Whetstone Field Primary School

WHETSTONE FIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 25 th February – 27 th February 2002

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WHETSTONE FIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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WHETSTONE FIELD PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Whetstone Field Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant and Junior School

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Beaufort Way Whetstone Lane Aldridge Walsall

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr K Thorley

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 15 th September 1997 Whetstone Field Primary School - 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 7559 Mrs Caroline Gruen Registered inspector 13459 Mrs Eva Mills Lay inspector 17919 Mrs Jennifer Deans Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Doncaster Inspection Services PO Box 266 The Council House College Road DONCASTER South Yorkshire DN1 3AD

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Whetstone Field Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Whetstone Field Primary is a mixed infant and junior school with a nursery, serving pupils aged 3 to 11. There are 245 full time equivalent pupils on roll. It is average in size for schools of its type. The school is situated on a private housing estate from which it draws many of its pupils. Some pupils come from a nearby Council estate and a few from other areas of Walsall.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Six pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is proportionally well below the national average. One pupil has a statement of special educational needs and two pupils are undergoing the statementing procedure currently. A further 18 pupils have been identified as having special educational needs. This is proportionally below the national average.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Seven pupils are of Indian origin, two Bangladeshi and one from another minority ethnic group. Observations in the inspection did not identify any differences between the extent to which these pupils can access the curriculum and that for any other group in the school.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school makes special provision to support gifted and talented pupils. Whilst this is a relatively recent initiative it is having an impact on the number of pupils achieving higher National Curriculum levels.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Attainment on entry to both nursery and reception is above average.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Whetstone Field is a very effective school, which provides a good quality of education for all its pupils. Since the last inspection it has sustained and in many respects improved already high standards, particularly for the highest attaining pupils. Virtually all pupils achieve at nationally expected levels and many consistently achieve at levels above this. Teaching is consistently good throughout the school with some very good features. Most notably, these include excellent planning and very well matched work to the needs of individuals and groups of pupils. Nevertheless, the use of a wider range of teaching strategies could improve teaching further, particularly the fostering of more collaborative work and creative work through the visual arts. The headteacher has set a clear direction for the work of the school, to which the whole school community is committed. Governors make a very positive contribution to the school’s continuing

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

development. Since the last inspection the school has improved in a number of key areas including teaching in the nursery, self-evaluation and the key issues raised in the previous inspection report. The school offers very good value for money.

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What the school does well

 Pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science and make good progress throughout the school;  The senior management team and Governing Body monitor and evaluate the work of the school thoroughly and purposefully;  Teachers plan extremely effectively for teaching and learning;  The school challenges all its pupils, including the highest and lowest attaining groups;  Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are outstanding and far exceed national expectations;  Pupils’ attitudes towards their school work are extremely positive and their behaviour is very good. Whetstone Field Primary School - 7

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What could be improved

 Whilst the school provides a broad and balanced curriculum, which includes opportunities for physical, creative and expressive work, the art curriculum could be improved to reflect the same high standards as elsewhere in the school.  The range of teaching strategies used could be increased, in particular to include more opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Whetstone Field is an improving school. Since the last inspection, which took place in September 1997, it has continued to maintain and raise further the very high standards achieved by pupils, particularly in English, mathematics and science. The school’s systems for monitoring and evaluating its work have been significantly strengthened and evaluative information is now used very effectively to inform the school improvement process. The strategic role of the Governing Body, which had weaknesses at the time of the last inspection, has now progressed substantially. Governors are well led by an effective chair. They are knowledgeable about the school and take an active role in monitoring and evaluating its work. Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour have further improved and are now a strength of the school. Teaching in the Foundation Stage, which was satisfactory at the time of the last inspection, is now consistently

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

As a result of direct action which was taken to address the key issues in the last inspection report, substantial improvements have been made to the school’s provision for multicultural education, pupils’ spiritual development and religious education, all of which are now strong features of the school. Attainment in religious education now meets the requirements of the Walsall Local Education Authority Agreed Syllabus.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has improved substantially and has a very good capacity to improve further.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

English A* A A A well above average above average A B

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Key

mathematics A* A A A average below average C D Science A* A A A well below average E

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Key

The standards achieved by pupils at Whetstone Field are above average by the end of the Foundation Stage and well above average by the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. In the 2001 national tests for Key Stage 2 the school’s performance was well above the national average in Whetstone Field Primary School - 8 English and mathematics and very high in science. These results are also consistently well above the average for similar schools.

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Key

The school has improved its test results in line with the national rate of improvement since the last inspection, which is commendable, given the already high standards at that time. All pupils at this school are challenged to achieve to the very best of their potential. The majority of pupils with special educational needs perform at or above the national expectation and the highest attaining groups are working at extremely high levels for their age. In 2001, 9% of pupils gained level 6 in mathematics and 3% of pupils gained the same level in science. Level 6 is the expected level of attainment for a 15 year old. Three pupils in school also gained a GCSE mathematics qualification which is a quite outstanding level of attainment for this age.

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Key

The inspection findings confirm high standards in English, mathematics and science. Attainment in religious education now fully meets the expectations of the locally agreed syllabus, and in information and communication technology standards are in line with what is expected nationally, with examples of very good work throughout the school and particularly in Key Stage 2.

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Key

All attainment groups, including those with special educational needs, make very good progress and there is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. There are some pupils in school who are confident bilingual speakers. Their spoken and written English is very good. The progress of all groups of pupils is very good.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils throughout the school have extremely positive attitudes to work and organise their learning effectively.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in and around the school is consistently very good even when not directly supervised.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships There are excellent relationships amongst pupils and between pupils and staff. Personal development is very good. Pupils are respectful and trustworthy.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Attendance is consistently very good.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils have respect for each other, members of staff and the school. Older pupils show very caring attitudes towards younger pupils and all can be trusted to behave in a responsible and mature way whatever the context. There are very high levels of motivation amongst pupils who are eager to learn and this is complemented by their high levels of independence and ability to use initiative.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Good Good Very good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses. Whetstone Field Primary School - 9 The quality of teaching is consistently good with many very good features, especially in English and mathematics.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Teachers’ planning for lessons is excellent. It is detailed, thorough and consistent across the school. This has a very positive impact on the quality of teaching and ensures that the purposes of the lesson are achieved through well-matched activities. Teachers are particularly good at ensuring every individual pupil’s needs are met through knowing their pupils well, grouping pupils in different ways and effectively targeting adult support. The mixed age groupings for literacy and numeracy in Key Stage 2 are particularly effective in ensuring every pupil is challenged and extended. Pupils, parents and teachers all fully support this approach and see it as a crucial factor in achieving high level literacy and numeracy skills.

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Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The range of teaching strategies used could be extended further, particularly through offering more opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively and also through further creative work in art.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum There is a good range of learning opportunities and the school provides a broad and balanced curriculum. Provision for developing literacy and numeracy skills is particularly good. Pupil groupings are very effective.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils with special educational needs are well catered for. Their progress is carefully tracked and their contributions are valued.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good provision for moral and social development. Provision for spiritual and cultural development is much improved and is now a strong feature of the school. This contributes well to pupils’ overall personal development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Very good. Pupils are valued as individuals, their welfare is paramount to all staff and their academic performance is exceptionally well monitored.

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Aspect Comment

The school offers a broad and balanced curriculum within which there is good provision for pupils of all abilities. Pupils feel safe, happy and valued at school. Their progress is rigorously tracked and the school has an extremely good working knowledge of every pupil. Whetstone Field Primary School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The school is effectively led and there is a shared sense of direction and commitment to raising standards by all staff, pupils, parents and governors.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The Governing Body is well led, has a good working knowledge of the school and fulfils its responsibilities. Governors are supportive of the school and are actively involved in monitoring its progress. The school’s evaluation of its performance The school monitors and evaluates the quality of its performance exceptionally well and takes effective action to meet targets. Pupil tracking, assessment, performance management and classroom observation are all strengths. The strategic use of resources Budget planning is well matched to the school’s priorities and resources are well used throughout. The deployment of classroom staff is particularly effective.

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Aspect Comment

There is strong, effective leadership, which has resulted in very clear direction and a shared sense of purpose. A particular strength is the school’s continuous and determined focus on re- examining its performance in order to improve further. This is underpinned by rigorous and well co-ordinated strategies for self-evaluation and school improvement. Key staff work very well as a team towards the school’s aims and goals but there needs to be greater clarity and consistency in the expectations set for all those with leadership roles. The Governing Body and particularly the Chair make a very positive contribution to the school’s development. Governors would benefit from further training.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

 That the school sets high expectations for their children and expects them to work hard  That the school helps their children to become mature and responsible  That pupils’ behaviour is good  That teaching is good  The range of activities provided outside lessons

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the positive views expressed by parents. However, the team judges that the range of activities provided outside lessons is satisfactory and in line with expectations of this age group. Whetstone Field Primary School - 11

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Pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science, and make good

1 The school’s aims are clearly focused on raising achievement and they are reflected in everything that the school does. Staff and pupils are fully committed to the core purpose of every pupil achieving to their fullest potential. The school’s performance in the national test results and work seen during the inspection show very high attainment as a result of this shared, common mission.

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Pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science, and make good

2 In the 2001 national tests for Key Stages 1 and 2, the school’s performance was very high, in comparison to the national average. At the end of both key stages, with very few exceptions, all pupils achieve the levels which are expected nationally and many reach higher levels.

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Pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science, and make good

3 The school is consistently performing extremely well in comparison to similar schools to Whetstone Field.

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Pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science, and make good

4 The majority of pupils whom the school has identified as having special educational needs are working at or above nationally expected levels. The highest attaining groups, particularly in mathematics and writing, are working at level 6 and able to assimilate concepts normally introduced at Key Stage 3. Three pupils in the school gained a GCSE mathematics qualification in 2001.

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Pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science, and make good

5 Work seen during the inspection confirmed the high attainment indicated by statutory test results for English, mathematics and science. High standards of work were also seen across the other subjects of the curriculum with the exception of art. Language and literacy are successfully fostered in the Foundation Stage through a variety of purposeful play and talk related activities. Pupils quickly gain a grasp of basic literacy skills and by the end of Key Stage 1 all are confident readers and independent writers with a very good working knowledge of phonics, grammar and punctuation. There is an enjoyment of books and stories and children have become confident communicators orally and in writing. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are exceptionally well read, skilled in character study, interpretation, prediction and can express an informed and justified personal view of literature. There is a high level of awareness of style and audience in writing. All of these

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Pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science, and make good

skills are well used and further developed across the other subjects of the curriculum.

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Pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science, and make good

6 Similarly, numeracy skills are acquired speedily and effectively. Well planned counting, sorting and sequencing work in the Foundation stage quickly leads to a growing mental agility in mathematics. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils are confident to use the four rules of arithmetic in a variety of contexts and can recognise and comment on patterns emerging from numbers. Pupils are nurtured to become creative mathematicians in Key Stage 2 and all pupils can readily tackle mathematical problems and investigations, explaining their methodology and identifying alternative approaches. The lowest attaining groups in Key Stage 2 were working within nationally expected levels during the inspection. The highest attaining groups were able to successfully tackle problems using algebraic and geometric concepts within level 6.

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Pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science, and make good

7 Science work seen was well structured, well recorded and of a high level. Pupils particularly enjoy this subject because they are offered opportunities to undertake practical work and to collaborate with their classmates in groups. They report that this active style of learning helps their understanding and knowledge. This is a view that correlates well Whetstone Field Primary School - 12 with the fact that every pupil in Year 6 achieved at least the expected level in science in 2001.

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Pupils achieve very high standards in English, mathematics and science, and make good

8 Central to the school’s success in enabling pupils to achieve these high standards is the very thorough working knowledge the school has of every individual pupil’s progress. There is effective targeting of individuals and groups of pupils for intensive teaching programmes.

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The senior management team and Governing Body monitor and evaluate the work of the

9 Since the last inspection the school has significantly strengthened its monitoring and evaluation systems. The headteacher, since her appointment, has successfully aligned three key strategies which are now having a major impact on the quality of evaluative data available and its use in planning for future improvement. These are the pupil tracking system, the ‘maintain, improve, change’ (MIC) model of self-evaluation and the Performance Management Policy.

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The senior management team and Governing Body monitor and evaluate the work of the

10 The school carries out a wide range of assessments of pupils’ achievement, both formal and informal. These include baseline tests, the National Curriculum Tests, the optional SATs, reading tests and a range of teacher assessments across the curriculum. These assessment results are documented and evaluated for each child throughout his/her time in the school from the nursery to Year 6 and used to target future levels of work for each pupil. Expectations of achievement in future years are based on the level the pupil is working at currently and what that would suggest. There is also a clear intention that the school will provide a programme of tailor-made learning which will ensure this prediction is exceeded. The process is informed by teacher observations of their pupils working in the classroom, along with scrutiny and moderation of pupils’ work. This ensures that the school has an extremely detailed knowledge about the progress of each child.

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The senior management team and Governing Body monitor and evaluate the work of the

11 The school’s Performance Management Policy is well embedded in practice. Teachers and the headteacher have identified objectives for development, which reflect the needs of the school, the needs of pupils and teachers’ personal development. A rigorous programme of classroom observations is in place, carried out by co-ordinators and the headteacher, which include feedback and structured discussion to stimulate improvements to teaching, which are linked to personal objectives. The observations and discussions are well documented. This ensures that alongside targets for pupils’ work, teachers are also working to improve their own teaching.

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The senior management team and Governing Body monitor and evaluate the work of the

12 The self-evaluation arrangements effectively include all staff and governors in carrying out a detailed self-assessment of current performance and identifying whole-school priorities for improvement. This has been carried out by teachers, classroom support staff, lunchtime supervisors and governors. It has resulted in each group identifying relevant agreed areas for improvement, which complement their personal targets and those of the pupils. For example, the teachers have identified offering more opportunities for collaborative working as an area for improvement. The findings of this inspection would fully endorse that as a very relevant development objective.

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The senior management team and Governing Body monitor and evaluate the work of the

13 The involvement of Governors in monitoring the work of the school has also improved substantially since the last inspection. Many carry out classroom observations, which are subsequently discussed with the headteacher. They also regularly receive, discuss and question a range of evaluative data from the school staff which is given in the form of oral presentations or in writing. These strong, evaluative features of the school’s work have a direct impact on the standards achieved by pupils and the effectiveness with which staff work as a team. Whetstone Field Primary School - 13 Teachers plan extremely effectively for teaching and learning.

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The senior management team and Governing Body monitor and evaluate the work of the

14 A crucial factor which contributes to the consistently good teaching is the high quality of teachers’ planning. It has clear objectives for pupils’ learning, is detailed, sets out the content and activities which the teacher is to cover and shows how the work will be matched to the needs of different attainment groups in the class. This quality of planning is consistent across the different subjects of the curriculum and across all classes and year groups. Teachers use their plans for lessons well and so what is being learned always reflects what was planned.

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The senior management team and Governing Body monitor and evaluate the work of the

15 A good feature of teaching, which is specifically addressed in teachers’ planning, is the effective use of resources, particularly the deployment of classroom support staff and parent helpers who are well briefed and provide very good support for pupils’ learning. Teachers’ questioning and points for discussion are also usefully referred to in planning, and these are well reflected and carefully constructed when used in the classroom. This high quality of planning increases rigour in the classroom and ensures that a good range of knowledge and understanding is addressed in every lesson. There is a precision to teaching in the school, which directly impacts on the standards achieved.

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The senior management team and Governing Body monitor and evaluate the work of the

The school challenges all its pupils including the highest and lowest attaining groups.

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The senior management team and Governing Body monitor and evaluate the work of the

16 The school focuses very clearly on how it ensures that work is well matched and challenging for all the pupils in school. In Key Stage 1, this is successfully done by giving different, carefully planned tasks to the different attainment groups in the class and by providing well-briefed, skilled adult support for individuals and groups where needed. Lower attaining groups are regularly provided with a short period of intensive learning out of the classroom in literacy and numeracy. This is always reflected in the teachers’ planning and is relevant to the work of the whole class.

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The senior management team and Governing Body monitor and evaluate the work of the

17 In Key Stage 2, the school has developed innovative approaches to pupils’ grouping. Pupils are grouped by attainment level across the key stage, resulting in mixed age groups, which include up to three year groups for numeracy and literacy. This enables teachers to tailor work carefully for the attainment range and involves, for example, older lower attainers working alongside younger higher attainers to the benefit of all pupils. Tasks at different levels are provided for different pupils within these groupings. Parents are fully committed to this way of organising their children’s learning. Pupils, including those in lower attaining groups, express satisfaction with this approach and can talk about the advantages of consistent challenge. With the exception of a very small number of pupils with special educational needs there are no groups of pupils expected to perform significantly below national levels.

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The senior management team and Governing Body monitor and evaluate the work of the

18 The well thought out, team-based approach to this cross Key Stage 2 grouping is having a positive impact on pupils’ self-esteem and on the high standards they achieve. 19 Additionally, the school successfully provides individualised support for pupils with special educational needs, who are rigorously tracked and have very detailed personal action plans. The highest attaining pupils are also successfully extended through the early identification of their future potential, and through extended teaching programmes which often incorporate programmes of study from the Key Stage 3 National Curriculum.

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Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are outstanding and far exceed national

20 Children arrive in the nursery with above average speaking and listening skills. Every opportunity is given to build on and extend these through informal adult questioning (talking-based activities) and very good use of circle-time to extend language. Most children in the nursery can offer an oral contribution to a situation and then extend, explain Whetstone Field Primary School - 14 and elaborate in response to further questioning. There is a growing confidence in pupils’ ability to initiate and contribute to discussion at group, class and key stage level as pupils progress through the school. By the end of Key Stage 1 pupils are able to talk about their feelings, address different audiences in different ways, explain relatively complex situations and ask relevant questions unprompted. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils are well able to construct a persuasive argument (whether they agree with it or not!), present it

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Pupils’ speaking and listening skills are outstanding and far exceed national

as part of a debate and appreciate opposing arguments on their merit. They are able to prepare notes for an oral presentation and can adopt different styles of delivery according to purpose. These skills are successfully fostered because pupils are frequently asked to use and develop them in lessons across the curriculum. A successful example in the inspection was a Year 6 geography lesson in which pupils were asked to construct and present opposing arguments on the tourism versus naturalism debate. Their arguments were to be based on geographical concepts gained in previous lessons. The result was a highly challenging and original debate, well above the expectation for the age group. Observation did not show any difference in the quality of contribution made or performance level achieved between the bilingual group of pupils and others groups in the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes towards their school work are extremely positive and their behaviour is

21 Pupils enjoy coming to school and show high levels of motivation and enthusiasm for their work. Older pupils show very caring attitudes towards younger pupils and all are respectful and trustworthy members of the school community. Pupils show good levels of independence and are very willing to take responsibilities on. A good example occurred during the school’s pet week when pupils from Year 6 organised games for the younger children. Pupils sustain a mature outlook when dealing with sensitive issues, for example in personal, health and social education or citizenship. Behaviour is very good in and around school even when not directly supervised and pupils are polite, well mannered and pleasant with each other and with adults. There is a strong sense of pupils feeling valued and valuing others.

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opportunities for physical, creative and expressive work, the art curriculum could be

improved to reflect the same high standards as elsewhere in the school.

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opportunities for physical, creative and expressive work, the art curriculum could be

22 The school has rightly been focused on raising standards particularly in English, mathematics and science. All members of the school staff have prioritised this and made a very positive and successful contribution. The school’s senior management team will now need to re-assess the capacity it currently allocates to leading and developing creative art in order to raise standards in this area to match those in others.

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opportunities for physical, creative and expressive work, the art curriculum could be

23 The artwork seen during the inspection was in too many instances overly teacher led. In all these instances, the main design decisions had been taken by the adult, leaving the pupil to make choices within a very narrow range of options. Skills, including close observation, drawing, producing sustained work, working from the imagination, studying light, shade, colour, tone and perspective, are therefore underdeveloped and pupils’ progress is unsatisfactory. There are instances where the work of artists is used well to encourage observation and the study and exploration of different techniques. However, there is little indication that the knowledge, understanding and skills gained through this work are found in pupils’ own independent work. The school clearly has the capacity to address this quickly and effectively. Whetstone Field Primary School - 15

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The range of teaching strategies used could be increased, in particular to include more

opportunities for pupils to work collaboratively.

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The range of teaching strategies used could be increased, in particular to include more

24 Teaching is consistently good and has many very good features. Whilst the range of teaching strategies used is successful, benefit could be derived from extending the range further. In particular, opportunities offered to pupils to work collaboratively during the inspection were significantly less frequent than other strategies. Pupils expressed the view that when they were offered such opportunities, for example in practical science sessions, this increased their enjoyment as well as the quality of their learning. The school has rightly identified increasing collaborative work as an area for improvement and should now prioritise this as a shared goal.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

25 The Governing Body, Headteacher and staff should further improve the school by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Raising standards in art and ensuring that provision meets the requirements of the National Curriculum in art by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

 reviewing the resources currently devoted to leading and managing the art curriculum with a view to increasing it;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

 securing some expert consultancy and providing all classroom staff with appropriate professional development opportunities;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

 disseminating good practice elsewhere, for example in Beacon or Specialist Schools and taking advice from the Local Education Authority/Serco* or other sources as to where good practice can be found.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Increasing the range of teaching strategies used, particularly with a view to fostering more opportunities for pupils to learn collaboratively by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

 ensuring that collaborative activities are systematically built into teachers’ already excellent planning;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

 providing relevant professional development opportunities where these are appropriate and needed;

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

 monitoring and evaluating the provision and impact of a wider range of teaching strategies in the classroom.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

* Serco is a private company currently working in a partnership role with Walsall Local Education Authority. Whetstone Field Primary School - 16

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 11

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Percentage 0 42 53 5 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more then five percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 13 232

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 6 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 2 16

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 4

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 1

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Whetstone Field Primary School - 17

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 19 16 35

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 19 19 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 100 (100) 100 (93) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 19 19 19 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 16 16 16

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 100 (100) 100 (97) 100 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 16 19 35

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 13 13 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 19 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 91 (89) 91 (94) 100 (97) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 13 14 16 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 19 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 91 (86) 94 (91) 100 (94) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Whetstone Field Primary School - 18

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 1 Other minority ethnic groups This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10.2 Financial year 2000/2001

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 23

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 444,658

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 3.5 Total expenditure 417,791

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 98.5 Expenditure per pupil 1,664

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 23,198

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1 Balance carried forward to next year 50,065

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 13

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 0.8

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 57.5

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per FTE adult 7 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 3

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 2.5

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0 FTE means full-time equivalent. Whetstone Field Primary School - 19 Results of the survey of parents and carers

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Recruitment of teachers

Percentage of responses in each category

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Recruitment of teachers

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Recruitment of teachers

My child is making good progress in school. 60 35 5 0 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Behaviour in the school is good. 63 34 2 0 2

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Recruitment of teachers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 48 40 8 1 2

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Recruitment of teachers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 44 41 12 3 0

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Recruitment of teachers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 57 34 6 2 1

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Recruitment of teachers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 73 25 2 0 1

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Recruitment of teachers

The school works closely with parents. 45 40 13 2 0

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Recruitment of teachers

The school is well led and managed. 58 35 4 2 2

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Recruitment of teachers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 60 38 1 0 2

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Recruitment of teachers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 30 34 20 6 11

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