Priors Field Primary School

Inspection Report Priors Field Primary School

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125609 Unique Reference Number Warwickshire LEA 281964 Inspection number 22 March 2006 to 23 March 2006 Inspection dates David Cox AI Reporting inspector

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

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Clinton Lane School address Primary Type of school Kenilworth Community School category Warwickshire CV8 1BA 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01926 853015 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01926 851875 Fax number 215 Number on roll Mr Ian Slade Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Andy Mitchell Headteacher 8 May 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281964 22 March 2006 - 4 to 11 23 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Priors Field Primary School is an average-sized primary school. Most of the pupils are from a White British background. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities is below the national average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Priors Field Primary School, 22 March 2006 to 23 March 2006

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school. The school’s view of its effectiveness is good. This is because the school is not complacent about how well it is doing and it is always seeking to do better. The standards pupils achieve by the end of Year 6 are exceptionally high because of outstanding teaching. There is evidence of comparative underperformance in writing for a small number of boys in Year 3 because in the past, teachers have not always provided them with writing tasks that they enjoyed. Pupils make good progress in Reception as a result of good teaching. However, their creative and physical development is not as good as other aspects because outdoor facilities are limited. Pupils are exceedingly well cared for and safe. The school goes to excellent lengths to ensure that all pupils are treated equally. The curriculum is outstanding and as a result pupils thoroughly enjoy their time at school and develop outstanding personal

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Grade: 1

skills. Leadership and management are outstanding and leaders have shown that they can move the school forward. The headteacher and the governors have played a major role in achieving this. Standards pupils achieve continue to improve and the school has successfully addressed the issues identified at the last inspection. The school provides excellent value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Raise standards of writing for a small minority of boys in Year 3 by providing them with more writing tasks that they enjoy. •Improve the pupils’ creative and physical development in the reception class by providing better outdoor facilities.

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Grade: 1

Achievement and standards are exceptional. When children start school in Reception their standards are above what is typical for their age. During their time in Reception, children make good progress, with many achieving well beyond what is expected by the time they enter Year 1. However, their creative and physical development lags behind other aspects because outdoor facilities are limited. Standards are exceptionally high by the end of Year 6 and pupils achieve exceedingly well in meeting challenging targets because of high quality teaching and an excellent curriculum. Results in the national tests in 2005 for Year 6 pupils were exceptionally high in English, mathematics and science and this continues the trend of exceptional performance of pupils since the last inspection. Whilst there are no significant differences in the achievement of the different groups of pupils represented in the school, the school has correctly identified that the writing

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Grade: 1

skills of a small number of boys who are now in Year 3 need to be improved even further. The school is taking action to make the required improvements and observations made during the inspection indicate that these actions are having the desired effect, although it is too early to measure the full impact. 2 Inspection Report: Priors Field Primary School, 22 March 2006 to 23 March 2006 The standard of pupils’ artwork is very high and there are examples of beautiful work that enhance the school corridors.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils feel very secure and show excellent personal and social skills both in lessons and when out on the playground. Relationships are excellent and pupils’ attitudes towards staff and other adults are respectful and friendly. The school very effectively nurtures a positive climate by celebrating and rewarding achievement through ‘merit’ assemblies. Pupils say bullying and racism are rare but when they occur they are dealt with effectively. Pupils are happy in school; comments from a recent pupil questionnaire include, ‘the school is brilliant, it is safe and caring’. Attendance is above average and pupils say they enjoy coming to school because of all the wonderful activities on offer. Pupils are encouraged to express their opinions in lessons, through the school council and by completing questionnaires. Pupils realise the importance of healthy living because it is very well

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Grade: 1

promoted throughout the school and there is a wide range of healthy choices for children at lunch time. Pupils are proud of the ‘buddy’ system which they say is used to ensure that they feel wanted and important. Their concern for others is demonstrated by the charity events they organise, which, together with their excellent level of basic skills, prepares them well for life when they leave school. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding because of the clear moral code practiced by all members of the school community. Through enriching visits, visitors and celebrations, pupils develop a good understanding about their own and other cultures.

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Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are outstanding overall. As a result, pupils are making outstanding progress. Teaching and learning in Reception are good and result in children achieving well. Teachers and support staff work closely together to provide interesting activities such as running a play Baker’s Shop that helps the children to develop their numeracy skills. Because of the inadequate outdoor facilities, teachers do not always provide children with the opportunity to improve their creative and physical development. In Years 1 to 6, teaching and learning are outstanding. Pupils thoroughly enjoy their lessons and are encouraged to be inquisitive by their teachers. The individual subject knowledge of teachers is very good and contributes to the high standards that pupils reach. Teachers know their pupils exceedingly well and carefully match work to pupils’ needs, with each lesson building on what the pupils have learnt before. Teachers’ very

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Grade: 1

high expectations are reflected in the challenging work set for pupils, to which they 3 Inspection Report: Priors Field Primary School, 22 March 2006 to 23 March 2006 respond very positively. Learning support staff help the pupils very effectively and are an integral part of the teaching. Pupils’ behaviour is managed skilfully by staff and this ensures that they listen attentively and concentrate hard. Since the last inspection, the school has invested heavily in new computer facilities and teachers are using these well to make learning more effective and exciting for pupils. Teachers value the work of their pupils and use the excellent displays to praise and motivate pupils. Whilst teaching is normally outstanding, a small number of boys who are now in Year 3 have not always been sufficiently motivated by the tasks set to develop their full range of writing skills. This resulted in them not achieving as well as they should have

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Grade: 1

done in national assessments at the end of Year 2. The school has recently introduced strategies to remedy this situation.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding and provides an excellent framework for pupils’ academic and personal development. In Reception, children get off to a good start because the curriculum provides many opportunities for them to develop their language and mathematical skills. Present outdoor facilities, however, reduce the children’s opportunities for spontaneous creative and physical development. Throughout the school, the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are met very effectively and as a result they achieve as well as others. There is a very strong emphasis on the arts and the school is justifiably proud of its Artsmark Gold Award. Those pupils that are gifted and talented are fully challenged through such projects. Pupils’ work on environmental issues is outstanding because of the many opportunities that are provided through the excellent ‘Environmental Project’ that is overseen by one of the

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Grade: 1

parents. Such activities give pupils a lively enthusiasm for their learning and excitement in their work. The curriculum promotes healthy lifestyles very well. A very rich programme of out-of-school activities and visits, including residential visits to France and Whitby, enhances the curriculum very effectively.

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Grade: 1

Outstanding care, guidance and support underpin everything that the school does for the pupils. Very caring and consistent treatment of pupils leads to excellent behaviour and personal development. Pupils say they feel safe in the school and are secure in the knowledge that adults will help them if necessary. Health and safety routines and risk assessments are firmly in place and parents overwhelmingly agree that their children are safe in school. Personal and academic progress is very carefully monitored by staff. Pupils know their own targets and how to improve their performance. Child protection procedures are very well established. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are quickly identified and very well supported. Parents, pupils and appropriate agencies are effectively involved in ensuring all pupils achieve very well. All the adults in the school have a clear understanding of pupils’ medical and dietary

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Grade: 1

needs. Arrangements for induction in to the school and transferring to secondary 4 Inspection Report: Priors Field Primary School, 22 March 2006 to 23 March 2006 school are excellent and ensure that pupils move seamlessly from one phase of education to the next.

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Grade: 1

The leadership and management of the school, including governance, are outstanding. There is an excellent ethos that enables all pupils to achieve exceedingly well. The leadership of the headteacher is excellent. He is very effective and dynamic. There is a clear direction set for the school and a rigorous approach to monitoring and evaluation. The leadership team is well supported by the administrative staff and other non-teaching staff. The self-evaluation is mostly accurate, although the school undervalues itself with respect to how well pupils achieve. The last inspection report judged the school to be ‘a high performing school’. Standards continue to improve and are now exceptionally high. The school has demonstrated an outstanding capacity for improvement. Strong links with support agencies help the school in its work to provide equally well for all children. The school is very well supported by parents and many take an active role in the school

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Grade: 1

by raising funds for computers and other equipment. Parents are pleased with the education that their children receive and the wide range of activities on offer. A small minority of parents express concern that the school has undergone too much change since the arrival of the headteacher just over two years ago and that standards are slipping. Inspectors do not support this view because pupils’ standards and achievement continue to improve and are exceptionally high. The governors take a full and active role in the life of the school and are very well informed. They provide excellent support to the school. They monitor the work of the school rigorously and work closely with the headteacher to ensure staff and pupils make the most of the good resources available. Through the careful deployment of all the resources, the leaders of the school are ensuring that the school provides outstanding value for money.

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Grade: 1

5 Inspection Report: Priors Field Primary School, 22 March 2006 to 23 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: Priors Field Primary School, 22 March 2006 to 23 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 1 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 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 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 1 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 1 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 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 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

As you know, we visited your school recently to find out how well the school is doing. We would like to thank you for looking after us so well. Thank you also for talking to us about your school, the work you have done and how much you enjoy coming to school. We especially enjoyed seeing the work you do in the environmental areas and the quality of your art work. What we liked about your school: •most of you do exceptionally well at school because of the outstanding effort made by everyone •you behave very well and are always polite to each other and to adults •your school is a healthy and very safe place to be and you help each other when there are problems •your lessons are exciting and you enjoy being at school •teachers and other staff in the school look after you very well •the headteacher is making sure that you have lots of extra activities to do at lunchtime and after school and you are encouraged to make full use of these wonderful opportunities

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

•the people who run your school know what it does well and what it needs to do to get even better. What we have asked your school to do now: •help some of the boys in Year 3 to improve your writing •provide a better play area for the youngest pupils.

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