St Andrew's CofE First School

Inspection Report Barnt Green, St Andrew's CofE First School

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116865 Unique Reference Number Worcestershire LEA 279925 Inspection number 2 November 2005 to 3 November 2005 Inspection dates Ted Wheatley RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Hewell Road School address First Type of school Barnt Green Voluntary aided School category Birmingham, West Midlands B45 8NG 4 to 9 Age range of pupils

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0121 4451410 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0121 446 1410 Fax number 195 Number on roll Mrs Hilary Farmiloe Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Miss Kay Cholmondeley Headteacher 4 December 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 279925 2 November 2005 - 4 to 9 3 November 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

St Andrew’s C of E First School is a smaller than average voluntary aided school with 195 pupils aged four to nine. Numbers are increasing although there are large variations from year to year. All children attend nursery schools in the area and enter Reception with slightly above average standards in all skills. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is below average. There are very few pupils from minority ethnic groups and none at the early stages of learning English. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is very low and pupils come mostly from families with professional backgrounds.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Barnt Green, St Andrew's CofE First School, 2 November 2005 to 3 November 2005

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Grade: 2

This is a good school that provides a good standard of education. The school evaluates its own performance as good. Inspectors agree with this and with the areas the school says it needs to work on, although these are relatively minor in the context of the school. Children make a good start in Reception, achieve well and by the end of Year 2 reach above average standards. High standards are maintained through to the end of Year 4. Standards in spelling are not quite as good as they are in other subjects, and the standards of writing of a small number of higher attaining pupils are a little lower than they ought to be. Children’s attendance is very good and there is a high level of care, support and guidance for pupils. Teaching, learning and the curriculum are good and provision for music and physical education particularly so. The school gives good value for money and is in a good position to improve further.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher and senior staff provide good leadership. Parents and pupils are consulted well and their opinions are taken into account. For example, pupils were involved in the appointment of the deputy headteacher. Governors support the school well. Pupils’ personal development is good, the range of extra-curricular activities provided is outstanding, and the number of pupils involved in these is very high. Improvement since the last inspection has been good and particularly so in the teaching and curriculum in Reception. Assessment information is now used well throughout the school to make sure work meets pupils’ learning needs. Marking has improved. It mostly gives pupils a good idea of how to improve their work, although there are still some differences between teachers. Grade: 2

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What the school should do to improve further

•Continue to work to improve standards of spelling, and of writing for the highest-attaining pupils. •Improve marking so that it consistently tells pupils how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

Children in the Reception class make good progress and reach above average standards in all areas. The improved provision is having a marked impact on how well children achieve. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 make good progress and standards are well above average in reading, mathematics and science. Standards in writing are above average and the school is rightly working hard to raise standards here to the same level as in other subjects. In Years 3 and 4, pupils make good progress and by Year 4, standards are still well above those expected for their age in most subjects and above expectations in writing. 2 Inspection Report: Barnt Green, St Andrew's CofE First School, 2 November 2005 to 3 November 2005 Throughout the school, pupils’ spelling is sometimes inaccurate and teachers do not consistently use ways to help pupils improve their skills in this area. Results in the national tests at the end of Year 2 have been above average in recent

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Grade: 2

years, and well above average in reading and mathematics. In writing, standards have been above average. In 2005 there were improvements in the Year 2 results, although performance in writing was still below that of other subjects, particularly by a small proportion of pupils with the potential for higher attainment. The school has analysed the results carefully over several years (an improvement since the last inspection) and identified relative underachievement by a small proportion of boys and higher attainers. It has successfully introduced methods to improve the standards reached by boys. Pupils make very good progress in music and physical education owing to the exceptionally good provision in these subjects. Grade: 2

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Grade: 2

The school has a strong Christian ethos that is reflected in assemblies and displays around the school. Pupils are expected to behave well from the day they start school. They respond well and readily obey adults’ requests. There is little bullying and any that occurs is tackled effectively. The pupils enjoy school; as the parent of a child in the reception class said, ‘My daughter cried when she learnt that half-term meant not going to school’. Attendance is well above national averages. Pupils’ social skills are effectively developed through friendship groups and team activities. Pupils’ cultural development is good because the school provides a good range of activities, such as music and art. Pupils’ preparation for life in a multi-ethnic society is improving, with a wide range of planned activities. Pupils know right from wrong. They know how to keep themselves safe and healthy, for example, through physical education and sport (the school has the Activemark

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Grade: 2

Gold Award), and through healthy eating. The lack of school meals provision limits what can be done in this area. The school is a central part of its community and pupils take part in local events, for example, choral singing at charity events. The school prepares pupils very well for their future employment by developing their basic skills and by teaching techniques such as making presentations and preparing business reports. Grade: 2

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school that teaching is good. Improvements in the reception classes since the last inspection mean that most pupils achieve their goals through 3 Inspection Report: Barnt Green, St Andrew's CofE First School, 2 November 2005 to 3 November 2005 interesting activities such as sorting natural objects into groups and using the right language to describe their texture. Older pupils are taught well through the use of themes such as rescuing a failing leisure park from bankruptcy. The use of specialist teachers in music, physical education and drama means pupils achieve especially well in these subjects. Teachers know pupils well and support their individual needs. Assessment has improved and information about individuals is used well to plan lessons. Teaching assistants are deployed effectively to support pupils and to assess their progress. Marking is variable in quality but at best is good. Some comments help pupils

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Grade: 2

to improve their work but important mistakes are sometimes overlooked. Pupils work unaided, but effectively, for long periods because they understand what is expected of them and find the work challenging. They carry out research using books and computers. Teachers set demanding homework which effectively supports what is taught in school. Grade: 2

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Grade: 2

Pupils experience a wide range of interesting and challenging activities. The curriculum for reception classes has been improved since the last inspection to enable pupils to develop the full range of skills they need for Year 1. Parents are very pleased with these changes. Older pupils are taught through interesting themes, such as ‘ancient Egypt’, through which the basic skills of literacy and numeracy are taught explicitly. All parts of the National Curriculum are taught and are effectively extended through personal, social and health education, religious education and drama. Provision for ICT is improving through the purchase of interactive whiteboards. There is an outstanding range of out of school activities for pupils of age 4 - 9. These include music, sports and residential experiences. Grade: 2

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Grade: 2

The school has good links with the considerable number of nurseries that the pupils attend before starting school. There are good arrangements for transfer which are much appreciated by parents. Staff care for pupils well and effectively encourage them to develop their independence, for example, through taking care of their belongings and by taking responsibility for younger children. Teachers know what pupils need to learn next and set simple targets such as ‘using a dictionary to find correct spellings’. Parents are kept informed about their children’s progress, although some parents would like more detailed information about the standards pupils reach in the National Curriculum by the end of Year 4. The school has good links with middle schools and is striving to improve them further. 4 Inspection Report: Barnt Green, St Andrew's CofE First School, 2 November 2005 to 3 November 2005 There are suitable arrangements to protect children and staff are very sensitive to the

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Grade: 2

needs of the small number who are in vulnerable situations. Grade: 2

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher, with the effective support of the deputy head, provides a clear direction for the school’s continued improvement. They work well together and are well supported by other staff. There are effective methods to find out how good teaching is, to provide support for teachers and to share teaching methods that work well. For example, weaknesses in teaching writing have been identified, teachers have been given advice and support on how to improve and this is having a positive effect on raising standards. Weaknesses in how boys learned were also recognised, the reasons were identified and significant improvements have been made. The school’s plans for improvement are good and the way staff have approached implementing them is thorough. Governors support the school well and are enthusiastic, frequent visitors to the school. The school consults with pupils and parents and their

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Grade: 2

contributions are taken into account when planning improvements. The school is in a good position to further improve. Grade: 2 5 Inspection Report: Barnt Green, St Andrew's CofE First School, 2 November 2005 to 3 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: Barnt Green, St Andrew's CofE First School, 2 November 2005 to 3 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 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 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

Barnt Green, St Andrew’s C of E First School Hewell Road Barnt Green Birmingham West Midlands B45 8NG 12 ??? November 2005 Dear Pupils, Thank you for making us so welcome in your school. We really enjoyed being here and listening to so many of you. The best things about your school are: You enjoy learning, often work very hard and make good progress. You behave well, you are friendly and treat other pupils and adults with respect. You always come to school unless you have a good reason not to. The school looks after you well and is a safe place to be. You are taught well and have lots of extra activities to do. Miss Cholmondeley is a good headteacher and all the other staff work hard with her to help you. We think the school could improve even more if it: Continues to work to improve your spelling, and writing for those of you who find schoolwork quite easy. Made sure that marking always tells you how well you are doing and how to improve your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

With best wishes, Mr T Wheatley (Lead inspector)

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