Oak Meadow Primary School

Inspection Report Oak Meadow Primary School

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104341 Unique Reference Number Wolverhampton LEA 277136 Inspection number 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006 Inspection dates Peter Allen AI Reporting inspector

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

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Ryan Avenue School address Primary Type of school Ashmore Park Wednesfield Community School category Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV11 2QQ 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01902 558517 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01902 558520 Fax number 371 Number on roll Mr David Bull Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Sara Morris Headteacher 22 May 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277136 21 February 2006 - 4 to 11 22 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

Oak Meadow Primary School is larger than average but the number of pupils on roll has fallen over the last two years with a declining birth rate. The majority of pupils are of White British background, with a very small number from minority ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is below average. Attainment on entry to the school is broadly average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Oak Meadow Primary School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006

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Grade: 3

The school’s effectiveness is satisfactory. This agrees with the views of senior managers, who have a realistic view of how the school is doing. There are significant strengths in the pupils’ personal development and the quality of pastoral care. Pupils enjoy school and benefit from the many interesting activities provided outside lessons. They behave well and grow into sensible, responsible individuals. Parents are pleased with the education their children receive. In Years 1 to 6, pupils make satisfactory progress and attainment is broadly average. The school is beginning to raise standards, for example, in writing in Years 3 to 6, and is strongly committed to raising them further. Pupils’ achievement varies according to the quality of teaching, which is satisfactory overall. In several of the classes, teaching is good, but a lack of challenge in others means that progress for some pupils is not as good as it should be. This has been recognised through the monitoring of

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Grade: 3

teaching, but insufficient steps have been taken by the leadership to improve its quality. Teachers are only just beginning to track pupils’ progress and make effective use of assessment information to set challenging targets for individual pupils. The quality of the provision in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. It provides a good start to the children’s learning in literacy and numeracy but the lack of a secure outdoor play area limits the development of their physical skills. Improvement since the previous inspection is satisfactory, although attendance is still below average. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Senior managers have successfully established high expectations for pupils’ care and personal development and are committed to raising achievement. The action taken so far shows that they have the capacity to continue to move the school forward. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Develop more rigorous procedures for monitoring and improving the quality of teaching to promote good achievement •Further develop the tracking of pupils’ progress and the use of target setting to provide pupils with a clearer understanding of what they need to do to improve •Continue to work with parents to improve attendance •Improve the provision for outdoor learning for the Reception classes.

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Grade: 3

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and they reach broadly average standards, although there are some slight variations between year groups. In Reception, children make satisfactory progress overall from average attainment on entry. They make good progress in literacy and numeracy and by the time they enter Year 1 most have reached the goals expected for their age. 2 Inspection Report: Oak Meadow Primary School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006 By the end of Year 2, standards are slightly above average. Attainment in reading, which has dipped over the last two years, is now above average as a result of better reading materials and more opportunities to hear pupils read. Standards in Year 6 were above average in 2005 in mathematics and science, while those in English fell to below average because of weaknesses in writing, particularly amongst boys. Strategies put in place to improve boys’ writing are having a positive effect and pupils are now on

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Grade: 3

track to achieve broadly average standards in English. Across the school there are no other significant differences between boys’ and girls’ attainment. The very small number of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds achieve as well as their classmates, as do those pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. Pupils’ achievement in Years 1 to 6, although satisfactory overall, varies according to the quality of teaching. Pupils in some parallel classes make better progress over the year than those in the other class. The school has recently begun to set challenging targets for individual pupils, which are being met, but further improvement is needed.

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Grade: 2

The school’s caring ethos pervades all aspects of its life and contributes strongly to pupils’ good personal development. Pupils have positive attitudes, are confident and enjoy school. They support each other well and behave sensibly in lessons and around school. The vast majority have good attendance records but there is a significant minority whose attendance is poor. In spite of the school’s best efforts, attendance is below average because a few parents do not ensure that their children attend school regularly. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils are given a good understanding of the multi-cultural world in which they are growing up. They take responsibility willingly. The class and school councils have a significant impact on school life, for example, by introducing new games to improve playtimes. Pupils gain a good understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle. They are

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Grade: 2

given good opportunities for exercise, including a wide range of sporting activities. Involvement in the local community includes performances by the choir and visits to local businesses. These activities, together with their well- developed social skills, prepare pupils satisfactorily for the world of work

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Grade: 3

Although there is good teaching in several classes, it is not good in others and consequently the overall picture is of satisfactory teaching and learning. In some year groups, one of the two classes benefits from more effective teaching than the other. In the best lessons, teachers’ expectations are high and work is set which is challenging and stimulating. It captures pupils’ interest and they achieve well. In some lessons 3 Inspection Report: Oak Meadow Primary School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006 there is not enough challenge for higher-attaining pupils to reach their full potential, for example, in writing. In these lessons, too little is expected of the lower attainers. Teachers have very caring relationships with pupils and teaching assistants are used well, often to provide effective support to pupils with learning difficulties. The school makes good use of the expertise of staff through specialist teaching in music, physical

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Grade: 3

education and information and communication technology, which promotes good standards in those subjects. Teachers are beginning to make effective use of interactive whiteboards to make good quality presentations and engage the pupils well. The quality of marking is variable. Where it is good it shows pupils clearly how to improve, but sometimes only brief comment fails to provide any guidance. The school has only recently begun to develop its systems for assessing and monitoring pupils’ progress through setting individual targets, initially in writing and mathematics. These systems have not yet had time to impact significantly on pupil achievement.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. The school has recently made good improvements to make the curriculum more interesting for boys, such as opportunities to write poems about sporting heroes. Good opportunities to develop writing skills in a variety of subjects are helping to raise standards. However, the curriculum does not always meet all pupils’ needs, such as when there is insufficient challenge for higher attainers. The curriculum in Reception is well planned to promote progress, especially in literacy, numeracy and personal development. However, the lack of a secure outdoor play area and resources places constraints on children’s physical development. The school is effective in teaching pupils how to stay healthy and safe. A wide range of visitors and visits, including residential education, contributes significantly to pupils’ personal development, as do the very good opportunities for regular performances

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Grade: 3

involving dance, drama and music. The very good number of out-of-school activities serve to enrich the pupils’ school lives.

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Grade: 3

While the school offers good levels of care, the guidance and support for pupils’ academic progress are less effective. Children are welcomed into the warm, secure environment of the Reception classes where they are made to feel special. Throughout the school, each child is valued as an individual. Appropriate procedures are in place for ensuring pupils’ safety. One pupil summed up the views of many when she said, ‘There’s no bullying and if there was a tiny bit the staff would put a stop to it straightaway’. Support for pupils is enhanced by effective communication with parents and outside agencies. Procedures for guiding and supporting learning are not yet rigorous enough to ensure that each pupil makes the best possible progress. Systems to track academic progress 4 Inspection Report: Oak Meadow Primary School, 21 February 2006 to 22 February 2006 are still developing. The assessment of learning has yet to become firmly established

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Grade: 3

and the pupils’ own involvement in setting and checking their targets for improvement needs further development.

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Grade: 3

Although there are important strengths, leadership and management at all levels are satisfactory. A strength of the headteacher’s leadership is her successful promotion of the high level of pastoral care, as reflected in the very good relationships and pupils’ good personal development. Parents and pupils’ opinions are valued and they are regularly consulted for their views of the school. Well supported by the deputy, the headteacher has correctly identified the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The recently introduced system to track pupils’ progress is beginning to have an impact on raising standards, for example, in boys’ writing in Year 6. However, the school’s procedures for checking how well it is doing are not always rigorous enough. The school improvement plan identifies the most significant priorities for development, but does not always provide sufficiently clear targets. Progress across the school is

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Grade: 3

uneven because the quality of teaching is inconsistent and the monitoring of teaching is not yet having insufficient impact on improving its quality. Governance is satisfactory and meets statutory requirements. The governing body recognises that it needs help to plan for the declining numbers and is appropriately seeking the guidance of the local education authority. The school has made satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection, although, in spite of its best efforts, attendance remains below average. Senior managers and governors are steadily moving the school in the right direction and have a satisfactory capacity to make further improvements. 5 Inspection Report: Oak Meadow Primary School, 21 February 2006 to 22 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: Oak Meadow Primary School, 21 February 2006 to 22 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 3 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 3 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 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 3 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 3 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 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 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

Thank you for your warm welcome when we visited your school. We liked talking to you very much. What you said to us was important and helped us to write about your school. What we liked about your school: •We are pleased that you enjoy school, behave well and get on well with each other. •All the adults look after you well and they give you good advice about how to keep healthy and safe. •There are lots of exciting things to do outside lessons such as all the clubs, the teams and the performances you give. •You enjoy some really interesting visits which make your learning more fun. There are some things we think your school should be working on: •Making all the lessons as good as they can be. •Checking your progress more closely so as to give you even more helpful targets to improve your work. •Making sure that all children attend school as regularly as most of you do. •Providing an outdoor play area that is especially for the Reception children.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and watching you learn. We wish you well for the future.

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