Nelson Mandela School

103384 Unique Reference Number Birmingham LEA 276906 Inspection number 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 Inspection dates Lois Furness RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Colville Road School address Primary Type of school Sparkbrook Community School category Birmingham, West Midlands B12 8EH 3 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01217 723 055 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01217 530 736 Fax number 498 Number on roll Mrs Saeeda Akhtar Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Freda Billingham Headteacher 8 May 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276906 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

The school is a large multiracial primary school situated in a deprived area of Birmingham. A high number of children are eligible for free school meals. Children’s achievements are very low when they join the Nursery, but the number of children having learning difficulties and disabilities is close to the national average. Most of these children have moderate learning or physical disabilities. Thirteen different ethnic groups are represented in the school, with the majority of children being of Asian British-Pakistani heritage. The proportion of children for whom English is an additional language is high, with approximately two fifths of them at an early stage of learning English. Following an unprecedented number of staff leavers, there are six newly qualified teachers on the staff.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Nelson Mandela School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005

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Grade: 1

Nelson Mandela Primary is an outstanding school which parents and children justifiably hold in high regard. The inspirational leadership of the headteacher, with the support of an excellent deputy head, has created a vibrant learning environment where children make excellent progress and want to succeed. The school modestly evaluates its effectiveness as good but inspectors judge it as outstanding because of the very high standards attained by children and the excellent progress made. Even so, there is still room for improvement in the school’s provision for more able children, where some weaknesses in assessment at the end of Year 2 mean that teachers do not always recognise how well children are doing. The school also does not identify gifted and talented children effectively and provide for their needs. Leaders are determined not to become complacent and have good plans in place to rectify these issues. Teaching

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Grade: 1

is good, with many examples of excellent practice, and children greatly enjoy learning. There is a very strong commitment to making sure all children are included, and the care, guidance and support of children’s personal development are outstanding. The school takes particular care to make children feel good about themselves and their achievements. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good and this leads to good standards. The governors are very supportive of the school but their role of checking the school’s work is in its infancy. The school provides very good value for money. Given the very good progress made already, it is very well placed to improve still further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve teachers’ expertise in assessing the work of higher-attaining children at the end of Year 2 • Introduce clear ways of identifying children who are gifted and talented and plan work that matches their individual needs • Develop the role of the governors in checking the effectiveness of the initiatives taken to improve provision and standards.

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Grade: 1

The standards children attain in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6 are very high and children consistently exceed their challenging targets. This shows excellent progress from when they first start school in the Nursery, when standards in communication, language and literacy and knowledge and understanding of the world attainment are particularly low. Despite good progress in the Foundation Stage, few children reach the standards expected for their age by the time they enter Year 1. Very good emphasis is placed on promoting children’s self-esteem and in developing literacy skills throughout the school. These factors have a strong influence on why the children are doing so well. 2 Inspection Report: Nelson Mandela School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 By Year 2, standards are good and standards overall have been steadily improving over a number of years. However, school data shows that the number of children attaining

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Grade: 1

the higher level (Level 3) by Year 2 has remained the same. As yet the school does not have formalised procedures to identify gifted and talented children throughout the school. Almost all children with learning difficulties and disabilities and those who are at an early stage of learning English receive very effective support and make excellent progress.

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Grade: 1

Children love coming to school. They frequently arrive very early, keen to start the day. The friendly, welcoming atmosphere ensures that children in the Foundation Stage settle quickly into school routines. By Year 6, children are articulate learners who have high self-esteem and show very good consideration for others. Their behaviour is excellent. Attendance and punctuality are now satisfactory, showing very good improvement since the last inspection. Children eagerly accept responsibilities, such as becoming members of the school council. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. Children show sensitivity to the religions and cultures of others, respecting that people are different. They demonstrate a wide range of social skills and know right from wrong. The school’s emphasis on health has raised awareness of issues such as healthy eating and the importance of exercise. Many claim to make more informed eating choices at

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Grade: 1

home, choosing to eat fruit rather than crisps, for example. More children now walk to school. Good attention is paid to working safely, for example when working with saws and glue guns in design and technology. Children have a good understanding of how they might contribute to the wider community. The very good grounding the children receive in basic and social skills and the confidence they gain are an excellent preparation for future working life. A very articulate Year 6 child claimed that ‘In this school they extend your abilities and ambitions about what you can do’.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good and often outstanding. This excellent teaching contributes extremely well to the high quality of children’s achievement. Exciting resources are everywhere, and the school is full of lively, colourful displays which are used to engage and help children in their learning. Children are taught to manage their own time and work independently from a young age. Good ongoing assessment and marking means that lessons build successfully on earlier learning and children are keenly aware of what they must do to improve. However, the end-of-year assessments made for higher-attaining Year 2 children are sometimes not a true reflection of what children have achieved. Teaching assistants are good at helping children with learning 3 Inspection Report: Nelson Mandela School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 difficulties and disabilities. Children at an early stage of learning English are also very

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Grade: 2

effectively supported by bilingual support assistants. However, the activities given to gifted and talented children sometimes lack challenge. Parents are successfully encouraged, through workshops for example, to work with their children at home and children say that this is one of the reasons they do so well.

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Grade: 2

The good curriculum is adapted well to meet the interests and needs of the children of this school. All statutory requirements are met. The school has carefully selected the best parts of the National Primary Strategy to enable children to learn in a way that suits them best. Other national guidance is being adapted to present a more creative curriculum for the children. A significant strength is the way that reading is organised so that children very quickly acquire reading skills. One child complimented the school’s provision as ‘wonderful and reliable’. The children benefit greatly from an exciting range of enrichment activities, which include a breakfast club, organised games at lunchtime, after-school activities including art and music, and many trips and visiting performers. Children speak enthusiastically about the exciting things they do outside of lessons. Personal, social and heath education, including drugs awareness, is good and successfully promotes an

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Grade: 2

understanding of staying healthy, keeping safe and citizenship.

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Grade: 1

The quality of care, guidance and support is outstanding. Procedures for risk assessment and child protection are very securely in place. Collaboration with parents and outside agencies is excellent. Children thrive within this safe and peaceful environment. Bullying is almost unknown and each child is valued. This emphasis on the individual child and his/her family builds up children’s confidence and safety. The specific arrangements for children with learning difficulties and those with physical disabilities ensure that they are fully integrated into the school community. At key times, for example when Nursery children are settling into school, well-organised and sensitive arrangements, and the full involvement of parents, make this settling-in time much easier. Parents value very highly the care the school provides for their children, and feel comfortable discussing problems and sharing successes with school

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Grade: 1

staff, confident they will have a helpful response. Parents are given very good help in supporting their children’s learning through evening workshops.

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Grade: 2

The inspirational leadership of the headteacher is at the heart of this school’s success. With the excellent support of the deputy head, the school has a strong focus on 4 Inspection Report: Nelson Mandela School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 maintaining high standards and promoting the personal development of all learners. These common purposes are shared by all staff, and the results are evident in the excellent progress made by learners, and in their very strong sense of security and wellbeing. Inclusion is very effectively promoted. All children have equal opportunities to take part in school life. A very strong feature of leadership is the way the headteacher and deputy head lead by example. Both are outstanding practitioners, and through their extensive work in classrooms they have a very good understanding of what is working well and what needs to be improved. This ‘hands on’ approach is already having a beneficial effect

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Grade: 2

in supporting the development of the newly qualified teachers. Although standards and achievement are very high, there is no evidence of complacency as the headteacher and key members of staff rigorously analyse data, asking themselves whether children could do better. The school knows that the number of children reaching the highest levels by the end of Year 2 has remained the same for some time, and the inspection found that this is because teachers underestimate children’s achievements. Also the provision for gifted and talented children throughout the school is not specific enough. The leadership and management skills of the Foundation Stage and key subject leaders are good. They know clearly the strengths and areas that need to be improved. The relatively new governing body is supportive and fulfils its statutory duties. Some aspects of its role, however, are not in place, and this is well understood by the new

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Grade: 2

chair of governors. For example, governors are better at supporting than challenging senior managers and they are not sufficiently involved in checking the effectiveness of school improvement initiatives. Resources are deployed very efficiently and the school works closely with parents and external agencies to ensure children are well supported. There has been very good improvement since the last inspection. Standards have improved and the key issue of attendance and punctuality has been rectified. The school is very well placed to continue to improve. 5 Inspection Report: Nelson Mandela School, 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. 6 Inspection Report: Nelson Mandela School, 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 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 1 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 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 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

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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 1 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 1 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 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 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 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

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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

Nelson Mandela Primary school Colville Road Sparkbrook Birmingham B12 8EH 20 September 2005 Dear Children What a wonderful time we had visiting your school. We can understand why you are so proud of it. We enjoyed talking with you and your teachers and watching you learn. What we liked most about your school: By the time you leave this school you have made excellent progress in your learning You take great pleasure in your work and always do your best. You all get on very well together and older children are very good at helping younger ones Your behaviour is excellent, which means that you can all enjoy learning together and no time is wasted You enjoy taking on responsibilities and your school council has done a huge amount of good work to help improve the school We were very pleased to see attendance has improved and the way so many of you are there at the start of the school day so lessons start on time

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You have an outstanding headteacher who wants you all to be successful in everything you do. What we have asked the school to do now: Make sure that teachers assess your work at the end of Year 2 a bit more accurately Find out which of you have special skills and talents and help you get better at them Help the governors to check carefully how well the school is doing. We wish you all the very best in the future and thank you for being so helpful. Yours sincerely Mrs L Furness (Lead Inspector)

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