Nursery Hill Primary School

Inspection of Nursery Hill Primary School Ansley Common, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV10 0PY

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good 20–21 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

The quality of education has declined since the last inspection. Leaders have recently made positive changes, and things are now starting to improve. A new curriculum has been introduced that includes a wide range of subjects. Pupils enjoy the new topics. However, some of the teaching pupils receive is not planned well enough to meet their needs. This means there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge in many subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at the school. They feel safe and know who to turn to if they have any concerns. Pupils know the importance of good physical and mental health for their own well-being. Staff take bullying seriously, and the number of incidents has reduced.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well and try their best. Behaviour has improved a lot over the last year. Some pupils do not behave as well as they could, and this affects how well other pupils learn during lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like the variety of after-school clubs, including sports, art and computing. They are pleased to have extra responsibilities, for example as house captain or a school council member.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents and carers are positive about the school. Some have concerns about the many changes of staff, including leaders, at the school.

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better?

Leaders know that the quality of education is not good enough. There is variability in how well some subjects are taught in some classes. Leaders are working hard to improve this, with some success. The curriculum plans are now fit for purpose because they identify clearly what pupils should know and by when. Pupils are starting to build knowledge in most subjects.

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better?

Subject leaders are being supported by experienced leaders to become more effective. Subject leaders’ skills are getting better and they know what needs to be done to improve the quality of education in their subjects. However, they still rely on the guidance of leaders from another school to bring about these improvements.

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better?

The teaching of early reading is improving. Leaders have prioritised reading and have increased the amount of time that all pupils spend learning to read. However, pupils in key stages 1 and 2 who struggle to learn to read are not supported well enough. At the moment, pupils do not have books matched to the letters and sounds they know. Leaders have put plans in place to support these pupils, but it is too soon for this to have made a difference.

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better?

Pupils’ achievement by the end of key stage 2 greatly improved last year, but some 20–21 November 2019

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pupils are not doing well enough, especially in mathematics and writing. Leaders have provided training for all staff to improve their subject knowledge. This is helping teachers to plan tasks that are more closely matched to pupils’ needs.

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Pupils now have a good grasp of calculation skills in mathematics. They are getting better at solving mathematical problems. However, teachers do not consistently check on whether pupils understand what they are doing and adapt teaching as a result. This means that gaps in learning remain, particularly for older pupils.

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Leaders have worked closely with the local authority to improve provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with more complex needs are now getting the right support, particularly when this is linked to behaviour, communication or emotional needs.

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Children in the early years are happy and safe. There are warm relationships between children and staff. Children get on well with each other. Leaders have made positive changes to the environment. Spaces for learning, investigating and playing are interesting and well organised. Children access resources easily and can make their own choices about what to do. The recent changes to the curriculum are positive. A higher priority is now given to reading and writing. This is so that more children can be as well prepared academically as they are personally and socially for Year 1.

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All staff expect pupils to behave well. Staff and pupils understand the school’s new behaviour system, and rules are applied fairly. Sometimes learning is interrupted when pupils try to disrupt others. This happens when teachers do not ensure that tasks match pupils’ needs well enough. Leaders are working hard to reduce the number of fixed-term exclusions, but the number of these remains high. Leaders are also working hard to improve attendance. This is improving, but some pupils do not attend as often as they should.

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Leaders have introduced a new curriculum to promote pupils’ personal development. They have increased the opportunities pupils have to learn about different cultures and religions. Visits to places of interest including museums and galleries enhance topics. This new approach is in the early stages of development, and it is too soon to see how successful this is. Leaders have plans in place to further promote British values. At the moment pupils’ understanding of these values is limited.

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Leaders and governors are committed to improving the school. Staff welcome the recent changes. They agree that the changes have been well managed so that they have not created additional workload. Staff told inspectors that they are happy to work at the school because they are well supported. They share a sense that things are getting much better.

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The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Leaders ensure that the right checks are carried out on any staff or volunteers who work at the school. All staff receive regular up-to-date training. They know how to spot the signs that a child might be at risk. Staff report any concerns they have promptly.

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Leaders know the needs of the most vulnerable pupils and their families. They work well with a range of agencies to ensure that pupils get the help they need. Records are stored securely and include relevant, detailed information. They show that leaders respond swiftly to any concerns about a pupil’s safety or well-being.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The senior leadership team has brought about stability and improvement at the school. However, current arrangements are in place until August 2020 and future plans are not yet secure. Governors should ensure that they continue to work with the local authority so that plans are put in place to address this as soon as possible.  Subject leaders rely currently on the support of more experienced subject leaders from another school. Subject leaders should continue to develop their skills, knowledge and experience. This will allow them to have a positive impact on the quality of education in their own subjects.  The proportion of pupils who achieved the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 improved last year. However, the least able pupils in key stage 1 and those in key stage 2 who have not achieved the standard in the phonics screening check are not supported well enough to

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

improve their reading. Some staff need further training to support these pupils. In addition, the lowest attaining pupils’ reading books should be closely matched to their phonics knowledge.  Pupils’ progress in mathematics by the end of key stage 2 has been weak in recent years. Leaders have provided training so that teachers know what should be taught in each year group. Leaders should ensure that teachers make better use of assessment information, so that teachers plan work that meets the needs of all pupils including those with SEND and the most able.  Leaders have introduced a new ambitious curriculum that is well sequenced in all subjects. This needs to be implemented consistently well throughout the school, so that pupils build their knowledge and skills in a wide range of subjects.  Leaders have introduced a new approach to how they promote pupils’ personal development. This is in the early stages. Leaders should make checks on how

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

well this new approach is being implemented throughout the school.  Attendance remains below average. Leaders should continue with the work they 20–21 November 2019

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have started to address this, so that more pupils attend school each day.

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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 .

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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. 20–21 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10122507 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Rubina Darr (executive headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17–18 May 2016

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Information about this school

 Since November 2018, the school has been led by an executive headteacher and head of school. These leaders are commissioned by Warwickshire local authority from Cromwell Learning Community multi-academy trust. These arrangements have been confirmed up to August 2020.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and the leader with responsibility for pupils with SEND. The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority.  We carried out deep dives in reading, English, mathematics and history. This involved speaking with curriculum leaders, teachers and pupils, evaluating planning documents and pupils’ books, and visits to lessons. We also considered planning and reviewed pupils’ books in science and geography.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body to discuss how they fulfil their statutory duties, including those around safeguarding. We also discussed staff workload. 20–21 November 2019

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 We checked safeguarding arrangements at the school. We looked at the record of checks made on staff employed by the school. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding leader and looked at examples of the school’s record keeping. We spoke to pupils, staff and governors about safeguarding.  We considered a range of documentation provided by the school. We looked at the school’s website, policies and curriculum documents. We evaluated safeguarding information, SEND records and published information about pupils’ performance.  We considered the 14 responses to Parent View and the 10 free-text responses. An inspector spoke to parents informally on the playground.  We considered the three responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Jo Evans, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Karen O’Keefe Ofsted Inspector 20–21 November 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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