Moor Hall Primary School

Inspection Report Moor Hall Primary School

p.1

103351 Unique Reference Number Birmingham LEA 276898 Inspection number 23 May 2006 to 24 May 2006 Inspection dates Mark Mumby HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Rowallan Road School address Primary Type of school Sutton Coldfield Community School category West Midlands B75 6RE 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 0121 3083966 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0121 3234501 Fax number 209 Number on roll Mrs P Garrington Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs E W Baxter Headteacher 8 May 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276898 23 May 2006 - 4 to 11 24 May 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and one Additional Inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

Moor Hall is an average-sized primary school. It serves the quiet residential area of Four Oaks. Virtually all of the pupils are from White British backgrounds and speak English as their first language. The number of children eligible for free school meals is very low. The proportion of children with learning difficulties, and including those with a statement of special educational needs, is well below the national average. Nearly all pupils stay at the school from Reception to Year 6 and this is much better than the national picture.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 23 May 2006 to 24 May 2006

p.3

Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory education for its pupils and has some significant strengths. However, the school’s own assessment of its overall effectiveness is more generous than inspection evidence reveals. The recently appointed headteacher has set a clear educational direction which he has shared with staff, governors and parents. Systems have been put in place to track pupils’ progress and actions to raise standards are already taking effect, for example in mathematics. However, planning for improvement is not sufficiently systematic or rigorous enough to bring about rapid improvement in pupils’ achievement across all subjects. The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection and has a sound capacity to improve further. It offers satisfactory value for money. Pupils start school with skills which are better than those found nationally. They make satisfactory progress in Reception,

p.4

Grade: 3

despite the limited facilities due to the lack of an appropriate outdoor area. This progress continues throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, with standards remaining above average at the end of each Key Stage. Lessons are always at least satisfactory and many have good and very good features. However, the best practice is not consistent throughout the school so not all pupils are able to make as much progress as they could. Children are very well mannered, behaving well in and around school and they are keen to learn. They have a good understanding about how to look after themselves and are well cared for. Teachers’ marking and the targets they set are not always as effective as they could be in helping children improve their work.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Develop self-evaluation and school improvement planning to ensure that it is rigorous and systematic with a clear focus on raising achievement and improving teaching and learning. • Improve the quality and consistency of teaching and learning by raising expectations and sharing good practice. • Implement a more consistent approach to marking and the setting of curriculum targets to ensure that all children know how to improve their work and make better progress.

p.4

Grade: 3

Pupils make satisfactory progress throughout the school. When children enter the Reception class, their skills and abilities are higher than those found in most schools. By the end of the Foundation Stage, standards for the majority of pupils in each area of learning are higher than those expected nationally. Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1 and standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 have been consistently above national averages for the past five years. However, there has been a gradual decline since 2002 when standards were exceptionally high. By the end of Year 6, standards in mathematics and science have been exceptionally high for the past four years. Standards in English have been consistently above national averages over this period and were exceptionally high in 2 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 23 May 2006 to 24 May 2006 2002 and 2004. The progress made by all groups of pupils is in line with that made by

p.4

Grade: 3

similar pupils nationally. The school has set challenging targets for the current Year 6 pupils and the school’s own assessments indicate that the target for mathematics should be met, although the target for English is unlikely to be met. Pupils with learning difficulties are well supported and make good progress.

p.5

Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good. Pupils are considerate to others and behave well in lessons and around the school. At break times, they play well together and say that they make good friends. They enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their good attendance. Pupils have a well developed sense of right and wrong and are aware of the impact of their actions on the well-being and happiness of others. Spiritual development is good. Pupils have a good understanding of a wide range of customs and traditions and show high levels of respect to others. This is because the school has worked hard to broaden their horizons through studies of a variety of faiths and customs and visits to places of worship. High levels of involvement in a good range of sporting activities and the good provision for physical education have a positive impact on pupils’ fitness. However, too many children eat unhealthy snacks at break

p.5

Grade: 2

times. By the time they leave school, pupils are developing an awareness of the dangers of poor eating habits, smoking and drug abuse. Pupils feel safe in school because they know that adults are there to help them and there are effective systems in place to deal with any incidents of bullying. They make a good contribution to both the school and the wider community through a wide range of fundraising activities and social events, including a community tea. Their development of good basic skills and the range of responsibilities they are given prepare pupils well for their future economic wellbeing.

p.5

Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall throughout the school. Some teaching is good and some aspects of very good teaching were seen during the inspection. For example, in a Year 6 numeracy lesson, pupils were using a combination of mathematical skills to solve problems. The teacher used practical activities to illustrate her explanations and frequently questioned pupils to challenge their thinking. However, there is not enough teaching that is good or better to enable all pupils to make as much progress as they could. In many lessons, the pupils made most progress during teacher-directed sessions when questioning was used effectively to challenge pupils and extend their thinking. Too many worksheets are used in lessons and the activities which pupils are given to work on independently frequently do not provide sufficient challenge for all of the pupils. In too many lessons, pupils do not have a sufficiently

p.5

Grade: 3

clear understanding of what they are expected to learn and the activities are often 3 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 23 May 2006 to 24 May 2006 too difficult or too easy for some of them. Pupils are not given enough opportunities to take part in activities which make them think and this slows progress, especially for the most capable pupils. The support provided by teaching assistants for the least able pupils is effective in helping them make good progress. Work is marked regularly but it does not always provide sufficient guidance to help pupils improve their work.

p.5

Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. It includes a good range of enrichment and extra curricular activities, such as clubs, visitors, visits and residential opportunities. A particular strength is the provision for sport, where qualified coaches are used well to promote healthy lifestyles and a passion for sport. The school has achieved considerable success and currently holds a good range of trophies for swimming, athletics and hockey. The needs of most pupils are well catered for, but the provision for the most able pupils and those with particular gifts and talents are not consistently planned for. A lot of effort has gone into developing information and communication technology (ICT) and ensuring that the network is available across the school. The school now has a range of computers which are regularly used by all pupils for research, word processing and data handling. Pupils who need additional help are quickly identified and supported

p.6

Grade: 3

with programmes and activities to help them with their learning.

p.6

Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. The staff know the pupils well and ensure that they are educated in a safe, secure and stimulating environment. The robust arrangements for safeguarding pupils' welfare are regularly reviewed and systematically checked by senior staff. Risk assessments are carried out rigorously. The pupils feel well supported and cared for. They value the 'worry boxes' which provide a means for them to express worries and fears, knowing that their comments will be carefully considered and acted on. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and conscientiously but their comments do not always give pupils adequate feedback or advice on how to improve. Many pupils could not remember the targets that had been set for them and many of the targets were not precise enough to help the pupils to progress as quickly as they could. The school has developed good relationships with external agencies

p.6

Grade: 2

who support individual pupils. Strengths and achievements are regularly shared and celebrated.

p.6

Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The recently appointed headteacher has established a clear educational direction for the school, following a period of uncertainty. He has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and has put in place appropriate actions to bring about improvements. He has begun 4 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 23 May 2006 to 24 May 2006 to monitor the progress of pupils and to hold teachers responsible for achievement in their classes. However, the school has not yet established a sufficiently rigorous and systematic approach to evaluate the work of the school. The headteacher has recognised that the school improvement plan is not sufficiently rigorous to enable the school to bring about the necessary improvements quickly enough. Much of the plan has now been improved and the school is well placed to move forward at a reasonable pace. The subject leader for mathematics has made a detailed analysis of the school’s

p.6

Grade: 3

strengths and areas for development in this subject. Appropriate actions have been put in place and improvements are beginning to show in pupils’ progress. However, the role of the coordinators for other subjects is less well developed. Parents are very supportive of the school, holding it in high regard, and their views are valued. The school works closely with parents and has made changes in response to their suggestions. For example, communications have been improved and parents now have more efficient access to information through the use of ICT. The governing body has a clear understanding of its responsibilities and has set up appropriate committees and governors to focus on specific areas of the school’s work. They are provided with suitable information by the headteacher and have a good understanding of what the school needs to do to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 23 May 2006 to 24 May 2006

p.7

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

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 23 May 2006 to 24 May 2006

p.8

Overall

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

p.9

learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA NA The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 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

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

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

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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.

p.9

and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 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 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

25 May 2006 Dear Children Thank you for making Mr Sweet and I so welcome when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking to you and looking at your work. We were very pleased to hear you talk so enthusiastically about your school. All of the adults in school take good care of you and you obviously enjoy all the different activities and visits that they organise. It was good to see how much sport you do to keep fit and healthy, but most of you need to think more carefully about some of those unhealthy snacks at break time. We think that your ‘worry boxes’ are a very good idea. You are all well behaved and think carefully about each other’s feelings. You all work hard in lessons and listen carefully to your teachers. In some lessons, your teachers plan activities which make you think really hard and this helps you to learn more. We have asked your teachers to do more of these sorts of activities and to make sure that all of you

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

learn as much as you can. We have also asked them to try to help you more when they mark your work. You will learn even faster if your teachers give you more ideas about how to make your work better. Mr Steggall has got a lot of good ideas about how to make your school even better and he has already started to make some changes. We have asked him and the other adults in charge of your school to make careful checks to make sure that the changes are helping you to learn more. I am sure you will all keep working hard and help the adults that look after you make your school even better than it already is. Good luck and keep working hard. Yours sincerely Mark Mumby Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.11