Foxyards Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Zoey Lowe Foxyards Primary School Foxyards Road Tipton West Midlands DY4 8BH

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Foxyards Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 21–22 January 2020, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken since the school’s recent section 5 inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Foxyards Primary School

The inspection was the first monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection that took place in January 2019.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Foxyards Primary School

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Foxyards Primary School

Leaders and managers are taking effective action towards the removal of special measures.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Foxyards Primary School

The local authority’s statement of action is fit for purpose.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Foxyards Primary School

The school’s improvement plan is fit for purpose.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Foxyards Primary School

The school may not appoint newly qualified teachers before the next monitoring inspection.

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Special measures monitoring inspection of Foxyards Primary School

I am copying this letter to the chief executive officer of Manor Multi-Academy Trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Dudley. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

 Improve rates of progress for all groups of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics.  Urgently improve the leadership of special educational needs to ensure that the quality of teaching and additional support effectively meets the needs of pupils with SEND.  Improve the quality of leadership and management by: – accurately evaluating the school’s current performance – ensuring that school development priorities address key weaknesses and that actions are evaluated carefully to check they are improving pupils’ outcomes – using assessment systems accurately to check on the progress of all groups of pupils – identifying weaknesses in teaching through robust monitoring procedures and providing effective support to improve the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics – making sure that additional funding is used effectively to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils and for pupils with SEND – providing a curriculum that develops pupils’ skills and knowledge across a

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

range of subjects – ensuring that governors develop their understanding of pupils’ outcomes and are able challenge leaders and hold them to account for the school’s performance.  Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that teachers: – raise their expectations and the level of challenge for all groups of pupils – accurately assess what pupils can already do and plan work that enables them to make progress in reading, writing and mathematics – provide pupils with more opportunities to write at length – address basic mistakes in grammar, punctuation and spelling – insist pupils present their work to the best of their ability and form letters accurately – plan more effective opportunities for pupils to apply their mathematical skills in problem solving and reasoning – provide work that maintains the pupils’ interest, so as to improve their attitudes to learning and eradicate low-level disruption in lessons

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The areas for improvement identified during the inspection that took

– provide high-quality phonics teaching – match reading books to pupils’ abilities and phonics understanding – plan work that develops pupils’ subject-specific skills and knowledge across the curriculum.  Improve the early years provision by ensuring that staff consistently: – use effective assessment and questioning to support and develop children’s learning – provide children with sufficient time to express their own thoughts and ideas to show what they already know and can do before intervening in their learning – provide children with effective opportunities to develop their writing skills, including forming letters correctly.  Improve behaviour by ensuring that staff have consistently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, both in and outside the classroom. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. The school may not appoint newly qualified teachers.

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Evidence

I observed the school’s work, scrutinised documents and met with the headteacher and staff. I met with the school’s interim strategic group (ISG), who are responsible for governance at the school. I also met with the chief executive officer (CEO) of the trust that the school is planning to join. Parents and carers were spoken to on the playground at the beginning and end of school.

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Evidence

I observed pupils’ behaviour during social and lesson times. I held formal and informal discussions with pupils. With senior leaders I made short visits to a range of lessons in the early years and in Year 6. During these visits, the inspector looked at pupils’ work and spoke to pupils to assess the quality of their learning.

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Context

The headteacher started at the beginning of the autumn term. She replaced the headteacher who was in post at the time of the last inspection. There is an academy order in place and the school has plans to join a multi-academy trust soon.

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Context

There have been changes to teaching staff since the last inspection. The deputy headteacher is new in post joining the school in September 2019. Three members of teaching staff left the school in the autumn term. The early years foundation stage (EYFS) leader, although not new to school, is new to her role.

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improvement identified at the section 5 inspection

There have been many changes since the last inspection. Year 5 and 6 classes are now organised to allow for targeted teaching groups. Staff now teach year groups that better suit their skills. There is ongoing support from Hill Avenue Primary and staff from other schools within the trust. Teachers have accessed professional development and observed high-quality teaching in these schools. As a result, the quality of education at Foxyards Primary School is improving. Moderation undertaken with other schools is ensuring that assessments of children’s work in the early years are now accurate.

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improvement identified at the section 5 inspection

Leaders’ actions are beginning to have an impact on the standard of pupils’ work. Pupils now use a range of resources to support their learning. They are given challenges that extend their thinking. While these improvements are relatively recent, they show that the school is well placed to make further improvements to its curriculum and the quality of education it provides. Reading has been given a greater focus across the school. Leaders have recently introduced a new scheme to help support the teaching of phonics across the early years and key stage 1. The aim of this is to increase staff expertise and confidence and achieve greater consistency in the teaching of phonics. It is too early yet to say if this is having an impact. Leaders plan to monitor the teaching of phonics.

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improvement identified at the section 5 inspection

Correct letter formation in the early years and a consistent approach to handwriting across the school is leading to improved presentation in books. Increasingly, pupils are taking a pride in their work.

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improvement identified at the section 5 inspection

The designated safeguarding lead has a clear oversight of safeguarding concerns. Recent improvements to records ensure that they are now detailed and clear. Records are stored securely. Pupils say they feel safe because ‘the caretaker locks the school gates’ and ‘we have loads of caring teachers that look after us’. However, pupils are less secure in knowing how they can keep themselves safe. The school’s new personal, health and social education scheme plans to address this. Pupils’ behaviour has improved since the last inspection. Behaviour in and around school is generally good and pupils say that bullying is rare.

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improvement identified at the section 5 inspection

Pupils talk about the recent improvements in the school. They say that they now complete more work and understand how they can improve it. Pupils enjoy a range of trips and visits to museums and to a safari park and talk of their enjoyment of swimming lessons. Pupils can join a range of clubs including choir, football and a book club, to name a few. Leaders encourage pupils to become involved with their local community. For example, residents from a senior citizens’ home come into school to take part in arts and crafts alongside children in the early years.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Senior leadership has strengthened since the last inspection. Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They are using this to inform effective actions towards the removal of special measures. The school’s development plan details a range of strategies that are addressing the areas for improvement. Relevant, clear and specific actions are set within realistic time frames. It is clear who will do what, and when.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The headteacher and the deputy headteacher have high expectations of what pupils can, and should, achieve. Teachers know where pupils’ gaps in understanding are because of changes to the way the school approaches and uses assessment. This has also helped teachers in the early identification of pupils who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Leaders have prioritised improving reading, writing and mathematics. Alongside this, they have ensured that pupils access a wide range of subjects across the whole curriculum. Leaders have an up-to-date plan of how they will use pupil premium funding. Meeting disadvantaged pupils’ needs now has a higher profile in the school. Leaders are aware that they still need to make improvements such as increasing attendance rates of these pupils. Careful thought is being given to the support that disadvantaged pupils receive.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Provision for pupils with SEND has improved. A team of staff are responsible for helping teachers identify, support and monitor pupils who have additional needs. The headteacher is a qualified special educational needs coordinator (SENCo). She is passionate about ensuring that these pupils get the help they need.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The new EYFS leader has been in role since January 2020. She understands that improvements that are needed. The leader has already refreshed the learning environments in the early years. She is ensuring that planning meets the needs and interests of the children. Early years staff have had training on asking open-ended questions so children’s learning and vocabulary is extended. Expectations for behaviour are clear. Children are now demonstrating positive attitudes to learning in their lessons.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Manor Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) carried out a review of the skills of the governing body following the last inspection. It was identified that the governing body did not have the capacity to move the school forward quickly enough. An ISG is now in place, consisting of representatives from Manor MAT and representatives from the local authority. This group is responsible for governance at the school.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The school is preparing to join the Manor Multi-Academy MAT. The CEO of the trust, although not yet responsible for the school, has already had a high level of involvement. She is providing a healthy balance of challenge and support for school staff.

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Strengths in the school’s approaches to securing improvement:

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher are providing strong leadership. They are developing all staff’s knowledge and skills through a programme of training and support provided by Manor MAT. This is ensuring that there is continual improvement.

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Weaknesses in the school’s approaches to securing improvement:

 The school is constrained by its current situation as to the improvements that can be made to the school environment and in terms of the resources it can buy. The trust is currently talking to the local authority to find a solution to this issue.

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External support

The school has been supported well by staff at Hill Avenue Primary, East Park and Manor Primary School. Staff from Foxyards Primary have been able to observe high- quality teaching by visiting these schools and through staff from these schools coming into Foxyards Primary to work alongside staff. This has resulted in improvements both to teaching and to the quality of the curriculum.

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