Albrighton Primary School & Nursery

Inspection of a good school: Albrighton Primary School & Nursery New House Lane, Albrighton, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV7 3QS

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Outcome

Albrighton Primary School & Nursery continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Albrighton is a friendly and welcoming school. Parents and carers value the attention all adults give to children’s learning and well-being. Leaders and teachers make sure that pupils who join during the school year have extra support, so they settle in quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils and want the best for them. They have designed a curriculum that links subjects together. As a result, pupils remember their learning over time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that the school motto, ‘only our best will do’, applies to their work and behaviour. Pupils are proud when teachers choose them to be class hero, star reader, star writer or star sportsperson of the week.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work and play together happily. They show caring attitudes towards each other. Older pupils enjoy helping younger ones. They act as ‘lunchtime buddies’ and ‘play leaders’. Pupils say that they feel safe and are safe in school because staff care for them. They know how to stay safe, for example when they use the internet, because they learn about it in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They say that bullying rarely happens. They are confident that adults deal with it quickly and fairly. Inspection evidence supports pupils’ views.

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

Leaders and teachers plan creative and enjoyable activities that link curriculum subjects together. This helps teachers sequence pupils’ learning. As a result, pupils build up their knowledge and skills. For example, Year 3 pupils remembered making ‘imaginative’ sandwiches when learning about healthy eating. Leaders and teachers plan reading and writing activities that link to other subjects. 10–11 March 2020

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The mathematics curriculum is sequenced carefully so pupils develop their mathematical knowledge and understanding. Teachers expect pupils to explain their answers. Pupils do this successfully. However, sometimes the most able pupils spend too long completing work they can already do rather than moving on to harder problems. Leaders have recognised that teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to apply their mathematical knowledge in subjects across the curriculum. Leaders have developed a plan to address this.

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Pupils achieve well in reading. C hildren learn phonics from their first days in school. As a result, children quickly learn the sounds they need to read fluently. All classes have reading lessons every day. This promotes a love of reading. Adults notice when any pupil falls behind and help them to catch up quickly. Pupils enjoy hearing their teachers read to them. Teachers make sure that pupils read books that match their interests and reading skills. Older pupils talk with enthusiasm about different authors and books they enjoy.

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Teachers understand how to adapt their plans for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The extra help from adults ensures that these pupils gain confidence and achieve well.

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Children in Reception and the two- and three-year-olds in nursery enjoy school. This is because adults plan interesting and exciting learning activities. Adults know the children well and help them feel safe. Adults understand how children learn. They prioritise children’s language skills. For example, children in Reception learned the meaning of ‘more’, ‘less’ and ‘equal’ when sharing fruit. Adults know when to direct and when to let children follow their own interests. Adults help children to become increasingly independent. For example, adults show nursery children how to fasten their overalls before going outside.

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Leaders and teachers make sure that pupils have experiences that help them develop their talents and interests. Pupils enjoy learning in forest school. They enjoy visits to museums and places of interest. They benefit from strong links with RAF Cosford and the village community. RAF personnel taught pupils survival skills and coding. Year 4 and 6 pupils enjoy residential experiences which develop their independence and group work skills.

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Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. They know the difference between right and wrong. They raise money for charities. They show positive attitudes to their learning and behave well.

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Pupils’ mental health, happiness and well-being are very important to all staff. Several pupils told me how adults help them if they feel upset or anxious. Learning mentors provide good support for pupils and their families.

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Albrighton is well led. Staff appreciate the efforts leaders make to ensure their workload is manageable. All staff who responded to the staff survey said they were proud to be a member of staff and enjoyed working at Albrighton. 10–11 March 2020

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The design and technology curriculum is carefully planned and sequenced. Leaders use good subject knowledge to monitor the curriculum carefully. Senior leaders have begun to provide training for other subject leaders. This is helping them to develop their leadership skills.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that there are effective systems in place to safeguard pupils. Staff are vigilant and understand their safeguarding responsibilities. They have regular training about protecting pupils from harm. Leaders follow up any safeguarding concerns promptly. Leaders make all the required checks on adults who work with pupils in the school. Pupils say they feel safe. Leaders and teachers ensure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Almost all parents who responded to the online survey, Parent View, said that their children feel safe at school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have devised clear curriculum topic plans. These identify the information pupils need to know and remember in each subject. However, the leadership of subjects other than English and mathematics is at an early stage of development. Some foundation subject leaders have not had the time to develop the skills they need to check that teachers implement the planned curriculum well. Senior leaders need to make sure that foundation subject leaders continue to receive the planned professional development so that they develop their leadership skills and have a positive impact on the quality of education.  Leaders have made sure that the mathematics curriculum is carefully sequenced. Pupils develop a wide range of mathematical skills. Teachers expect pupils to explain and justify their answers. This deepens pupils’ understanding of mathematics. However, pupils do not have enough opportunities to apply what they know to different subjects

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

across the curriculum. The most able pupils spend too long completing work they can already do rather than move to more challenging problem-solving activities. Leaders need to implement their planned actions to ensure that the mathematics curriculum helps pupils to apply their knowledge and skills, so they remember them well. 10–11 March 2020

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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 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 first section 8 inspection since we the school to be good on 28–29 June 2016.

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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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are 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. 10–11 March 2020

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.albrightonprimary.com Date of previous inspection 28–29 June 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Around two-fifths of the school’s pupils are service children, whose parents are posted at RAF Cosford. As a result, a high number of pupils join and leave the school at different times during the academic year.  The school comprises two Reception classes, three mixed Year 1/2 classes, a Year 3 class, three mixed Year 4/5 classes and a Year 6 class.  The school has pre-school provision, ‘bright stars nursery’, for children aged two to four years old.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and three senior leaders. I met four members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair. I also met with two representatives of the local authority and the school’s adviser.  I looked at a range of information about the school, including content on the school’s website and curriculum plans. I also analysed published information about the progress and attainment of pupils in national tests and assessments. 10–11 March 2020

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 I considered reading, mathematics and design and technology in depth. I visited lessons and spoke to subject leaders, teachers and pupils about pupils’ learning. I also looked at pupils’ work and heard pupils read.  I checked the school’s work to keep pupils safe. I looked at policies, procedures and the school’s central record of employment checks on adults working in the school to ensure that they are suitable to work with children. I talked to pupils about safeguarding and behaviour. I spoke to staff to check their knowledge and understanding of what steps they would take if they had a safeguarding concern about a pupil.  I took account of 33 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 24 to the Parent View free-text service. I also considered an email received from a parent.  I considered 21 responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Helen Morrison, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10–11 March 2020

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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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