Belle Vue Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 30 Sept 2005

Inspection Report Belle Vue Primary School

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103828 Unique Reference Number Dudley LEA 277004 Inspection number 29 September 2005 to 30 September 2005 Inspection dates Faysal Mikdadi RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Lawnswood Road School address Primary Type of school Wordsley Community School category Stourbridge, West Midlands DY8 5BZ 3 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01384 818615 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01384 818616 Fax number 466 Number on roll Mr S Barton Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Jan Phipps Headteacher 24 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277004 29 September 2005 - 3 to 11 30 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

Belle Vue is a larger than average primary school in an area with a majority of home owning families. It occupies a spacious site with buildings that have seen much refurbishment recently. Pupils are from White British backgrounds with a small number of minority ethnic children. Prior attainment is average for all children joining the nursery, reception class and Year 1. Over the last two years, several new staff have joined the school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Belle Vue Primary School, 29 September 2005 to 30 September 2005

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Grade: 2

The school is right to believe that it provides a good quality education. The pupils are happy and they speak highly of their teachers. Standards are above average in all areas of the curriculum. The quality of teaching throughout the school is good and often better. The school has been successful in maintaining the pupils’ high standards of achievement in mathematics and science whilst improving those in English. Children in the nursery and reception classes receive good care and support. As a result they make good progress. The pupils behave well and the school makes good provision for their personal development and well-being. The pupils’ contribution to the school community is good. Parents think well of the school. The school is led and managed well. The headteacher has made some significant improvements and has created a happy working ethos. Senior managers have identified priorities for improvement, including the need to monitor teaching more rigorously.

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Grade: 2

The school knows that it assesses the pupils’ work satisfactorily but that the information gained from assessments is not used effectively to improve the pupils’ performance. The many positive changes that have occurred already point to a school that is well set to make further improvements. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• ensure that all pupils' progress is monitored regularly and recorded systematically, and that the information is used to further improve pupils' performance.' • include subject and key stage co-ordinators in the monitoring of teaching so that they know what needs to be done next to bring about further improvements.

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Grade: 2

Children starting school have average attainment. They make good progress in the nursery and reception and through Years 1 to 6. Year 6 test results in mathematics and science in 2004 were well above the national average and those in English were above. As a result of the relative weaknesses in writing, the school focused on literacy and took action to improve matters. Consequently, results were higher in English in 2005. These standards have been maintained. In all year groups, standards are well above average in mathematics and science and above average in English. Standards in other curriculum areas are above what is normally seen, as a result of the good quality teaching. The pupils achieve well. Pupils’ speaking, listening and reading have improved. They write more effectively now mainly because teachers encourage them to evaluate their work in order to agree targets for improvement. This was seen when Year 4 pupils

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Grade: 2

wrote a letter to Harriet, a character from the Harry Potter books, to explain that they were guiltless of any misdoing. Each pupil discussed the need to paragraph, to punctuate and to decide what strategies to use to engage the reader. In the reception 2 Inspection Report: Belle Vue Primary School, 29 September 2005 to 30 September 2005 class, the children benefit from using computers to construct sentences. In science, pupils use investigative skills intelligently, as they showed when testing the soil in their Dig for Victory project.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is good. They develop self-worth while retaining sensitivity to others. They have a clear understanding of what is right and wrong. Social development is particularly strong and pupils respond well to opportunities to take on responsibilities. Pupils work well together and relationships are positive. Pupils enjoy school as is reflected in their positive attitudes. They behave well and the school’s new behaviour policy has resulted in improved self-discipline. There is a strong commitment to promoting racial equality. The few incidents of bullying are dealt with quickly and effectively. The many extra curricular activities promote good personal development and enhance the pupils’ enjoyment. Personal and social education lessons make a strong contribution to developing pupils’ understanding of how to live a healthy life. The spacious, extensive grounds, together

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Grade: 2

with good quality play equipment, encourage pupils to run around and enjoy themselves. The school lunches are healthy. The school encourages pupils to eat healthy snacks. Pupils make a positive contribution to the school community and a satisfactory contribution to the wider community. They are very keen to be involved in the new school council and feel that they are listened to and respected. Attendance rates are above the national average and pupils attend regularly and punctually. This ensures that they are able to take full advantage of the good quality teaching and consequently they make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are consistently good in the nursery, the reception classes and throughout Years 1 to 6. Well planned, interesting activities engage the pupils and promote enjoyment, creativity and effective learning. The teachers’ marking is rigorous. The pupils respond well and are keen to get things right. Very good quality relationships between teachers, support staff and pupils give the pupils the confidence to ask and answer questions. The teachers have enthusiastically adopted new ideas learnt on recent training which have led to improvements in the teaching of English. Their concentration on improving the teaching of writing is raising the pupils’ standards. Teachers assess and plan well. Although learning is planned for groups rather than individuals, the groupings are 3 Inspection Report: Belle Vue Primary School, 29 September 2005 to 30 September 2005 effective. Most pupils make good progress. Only occasionally are all pupils are engaged

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Grade: 2

in very similar tasks, which results in the learning needs of some pupils not being fully met. The diagnosis of additional learning needs has been improved by better assessment procedures and enhanced provision for pupils with special educational needs. Pupils with learning difficulties are well supported and teaching assistants are effective. The records kept for pupils with special educational needs vary in quality and sometimes targets for them to aim at are not specific enough. Monitoring and recording of the progress of individual pupils, including those with special educational needs and the gifted and talented, are still developing and are a priority for senior management.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is suitable broad and well balanced to meet the needs of all pupils. The nursery and reception classes provide a stimulating start to the children’s education, with the teachers recognising the importance of developing the children’s confidence and social skills. Within the past year the school has introduced innovations to the curriculum for its youngest children and this has resulted in higher standards in all areas. Such innovations included a stronger focus on literacy and the the use of ICT. In Years 1 to 6 the curriculum fulfils the requirements of the National Curriculum, with a strong focus on literacy and numeracy. The school has developed a creative approach to delivering the other areas of the curriculum which is engaging pupils’ interest well. Since the last inspection the school has acquired an information and communication technology (ICT) suite and this is used regularly and productively.

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Grade: 2

To make learning even more interesting, the school takes the pupils on a wide variety of visits in the local area and beyond, and invites visiting speakers. The many extra curricular activities are well attended.

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Grade: 2

The pupils are well cared for. They find staff helpful and easy to approach. Induction procedures are good, enabling pupils to settle into school quickly. Support staff provide high levels of care for pupils with special educational needs. The pupils develop a high level of self-esteem. Pupils at risk are identified early and effective strategies are put in place to ensure that pupils with special educational needs make good progress. The school works well with parents, carers and other agencies, which enhances both pupils’ academic progress and their personal development. The pupils’ standards are assessed regularly and the information is often used well by class teachers to plan activities that improve progress. Target setting is improving and pupils are becoming more involved in evaluating their own work. However, the school does not have a clear picture of each pupil’s progress as they move up through the

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Grade: 2

4 Inspection Report: Belle Vue Primary School, 29 September 2005 to 30 September 2005 school and this can result in a small number making slower progress by not being identified quickly enough. Procedures for child protection are well implemented. Pupils are well supervised, safe and secure.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides good leadership and is committed to raising standards. She has successfully brought about improvements to the school buildings and promoted a strong sense of teamwork. Consequently, good standards are being maintained. The pupils are taught well and feel well cared for in a supportive and welcoming environment. Relationships are good. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the leadership. The headteacher has a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The end of Key Stage test results are monitored closely and challenging targets set for the pupils. The headteacher recognises that more could be done to track the achievement of individual pupils and recently has put procedures in place to monitor the progress they make from year to year. Whilst monitoring of the teaching in lessons takes place, it sometimes lacks rigour and subject and key stage co-ordinators

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Grade: 2

are not fully involved. Governors are supportive, well trained and hardworking, and are closely involved in the work of the school. They bring a wealth of experience and expertise which the school draws on productively. They visit school regularly and provide support for areas of the curriculum, finances and health and safety. The school’s resources are good and they are used well. Finances are tightly controlled and recent audit reports confirm they are well managed. The school provides good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Belle Vue Primary School, 29 September 2005 to 30 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: Belle Vue Primary School, 29 September 2005 to 30 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 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 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 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 3 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 3 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 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

Belle Vue Primary School Lawnswood Road Wordsley Stourbridge West Midlands DY8 5BZ 2 October 2005 Dear Pupils I am writing to you to tell you about our visit. First of all, I want to thank you for making us feel so welcome. We enjoyed chatting to you about your school. I also want to thank the Year 6 pupils who, being away during our visit, were kind enough to write to me telling me of all the wonderful things that they did at school. Your work in mathematics and science improves as you go through the school so that by the end of Year 6 many of you do very well in the tests. By the end of Year 2 you also do well in reading and mathematics although less well in writing. But in the last year or so, your work in writing has improved a lot because of the new and interesting things that your teachers did with you. Because of that, last year’s end of Year 6 test results were better in English. You are well looked after. Many of you told us about how much you liked your school and the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

adults in it. You are happy with all the extra activities that you can do. I enjoyed joining you in the Dig for Victory project during which you grew the biggest pumpkin that I have seen for some time. You have good teachers and other adults who have done a lot to help you. This means that you are able to do good work because you understand what you need to do to improve. We have suggested to your teachers that they check on your progress more regularly. This will help them to make sure that you make even better progress. Your school is also good in giving you many chances to learn a lot of things both in and out of the classrooms. Recently, changes have included a much improved school site, nicer classrooms, lots of new activities, the school council and many others. We have suggested that what happens in the classrooms should be looked at regularly by some of your senior teachers so that even more improvements can be made.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You are proud of your school. You are right to be so proud of it. We enjoyed our visit very much. Once again, thank you. Dr. F. H. Mikdadi - Lead inspector

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