Chilvers Coton Community Infant School

Inspection Report Chilvers Coton Community Infant School

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125537 Unique Reference Number Warwickshire LEA 281954 Inspection number 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005 Inspection dates Alison Grainger RISP Reporting inspector

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

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Fitton Street School address Primary Type of school Nuneaton Community School category Warwickshire CV11 5RB 3 to 7 Age range of pupils 02476 387 001 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02476 388 051 Fax number 228 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Lesley Suggett Headteacher 28 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281954 26 September 2005 - 3 to 7 27 September 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

Chilvers Coton Community Infant School is situated close to the centre of Nuneaton. About two thirds of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. Most of these pupils are Indian although some are from other backgrounds, such as a few who are of Pakistani heritage. Around a third of pupils are of White British heritage. Although many pupils have English as an additional language, very few, other than in the Nursery, are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs is high. The most common problems are speech and communication difficulties. About a quarter of the pupils are eligible for free school meals, which is above average. Overall, children enter the Nursery with attainment a little below the level expected for their age.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Chilvers Coton Community Infant School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005

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Grade: 4

The school’s overall effectiveness is inadequate and it provides poor value for money, even though most parents are pleased with it. The school knows it needs to improve and its view of its effectiveness matches that of inspectors. Children are given a good start in the nursery but this is not sustained in the later years. Weaknesses in how well teaching and the range of learning opportunities meet pupils’ needs result in significant underachievement in the Reception Year to Year 2. Ineffective leadership and management have failed to rectify the weaknesses found at the last inspection. The weaknesses in teaching, the curriculum, leadership and management have a marked effect on pupils’ personal development and on the quality of care provided for them. Although pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are satisfactory, their independence and initiative are insufficiently developed. Pupils’ views and those of their parents are not

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Grade: 4

sought as they should be, to help make decisions about how the school can improve. For almost a year, the school has received intensive support from the local education authority to help it to raise standards and improve the low attendance rate. Although the school has welcomed this support, it has not put in place the agreed changes either consistently or effectively. There are inadequacies in how the school checks on how well it is doing. In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that the school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. Grade: 4

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that teaching and the learning activities meet the needs of all pupils in the reception year to Year 2 so that they do as well as they should • Improve pupils’ independence and initiative and involve them and their parents in helping to make decisions about how the school can improve • Improve attendance • Ensure that agreed developments are implemented and monitored effectively and that the curriculum meets statutory requirements.

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Grade: 4

Children get off to a good start in the Nursery. Those who have little experience of speaking English rapidly improve their skills and confidence. By the time they enter 2 Inspection Report: Chilvers Coton Community Infant School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005 the Reception Year, children’s attainment is at the level expected, including their skills in early reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ progress from the start of the reception year to the end of Year 2 is inconsistent, patchy and unsatisfactory overall. The good start in the nursery is not built on well enough and many pupils underachieve. Pupils of average and above average capability miss out the most regardless of their ethnic background or whether they have English as an additional language. As pupils’ results in the national tests show, underachievement is most marked in reading and writing in which standards are significantly below the national average at

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Grade: 4

the end of Year 2. Speaking and listening skills are also inadequately developed. Whilst underachievement is less significant in mathematics, with standards close to the national average at the end of Year 2, the most capable pupils do not do well enough. Underachievement and unsatisfactory progress are also evident in other important aspects of pupils’ school work, for example in science and religious education. Only the pupils with learning difficulties make satisfactory progress throughout the school. As at the last inspection, the targets set for year groups are not well founded. They are not sufficiently challenging and are not helping to raise standards. Grade: 4

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Grade: 4

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is inadequate overall despite some positive features, particularly in the nursery where personal, social and emotional development is very good. Children move into the reception year with a mature and sensible approach for their age. Attitudes are less consistent in the reception year to Year 2. Almost all pupils enjoy school. However, too many, especially in Year 1, lose interest in their work because it is too easy and does not present them with a challenge. Behaviour is almost always satisfactory, and it is often good in Year 2. Pupils understand the need for safe practices and, for example, move sensibly about the school. They know the importance of eating healthily and taking exercise. Several factors explain the unsatisfactory personal development of pupils. In the reception year to Year 2, pupils do not develop enough independence and initiative.

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Grade: 4

They do not have the opportunities they should to contribute to the school and wider community. They are not learning how to make important decisions, for example by giving ideas about how to make the school better. Weaknesses, such as in religious education teaching, mean that they do not develop sufficient awareness of other people’s values and beliefs. Pupils do not sufficiently develop the skills that are important to their future economic well-being. Although punctuality is good, the attendance rate has not improved since the last inspection and it is too low. Some absence results from observance of religious festivals and families taking extended holidays to visit relatives overseas, but the school has not taken enough action to promote good attendance. 3 Inspection Report: Chilvers Coton Community Infant School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005 Grade: 4

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Grade: 4

Teaching that is inconsistent, patchy and inadequate is a key factor in the underachievement in the reception year to Year 2. Teachers’ expectations, particularly for the average pupils and those capable of higher attainment, are too low. There is little variation in the tasks set for pupils of differing capabilities. Too often the work set is at a low level, particularly in writing. Work is better matched to the needs of pupils in mathematics than it is in English. Even in mathematics, however, the more capable pupils are often left to work on their own on tasks that are too easy. As a result, pupils often lose interest or finish work quickly and learn little. Pupils with learning difficulties are supported satisfactorily. However, teaching assistants are often used simply to help these pupils with activities that are much the same as those given to others. Opportunities are missed to provide these pupils with

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Grade: 4

teaching finely tuned to their needs. Not enough attention is paid to giving pupils with English as an additional language the specific help they may need, for example in understanding technical language. Too often these pupils are seated with pupils who have special educational needs so that they can be given general support, which may not be what they need. The lack of correctly focused support for the pupils with English as an additional language prevents them from doing better. In the nursery, teaching meets children’s individual needs well. The teacher and teaching assistants give the right level of support to all children to ensure that they learn at a good pace. Very effective support for children who are at an early stage of learning English helps them to make rapid progress. Grade: 4

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Grade: 4

Weaknesses in the curriculum are also key factors in the significant underachievement. Activities are not planned well enough to develop pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills consistently as they move up from the start of the reception year to the end of Year 2. Too little attention is given to the use and development of basic skills, particularly in reading, writing, speaking and listening, and also in mathematics and information and communication technology. As a result, pupils are not prepared well enough for their future economic well-being. The curriculum not only fails to meet pupils’ needs, but also it does not include all that it should to meet external requirements in Years 1 and 2. For example, there are omissions in the required provision for science and religious education. Visits out of 4 Inspection Report: Chilvers Coton Community Infant School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005

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Grade: 4

school, visitors who talk to pupils and music activities provide satisfactory additions to day-by-day lessons. In the nursery, children are provided with a rich and stimulating range of learning opportunities that is well matched to their needs. Full account is taken of the recommended areas of learning for children of this age. Grade: 4

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Grade: 4

Pupils do not receive enough guidance about their school work. They are not involved in identifying what they need to work on most in order to make better progress. Targets for personal development included in pupils’ annual reports are often of poor quality and provide pupils with little guidance. Not enough is done to involve pupils in saying how the school could be better. Care for pupils’ personal well-being, including pastoral care, is satisfactory but there are some shortcomings. Pupils get on well with the adults in school and are sure that they would have someone to turn to if they were worried. They learn about the importance of exercise and a healthy diet. School meals encourage pupils to eat healthily. The school building is clean and secure but there are several hazards, such as uneven paving slabs in the outdoor nursery area, that require urgent attention. Staff have not had training to ensure that child protection procedures are implemented

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Grade: 4

Ineffective leadership and management, including unsatisfactory self-evaluation, have resulted in the school failing to meet pupils’ needs. The school’s improvement since the last inspection has been inadequate because it has lacked firm and focused leadership. The areas requiring the most significant improvement now are much the same as those identified at the time of the last inspection. Over the last year, with intensive support from the local education authority, the headteacher, staff and governors have recognised that significant improvement is required. However, they also know that the pace of improvement is too slow and that not enough is done to tackle, for instance, the weaknesses in teaching. The school is not moving forward because agreed improvements are not consistently put in place. This creates even more inconsistencies that are not picked up and tackled by senior managers. Poor checking of the effectiveness of initiatives results in

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Grade: 4

inconsistencies and non-implementation by staff not being picked up quickly enough. All levels of leadership and management, including the governance, are ineffective in 5 Inspection Report: Chilvers Coton Community Infant School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005 that they are not demonstrating capacity for improvement. The only exception is in the nursery where there is strong and effective teamwork. Grade: 4 6 Inspection Report: Chilvers Coton Community Infant School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 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. 7 Inspection Report: Chilvers Coton Community Infant School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 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 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 4 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA No The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA No Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 4 How well do learners achieve? NA 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 4 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 4 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 3 The behaviour of learners NA 4 The attendance of learners NA 3 How well learners enjoy their education NA 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 4 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 4 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 4 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 4 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 4 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 4 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 4 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 4 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

No 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 No Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them No 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

No There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills No 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

28th September 2005 Dear Children Thank you for helping the inspectors when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking with you. We are pleased that you like school and that you get on well with each other and the adults who look after you. We think that the Nursery gives a good start to the youngest children. We were pleased to see the parents coming into the Nursery and Reception class with their children in the mornings. It was good to see so many mothers and fathers helping their children to settle in. We have found that there are some big areas in which your school could improve. We have asked your teachers to make sure that you all have work at the right level so that you all learn as much as you can. We have also asked your teachers to give you more opportunities to make choices and decisions about your work. It would help you to work together in pairs or groups on activities sometimes. It would also be good if you and your parents could help the school to make decisions about

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

how it could be better. Your attendance could be better and we want you and your parents to help your school to achieve this. All the adults in your school will be working hard to make the school better. To help them, other inspectors will visit the school regularly to check the progress they are making. With best wishes Alison Grainger On behalf of the inspectors

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