Bentley West Primary School Additionally Resourced for Hearing Impaired

Inspection Report Bentley West Primary School Additionally Resourced for Hearing Impaired

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104174 Unique Reference Number Walsall LEA 277092 Inspection number 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006 Inspection dates Barbara Crane AI Reporting inspector

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

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Monmouth Road School address Primary Type of school Walsall Community School category West Midlands WS2 0EQ 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01922 720792 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01922 634706 Fax number 436 Number on roll Mr Mike Lee Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Glenys King Headteacher 15 January 2001 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277092 28 February 2006 - 3 to 11 1 March 2006 Inspection Report: Bentley West Primary School Additionally Resourced for Hearing Impaired, 28 February 2006 to 1 March 2006

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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

This large primary school has additional resources for hearing impaired pupils. The area served by the school has considerable social and economic challenges and the school is designated as a Children’s Centre, with a wide range of extended provision, including family support services. There is a higher than average number of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. Children’s attainment when they start school is well below average. A small number of pupils are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. Almost half of the teachers have changed in the past 18 months and the newcomers are all newly qualified.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Bentley West Primary School Additionally Resourced for Hearing Impaired, 28 February 2006 to 1 March

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Grade: 2

Inspection evidence supports the school’s view of its good effectiveness. It has some outstanding features. The school’s extended provision and its excellent partnerships with others greatly enhance pupils’ learning and well-being. Pupils’ personal development is outstanding, as is the level of care, guidance and support provided. Pupils are proud of their school and comment on how much they appreciate the friendly atmosphere and the support from adults. The overwhelming majority of parents feel that the school does well for their children. Pupils’ achievement is good because of good teaching. The good provision for children in the Foundation Stage means that although standards are below average by the time they start in Year 1, they have done well from their low starting point. Pupils reach broadly average standards in Year 6. Results for Year 6 pupils last year showed that they did not achieve as they should

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Grade: 2

have done, but the school has worked diligently to make sure that current pupils are on track to do better. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, deaf pupils and pupils who are learning English as an additional language often make very rapid progress because of good support. This is also true for the more able pupils in most year groups. There are times, however, when the progress of a few of the more able pupils in Years 3 to 6 is uneven because expectations of what they can achieve are not consistently high. Good leadership and management have supported good improvement since the previous inspection. The school has good capacity for further improvement and provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that more able pupils in Years 3 to 6 are challenged consistently in order to achieve well.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ achievement is good. From a low starting point, pupils reach broadly average standards by the time they leave. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well despite below average standards by the time the start in Year 1 and so there is a firm platform for future success. The school has worked on the right areas for improvement in reading, writing and mathematics for Years 1 and 2 pupils. It has successfully improved standards, raising them to average, following the time in the past when they fell below this level. Some groups of pupils make more rapid and consistent progress than others in Years 3 to 6. This was reflected in the results for Year 6 pupils last year, when pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, deaf pupils and those learning English as an additional language made better progress than others. This is because assessment and target setting supports progress very effectively for these pupils. Last year’s targets,

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Grade: 2

overall, were not met and some pupils did not do as well as they should have done, given their attainment in Year 2. The school evaluated where the problems lay in pupils’ achievement and has resolved them so that nearly all are currently on track to meet 2 Inspection Report: Bentley West Primary School Additionally Resourced for Hearing Impaired, 28 February 2006 to 1 March their suitably challenging targets. However, there are a few more able pupils in Years 3 to 6 whose progress is not fully supported through high expectations, and who should be doing better.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is outstanding and is enhanced consistently through the school. The school makes a real difference in pupils’ lives. They enjoy school and make the most of what is offered to them. Attendance has improved over recent years and is average. By Year 6 the pupils are polite, mature, caring young citizens of whom the school and their parents can be very proud. Pupils appreciate that everyone is special. They show high levels of concern for each other and offer support for others. They frown on any form of bullying or discrimination. Pupils carry out responsibilities very conscientiously. This is seen in the caring attitudes of the peer mentors and playground buddies and the determination of school council members to improve facilities. Pupils of all ages contribute enormously to their school and the wider community. It is typical of pupils’

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Grade: 1

concern for others that the School Council has consulted with local residents about plans to establish an adventure playground and has taken their views into account. Behaviour is good and pupils are pleased that good behaviour, like good progress, is rewarded. They have outstanding understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles and keeping safe and put into practice what they learn. Pupils are well prepared for the skills they will need in the future and face it confidently.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Good teaching in the Foundation Stage nurtures children’s progress because it starts from a clear view of what children can do, and the work meets their different needs. Very good relationships throughout the school mean that pupils want to please adults and try hard. They readily seek help from adults, and are confident that support will be forthcoming. Teachers work very carefully to make lessons interesting and so pupils want to learn. Pupils respond very well to the consistently high expectations of behaviour. There are times when outstanding teaching leads to a fast rate of learning by pupils of all abilities because information from assessments is well used to pitch work at the right level for different groups. However, targets for a few more able pupils in Years 3 to 6 are not sufficiently challenging. Lesson planning does not always make the expectations of what these pupils must

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Grade: 2

achieve clear enough. The well trained support staff are very much part of the team. Some very successful teaching for deaf pupils and those with learning difficulties leads to enhanced progress by these groups. Assessments are very well used to match work for these pupils. 3 Inspection Report: Bentley West Primary School Additionally Resourced for Hearing Impaired, 28 February 2006 to 1 March

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Grade: 2

The good curriculum covers everything that it should. High quality provision for personal, social and health education ensures that pupils are well aware of the importance of fitness and well-being. There is some innovative practice, such as the exercise programme that pupils take part in with enthusiasm. Many pupils participate in the excellent range of out-of-school activities and speak warmly about their enjoyment of activities such as sport, gardening and the film making and science clubs. Pupils in Year 6 highly value the opportunities they had to take part in outdoor activities during the residential visit to Wales. The curriculum is very well adapted for pupils with specific needs and they are well supported in all year groups. However the quality of planning to support some of the more able pupils varies in Years 3 to 6 and slows their progress.

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Grade: 1

The school knows its pupils very well and there is a high level of concern for individuals. The outstanding arrangements for care, guidance and support of pupils, including procedures for safeguarding pupils, are a major strength of the school. The exemplary care and concern staff show for pupils contributes much to the good progress made in their academic achievement and personal development. All staff work together as a strong team to identify pupils’ needs and work with the pupils, their parents and carers to provide the right support. This starts with the transfer of pupils from the Children’s Centre to the Nursery class and continues throughout the school. The school works very closely with parents and other agencies, such as health groups to develop this support. Where specific support is provided for pupils, its impact on their progress is carefully checked. The target setting system works well for most pupils. Pupils’

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Grade: 1

progress is frequently monitored and so the school has identified those pupils who should be doing better.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good and the school has worked on the right priorities for improvement because of its accurate self-evaluation. There is good capacity to improve. The headteacher’s vision for the inclusive nature of the school is shared by staff and governors and pervades its everyday life. Provision for deaf pupils is very well managed. There is a strong sense of community and the staff and governors are pulling in the same direction to ensure inclusion. There is very good management of the integration of care, involving extended services based on the Children’s Centre, that promotes pupils’ well-being and involves families in furthering children’s learning. Governors play a full part in this and use their expertise well to support the school’s work. The views of parents and other agencies involved in the school’s work are frequently sought and taken into account in planning for the future. For example, the

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Grade: 2

4 Inspection Report: Bentley West Primary School Additionally Resourced for Hearing Impaired, 28 February 2006 to 1 March school acted on the request from parents attending family learning sessions on mathematics that a club became a regular feature of the school’s out-of-hours provision. The senior leadership team has managed the changes to the school’s staffing very well indeed. The very good impact of the well planned induction and mentoring of newly qualified teachers can be seen in the classroom. Good monitoring and analysis of data ensure that the school knows where improvements are needed and professional development is closely tailored to bring about improvement in teaching. Most planning for improvement is effective. Priorities in the past, for example in improving reading, writing and mathematics standards in Year 2, have been worked on well and have paid dividends. Planning for the school’s current priority of ensuring the consistent progress

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Grade: 2

of more able pupils in Years 3 to 6 needs more work to ensure that expectations are sufficiently high in all year groups. 5 Inspection Report: Bentley West Primary School Additionally Resourced for Hearing Impaired, 28 February 2006 to 1 March .

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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: Bentley West Primary School Additionally Resourced for Hearing Impaired, 28 February 2006 to 1 March

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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 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 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 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 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 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 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 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

2 March 2006 Dear Pupils Thank you very much for the warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school. We really enjoyed talking and listening to you. Your school is rightly proud of the way in which you are growing up. We found that your school is a very happy and friendly place in which you do well in your work. We were very impressed with these things: • You enjoy coming to school and take part in lots of exciting activities • You are confident, polite and well-behaved young people who enjoy helping each other and making your school even better • You get extra help if you need it • The grown-ups in your school work hard to keep you safe and healthy • The people in charge of the school want the best for you and know what they need to do to make the school even better. We have asked the people in charge to make sure that the work is a just a bit more challenging for a few of you in Years 3 to 6 so that you can

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

do your very best. Thank you again for helping us with our work and good luck in the future. Yours sincerely Mrs B Crane

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