Florendine Primary School

Inspection Report Florendine Primary School

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124155 Unique Reference Number Staffordshire LEA 281647 Inspection number 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 Inspection dates Tony Dobell RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Florendine Street School address Primary Type of school Amington Community School category Tamworth, Staffordshire B77 3DD 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01827 475778 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01827 475782 Fax number 277 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Tom Lloyd Headteacher 22 May 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281647 5 October 2005 - 4 to 11 6 October 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Florendine is a large primary school situated on the eastern outskirts of Tamworth. The large majority of pupils are from White Western European backgrounds and none speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average, as is the proportion with learning difficulties and disabilities. When children start in the reception Year, the levels of their knowledge and understanding are typically average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Florendine Primary School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005

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Grade: 2

This is a good school giving good value for money. Children achieve well in the Foundation Stage and reach above average standards, although the lack of a specific outside area reduces opportunities for developing independent play. The school has improved well since its last inspection and has a good capacity for further improvement. Parents and pupils are rightly proud of their school. Pupils’ attitudes to learning and their enjoyment of their lessons are excellent. Their personal development is very good, as is their behaviour. Pupils receive good levels of care and support. Parents are involved well in the life of the school and the school values their views. The school knows its strengths and weaker aspects well. Inspectors largely agree with the school’s self-assessment of these but have found some elements to be more effective than the school thought. The school has a very clear commitment to equality

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Grade: 2

and a key feature of the school’s success is that it values all pupils for what they can offer so that they develop into extremely confident young people who really want to learn. The school’s use of information and communication technology to support learning is a key strength. Good teaching, with some outstanding features, enables pupils to achieve well and to reach above average standards. The school has reasonable systems for checking pupils’ progress but they are not frequent enough to be fully effective and the school is aware of this. Purposeful leadership and management result in all adults in the school working with a common purpose which is rooted in enabling all pupils to make good progress, enjoy their learning and feel safe and secure in the school. Governors are in school regularly and are well involved in its leadership and management.

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What the school should do to improve further

• create an outdoor area for children in the reception to help them to learn to organise their play activities independently • develop systems for assessing the standards that pupils are reaching and for tracking their progress at more frequent intervals so that leaders can see more readily who is meeting, exceeding or falling short of their targets.

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Grade: 2

Children’s skills and knowledge are average when they join the school in reception and they make good progress, particularly in their personal, social and emotional development. Children’s skills and knowledge are above average by the time they transfer to Year 1. Good progress continues in Years 1 to 6 and achievement is good. This is because work is well matched to pupils’ different attainment levels and most lessons challenge pupils so that they are able to build on their existing levels of 2 Inspection Report: Florendine Primary School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 understanding. Because they make good progress, the standards pupils reach in the national tests are above average at the end of Years 2 and 6. The school has systems in place to measure pupils’ standards and progress, but these gather information only at the end of each school year. The headteacher is aware that there is scope for assessing progress more frequently so that teachers can help pupils

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Grade: 2

to reach even higher standards in their work. Pupils successfully meet challenging targets. The progress of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is tracked systematically, which enables intervention to take place at more regular intervals if required. Grade: 2

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development is good and there are many very good opportunities provided which assist their good spiritual, moral and social development. Their cultural development, whilst satisfactory, is less well supported because they have few opportunities to appreciate the nature of Britain’s multicultural society. Pupils are very keen to come to school and attendance is good. Behaviour is good, both in class and around the school, and pupils’ attitudes to learning are outstanding. In discussion with inspectors, pupils agreed that bullying and incidents of racism were rare, but that any instances were quickly dealt with by the school. The school’s good programme of personal and social education underpins pupils’ very positive attitudes. They have a good understanding of the need to keep safe and a very good appreciation of the need to exercise and to eat healthy foods. They grasp the many opportunities provided by the school for them to develop a range of skills

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Grade: 2

which they can go on to use in later life. The very good opportunities provided in lessons for pupils to work on ‘real life’ problems also enable them to develop good thinking skills and to work well together in pairs and groups. Pupils are very involved in caring for their environment. For example, the school has won the Tamworth Tidy Schools Trophy for the last four years. Grade: 2

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Some of the lessons observed were outstanding. The excellent use of information and communication technology to support learning engages pupils’ interest very effectively so that they work with high levels of concentration and show great enthusiasm for their studies. Teachers have good levels of subject knowledge and understanding, and use these to plan lively and interesting lessons which help to foster pupils’ outstanding attitudes to learning. 3 Inspection Report: Florendine Primary School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005 Stimulating learning activities challenge pupils to think with clarity and precision and this helps them to solve problems with confidence. Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage are good. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are supported very well. Their needs are met very well, not least because of the effective role played by teaching assistants.

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Grade: 2

Very good records ensure that their progress is tracked regularly so that new targets can be set for their future learning. The school is at the early stages of providing for the needs of pupils with different gifts and talents but is providing well for talented musicians. There are good examples of independent learning with pupils supporting each other well in pairs and small groups. The school uses homework and extension work well to extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding and, in this, receives good support from parents. Grade: 2

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good curriculum with a strong emphasis on pupils’ personal development. Pupils are given a good grounding in the basic skills of literacy and numeracy. Parents confirm that the school’s good curriculum means that their children enjoy lessons and are keen to come to school. The curriculum is enhanced by visits and visitors and by a range of after-school activities for pupils in Years 3 to 6. For example, pupils in Year 6 gain enormously from their residential visit and discuss it with great enthusiasm. Pupils have opportunities to play the piano during assemblies which increases their confidence and positive self-image. The school uses its accommodation and resources well to support learning. An outside area for use by children in the reception class is required to help them to exercise choice and to manage their physical learning activities independently. Grade: 2

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Grade: 2

The school cares for and supports pupils well. Care and welfare of pupils have a high priority in the school and very good links with specialist support agencies ensure that those with particular needs are well provided for. Child protection arrangements are secure and health and safety procedures are clear and well understood by staff. Adults know pupils well and respond quickly to any signs of distress or disaffection. As a result, pupils feel secure and valued and this supports their very good personal development. Behaviour is managed well and pupils are confident to approach adults with any concerns. Parents are very happy with the school’s provisions for care and welfare and this was strongly confirmed in the high volume of returned inspection questionnaires. Grade: 2 4 Inspection Report: Florendine Primary School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 2005

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides very effective leadership and management and gives a clear sense of direction rooted in good standards and effective levels of care. His purposeful leadership has enabled the school to improve well since its last inspection. He is fully supported by his deputy and colleagues, and all adults in the school are totally committed to enabling all pupils to achieve their potential. The school has an outstanding commitment to equality of opportunity and all pupils are given full access to all that the school offers. This strong commitment is very well reflected in the school’s positive work with pupils who are autistic or dyslexic. The leaders of key subjects have a clear grasp of strengths and areas of weakness. For example, there has been a recent and effective focus on raising attainment in mathematics. However, assessment systems are not used frequently enough for the school to track pupils’ progress accurately and help them to make further progress.

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Grade: 2

The leadership of the provision made for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is very good and enables these pupils to make good progress. The management of the Foundation Stage is also very good, enabling children to reach above average standards by the end of the reception Year. The school deploys its teachers imaginatively and a degree of specialist teaching, for example, in music, is raising standards and improving achievement, especially for those with musical gifts. Governors are caring, supportive and active in school. They are fully involved in all major decisions and fulfil their responsibilities well. The headteacher’s clear focus on what matters most to the school means that it is in a good position to improve further. He has the full support of his colleagues, parents, the Friends of the school, and the local community. Grade: 2 5 Inspection Report: Florendine Primary School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 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: Florendine Primary School, 5 October 2005 to 6 October 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 1 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 1 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

Florendine Street Amington Tamworth Staffordshire B77 3DD 10 October 2005 Dear Children, Thank you for welcoming us into your school and talking to us about your work and your life in school. We think that your school does many things well: you make good progress and reach good standards in your work; this is because your teachers work hard to plan exciting lessons which interest you so that you enjoy your learning information and communication technology is used outstandingly well to help you to learn you behave very well and have extremely good attitudes to learning you are looked after very well by the adults who work in your school most of you understand that it is important to eat healthy foods and take exercise to keep you fit your headteacher is leading the school very well and has good ideas for its future development; he and all adults in the school value you all for what you can offer and for what you bring to

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the school. All these things mean that you really enjoy being in school and develop into confident, young people ready to take your place in the wider world. We think that the school can do two things to be even better: provide children in the reception Year with an outdoor area which they can use each day check your progress more regularly so that teachers can help you to reach even higher standards in your work. We very much enjoyed our two days in your school and wish you all well for the future. Best wishes A J Dobell (Lead inspector)

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