Yew Tree Primary School

Inspection of Yew Tree Primary School Birchfield Way, Yew Tree Estate, Walsall, West Midlands WS5 4DX

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate 15–16 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is an exciting time to be at Yew Tree Primary School. Things are improving quickly. Pupils enjoy the different topics they are now learning. The new school building is ready to move into. There is a calm environment and relationships are very positive. Strong teamwork results in a sense of belonging.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and governors want the best for the pupils. They are raising expectations of everyone. Pupils’ reading, writing and mathematics skills are being developed so that pupils can be successful in the future. Pupils learn their phonics quickly. They get a good start to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard in lessons. They are getting better at trying again and again. They enjoy science and physical education (PE) especially. They like learning new things. However, sometimes pupils say the work is too easy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school site. They are polite and show respect to staff and visitors. Pupils say that bullying is rare, but that they do fall out sometimes. They trust adults to help them deal with any problem quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is making its new motto of ‘learning without limits’ the reality for every pupil every day.

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better?

Leaders and governors are taking the right action to improve the school. They work together well and make use of regular support from the local authority. Together, they are beginning to develop a single overall plan because there are too many plans currently used. Leaders know there is still work to do to secure a good quality of education across the school.

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better?

Children get a good start to school in the early years. Children are excited by their learning because teachers plan activities which meet their needs. Children’s social, emotional and physical development is carefully considered. Adults support them to develop independence. The teaching of reading for these children is a strength, and they learn their sounds quickly. They are ready to fly in Year 1.

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better?

Leaders have introduced a curriculum that is broad and balanced. Subjects such as reading, writing, mathematics and science are well planned. Teachers make sure that work builds on what pupils can do already. They are beginning to sequence other subjects, such as history and PE, in the same way. But, there is more still to do.

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better?

The teaching of reading has improved. Leaders and all staff make reading a top priority. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They make sure that children who 15–16 October 2019

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struggle with reading quickly get help to catch up. Reading books are carefully matched to the sounds that pupils know. Pupils like it when teachers read to them. They enjoy books linked to their topic, for example ‘Stig of the Dump’. Pupils appreciate the choice of new books in the library. Pupils now make better progress in reading by the time they leave Year 6.

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Pupils are keen to talk about what they are learning. They are enthusiastic and keen to find out more. Sometimes, they do not have enough opportunities to practise what they are learning. This means that they cannot always remember what they have learned in different subjects in order to help them with new work.

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Leaders keep a close check on the quality of education across the school. They work with teachers to help them develop their skills. Leaders ensure that all staff have good subject knowledge. They take account of staff workload when planning improvements.

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Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. Despite the reduced space during the building work, the school is calm and orderly. Everyone knows what is expected. Behaviour is managed well. The number of pupils excluded has reduced.

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Adults are skilled in supporting the personal development of individual pupils. A shared commitment to ensure that every child is valued is deeply embedded in the ethos of the school. Nurture groups and morning breakfast hubs provide spaces for pupils to develop positive mental health.

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Staff help pupils experience the wider world through trips and visits. These experiences help them with their reading and writing. Leaders ensure that opportunities provided prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.

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Leaders make sure that additional funding is used appropriately. Pupils with complex special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well to continually make progress step by step. Pupils who are disadvantaged are learning better now. This means they are better prepared for their next school.

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Leaders want every child to attend school every day. However, there are too many pupils who do not attend school regularly. This limits pupils’ learning. The attendance officer is working hard with families to get their children to school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders quickly addressed the failings identified at the last inspection. The local authority works with leaders to ensure that new systems and processes work. Record-keeping is now strong. Weekly meetings keep safeguarding leaders up to date. They know what support is provided for vulnerable children and their families.

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Safeguarding

The responsibility to keep children safe is now shared. All staff know what to do if 15–16 October 2019

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they are worried about a child. Regular briefings and training help staff develop their expertise. They are well informed. Pupils feel safe and parents agree. There is a strong culture of vigilance.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Following the last inspection, leaders used a series of action plans to urgently address key failings in the school. These have been used effectively to make the necessary improvements. Leaders should now consider the actions needed for the future development of the school in order for it to be good or better at the next inspection. They should draw together all the areas for development into a single long-term plan. The plan should be sharply focused. It should make clear who is responsible for leading and driving the improvements. Leaders should ensure that they continue to rigorously monitor the effectiveness of the actions they take. Leaders should make sure that the new plan is clearly communicated to all involved in the school, including parents.  The curriculum provided for pupils is broad and balanced. Subjects such as reading, writing, mathematics and science are well planned. They build on pupils’

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

prior knowledge. However, not all subjects are planned carefully to build on what pupils can already do. Leaders should continue their work to develop the school’s curriculum. They should work with subject leaders and teachers to ensure that pupils learn the right things in the right order.  Leaders work with teachers to develop their skills in delivering the curriculum effectively. Many teachers continue to focus on the activity pupils do rather than what they are learning. Leaders should continue to support teachers to plan sequences of learning which help pupils remember more. This will ensure that pupils secure their learning over time and make better progress.  Attendance still remains too low. There are some pupils who do not attend as regularly as others. This stops them from achieving as well as they might. The new attendance officer is beginning to tackle attendance more effectively. Leaders

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

need to continue to work with parents so that their children attend more regularly.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 15–16 October 2019

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 15–16 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10107045 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23–24 January 2019

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher is due to retire in December 2019 and was not in school during the inspection. A headteacher designate has been appointed and is working at the school for 20 days during the autumn term. He was present for both days of the inspection.  The school is part way through an expansion programme. Admissions are set at 90 pupils for each of the year groups from Reception to Year 4. In Year 5 and 6, currently 75 pupils are admitted each year.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this inspection

 The lead inspector held meetings with the deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers and the headteacher designate. She met with three governors, 15–16 October 2019

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including the chair of governors.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils, senior leaders, curriculum leaders and teachers to talk about the quality of education at the school. An inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator.  The inspectors made visits to classrooms. Many of these visits were with senior leaders.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and observed the teaching of phonics.  The inspectors spoke to pupils about their learning and their experiences at school. They looked at their work in a range of different subjects to see how well the curriculum is applied.  Inspectors focused on reading, writing, mathematics, science, history and PE as part of this inspection.  Inspectors talked to parents before and after school. The lead inspector considered the 19 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation provided by the school. They

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looked at the school’s self-evaluation, the school’s key priorities, school policies, curriculum documents, SEND records, published information about pupils’ performance, behaviour records, attendance information and minutes of governing body meetings.  The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding leaders and checked documents relating to safeguarding, including the checks made on new staff.  The lead inspector looked at published information on the school website.

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Inspection team

Nicola Harwood, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lindsay Nash Ofsted Inspector 15–16 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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