Flash Ley Primary School

Inspection Report Flash Ley Community Primary School

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124205 Unique Reference Number Staffordshire LEA 281659 Inspection number 28 March 2006 to 29 March 2006 Inspection dates Christopher Kessell AI Reporting inspector

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

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Hawksmoor Road School address Primary Type of school Stafford Community School category Staffordshire ST17 9DR 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01785 356642 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01785 356651 Fax number 252 Number on roll Mrs Helen Varey Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr David Lewis Headteacher 31 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281659 28 March 2006 - 3 to 11 29 March 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

The school is slightly larger than the average primary school. It serves an area that is recognised as having some high levels of social and economic deprivation. Pupils are mostly of White British heritage. Children start school with levels of attainment that are well below those normally found. On admission to Nursery, their communication, language and literacy skills and personal development are low. An above average percentage of pupils at the school have learning difficulties and disabilities. The number of pupils with statements of special educational needs is well above average. The school operates a speech and language unit for 11 pupils aged between 4 and 7 who have speech or communication difficulties.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Flash Ley Community Primary School, 28 March 2006 to 29 March 2006

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Grade: 2

This happy, caring school provides a good education for its pupils and is popular with parents. The school has a modest view of its own effectiveness which is a result of a lack of precision in self-evaluation procedures. The vast majority of pupils make good progress in relation to their starting points. By Year 6, standards are above average. In the Nursery and Reception classes children get a good start to their education. However, although the children make good progress, particularly in their language and personal development, the majority do not reach the expected levels by the start of Year 1. Overall, teaching and learning are good. This contributes significantly to the pupils’ good progress, as does the pupils’ enjoyment of their learning. There is some inconsistency in teaching. On occasions, not all pupils are challenged sufficiently and teachers’ marking is not always helpful. Leadership and management are good and contributes to the good progress made by

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Grade: 2

the pupils and the good quality provision made by the school. The school provides good value for money and has the capacity to make further improvements. This is reflected in the good improvement the school has made since it was last inspected. However, there are some aspects of the school’s management that could be improved. For example, monitoring and evaluation of provision, such as teaching and learning, are not always effective. The criteria identified to judge whether development plan targets have been reached are often too general.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Ensure that all pupils are challenged sufficiently and that marking gives pupils clear guidance on how to improve so that the good teaching seen in the vast majority of classes is consistent across the school. •Improve the shortcomings in the school’s monitoring and evaluation procedures and development planning so the impact on improving pupils’ achievement is specifically identified.

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Grade: 2

Achievement and standards are good. The large numbers of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities in some year groups mean that there are significant year-on-year differences in standards, despite the good progress made by the vast majority of pupils through the school. Trends over time indicate that standards are broadly average in Year 2 and by the end of Year 6 they are above average because pupils are set challenging targets. The children make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes as a result of good teaching and a good range of activities that enable them to learn well. Few pupils are ready to start the National Curriculum when they get to Year 1 but they have achieved well in relation to their low starting point. From Year 1 to Year 6, pupils 2 Inspection Report: Flash Ley Community Primary School, 28 March 2006 to 29 March 2006 achieve well, except in Year 5 where progress is slower. Many pupils make very good

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Grade: 2

progress in Year 6 as result of high quality teaching. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, including those in the speech and language unit make good progress. Many parents choose to send their children to the school for this reason. Work is well focused for these pupils and they receive good quality support from teachers and teaching assistants.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, social, moral and cultural development, are good. Pupils enjoy school, have positive attitudes and are proud of their achievements. They behave well and cooperate sensibly with one another. Activities such as the multicultural weeks give them good insights into our diverse world. Children in the Nursery and the Reception classes respond well to the good opportunities to develop their independence and this has a positive impact as they get older. Attendance has improved since the previous inspection and is now average. The attendance of the vast majority of pupils is good but, in spite of the school’s best efforts, the attendance of a very small minority is poor. Pupils enthusiastically take responsibility for jobs and roles within school, such as becoming house captains and members of the Eco-council. Year 6 pupils raised a significant sum of money for the children’s ward of the local hospital. This activity,

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Grade: 2

which the pupils decided upon themselves, is a good example of pupils making a positive contribution to the community. Pupils show a good awareness of the need for safety and healthy living; many benefit from exercise provided by the numerous sporting activities. Pupils are effectively developing the skills they need in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) to prepare them well for the future.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Relationships between pupils and adults are very good in all lessons and pupils enjoy their learning. As one Year 2 pupil said, ‘We love our work and making our brains warm’. Lessons are industrious and productive. Teachers use questioning well to explore pupils’ understanding of their work. Pupils are encouraged to undertake activities independently and work together sensibly. Using the good assessment information they have on the pupils, the majority of teachers try to ensure that all pupils are provided with activities that suit their abilities. However, there are occasions when this does not happen and all pupils are given the same work, particularly in the Year 5 class. This affects the higher attaining pupils who are not challenged sufficiently, so do not reach standards as high as they should. 3 Inspection Report: Flash Ley Community Primary School, 28 March 2006 to 29 March 2006

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Grade: 2

Some of the teachers’ marking is of high quality. In Year 3, for example, it is supportive and gives pupils very clear ideas on how to improve. Not all marking is as effective, although there is none that is unsatisfactory. Targets for learning are used well by the majority of teachers. Pupils understand these and say that they help them to learn although the younger pupils in Years 1 and 2 do not yet have individual targets for mathematics.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good, contributing effectively to pupils’ good achievement and personal development. The nursery and reception curriculum is a strength of the school, offering children good opportunities to take part in imaginatively planned activities. Parents said their children would come to school on Saturdays and Sundays if they could because of the exciting times they had in these classes. Through Years 1 to 6 there is a strong emphasis on developing basic skills together with the successful promotion of healthy and safe living. The provision for literacy, numeracy and ICT is good in most classes but not all. Increasingly, good use is made of ICT to support the curriculum. Enrichment of the curriculum is very good. Exciting opportunities to perform in concerts together with a good number of visitors and a very wide range of visits bring the curriculum alive, add to the pupils’ enjoyment and

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Grade: 2

have a positive impact on their personal development.

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Grade: 2

The quality of care, guidance and support is good and has a high profile. There is good liaison with a range of outside agencies to ensure pupils stay safe and healthy. Child protection procedures are secure and understood by all members of staff. All adults know pupils as individuals and pupils feel confident that they have trusted adults to turn to, if necessary. They say that any rare instances of bullying are dealt with immediately. Parents feel their children are safe. One parent summed up the views of many when she said, ‘Once I’ve left my child I have no worries because I know she’ll be taken good care of’. Guidance and support for learning are good overall, leading to good achievement by most pupils. However, there is some slight variation in the way that targets are set for pupils and the way that teachers use assessment information to ensure that differing needs of pupils are being met. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are well

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Grade: 2

supported, including those who attend the successful speech and language unit.

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Grade: 2

The school’s leadership and management are good. Parents feel that the school is well managed and very welcoming. The headteacher is supported effectively by the other 4 Inspection Report: Flash Ley Community Primary School, 28 March 2006 to 29 March 2006 members of the senior management team who are good role models in the classroom. The management team has been successful in developing a strong group of teachers and establishing good practice across the school. The school’s own evaluation of its provision is not accurate enough despite its extensive programme of monitoring. The monitoring of teaching is too descriptive and insufficiently evaluative. The criteria identified to judge whether development plan targets have been reached are often too general and do not focus strongly enough on how pupils’ achievement is going to improve. Although there are some inconsistencies in teaching and management

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Grade: 2

processes, the management team is well placed to bring about further improvements. Subject leaders manage their subjects well and have a good understanding of how their subjects will develop in the future. Their action plans contribute effectively to the school’s main development plan. Professional development is well established at the school with good emphasis placed on developing the role of subject coordinators. The school consults with pupils, parents and governors and their views are taken into consideration when making decisions. The governing body receives a good level of information from the school which enables governors to support the school’s work satisfactorily. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. 5 Inspection Report: Flash Ley Community Primary School, 28 March 2006 to 29 March 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: Flash Ley Community Primary School, 28 March 2006 to 29 March 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 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 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 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 3 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 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

Dear Pupils Many of you will remember that we inspected your school at the end of March. Some of you will have seen us around the school. Thank you for making us so welcome and being friendly and helpful. We enjoyed our visit and this letter is to tell you what we found out about your school. What your school does well •Most of your lessons are good. You enjoy your learning and make good progress. •The staff take good care of you so you are safe and happy in school. •There are many clubs and activities that you enjoy before and after school. •Your school is popular with your parents because they recognise that it is good and that you are well looked after. •The headteacher and other senior staff manage the school well and are always looking to make it even better. What we have asked your school to do now •Make sure all lessons are always good so that everyone makes good progress all of the time. •Improve some of the checking that the senior staff do to see how good the school is.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Best wishes to all of you for the future. Yours faithfully Chris Kessell Lead Inspector

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