Grendon Primary School

Inspection Report Grendon Junior and Infant School (NC)

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103205 Unique Reference Number Birmingham LEA 276870 Inspection number 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 Inspection dates David Driscoll RISP Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Grendon Road School address Primary Type of school Kings Heath Community School category Birmingham, West Midlands B14 4RB 3 to 11 Age range of pupils

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0121 4742460 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0121 4742460 Fax number 399 Number on roll Mr R Green Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Christine Pyke Headteacher 14 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276870 19 September 2005 - 3 to 11 20 September 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Grendon Infant and Junior School is a larger than average primary school, situated in an area of high deprivation. There are very few pupils from a minority ethnic background and the proportion with learning difficulties or disabilities is broadly average. A new headteacher was appointed to the school in September 2004.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Grendon Junior and Infant School (NC), 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005

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Grade: 4

In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. Despite the good education offered by the school from Nursery to the end of Year 2, the inadequate teaching and curriculum, and resulting underachievement, in Years 3, 4 and 5 mean that the school is not providing a satisfactory education or value for money and its effectiveness is inadequate. The school’s managers judge the school’s performance to be good, because too much emphasis is placed upon the strengths, rather than recognising the seriousness of the weaknesses. There have been indications of falling standards and/or underachievement in the past few years, but these have not been identified in sufficient detail until

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Grade: 4

recently, so actions to improve matters have either not been taken or have proved ineffective; the school’s managers have not demonstrated the capacity to improve the school’s performance. Children get off to a good start at the school, so that by the end of the Foundation Stage, their standards have been raised to the national average. However, by the time they leave Year 6, pupils’ standards in mathematics and writing are too low because many make little or no progress in Years 3, 4 and 5. Better progress is made in Year 6, but this is not enough to rectify the deficiencies of the previous three years. Throughout the school, pupils make good progress in their personal development; they behave well and their attendance improves. In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing

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Grade: 4

or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the teaching in Years 3, 4 and 5 in order to raise standards in mathematics and writing • Carry out more rigorous monitoring of the school’s work, especially teaching, to identify and tackle problems at an earlier stage • Increase the amount of mathematics and writing carried out across the different subjects in Years 3 to 6. 2 Inspection Report: Grendon Junior and Infant School (NC), 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005

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Grade: 4

Pupils have individual targets which are suitably challenging, but high proportions fail to reach them by the end of Year 6. Children join the Nursery with standards that are significantly below average. They quickly settle into the school’s routines and their good progress provides a solid foundation for the rest of their school life. This good progress continues throughout the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2, so that by the time they are ready to start Year 3, their standards of reading, writing and mathematics are broadly average and they have developed skills, such as listening to others, that prepare them well for the future. They clearly enjoy their time at school and the work they do. In Year 3, however, the ethos of hard work that pupils have come to expect is no longer present and much of the good work from earlier years is undone. Throughout Years 3, 4 and 5, pupils make inadequate progress. Progress in mathematics and writing is

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Grade: 4

particularly poor, with large proportions of pupils making little or no progress in mathematics; many remain at the same level as they were when they were in Year 2. The boys and higher attainers make least progress, because they are set work that is too easy, or which they find boring. Better progress is made by pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities, because the teaching assistants are able to ensure that small groups of pupils work on tasks that are suitably demanding, while providing the support necessary for the pupils to reach their targets. In Year 6, pupils make good progress, especially in mathematics, because the teaching is better. Pupils in Year 6 speak of how much more they enjoy lessons, compared to those in Years 3, 4 and 5. However, even their good progress in Year 6 cannot make up the ground they have lost in the previous three years. Results in the national tests at the end of Year 6 show standards to be average in science and English, but

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Grade: 4

significantly below average in mathematics. Standards of writing are much worse than standards of reading.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. Relationships are good. Pupils from different backgrounds and abilities get on well together and enjoy coming to school. The youngest pupils quickly learn that working and playing together makes life more pleasant. Attendance has improved to an average level. Older pupils say that they enjoy being with their friends and appreciate the opportunity that they have to seek help from Year 6 pupils who are trained to support pupils in sorting out their differences amicably. Behaviour is good and pupils show consideration for others. Most pupils understand why rules are in place and keep to them. There are some instances when teaching in Years 3, 4 and 5 does not sufficiently engage pupils and their attention wanders, but on the whole, pupils have good attitudes to learning. 3 Inspection Report: Grendon Junior and Infant School (NC), 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005

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Grade: 2

Pupils have a strong voice in the school and influence what happens through the School Council. They have a firm understanding of how to keep safe and lead a healthy lifestyle. Pupils were eager to talk to inspectors about changes to the snacks on offer at break times to reflect healthy eating. The ‘Huff and Puff’ activities that encourage physical activity at break-time are very popular. Pupils know who to turn to if they have a problem or concern and are confident that help and support will be there from adults. The oldest pupils acquire adequate basic skills so that they can move on to the next stage of their education, but their rate of progress from Year 3 to Year 5 is inadequate.

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Grade: 4

Teaching is inadequate because it is not good enough in Years 3, 4 and 5, where it fails to meet the needs of boys and higher attainers in particular. Pupils experience consistently good teaching from when they start Nursery until they finish Year 2. Teaching is also good in Year 6. Teachers plan lessons that involve quick changes of activity that alternate between being relatively passive, such as sitting quietly together to learn what the senses do, to being more active, such as pupils going outside to use their senses. Such an approach ensures that pupils remain interested in their work and enjoy the activities. Teachers have a very good idea of what pupils can achieve, so they set work that is sufficiently difficult and know when a pupil simply needs encouragement rather than help. In Years 3, 4 and 5, pupils experience a completely different diet. Targets remain challenging, but pupils often do not come anywhere near achieving them because the

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Grade: 4

tasks are too easy or because they are not expected to produce enough work. In writing, for example, higher-attaining Year 2 pupils produced more written work in their topic books last year than higher-attaining Year 5 pupils did in geography, history and religious education put together. The teacher will often spend too long talking to the class, which results in pupils becoming bored; boys in particular switch off and play no further part in the lesson. Whilst there are some weaknesses that are common across all classes, another problem is variation in approach. Some teachers use targets with their pupils, for example, while others do not. Some teachers enforce the school rules regarding behaviour, but others are not firm enough, so pupils start to fidget and distract others. Too little emphasis is placed on developing the basic skills of writing and mathematics, which in turn leads to pupils underachieving in these areas.

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Grade: 4

Pupils with learning difficulties or other disabilities make better progress than others in Years 3, 4 and 5, because teaching assistants and other support staff have a good knowledge of their pupils’ capabilities and ensure that they work at an appropriate rate, even when the rest of the class is working too slowly. 4 Inspection Report: Grendon Junior and Infant School (NC), 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005

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Grade: 4

Whilst the full curriculum is planned, it is inadequate. This is because planning does not effectively promote sound progress for pupils in some year groups in the key areas of writing and mathematics. The curriculum for children in the Nursery and Reception, as well as in Years 1 and 2, is good and firmly based on the acquisition of basic skills in literacy and numeracy as well as providing plenty of opportunities for learning through doing. In Years 3 to 5, there is much more variation in the extent to which planning builds securely upon what pupils can already do. Additionally, pupils in Years 3 to 6 do not get the chance to use their writing and mathematical skills in other subjects. The good range of activities provided beyond normal lessons is greatly appreciated by the many pupils who take part. There is good planning for pupils’ learning about safety and health.

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Grade: 3

This is satisfactory. The school takes good care of pupils and is mindful of their safety and well-being on a day-to-day basis. As a result, pupils feel secure, right from the early days in the Nursery. Pupils’ longer-term well-being is well catered for because of the good opportunities they have to develop a healthy lifestyle as well as learning how to keep safe. There are examples of very good guidance and support for individual pupils that have led to much improved attendance or better behaviour and so boosted achievement. When advice is sought from outside the school, it is used effectively to improve teaching that focuses on specific difficulties. In some year groups, pupils are clear about what they are aiming for in their work and how their targets will be reached. However, not all pupils in Years 3, 4 and 5 benefit from such a clear direction to help them improve their performance and this slows their progress.

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Grade: 4

Leadership and management are inadequate because nobody has taken action quickly enough to stem the tide of falling standards; there is little evidence to suggest that the school has the capacity to improve. There have been clear signs of underachievement at the school since 2003, but even before this there were indications of falling standards and declining achievement. Managers at all levels, including governors, have not been sufficiently critical of the school’s performance and have only recently carried out sufficiently detailed analyses of test results and other performance data. The school has not been helped by external monitoring that found achievement to be good and no major problems with results. Actions taken to improve standards of writing - the main weakness at the time of the previous inspection - have proved ineffective. 5 Inspection Report: Grendon Junior and Infant School (NC), 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005

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Grade: 4

The school’s managers now have a clear idea of its weaknesses; they know that teaching is not good enough in Years 3, 4 and 5. However, the way that the quality of teaching is checked lacks any real rigour, with little in the way of negative comments or judgements that identify where teachers have taught lessons that failed to reach a satisfactory standard. The school now has several initiatives in place to improve the quality of education, but almost all of these are new and have not had time to bear fruit. In some cases, the school’s managers have been far too slow to react; detailed plans for improving mathematics were only produced at the start of this term, for example, and performance targets for teachers this year make no mention of improving standards in mathematics. Nevertheless, there are areas of strength in the school’s leadership and management. Managers seek and act on the views of parents, most of whom are happy with the

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Grade: 4

education provided. Efforts to improve pupils’ attendance and behaviour have proved successful, and the managers have ensured a safe and healthy environment in which pupils can develop. 6 Inspection Report: Grendon Junior and Infant School (NC), 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Grendon Junior and Infant School (NC), 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 3 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 4 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA No The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA No Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 4 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 4 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 4 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 3 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 4 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 4 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 4 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 4 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 4 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

As you know, some inspectors visited your school recently to check on how well it was doing. Thank you very much for the way you welcomed us - and a special thank you to all those who spoke to us and told us about their life at school. All the teachers and other grown-ups make sure you are safe and healthy, and that you learn to behave well and come to school when you should. You do well in your work from the time you start at Nursery until the end of Year 2. However, after that, some of you learn more slowly because the work is sometimes too easy. In Year 6 you start to do better again - you tell us that you enjoy Year 6 more than Years 3, 4 and 5, and we can see why. The people who are in charge of the school have a good idea of where there are problems, but we think they need help in putting things right. We have asked them to make the teaching better in Years 3, 4 and 5, and make sure you do more writing and mathematics. We have also

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

asked them to keep a closer watch on how well you are doing, so that they can sort things out more quickly. Thank you again for helping us with our work.

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