Welford Primary School

Inspection Report Welford Primary School

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103328 Unique Reference Number Birmingham LEA 276894 Inspection number 26 September 2005 to 27 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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Welford Road School address Primary Type of school Handsworth Community School category Birmingham, West Midlands B20 2BL 3 to 11 Age range of pupils

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0121 4649228 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0121 4644097 Fax number 480 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Chris Smith Headteacher 14 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276894 26 September 2005 - 3 to 11 27 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

Welford is a large inner city primary school serving a very deprived area of Birmingham. The mix of pupils at the school reflects the diverse multi-cultural nature of the locality; almost all pupils come from a minority ethnic background and over half speak English as an additional language.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Welford Primary School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005

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Grade: 2

Welford Primary School provides a good education for its pupils. Pupils make good progress in all years because they are taught well. However, the school’s biggest impact is in pupils’ personal development, which is outstanding, especially in helping pupils to behave exceptionally well and to live and work with others. The school works extremely well with parents, who are keen to come in to school so they can find out the best ways to help their children learn. Provision for children in the Nursery and Reception classes is good. Children progress well, given their low starting points, but make outstanding progress in personal, social and emotional development because of the school’s consistent focus on this area of learning. The school’s view of its performance is accurate and matches that of the inspectors. The school has made good progress since it was last inspected, especially in information and communication technology (ICT), levels of attendance and access and facilities

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Grade: 2

for disabled pupils. The good quality of management, together with the headteacher’s outstanding leadership, is ensuring a good capacity for future improvement and excellent value for money. Grade: 2

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What the school should do to improve further

•Make more use of individual targets for pupils so that they know what they need to do in order to improve their standards still further.

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Grade: 2

Children join the Nursery with standards that are well below those usually found at this age. Many children communicate only with gestures and a very few words. From this time on, pupils make consistently good progress in all years and leave with above average standards by the end of Year 6. Some pupils do exceptionally well, such as those who study successfully for GCSE examinations in mathematics at the end of Year 6. In the Nursery and Reception classes, pupils make outstanding progress in their personal skills, such as learning how to work and play with other children. Their communication skills are improved significantly, but still remain below average for their age when they join Year 1. Throughout the school, pupils make good progress in the key skills of reading, writing and mathematics, as well as ICT, which was not good enough at the time of the previous inspection. All pupils make the same good progress as others,

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Grade: 2

because the school goes to great lengths to provide lots of different types of support. In particular, the pupils whose first language is not English are helped to improve their English quickly so they can play a full part in lessons. 2 Inspection Report: Welford Primary School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005 The school’s managers set challenging targets for test results and usually these are met or exceeded. However, in 2004 results in the national tests at the end of Year 6 fell significantly in mathematics, bringing the school’s overall performance down to average. This "blip" in results was the result of disruption due to teacher absence in Year 6 which had a significant impact on the year group’s' performance and in mathematics in particular. In 2005, with the return of stable staffing in Year 6, results shot up and higher attainers in particular did very well. The results in 2005 show the

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Grade: 2

same good level of achievement as in most years previous to 2004. Grade: 2

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Grade: 1

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is outstanding. Pupils behave extremely well and are keen to tell visitors how much they enjoy lessons and the wide range of other activities available. This level of enjoyment is exceptional. Their social and personal skills improve significantly as they move up the school, so it becomes an environment where it is easy to be happy and do well; this is one of the things that the pupils themselves say “makes it a good school”. Pupils are respectful towards each other, whatever their background or particular needs, and relationships are good. Bullying and racism are rare and pupils agree that when they do occur, they are dealt with very quickly and effectively. Pupils themselves play an important part in dealing with such tensions through acting successfully as mediators between those involved.

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Grade: 1

The school works hard to make sure that all its pupils have a say in how to improve their life at school. They make a positive contribution to school life through completing regular questionnaires and participating in the active school council. Positive outcomes include improved toilets and equipment on the playground. In the wider community, pupils raise funds for different charities, including donating vegetables grown on their own allotments to local people at Harvest time. Pupils throughout the school are taught the importance of healthy lifestyles and what they need to do to stay safe; they act on these messages well. Attendance is improving every year, at a faster rate than that seen nationally, and is now broadly the same as the national average. The school has good systems for improving attendance. It has very effectively focused, through the learning mentor and parents, on improving the attendance rates of small groups of pupils who are more

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Grade: 1

frequently absent. Grade: 1 3 Inspection Report: Welford Primary School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005

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Grade: 2

Pupils thoroughly enjoy their lessons because they find the work interesting and challenging. As a result, behaviour is outstanding and pupils work hard. Teachers have a good knowledge of their subjects and make sure pupils use the correct vocabulary. For example, corners on shapes are ‘vertices’, even in Year 3. The work of classroom assistants is good because they know the specific needs of each pupil well. They take different approaches to pupils according to their needs, knowing that a pupil with writing difficulties needs a different sort of help from a pupil whose first language is not English. Pupils cover a lot of work in lessons in response to teachers’ demanding deadlines. Whilst many teachers explain clearly the purpose of the lesson, this is not a consistent picture across the school and leaves some pupils unsure of why they are doing a particular task. Teachers have a good understanding of pupils’ capabilities and plan well for their

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Grade: 2

differing needs in individual lessons. However, the school does not yet set longer-term targets for pupils, either formally or informally through marking, so pupils are not being given a complete picture of what they need to do to improve their work still further. The school recognises this and is currently restructuring its assessment procedures. Grade 2

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Grade: 2

The curriculum develops pupils’ basic skills well. The Foundation Stage is improving and is now good because there are more opportunities for children to learn through play. Years 1 to 6 have specialist teaching in mathematics, science and personal, health and social education that is developing pupils’ investigative and social skills well. The curriculum is interesting for pupils. For example, the whole school spent one week recently studying different countries, which had a significant impact on pupils’ understanding of other cultures and of their own cultural heritage. The school has identified its gifted and talented pupils and provides good extension work for them in after-school clubs, although more could be provided in some lessons. The school has a good range of extra- curricular activities that are well attended and are greatly appreciated by pupils. Parents take up the many outstanding opportunities to support

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Grade: 2

pupils’ learning. Their attendance at meetings to learn more about the school’s work is exceptionally high. Even more important are groups such as the Family Literacy and Numeracy Groups, where parents and children work together to help pupils who are struggling with their reading, writing and mathematics. These are all well supported and much appreciated both by parents and by pupils. Such activities play a significant role in the excellent way that pupils are prepared for their future after they have finished their education. 4 Inspection Report: Welford Primary School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005 Grade: 2

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Grade: 2

Parents and carers feel that the school cares for and supports their children very well. They appreciate being given regular opportunities to meet teachers to discuss their children’s progress and large numbers attend the regular workshops. These play a significant part in raising parents’ awareness of how best their children learn and create an environment where everyone in the wider school community contributes to raising pupils’ achievements and expectations. Academic guidance, although satisfactory, is not as good as other aspects. The lack of specific targets for pupils means that teachers find it difficult to be completely accurate in their advice to pupils about how to improve their work. Child protection and health and safety procedures are robust and any pupils who are at risk are identified and supported well. The school welcomes all children, whatever their needs, and has adapted its building well to be fully accessible. For pupils who

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Grade: 2

find school difficult, the learning mentor is a very positive role-model for pupils, providing support, developing social skills and encouraging positive attitudes to learning. The school works extremely successfully with outside agencies to help its pupils, and parents, get the support they need. Grade: 2

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Grade: 2

The school is successful because the headteacher, through his outstanding leadership, makes sure that everyone is involved in making the school a better place. The level of cooperation between governors, staff, parents and children is exceptional, so that all are pulling in the same direction and working hard for the sake of the children. The school gets a good idea of its strengths and weaknesses as a result of the high level of consultation. All those involved, from children in Nursery to parents, are asked their views, which are taken seriously and acted upon. Nevertheless, the school could do more to spot emerging trends in test results by analysing data in more detail. When weaknesses are identified, the school is quick to take effective action. Writing, for example, had been seen as a weakness in the past so the school drew up a plan to improve it and standards in writing have improved significantly. The two main

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Grade: 2

weaknesses identified in the previous report, standards in ICT and access and facilities for the disabled, have been tackled very well and are no longer problems for the school. Such improvements are the result of the strong focus placed on moving the school forward by the school’s managers, including the governors. One excellent feature of the school is the way that staff are deployed to the maximum benefit. The school has used recent changes in employment law to provide teachers with planning time in pairs, while their classes are being taught by specialists in other 5 Inspection Report: Welford Primary School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005 subjects. This is improving the quality of planning across the classes while, at the same time, improving standards in subjects such as art and design, because the class is being taught by a specialist in the subject. Staff are also given considerable levels of

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Grade: 2

responsibility, to which they respond enthusiastically, leading to excellent levels of leadership in many areas of the school’s work. Grade: 2 6 Inspection Report: Welford Primary School, 26 September 2005 to 27 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: Welford Primary School, 26 September 2005 to 27 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 1 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 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 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 1 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 2 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 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

Dear Children As you know, some inspectors visited your school recently to check on how well it was doing. Thank you very much for saying hello to us, and a special thank you to those of you who told us about your school. We think you are very polite to grown-ups and very well behaved. You told us how much you liked being at school, and we can see why. Your teachers make sure you learn a lot and are very good at getting your mums and dads to help you. What the teachers and other grown-ups are really good at is helping you to get on well with other children and grown-ups. More and more of you are coming to school every day, which helps the teacher make sure you learn your work properly. We think you could learn even more if teachers told you more often what you need to do to make your work even better. Mr Smith is a very good headteacher and he gets lots of help from the other people who are in charge of the school, so the school is getting better and better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you again for helping us with our work. Yours faithfully Mr Driscoll (Lead inspector)

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