Lane Green First School

Inspection of a good school: Lane Green First School Bilbrook Road, Bilbrook, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV8 1EU

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Outcome

Lane Green First School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe at Lane Green. They behave well and live up to the high expectations staff have of them. Parents, carers, staff and pupils agree that bullying rarely happens. When bullying happens, adults deal with it effectively. Pupils get on well together. They are pleasant and polite. The size of the school means that staff and pupils know each other well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The vast majority of parents value the school’s ethos. A strong sense of community is evident. Parents appreciate the caring approach in the school. Parents remarked that there is a feeling of acceptance and the school is warm and friendly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are developing plans to show what pupils should know at different ages and across different subjects. However, the high turnover of staff has led to a lack of continuity for pupils. As a result, standards have declined. At present, the senior leaders are responsible for several subjects. This has slowed the development of the curriculum, including in English and mathematics.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders give teachers guidance about what to teach in each subject. Some subjects are more carefully sequenced than others. In design and technology, for example, projects, such as the Toyota partnership project, help pupils to develop important knowledge and key skills. In art, work also builds well on what pupils can already do. However, in other areas of the curriculum, some staff do not know how to adapt the planning to meet pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils do not routinely make the progress they should.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders make sure that training in different curriculum areas is provided for staff. But changes in staffing mean that not everyone has acquired the subject knowledge needed. Leaders know that there is more work to do develop staff’s skills and knowledge. In 27 November 2019

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mathematics, for example, leaders have set out what they would like pupils to be able to do, but not all teachers have received the training required to teach the full mathematics curriculum. This means that they cannot carry out the plans put in place by leaders. As a result, some pupils do not develop the knowledge and skills they need to be successful.

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Phonics is taught well and lots of pupils learn what they need to. However, pupils who need help to catch up are not supported quickly enough. As a result, they struggle to work out what new words say. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading and enjoy listening to stories. Staff use high-quality novels to engage and challenge pupils. Visits by poets and authors help their works come to life. This is helping them to develop a love of reading. Across the school, books are well matched to help pupils build their skills. Teachers develop pupils’ comprehension skills through whole-class reading. There is some evidence that this is having an impact on pupils’ progress.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported by teaching assistants who know them well. A knowledgeable special educational needs coordinator ensures that staff provide effective support to meet pupils’ additional needs.

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The early years area is a safe and caring place to learn. Leaders have clear expectations of what children need to know and be able to do. There is a strong focus on communication and language. Staff take every opportunity to help children learn new words. Phonics is taught well. Established routines help children to quickly develop strong relationships and good behaviour.

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Pupils enjoy a wide range of activities. These help them develop as well-rounded individuals. Pupils are caring and compassionate. They enjoy learning about the different cultural heritages in the school. Pupils learn about a range of religious festivals, such as the recent Diwali celebration. The curriculum is enriched by the many trips and visitors to the school. The curriculum helps pupils develop a good understanding of British values. They learn about moral issues and life beyond school. For example, pupils learn about democracy by taking part in school elections. Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities and acting as leaders. For example, the eco group take action to improve the environment and ‘help the planet’.

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Governors know the school well. They are skilled and committed to supporting leaders to improve the school. Leaders take account of well-being and workload. Staff feel valued and morale is high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and all staff at Lane Green First School are committed to keeping pupils safe. Leaders ensure that staff are up to date with their safeguarding knowledge. Leaders follow up any concerns promptly. Safeguarding records and checks on staff who work at the school are clear and well maintained. Pupils, staff and parents all agree that pupils are safe in school. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and healthy in and out of school. 27 November 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Curriculum leadership is too reliant on senior leaders. This has slowed the development of a well-planned curriculum. Leaders should support subject leaders new to their role to develop their areas of the curriculum so that it builds on what pupils can do already.  In some subject areas such as mathematics, leaders have developed clear plans of what pupils should learn. These plans are not yet embedded. Leaders should continue to support staff to successfully implement and adapt the plans so that pupils’ needs are met more effectively.  While there are some strengths in teaching, there are inconsistencies across the school due to the high turnover of staff. Some staff have underdeveloped subject knowledge meaning that aspects of the curriculum are not taught as effectively as possible. Leaders should continue to support all staff to further develop their subject knowledge, so that they can have more of an impact on pupils’ achievement.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good.

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How can I feed back my views?

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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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 27 November 2019

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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. 27 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111764 Type of school First

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Julie Whitehouse

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 January 2016

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, a new nursery has opened. It offers full- and part-time places.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team and subject leaders. A meeting was held with the chair of governors and other members of the governing body.  We met with groups of pupils, senior leaders, curriculum leaders and teachers to talk about the quality of education at the school.  We spoke to pupils about their learning and their experiences at school. We looked at their work in a range of different subjects to see how well the curriculum is applied.  We focused on reading, mathematics and art and design as part of this inspection.  We visited classrooms and held discussions with pupils. We also met with class teachers. Pupils were heard reading to their teachers.  A range of safeguarding documents, including behaviour logs and risk assessments, were scrutinised. The lead inspector checked the school’s register of pre-employment 27 November 2019

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checks and records of statutory training for staff.  We considered the views of members of staff who responded to Ofsted’s staff survey and held discussions with staff from across the school.  The lead inspector considered the 36 responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the additional free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Max Vlahakis, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Blackburn Ofsted Inspector 27 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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