectively.  Middle leaders who are responsible for English and mathematics are not effective. They

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

do not have the opportunity to check teaching across the school or to support their colleagues to improve their teaching. As a result, where teaching is weak, it is not improving.  Leaders use additional funding to implement appropriate strategies to support disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. However, leaders do not evaluate the impact of these strategies on pupils’ progress precisely enough. As a result, disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities continue to make slow progress from their starting points in some classes and year groups.  The curriculum is suitably broad and balanced. Pupils learn about a range of interesting themes and teachers plan appropriate links between subjects. Trips and visits enhance the curriculum and pupils of all ages enjoy using the forest schools area to develop their personal and social skills.  Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development effectively.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

Pupils take on responsibilities through the school council. They are able to talk confidently about the school’s values.  The primary physical education (PE) and sports funding is used to develop teachers’ skills effectively. Pupils also have the opportunity to participate in a range of lunchtime and after-school sports clubs. However, leaders do not evaluate the impact of this funding on pupils’ health, fitness and participation in sporting activities closely enough. The new leader for physical education recognises this and has put a detailed plan in place for the current academic year.

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Governance of the school

 Governors recognise that the school is underperforming. They identify that staffing instability and a lack of leadership capacity have contributed to the decline in standards since the previous inspection. However, governors have not taken effective action to address these issues and ensure that the quality of education remains good.  The governing body does not have a precise enough understanding of assessment information. Governors do not have an informed view of the quality of teaching in the school and how this affects pupils’ progress. As a result, they are not able to provide effective challenge and support to leaders.  Governors have recently taken a more active role in monitoring school improvement. In response to the low pupil outcomes in 2017, they have increased the number of meetings so that they can check on pupils’ progress more regularly. Governors are beginning to ask the probing questions needed for them to understand fully the

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Governance of the school

strengths and weaknesses of the school.  The governing body has a secure understanding of the school’s systems for ensuring that pupils are safe. They monitor safeguarding processes regularly and check that training and policies are up to date.  Governors are informed about the use of additional funding. However, they recognise that disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities underachieve considerably.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and staff work together to maintain a positive culture of safeguarding.  Through regular training, staff have an appropriate understanding of their roles and responsibilities in keeping pupils safe. Records demonstrate that staff are vigilant and follow the school’s procedures for reporting concerns about pupils’ safety and welfare consistently. Leaders respond to concerns in an appropriate and timely manner. They work well with other agencies to support vulnerable pupils effectively.  Leaders ensure that safeguarding has high priority within the curriculum. As a result, pupils say they feel safe and can talk confidently about how to keep themselves safe online and within the community. Almost all parents and carers agree that their children feel safe at school.  Leaders carry out appropriate checks on the suitability of new staff.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate. This is because teaching over time does not secure consistent progress by pupils across all classes and year groups. There is a distinct difference in the quality of teaching across different year groups, and between classes in the same year group. Too much teaching is ineffective. As a result, too few pupils make the progress they should.  Instability in staffing and the resultant weaknesses in teaching have led to a decline in pupils’ outcomes, particularly in key stage 2. Frequent changes in teachers have created a lack of continuity in pupils’ progress over time.  Leaders do not carry out sufficient checks to ensure that teachers’ assessments accurately reflect the quality of work in pupils’ books. As a result, there is disparity between pupils’ progress and what the assessment information shows.  Pupils’ progress in some classes and subjects is slower than leaders think it is. For

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

example, there has been little monitoring in mathematics this academic year. Work in books shows that pupils in key stage 2 are making slow progress and no pupils are making rapid progress. This does not match the school’s assessment information.  Teachers do not have consistently high expectations of pupils’ learning. The level of challenge for pupils is often too low, particularly for middle- and high-attaining pupils. This means that pupils do not make rapid enough progress in their knowledge and understanding. Lack of challenge in lessons also results in a few pupils losing concentration.  Teachers do not consistently provide pupils with the guidance necessary to enable them to develop their skills in English and mathematics. Too few teachers provide pupils with the clear instruction, examples and feedback they need in order to be successful.  Pupils’ reasoning and problem-solving skills in mathematics are underdeveloped.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

Teachers do not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to extend and apply their mathematical knowledge, skills and understanding. This slows the rate of pupils’ progress, particularly middle- and high-attaining pupils.  Pupils’ progress in writing in key stage 2 is particularly slow. Teachers in key stage 2 do not challenge pupils to use increasingly complex vocabulary, punctuation and sentence structure. They do not check pupils’ understanding carefully enough or correct pupils’ basic errors. This results in pupils continuing to make mistakes, which slows their progress.  Where teaching is effective, teachers provide clear guidance to pupils to support them to make progress. Teachers use effective questioning to deepen pupils’ understanding and extend their thinking. As a result, pupils make the progress they should and some pupils make strong progress. However, teaching remains inconsistent across the school

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

and, consequently, pupils’ progress is too variable.  The teaching of phonics is now secure. Leaders have introduced a new approach to the teaching of phonics and staff have received appropriate training. As a result of improved phonics teaching, pupils’ progress in phonics in key stage 1 is accelerating. Pupils use their phonics skills to read unknown words effectively.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Adults know pupils well and provide effective support for vulnerable pupils to ensure that they are happy at school. Almost all parents say their children are well looked after at school.  Staff promote the personal development of pupils across the school well. For example, pupils talk enthusiastically about their involvement in the forest schools programme, which provides opportunities for them to work collaboratively with others.  Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of the skills necessary to be an effective learner. For example, one pupil explained: ‘Resilience is when you have a difficult maths question but you keep trying and trying.’  Pupils enjoy school and enjoy learning. Most pupils concentrate well in lessons and work hard. They are confident and are able to express their views clearly.  Pupils say they feel safe at school and parents agree. Pupils identify that bullying

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Personal development and welfare

sometimes happens and that adults intervene and resolve issues quickly.  A well-designed curriculum ensures that pupils know how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Leaders and staff carefully plan a wide range of work to teach pupils how to stay safe online and in the community. As a result, pupils have a strong understanding of safety. They are confident in how to maintain a healthy lifestyle through healthy eating and exercise.  The before-school club ensures that pupils have a positive start to the school day. Pupils eat a nutritious breakfast and enjoy the opportunity to catch up with their friends in a safe environment.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils conduct themselves in a calm and orderly manner as they walk around the school. They routinely hold doors open for adults and other pupils.  In lessons, pupils behave well. They listen attentively to adults and to one another. Pupils work hard and are keen to learn.  At breaktimes and lunchtimes, pupils socialise together well. They interact positively and respectfully with one another. Older pupils take the role of ‘play leaders’ and teach younger pupils how to play games.  Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of the school rules, rewards and sanctions. The house point system promotes positive behaviours, such as good manners, successfully.  There are effective systems in place to promote good attendance. For example, leaders track pupils’ attendance regularly and promote attendance through the ‘attendance thermometer’ and weekly newsletters. Pupils receive rewards for good attendance.

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Behaviour

Consequently, current attendance is in line with the national average. Leaders have taken effective action to improve the attendance of boys and disadvantaged pupils. As a result, the absence of these groups of pupils is reducing.  When teaching does not meet their needs, a small number of pupils lose concentration in lessons.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Outcomes are inadequate because pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable, particularly in key stage 2. In 2017, pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 was well below the national average. Inspection evidence confirms that pupils’ progress in key stage 2 continues to be slow.  In 2017, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was below the national average. As a result, pupils were poorly prepared for the next stage in their education.  Pupils’ progress in writing has been in the lowest 20% of schools nationally for two years. Leaders have not addressed this successfully. Work in books shows that middle- and high-attaining pupils continue to make limited progress in the development of their writing skills in key stage 2. The school’s assessment information shows that progress varies too much between year groups.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils’ attainment in mathematics at the end of Year 6 has been in the lowest 20% of schools for two years. Scrutiny of pupils’ work in mathematics shows that middle- and high-attaining pupils in key stage 2 continue to make insufficient progress. Pupils do not systematically develop their mathematical knowledge and understanding. They do not have enough opportunities to use their mathematical understanding to reason and problem solve. This results in pupils making slow progress in key stage 2.  Pupils leaving Year 6 in 2017 did not make enough progress in reading. Leaders recognise that the teaching of reading has been ineffective and have recently introduced a new approach. Current pupils in key stage 2 read with varying levels of fluency and understanding. They are making some progress, but this is not rapid enough to enable them to catch up from previous underachievement.  Progress for disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities is too

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

variable across the school. This is because pupils’ access to teaching that meets their needs effectively differs too much from class to class.  Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 has been variable over time. The majority of pupils in key stage 1 are making the progress they should from their starting points. However, some inconsistencies between classes remain.  Outcomes in phonics at the end of Year 1 have been below the national average for three years. By the end of Year 2, pupils do not catch up and the proportion meeting the expected standard is still below the national average. Assessment information for the current Year 1 pupils shows that a higher proportion are now on track to meet the expected standard than at the start of the year.

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Early years provision Good

 The quality of teaching in the early years is good. The early years leader has maintained the good quality of provision since the previous inspection.  Children enter the early years with knowledge and skills below those typical for their age. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development has been at least in line with the national average for the past three years. This represents good progress from children’s starting points. As a result, the majority of children are well prepared for learning in Year 1.  Skilful questioning and positive interactions encourage and develop children’s learning. Adults engage children well in small-group activities and use these opportunities to extend children’s literacy and numeracy skills effectively. As a result, children make good progress in their learning and development.  Adults develop strong relationships with children and know individuals well. This means

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Early years provision Good

that children are confident and independent. They access resources on their own and make choices about the activities they want to do.  Clear routines and expectations support children to behave well in Nursery and Reception. Children are kind and considerate to one another and are able to share, take turns and cooperate successfully. For example, during the inspection, children in Nursery shared out snacks and drinks between themselves with limited adult support. When one child could not have the snack he wanted because there were no more left, another child immediately offered to share his.  Adults develop children’s language and communication skills well. They maximise every opportunity to talk with children and extend their vocabulary. Adults model new vocabulary effectively and encourage children to share their ideas aloud while they play so they have the chance to use new words.  Well-planned activities meet children’s needs and capture their interests. The

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Early years provision Good

classrooms and outdoor areas are stimulating and purposeful learning environments. Adults’ careful planning ensures that all areas of learning are covered and there is an appropriate balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities. As a result, children engage productively in learning and make good progress in all areas of the curriculum.  Staff work well to involve parents in their children’s education. Parents say that they receive regular information about their children’s learning and they are confident that their children are making good progress.  Leadership of the early years is effective. Staffing is more stable than elsewhere in the school and the early years leader has ensured a consistency of approach across the setting. However, checks on the quality of teaching and learning are not regular or rigorous enough.

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address office@twogates.staffs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7–8 May 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs, or education, health and care plans, is also below the national average.  There are two classes in every year group from Reception to Year 6. There is a morning and an afternoon Nursery class.  The school runs before- and after-school clubs.  The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 25 parts of lessons. Three of these observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders. One inspector visited the before-school club.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They spoke formally with a group of pupils, as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around school.  Inspectors listened to a group of pupils read and talked to them about their reading.  Inspectors examined the quality of work in pupils’ writing and mathematics books.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher, other leaders and members of staff. The lead inspector met with one governor and the chair of the governing body. A telephone conversation was also held with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation, including the school’s self-

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Information about this inspection

evaluation and improvement plans, information about pupils’ progress, records relating to safeguarding and attendance, minutes of meetings of the governing body, feedback from external reviews and information on the school’s website.  Inspectors took into consideration the 30 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey. Inspectors also spoke to parents at the beginning of the school day.  Inspectors spoke to staff and took account of the views expressed in the 41 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Claire Jones, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jan Baker 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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