Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School

Inspection Report Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School

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104231 Unique Reference Number Walsall LEA 277107 Inspection number 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 Inspection dates Peter Clifton RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Hanch Place School address Infant Type of school Walsall Voluntary aided School category West Midlands WS1 3AF 3 to 7 Age range of pupils 01922 720740 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01922 720306 Fax number 295 Number on roll Miss Dorothy Buchanan Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Janet Davies Headteacher 20 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277107 7 November 2005 - 3 to 7 8 November 2005 Inspection Report: Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005

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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 situated in the old part of Walsall. Since the time of the previous report, numbers have risen markedly. It is slightly larger than similar schools nationally. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is very high. There is a large proportion of pupils whose first language is not English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities has reduced over the past three years and is now low. Several of the pupils come from homes experiencing economic hardship.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005

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Grade: 2

Blue Coat Infant School is providing a good quality of education. Pupils have good attitudes to learning and behave well in and around the school. Parents are very satisfied with the education their children receive and often choose the school because of the Christian values it promotes. The school is improving and provides good value for money. The quality of education in the Foundation Stage is good with some outstanding features. The planning of the areas of learning is very good and children actively enjoy their learning. Parents and governors rightly think that the nursery and reception are a strength of the school. Children come into the nursery with below average standards. They make good progress and reach standards which are close to average by the time they enter Year 1. They continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2 and are on track to achieve standards that are slightly above those expected.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning across the school are good with a significant strength in the Foundation Stage. Teaching assistants provide high quality support. The curriculum is satisfactory. It is well organised and new approaches to the teaching of literacy are working well. However, there are weaknesses in the provision for information and communication technology (ICT). The school provides a safe environment for pupils to learn effectively. The headteacher and senior staff are providing a strong drive for improvement. The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and based on effective monitoring. Inspectors agree with the judgements made. The school improvement plan identifies the areas that need to be developed. Issues from the previous inspection have nearly all been tackled well and the capacity for improvement is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Improve the provision for ICT to enhance learning opportunities for pupils. •Improve pupils’ involvement in the assessment of their own learning so that they can identify ways in which they might improve.

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Grade: 2

At the time of the previous inspection, standards in reading, mathematics and science were average, but standards in writing were below average. Since then, overall results have been average but too few pupils have achieved the higher levels of attainment in writing. Children come into the nursery with below average standards. In the two key areas of mathematics and literacy, the standards on entry are well below average. By the time they reach the end of the Foundation Stage, standards have improved in all areas of 2 Inspection Report: Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 learning but especially in personal, social and physical development, where progress is very good. By the time pupils start Year 1, standards in mathematics and literacy are close to average. Progress through Years 1 and 2 is good and standards are now slightly above average and improving. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics

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Grade: 2

show improvement from the results in 2005 because there is a marked increase in the proportion of pupils on track to achieve Level 3. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress, as do pupils who do not speak English at home. Pupils with different ethnic backgrounds achieve as well as others because of the well targeted support they receive. The exception to this is a small number of Pakistani pupils who have not done as well as expected, and this is because of taking extended holidays in term time. The school almost reached the challenging targets it set for itself in 2005

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy coming to school, have positive attitudes to learning, and behave well in classes. They feel safe in school and report little bullying. They are confident that they could approach any adult in the school for help should a problem arise. Attendance is below average, mainly because of pupils being taken on extended holidays. The school has made good progress in tackling this issue and has met its targets for improving attendance, set in consultation with the local authority. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Collective worship provides good opportunities for pupils to reflect on issues such as looking after the environment. Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of right and wrong through the care and concern they show towards each other. They fundraise for a number of different charities at home and abroad and are aware of and respect the different cultures represented in the school.

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Grade: 2

Pupils understand the need for being active and eating healthily. Playtimes are lively and pupils are good natured. The school council members have a range of responsibilities around the school, for example, acting as playground helpers, which they enjoy. The progress the pupils make in basic literacy and numeracy skills prepares them well for junior school.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Classes are happy and productive because relationships are good and teachers know their pupils well. Most teaching engages and motivates pupils, enabling them to make good progress in building basic skills, especially in literacy. Less able pupils, those with learning difficulties and those who 3 Inspection Report: Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 do not speak English at home make good progress as a result of high quality support from teaching assistants working in close consultation with teachers. Pupils’ work is marked well and frequently sets targets for improvement. Pupils’ knowledge of what they need to do to improve is satisfactory. However, they are not always sufficiently involved in assessing their own work or identifying next steps. This slows down learning, especially for more able pupils. In a small number of lessons,

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Grade: 2

pupils sit for too long on the carpet. There is some outstanding teaching in one of the reception classes. For example, children planned for ‘Kipper’s Birthday’, making wrapping paper and play dough cakes with candles and writing invitations. Teaching is very effective in promoting early literacy skills.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is balanced and satisfactorily meets the needs of learners. It is organised effectively so that pupils enjoy what they do. Recent changes to the planning of literacy lessons are working well. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is very good, with added opportunities to use the good range of outdoor activities and make choices to support children’s independence. The school’s curriculum promotes healthy lifestyles well. A range of interesting visits and visitors such as an African drummer enrich the curriculum well. Pupils in all age groups take advantage of the extra-curricular activities provided. ‘Maths club’ successfully gives opportunities for parents to learn more about how to support their children’s work in mathematics. School performances, fund-raising initiatives and theme weeks, such as ‘multicultural week’, add significantly to the opportunities for pupils’ learning. The provision for ICT has weaknesses and this is mainly because there is insufficient

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Grade: 3

access to computers in Years 1 and 2. As a result, the use of ICT across the curriculum is underdeveloped, especially for research, data-handling and word-processing.

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Grade: 2

The welfare of learners is at the heart of the school’s work and firmly based on Christian principles, whilst respecting and valuing the differing religions and cultures of many of its pupils. This is a strength of the school and one reason why parents choose it for their children. Child protection arrangements work well and provision for health and safety is good. The school’s new system for tracking pupils’ progress is very good. It is providing a clear picture of progress and all staff have good information. It is helping identify where support is most needed. The school council gives opportunities for pupils’ views to be taken into account and acted upon. Any perceived bullying or racist incidents are taken seriously and dealt 4 Inspection Report: Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 2005 with effectively so pupils know that this type of behaviour is unacceptable. The staff

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Grade: 2

provide good role models and foster good relationships. Pupils are involved in drawing up classroom rules. Visual timetables help those with language or behavioural difficulties to understand routines. Pupils are effectively supported and guided in their personal development.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher is providing strong leadership. Equality of opportunity is well promoted and the progress of pupils is carefully tracked. The senior managers in the school make decisions based on the needs of pupils and they are successfully promoting good achievement and continuing improvement. The co-ordinators for literacy and numeracy manage their subjects very well and are prepared to be innovative. The school’s evaluation of its own performance is effective. Strengths and weaknesses are clearly understood and are all being tackled firmly through the school’s improvement plan. Governors and teachers are involved in the school’s self-evaluation processes, which are good. Recent improvements in the standards of literacy are evident because of changes made in teaching and the curriculum. The governing body took the decision to appoint teaching assistants with high-level skills and they are providing very good

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Grade: 2

support to teachers. The school’s view of its strengths and weaknesses matches well with that of the inspectors. It provides good value for money and has a good capacity for further improvement. The school has tackled nearly all the issues identified in the previous report well and some of these, such as the work of the coordinators, are now strengths. The one exception to this is in the provision of ICT, where standards are not high enough, but funding has now been made available to remedy this. 5 Inspection Report: Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 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: Blue Coat Church of England Aided Infant School, 7 November 2005 to 8 November 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 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 3 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

Blue Coat C of E (VA) Infant School Hanch Place Walsall West Midlands WS1 3AF 9 November 2005 Dear Pupils Thank you for welcoming us to your school. We enjoyed talking to you in lessons and during your playtimes. You gave us a lot of information about what you like and dislike and this was a great help to us. What we most liked about your school: The exciting things you do in nursery and reception classes. How you work and play together well. Your good attitudes and hard work. Your school is improving because of the hard work of your headteacher and others. We have asked your headteacher and others to work on: Giving you more opportunities to use computers. Helping you understand more clearly how to get better at your work. We enjoyed the visit and hope your school continues to improve. Yours sincerely Peter Clifton Lead Inspector

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