Coundon Primary School

Inspection Report Coundon Primary School

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103680 Unique Reference Number Coventry LEA 276972 Inspection number 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 Inspection dates Peter Callow AI Reporting inspector

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

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Forfield Road School address Primary Type of school Coventry Community School category West Midlands CV6 1FQ 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 024 76592559 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 024 76590996 Fax number 474 Number on roll Mr David Hooley Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Kevin Snow Headteacher 31 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 276972 7 February 2006 - 3 to 11 8 February 2006 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

Coundon Primary School has been substantially rebuilt since 2001. It now has very good accommodation, which is used by a private ‘Kidz Club’ for out-of-school care and groups in the local community. Pupils generally enter school with standards that are below average. The number with learning difficulties varies from year to year but is below average overall. The percentage from minority ethnic groups and those whose first language is not English is above the national average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Coundon Primary School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006

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Grade: 2

Coundon Primary School is a good school. The generally below average levels of attainment on entry and the numbers of pupils with learning difficulties in different years mean that standards vary across the school. However, because of good teaching, all groups of pupils make good progress. Standards steadily rise and by the time pupils leave the school they are above average. This confirms the school’s view that its effectiveness is good and that it provides good value for money. The good teaching and innovative early years curriculum in the Foundation Stage ensures good progress. Standards are only just below average at the end of it. There has been slower progress in writing in Key Stage 1 in some year groups because the teaching of writing has not been sufficiently matched to pupils’ capabilities. Following good self-evaluation a range of strategies have been put in place to address this and raise standards. Progress is improving, but the strategies are not being monitored

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Grade: 2

sufficiently to assess their impact. The good personal development and well-being of pupils leads to a calm, caring and purposeful environment where pupils talk confidently about the importance of personal development targets such as being polite and behaving well. Pupils are less aware of learning targets, however, and only the oldest ones really know what they can do to improve their work. The curriculum is good and weaknesses identified at the time of the last inspection in art, music and information and communication technology (ICT) are now becoming strengths. This is the result of good leadership at all levels. The development of strong links with the local secondary school and the ‘Kidz Club’ are good examples of the emphasis that is placed on extending pupils’ learning and ensuring their well-being. The school has improved well since its last inspection and is in a strong position to bring about further improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Monitor the strategies to raise standards in writing, particularly at Key Stage 1, to assess their impact. •Share learning targets with pupils across the school to help them to know what they can do to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The achievement of all groups of pupils throughout the school is good. Standards are average overall, and get higher as pupils move through the school. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress, which enables a significant number to require less support as they get older. Pupils from minority ethnic groups and those whose first language is not English also make good progress. 2 Inspection Report: Coundon Primary School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 Pupils enter school with generally below average standards. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage so that by the end standards are just below average. In Key Stage 1 pupils again make good progress and leave Year 2 with broadly average standards. Pupils continue to make good progress and leave the school with standards that are above average. Lower standards in tests at the end of Key Stage 1 in the last two years reflect the particularly low attainment on entry of pupils in these year groups. They also reflect

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Grade: 2

pupils making less progress in their writing. Evidence from the inspection shows that whilst pupils are now making better progress, their standards still need to improve further. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 were significantly above average for four years until 2005 when they fell to broadly average. This was because the Year 6 classes last year had more pupils with learning difficulties. They still made good progress overall from standards they had reached at the end of Key Stage 1, particularly in English. Standards and achievement in the current Year 5 and Year 6 are good and pupils are well placed to meet the school’s challenging targets at the end of Key Stage 2.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. As a result they are confident and behave well. They show positive attitudes in their lessons and are keen to learn. They enjoy coming to school and their attendance is above average. Pupils’ awareness of the need for safe and healthy living is good and they benefit from an early age by participating in initiatives such as ‘Fit ‘n Fun’. Pupils say that there is little bullying and that adults are quick to sort out any problems that do occur. Pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory but their moral, social and cultural development is good because there are more opportunities for promoting these aspects across the curriculum. Pupils make a very good contribution to the school through the school and class councils. The school council works well as a team and has taken responsibility for, and organised, fundraising for a number of initiatives including friendship benches where

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Grade: 2

pupils can sit if they are looking for someone to play with. Pupils’ good progress in the basic skills and ICT gives them a good preparation for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good overall, but varies between satisfactory and outstanding in different age groups. It is good in the Foundation Stage and is satisfactory, but improving, at Key Stage 1 as teachers are becoming better at teaching writing. Teachers 3 Inspection Report: Coundon Primary School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 generally have good subject knowledge and plan lessons carefully to meet the needs of all pupils. Pupils express their views confidently and listen thoughtfully to others, but in some lessons insufficient time is allowed for this to happen. Marking is satisfactory overall but it does not always give pupils clear guidance about how to improve their work. Strategies to encourage pupils to assess their own work are in the early stages of development. Teaching is best in Years 5 and 6 because assessment and marking are used well to guide pupils on how to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Pupils with learning difficulties and those whose first language is not English receive well structured support which enables them to make good progress. They enjoy their activities and grow in self-confidence. Teachers frequently provide activities to challenge the gifted and talented pupils. Homework is regularly set and helps pupils to consolidate the work they have undertaken in school.

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Grade: 2

Curriculum provision is good, which helps all groups of pupils make good progress. Pupils are not given enough opportunities for extended writing at Key Stage 1, but this is starting to be addressed through the development of a scheme of work. The subjects of the curriculum are well planned. Very good progress has been made in improving the provision for music, art and ICT since the last inspection and these subjects are becoming strengths. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is successful in helping pupils to grow in self-confidence and develop a good understanding of healthy lifestyles. The provision to enrich and extend the work done in the classroom is a strength. Opportunities such as those to visit Jaguar and working with a local sculptor make lessons relevant and exciting. Pupils appreciate the many opportunities they have to attend a wide range of sport and arts based activities after school.

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Grade: 2

The ethos of the school ensures that care, guidance and support is good overall. Pupils say that adults look after, and support them well. Child protection arrangements are thorough, as are arrangements for pupils’ health, safety and security. The school works hard on this, as shown by the recent implementation of a scheme of work for PSHE and a travel plan for cycling proficiency in Years 5 and 6. There are good links with the local secondary school for transferring pupils. Arrangements to support pupils’ academic progress are satisfactory and improving. A system for making pupils aware of their learning targets and involving them in knowing how to reach these targets has been successfully introduced in Year 6. In other classes, pupils are aware of lesson objectives, but are less familiar with learning targets and what they themselves can do to improve their work, for example, through ‘next steps’.

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Grade: 2

4 Inspection Report: Coundon Primary School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good and the headteacher has successfully led the school through a difficult period of change. During the rebuilding of the school the senior management team has ensured that all groups of pupils have continued to make good progress. As well as aiming for high standards in the basic skills they and the governors have shown their commitment to enriching the curriculum so that it allows pupils to make good progress in areas such as art and music. Through effective self-evaluation they have also responded to the needs of parents by promoting the use of the new accommodation to develop out-of-school care facilities. Leadership at all levels, including that of governors and subject leaders, has kept the focus firmly on school improvement. The leaders’ clear vision for the future underpins the improvement plan. Success criteria within the plan, however, are not always sufficiently clear to enable leaders to assess the full impact of the school’s actions to

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Grade: 2

bring about improvement. There are good systems for tracking pupils’ progress, which allow analysis of individual pupils’ performance. This analysis is taking place, but is not yet recorded consistently so that the school’s performance and trends in pupils’ progress can be easily accessed to support self-evaluation. As a result of the senior management team’s ability to identify correctly strengths and weaknesses, writing is being improved using staff expertise within the school. This is an example of the school’s good capacity to keep raising its performance. 5 Inspection Report: Coundon Primary School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 .

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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: Coundon Primary School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006

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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 2 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 3 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 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 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 2 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 2 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 2 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 Thank you for welcoming us to your school. We were so pleased to be able to see the arrival of the wonderful bronze sculpture you designed. It will look magnificent at the front of the new buildings. What we liked most about your school •You already go to a good school and those who lead it are making it even better •Your teachers help all of you to make good progress •Your behaviour is good and you are keen to learn •You are taught well and you are having more opportunities to enjoy art and music, as well as use computers •The adults care for you and you look after each other. What we have asked your school to do now •Help you to make good progress in your writing all the way through the school •Share your learning targets with you so that you know what you can do to improve your work. Yours sincerely Peter D Callow Mr P Callow Lead Inspector

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