Spinney Hill Primary School

Inspection Report Spinney Hill Primary School and Community Centre

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120084 Unique Reference Number Leicester City LEA 280728 Inspection number 5 July 2006 to 6 July 2006 Inspection dates Paul Edwards AI Reporting inspector

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

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Ventnor Street School address Primary Type of school Leicester Community School category Leicestershire LE5 5EZ 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 0116 2737047 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0116 2731079 Fax number 628 Number on roll Mr B Bhamra Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Matthew Stokes Headteacher 22 January 2001 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280728 5 July 2006 - 3 to 11 6 July 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 four Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Spinney Hill is a very large primary school. Children enter the Nursery class with skills that are well below those often found. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is average. Just under three quarters of the pupils come from Asian British Indian backgrounds and others from a variety of minority ethnic backgrounds. A very small minority are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is above average. The school serves a disadvantaged area and fluctuations in the school’s population are greater than in most schools.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Spinney Hill Primary School and Community Centre, 5 July 2006 to 6 July 2006

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good standard of education for its pupils and gives good value for money. It has an accurate view of its effectiveness and demonstrates capacity for further improvement. Overall, pupils achieve well. The children are given an outstanding start to their education in the Nursery and good progress is made throughout the rest of the Foundation Stage. The children’s personal development, which is outstanding in the Nursery, is good throughout the rest of the school. Excellent behaviour and good attitudes to school enable pupils to take advantage of the good curriculum. The pupils are well cared for. On entry to Year 1, most of the children have attained the levels expected for their age in most areas of learning. However, the majority of children start Year 1 with relatively weak literacy skills. Despite the good progress made between the Years 1 and 6, by the end of Year 6, standards remain below average in both English and

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Grade: 2

mathematics. There are, however, signs of improvement. In the 2006 national tests, many more pupils attained the higher levels at the end of Year 6 than in previous years. Teaching is good because lessons are interesting and exciting and encourage most pupils to do their best. In a small number of lessons, teachers do not make the best use of assessment information. As a result, work is not pitched at the right level and so they do not make the progress they could. Good support for those pupils at an early stage of learning English enables them to make good progress in learning English. Support for pupils with learning difficulties is good, ensuring that they make good progress. Assessment information is very detailed but teachers do not always make the best use of it to match the work sufficiently closely to the pupils’ ability. Leadership and management are good. The senior management team have successfully

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Grade: 2

implemented strategies that have raised the achievement of pupils. However, senior managers do not do enough to check that what is being planned in lessons is going to stretch all the pupils.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards further in English and mathematics by ensuring all teachers make more effective use of the assessment information to set challenging targets and plan work that is at the right level for all pupils. • Ensure senior staff monitor the quality of teachers’ planning more effectively to ensure it more closely targets the pupils’ individual learning needs.

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Grade: 2

Although standards are below average by the end of Year 6, pupils achieve well throughout the school. Children enter the school with skills that are well below those expected for their age, and English skills are particularly low. The outstanding provision 2 Inspection Report: Spinney Hill Primary School and Community Centre, 5 July 2006 to 6 July 2006 in the Nursery class provides children with an excellent start. By the time they enter Year 1, the good progress made in Reception ensures most achieve the goals expected of them, except in communication, language and literacy where skills are still below average. There is a strong emphasis on developing the pupils’ speaking and listening skills which improve well as the pupils move through the school. Over the last two years, there has been a good improvement in the pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics. The number of pupils attaining the higher level at the end of Year 6 has

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Grade: 2

tripled in one year, although the school acknowledges standards need to rise further. Pupils in the current Year 6 attained the challenging targets that had been set in both English and mathematics. Improved tracking and assessment procedures now enable teachers to identify very clearly the levels at which the pupils are working. A small number of pupils, both higher ability and lower ability pupils, however, do not make the progress of which they are capable because teachers do not make the best use of this information to plan work at the right level for all pupils. Those pupils who are learning English as an additional language are provided with good support, enabling them to make good progress in their acquisition of English. Pupils with learning difficulties are provided with effective support, ensuring that they too make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good, a view which is strongly supported by most parents. Children’s personal, social and emotional development in the Reception class is good and in the Nursery it is outstanding. Throughout the school, pupils’ moral and social development is outstanding and their behaviour is excellent. Their cultural development draws effectively upon the backgrounds of all pupils and is good. Their spiritual development is satisfactory. Not enough emphasis is given to the pupils’ awareness of the arts, especially development of pupils’ musical skills. Pupils respond well to instructions and cooperate well with others. They enjoy their lessons and have the confidence to offer answers and to make suggestions. Behaviour is exemplary. All pupils are polite and consider the needs of everyone very sensitively as they work and play together happily. Attendance is satisfactory but absences have

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Grade: 2

increased this year because of extended holidays by some families despite robust efforts taken by the school. Pupils’ involvement in the life of the school is good. They are developing good skills to help them in later life, for example, through raising funds for charity. The pupils elected to the pupils’ forum make a considerable contribution to improving the facilities and organisation of the school. In this safe environment all pupils feel secure and know who to turn to if they have problems. They have a good understanding of the importance of a healthy lifestyle and take regular exercise despite the restraints of outdoor facilities at the school. 3 Inspection Report: Spinney Hill Primary School and Community Centre, 5 July 2006 to 6 July 2006

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good throughout the school with some that is outstanding in the Nursery class, Year 2, and Year 6. Year 6 pupils make rapid progress in some lessons. In one lesson, about different kinds of questions, the teacher played the part of ‘Kensuke’, a key character from a book, and pupils quickly learned to change the style of their questions to discover the motives behind his actions. Many lessons provide good opportunities for pupils to talk about their work. This is a key factor in the good progress made by children learning to speak English as an additional language. Throughout the school, teachers manage lessons well, creating a calm and purposeful atmosphere for the pupils. Teachers take care to provide different work for pupils of differing abilities. However, they do not always take full account of what pupils already know when planning lessons. For example, they set targets for the whole class to achieve rather than

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Grade: 2

designing targets that concentrate on what each child needs to learn next. This means that more able pupils sometimes spend too long going over work that they are confident with before moving on to more challenging work. Pupils with learning difficulties receive good support in lessons from well trained teaching assistants and this helps them to reach their individual targets.

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Grade: 2

Overall, the curriculum is good. It is good in the Reception Year and outstanding in the Nursery because of the clear focus on developing children’s speaking and listening skills. The quality of provision in the Nursery and Reception ensures children are well prepared for entry to Year 1. The school has effectively reviewed the curriculum and has introduced themes across the different subjects. In Years 1 to 6, there are some good examples of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) being taught through other subjects although the practice is inconsistent across the school. A good number of extra-curricular activities enable pupils to develop confidence and teamwork. Good attention is given to teaching pupils about staying safe and keeping healthy. There is a wide range of activities that add significantly to the pupils’ enjoyment of school, including visits and visitors.

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Grade: 2

The care, guidance and support given to all pupils, including those with learning difficulties, are good. All staff show good levels of care and support for all pupils and everyone is fully involved in all that the school does. Child protection procedures are well established and safety checks are completed regularly by all staff and governors. Visits are well researched with risk assessments fully documented. The tracking and 4 Inspection Report: Spinney Hill Primary School and Community Centre, 5 July 2006 to 6 July 2006 predictions of each pupil’s progress are excellent and give a very clear picture of what each one achieves. The promotion of a healthy lifestyle and the encouragement pupils get to make a positive contribution to the community are good. Guidance and support given to pupils who are in the early stages of learning English are good.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership and he is well supported by colleagues. The leadership team are very effective in evaluating the school’s work and have an accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses. There is a clear focus on raising achievement and the very effective guidance provided by senior staff has ensured improvement in pupils’ achievements in English and mathematics. Senior staff have developed very detailed assessment and tracking procedures that leave teachers in no doubt as to how well pupils are doing. The information, for instance, is used very well to track the progress of different groups of pupils. However, senior staff recognise that they need to ensure all staff make the best use of this information when planning lessons. There are very clear procedures in place to ensure that staff and resources are used efficiently. Parents are consulted regularly and most have a high opinion of the school

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Grade: 2

and support it well. The pupils’ forum is valued and pupils’ views are taken seriously. Governors support the school well, fulfil their statutory duties effectively and hold it to account for the standards attained. 5 Inspection Report: Spinney Hill Primary School and Community Centre, 5 July 2006 to 6 July 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: Spinney Hill Primary School and Community Centre, 5 July 2006 to 6 July 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 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 1 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 1 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 1 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

6 July 2006 Dear Pupils Thank you all very much for the warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school recently. We particularly like these things • Your excellent behaviour and your enthusiasm for lessons and other activities. • The very good relationships you have with one another and with the staff. • The interesting and wide range of activities that you all undertake. • You are well looked after and given good support by the adults in school. • The way you are becoming aware of the importance of eating healthily and taking part in more exercise. These are the things we have suggested those in charge of the school do to make it better • Raise standards further in English and mathematics by getting the teachers to make better use of test information to plan work that is sufficiently challenging for all of you. • Ensure the adults in charge of the school monitor more closely how the teachers are planning

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

work so that it more closely reflects your individual targets. We are pleased that you enjoy school and wish you all the best for the future. Thank you again for helping us with our work. Yours sincerely Paul Edwards Lead inspector

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