King George V Primary School

King George V Primary School Beeches Road, West Bromwich, West Midlands B70 6JA

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Since the previous inspection, senior leaders have raised the quality of teaching and assessment to improve pupils’ progress. This work is now evident across all subjects.  The revitalised governing body has been instrumental in improving the school. It both challenges and supports school leaders; governors are proud and yet uncompromising about the school’s development.  Pupils in all year groups are now making better progress. Leaders’ action plans are addressing areas of weakness successfully. Senior leaders’ focus on teaching, learning and assessment is ensuring that the curriculum enables pupils to improve.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do well, because care is taken to plan work that meets their individual needs.  Children in the early years are well catered for in their learning. The inside and outside environments are stimulating, and children engage happily and enthusiastically in their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

learning and play. They make good progress.  Safeguarding is effective. Pupils report that they are happy and safe at school. They speak knowledgeably about keeping safe online.  Pupils’ attendance has remained at or slightly above the national average over time, and this reflects the importance placed on it by leaders and staff.  Most parents and carers are positive about the school and say that their children are safe and happy.  Occasionally, the most able, including those who are disadvantaged, are not always sufficiently challenged and do not make the progress of which they are capable.  Teachers do not always ensure that pupils present their work well, ensure greater accuracy in spelling or routinely challenge poor-quality work.  Subject leaders do not always offer sufficient support to teachers for them to improve their skills and further develop the quality of teaching and learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the leadership role of subject leaders, so that they can better support teachers to improve their skills and so improve the quality of teaching and learning.  Ensure that all teachers promote the highest expectations for the presentation of pupils’ work and accuracy in spelling.  Make sure learning is more challenging for the most able pupils, so they make the progress of which they are capable.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher, ably assisted by her senior team, is skilled, passionate and determined. She has a clear vision for the school and has set about achieving it in sensible and steady steps. After a period of decline and turbulence, King George V is going from strength to strength.  Leaders have a good understanding of the strengths of the school and areas that need to improve further. They recognise that some aspects of the 2018 outcomes were not good enough in reading, writing and mathematics. Positive action is being taken to address these areas.  Leaders use data well to check the progress that individual pupils make. Occasionally, however, they do not always check the overall progress that some groups of pupils are making, for example the most able. This does not always enable leaders to identify trends in the performance of this group of pupils which may require focused and swift action. Leaders are working more closely with other local schools this year, to check

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

that the school’s assessment information is accurate.  Some subject leaders are relatively new in post but are increasingly taking responsibility for leading improvements in their areas. The school acknowledges some subject leaders are not always able to offer sufficient support to other teachers to improve their skills and so improve the quality of teaching and learning.  Professional development opportunities are embedded in the school. Teachers in the early stages of their career welcome the support and guidance they receive from senior teachers.  Staff morale is high. The school’s values are shared by all staff. As a result, pupils are confident and feel safe in the school. Opportunities for pupils to reflect on their behaviour underpin the positive behaviour within the school. Provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. Pupils are encouraged to reflect on the choices they make.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders ensure that the pupil premium funding is used well to support the needs of the vast majority of disadvantaged pupils. In addition, the school uses the sports funding well to increase opportunities for physical exercise.  The leadership of provision for SEND is effective. Learning for this group of pupils is meticulously planned and incorporates the views of parents, teachers and other professionals from within the school and beyond. The special educational needs coordinator ensures that these pupils receive the right support, so that they can make good progress from their starting points.  The curriculum promotes British values well. Pupils have a good understanding of tolerance and respect. They know how the school rules enable equality for all pupils. There is an established understanding of a range of cultures and faiths which reflect the school community. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The school is working hard to engage with parents, and most are supportive of the school. However, some parents remain concerned about the recent changes. Others applaud the way that the strong school ethos and nurturing relationships that characterise the school have helped to maintain stability for the children.  The local authority works effectively alongside the school to provide advice and support, after the previous inspection when the school was judged to require improvement.

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Governance of the school

 Since the previous inspection, several new governors have strengthened the governing body. They are drawn from a wide professional background, carry out their duties diligently and have acted as a driving force in school improvement. They understand the school’s local challenges well and offer both significant challenge and support to the school’s leadership team. They are keen to promote the school further, so that it is fully recognised for the increasingly excellent work which takes place there.  Governors’ focus is rightly on ensuring that pupils do the best they can while at the school. They use their meetings and committee structure to make sure that this remains central to their work. They have taken their own training and development very seriously and are able to offer their considerable expertise to help steer the school towards their vision of excellence.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The headteacher as the designated safeguarding lead officer has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements and records are of a high quality. Staff and governors receive annual training and regular updates about current safeguarding practice. All staff know how to recognise warning signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm and how to report their concerns. Records are comprehensive and show that swift action is taken should the need arise. The headteacher’s knowledge of families and pupils ensures that pupils are safe and supported. The school works effectively with external agencies, such as those provided by the local authority, to ensure that pupils are kept safe. Key staff have ensured that safer recruitment training and practice are up to date.  Pupils’ safety is of the highest importance to all members of the school community. Pupils report that they feel safe at the school. Pupils demonstrate good knowledge and

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Safeguarding

understanding of issues such as online safety. They know what to do should they have concerns about safety issues and said they knew staff in the school would listen and help them. Pupils said that bullying is extremely rare but know what to do if their friends were bullied. They feel confident that they could report bullying and the adults in the school would deal with it swiftly and effectively.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers and pupils enjoy warm relationships. Teachers value pupils’ contributions and allow them time to explain their thinking. Often, teachers will share the best examples with the rest of the class, which helps other pupils to structure their work when they find things hard. Classrooms are typically calm, focused and purposeful environments where sharing and collaboration are valued.  The school has been increasingly effective in its approach to the teaching of early reading skills. This has helped to ensure that teaching is sufficiently precise to support pupils in acquiring the knowledge of phonics expected for their age. Staff have good subject knowledge and so model sounds accurately and correct pupils when they make mistakes. This helps pupils to use phonics to decode words accurately and fluently.  All staff model good English to pupils. Adults support pupils’ speaking and listening skills. There is an expectation that pupils speak in full sentences and there are

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

interesting opportunities to encourage this. In a Year 1 class, pupils were encouraged, as part of a drama exercise, to model sentences together, ensuring all had included all of the words. Teachers’ skilful questioning enables pupils to articulate their ideas and answer with confidence.  Teachers now provide opportunities for pupils to develop fluency in arithmetic. This is providing pupils with the knowledge, skills and confidence to develop a good understanding of mathematics. In 2018, the proportion of Year 6 pupils who reached the expected standard and higher standards in mathematics was below average. The senior leaders recognise that more needs to be done and have implemented strategies that aim to redress this underperformance. Currently, work seen in pupils’ books indicates continuing, improving progress in mathematics.  Teaching of writing is effective in making tasks challenging and interesting for all

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

pupils. Often, the teaching places emphasis on developing pupils’ use of grammar and punctuation to make their writing more interesting to read. However, a number of pupils are not presenting their work sufficiently tidily and are making too many spelling mistakes.  Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, and most learning is pitched at an appropriate level. Teachers assess pupils’ work and provide individualised targets, which are regularly updated, to enable pupils to make good progress. However, there are still areas where most-able pupils could be further stretched and challenged, in order for them to make the progress of which they are capable.  The support provided by teaching assistants is of high quality. Teaching assistants have strong subject knowledge and are trained well to support pupils effectively. The support that they provide is balanced skilfully with high expectations of the pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

working independently. Consequently, the pupils that they support grow in confidence and learn well.  Teaching is adapted well for pupils with SEND. Insightful planning and preparation ensure that these pupils receive learning support that is well matched to their needs and prior learning. As a result, pupils are fully engaged and confident participants in their learning.  Teachers plan homework that develops pupils’ core skills in literacy, mathematics and aspects of the wider curriculum. It consolidates learning well and prepares pupils for forthcoming learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and friendly. These positive relationships help pupils develop into confident learners. The school has a calm atmosphere that supports effective learning.  Teachers provide regular opportunities for pupils to develop respect towards one another and raise their self-esteem through the school assemblies and religious education lessons. As a result, pupils say that they are confident and respect one another’s viewpoints. They recognise that people in society have different viewpoints and that diversity should be celebrated. One pupil said: ‘This is a polite school. We always show respect to each other.’  Pupils wear their uniform with pride and value their school. The site is devoid of litter and corridors are tidy. Pupils are proud of the setting and the strong start it gives

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Personal development and welfare

them.  Pupils appreciate the many responsibilities they have in the school, including the opportunity to be members of the school council, lunchtime corridor monitors, play leaders and ambassadors, encouraging older pupils to help those lower in the school with their reading. Pupils are prepared well to be responsible citizens.  Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy the school and the teachers help them to learn. In lessons, they have positive attitudes towards their learning and are keen to engage in discussions with adults about their work.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils say confidently that any inappropriate behaviour is dealt with appropriately. Pupils understand that actions have consequences. Most pupils make the right choices about their own behaviour and have a good understanding of how their behaviour affects others.  Pupils are polite and well mannered. They show respect for each other and to adults in the school. They chat happily with their friends at lunchtime and play well together. Older pupils take seriously their responsibilities as play leaders for the younger pupils at lunchtimes.  Pupils’ good behaviour in classrooms is reinforced consistently by staff. Pupils are attentive, eager to please, respond well to instructions and work hard. Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning contribute to the good progress they make.  Pupils’ attendance has been at, or slightly above, the national average for the past three years. Few pupils are persistently absent from the school. Staff follow up quickly

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Behaviour

when pupils are absent, particularly the most vulnerable pupils.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 High proportions of pupils in the school begin their education speaking English as an additional language. Strong support from staff and peers helps these pupils to integrate well and develop their communication and speech. Lower-than-average proportions of pupils attain the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. Nevertheless, most pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, make consistently strong progress from their different starting points.  Senior leaders are rightly proud of the school’s achievements, though are in no way complacent. Although improving over the past three years, the proportion of children who achieved a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year in 2018 remained below the national average. Strategic action planning is continuing to improve the teaching of reading and writing to secure further significant improvement.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 In 2018, the percentage of pupils achieving the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 was above the national average. This is because phonics is taught well.  In 2018, in both key stage 1 and 2, results in reading, writing and mathematics were below national averages. However, over the past three years, standards have steadily improved and leaders, with the support of the local authority, have implemented further strategies to continue to raise achievement. For example, leaders select appropriate high-quality reading books to challenge pupils’ reading skills. In mathematics, there is a focus on pupils’ reasoning skills, so they are able to apply them when solving problems. Across the school, current pupils are achieving well in a range of subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics.  Disadvantaged pupils’ progress has strengthened in the last year. A strong focus on

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Outcomes for pupils Good

support and additional teaching has ensured that gaps in pupils’ understanding have been addressed. As a result, the progress these pupils make is beginning to match that of all pupils nationally.  As a result of effective support, pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of learning and they learn well. Leaders use assessment information effectively to monitor the progress of these pupils and ensure that they receive the help they need to make good progress.  Occasionally, most-able pupils make less secure progress from their starting points. This is because teaching is sometimes not matched tightly enough to their needs. Senior leaders acknowledge more needs to be done supporting these pupils, to ensure they are prepared well for the next stage of their education.

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Early years provision Good

 The leadership of early years is good. The phase leader has clear plans for improvement and has a solid understanding of the strengths and weaker areas of the current provision. Children learn well and make strong progress from their starting points. The proportion of children attaining a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year is rising steadily, though remains below that of other schools nationally. Children develop very positive attitudes to school life in the early years and are well prepared for moving into Year 1.  Across the Reception and Nursery classes, teachers create a welcoming, learning environment which interests children in activities that they find enjoyable. Skilful teaching ensures that children get plenty of experiences in learning how to read and write. This is clearly exemplified in the Reception class, where children are encouraged to change their reading books at least twice a week and visit the local library and

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Early years provision Good

school library frequently.  Children are excited by the interesting topics that staff plan for them. They settle swiftly to work and are very well behaved and respectful towards one another. Children in the Reception class are showing increased skill in writing. Many children are able to write clearly and use basic punctuation, including full stops and capital letters, in their work. They are able to write sentences based on science material about minibeasts they have heard in class.  Classrooms are well resourced and staffed, so that children can learn independently or with adults, as they choose. All adults work very well to support children in their learning, for instance in helping them to find key words and complete their ‘Rainbow Challenges’, exploring and understanding words across the curriculum. Children are enthusiastic and work well together, enjoying the activities which take place both

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Early years provision Good

indoors and outside.  Across all classes, children are very well cared for and their well-being is of paramount importance. The school has worked successfully to raise disadvantaged children’s achievement. They are now doing almost as well as their peers nationally.  The school has developed effective partnership working with parents. They are clearly valued and contribute to the assessments made of children’s progress throughout the early years, which starts with home visits before the children start school. A number of parents spoke with great affection about the care their children receive in this key stage.

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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

Website www.kinggeorgev.sandwell.sch.uk/

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School details

Email address headteacher@kinggeorgev.sandwell.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2–3 March 2017

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Information about this school

 King George V is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school has a Nursery class managed by the governing body.  The majority of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Over two thirds of pupils are of White British or other White background, and the remaining pupils are of Asian, Asian British, Black or Black British–Caribbean heritage. Just under half of the pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is well above average.  The proportion of pupils who have SEND is well above average.  A breakfast and an after-school club operate on the school site. The clubs are led and managed by the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited classrooms in all year groups. All visits were carried out jointly with members of the school’s leadership team.  The inspection team heard pupils in Year 1 read. They talked to pupils in classrooms and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including the school’s improvement plan and records of pupils’ behaviour, safeguarding and attendance. They also scrutinised assessment information and records of meetings of the governing body.  Inspectors met with teachers and spoke with pupils. A meeting was held with the chair of governors. A meeting was also held with a representative from the local authority. Several meetings were held with the headteacher.  The views of parents were obtained through informal discussions, the 32 responses to the online Parent View survey and 22 responses to the online text facility.  The views of staff were examined through the 14 responses to the staff survey.

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Information about this inspection

 The views of pupils were analysed from the 9 responses to the pupil survey.  The inspection took place at the same time that Year 6 pupils were undertaking their national tests. Inspectors looked at Year 6 books, in addition to observing some lessons, taking into account the disruption to the normal timetable for these pupils.

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Inspection team

Steven Cartlidge, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lindsay Nash 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

Parent View 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

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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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