Rood End Primary School

103984 Unique Reference Number Sandwell LEA 282869 Inspection number 22 November 2005 to 23 November 2005 Inspection dates Andrew Watters HMI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools the authority to cause any school to be inspected. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Rood End Road School address Primary Type of school Oldbury Community School category West Midlands B68 8SQ 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 0121 5521866 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0121 552 1922 Fax number 406 Number on roll Mrs J Marshall Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms U Devi Headteacher 29 September 2003 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 282869 22 November 2005 - 4 to 11 23 November 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 one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and an additional inspector.

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Description of the school

When Rood End Primary School was inspected in September and October 2003 it was judged to require special measures. Initially, progress was very slow because of considerable weaknesses in teaching and the lack of effective senior managers to support the headteacher, who was appointed after the inspection. The school is situated in a mainly residential area of Oldbury in the West Midlands, which the local authority describes as having a high level of inner city adversity and hardship. The pupils come from a number of ethnic groups but are mainly of White British, Pakistani, Indian and Caribbean heritage. Almost a third of the pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs and about half speak English as an additional language. When they enter the school the pupils’ attainment is well below what is expected for their age, particularly in speaking, writing, reading and their mathematical development.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Rood End Primary, 22 November 2005 to 23 November 2005

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Grade: 2

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Schools (HMCI) is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures. The school judges its overall effectiveness as satisfactory and HMI judge it to be good. Although standards remain too low, they are rising. Most pupils are making satisfactory or good progress. Some of the pupils’ achievements are outstanding. The gap between what the pupils are expected to reach for their age and what they are currently achieving is closing at an increasingly speedy rate. The quality of teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage is good. The pupils have a very good start to their school life but standards are very low, particularly in language and literacy. The quality of teaching has improved considerably. It ranges from good to satisfactory and is satisfactory overall. There is not yet enough consistently good and better teaching.

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Grade: 2

The school is a very welcoming community with an extremely positive ethos. It values highly the contribution of each pupil and adult, striving for improvement and avoiding complacency. The pupils’ behaviour, their attitudes and their personal development are good. Attendance is too low and below the national average. The headteacher’s leadership is outstanding. Her resilience, determination, high expectations and aspirations have been central to the school’s success. The recent appointment of two senior teachers, changes to the senior leadership group and involvement of all teachers in management responsibilities have resulted in a strong team with a common sense of purpose. Self-evaluation is exemplary. The quality of monitoring, intervention and support is rigorous, systematic and highly effective. The governors discharge their responsibilities well and the local authority provides very good support. Improvement since the last inspection has been good. The school gives

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Grade: 2

good value for money and its capacity to improve is good. These are all considerable achievements. When the school went into special measures it had lost its way. The turnaround has been remarkable. The pupils and the community now have a school of which they can be proud.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Raise standards particularly in reading, writing, speaking and mathematics. •Increase the proportion of good and better teaching to ensure that pupils make even better progress and reach higher standards. •Improve the pupils’ attendance.

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Grade: 3

From a very low base, standards in reading, writing and mathematics continue to rise, reflecting a steady upward trend which has been established during the previous 18 months. Increasing numbers of pupils are reaching the level expected for their age although very few pupils do better than this. In relation to their different starting points and capabilities, the majority of pupils are making satisfactory or good progress 2 Inspection Report: Rood End Primary, 22 November 2005 to 23 November 2005 to improve their basic skills. Almost a third of the pupils made better than average progress during the past year and some made outstanding progress. Much of this is as a result of better quality teaching and the challenging targets that have been set for the pupils to achieve. Nevertheless, the results of the national tests and teachers’ assessments remain too low and below the national average. There is no significant

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Grade: 3

underachievement although the school is well aware that it needs to maintain a rigorous and relentless focus on raising standards further.

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Grade: 2

The pupils’ personal development and well-being is good. They have positive attitudes and behave very well. Relationships are good. The pupils are courteous, good humoured and sensitive to each other’s needs. They enjoy coming to school and try hard to do their best particularly when their work is interesting and challenging. They are very welcoming to visitors. The school council is a very positive initiative and gives the pupils a voice in the day-to-day running of the school. The school council has been successful in making improvements to the playground, raising money for charity and encouraging healthy lifestyles. Attendance has improved but is still below the national average for primary schools. The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. Through daily acts of collective worship, pupils are encouraged to reflect on spiritual and moral issues, such as making the world a better place to live and how faith and religion can

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Grade: 2

influence their lives. They are taught the difference between right and wrong and are developing a good sense of justice, fairness and democracy. Their growing awareness of environmental, social and global issues is helping them understand the needs of their community. It is also preparing them for adult responsibilities and the world of work.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching has improved considerably. It ranges from good to satisfactory and is satisfactory overall. While poor teaching has been eliminated, there is not yet enough consistently good teaching which will be needed to increase the proportion of pupils who are making good or better progress. In the best lessons the teachers’ expectations were high, class routines were well established and basic skills were taught effectively. The pupils’ work was matched well to their different learning needs and presented in imaginative and relevant contexts. The teachers’ instructions and explanations were clear and the pupils knew exactly what they were required to learn. The level of guidance and support to help the pupils improve was very good and assessment was used effectively to target important areas for improvement. Teaching assistants make a very positive contribution to helping the pupils improve. They form

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Grade: 3

3 Inspection Report: Rood End Primary, 22 November 2005 to 23 November 2005 effective partnerships with teachers. Lessons were less successful when the pupils had fewer opportunities to work independently and in small groups, their work was too easy and when teachers spent too long introducing activities. This slowed the pace of learning and as a result the pupils did not make enough progress acquiring new skills and knowledge.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum has improved significantly and is good. It generally matches the needs of the pupils well and statutory requirements are met. There is a strong and successful focus on improving basic skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT). These are developed well through topics and themes, such as in science, history and geography. The curriculum is enhanced well by specialist teaching in physical education and French, which the pupils really enjoy. The pupils’ personal, social and health education is developed well through various subjects, for example healthy lifestyles in physical education and dental care in science. The provision for the pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities, and for those who speak English as an additional language, is good. The curriculum provides good opportunities for these pupils to progress and develop well. The range of after school sporting

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Grade: 2

activities and visits to the community is used well to enrich the pupils’ work, for example a trip to the science museum in Birmingham.

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Grade: 2

All staff are committed to ensuring a high level of care, support and guidance for the pupils. This is achieved successfully. The pupils are safe, looked after well and receive a good level of support to help them achieve their challenging targets. The school is working increasingly well with parents who are invited to join the weekly assemblies which celebrate the pupils’ achievements. The pupils feel secure and particularly appreciate the way in which teachers and other adults help them improve their work. The school is a very attractive environment which is well maintained and respected by the pupils. Displays are used well in classrooms to enhance the pupils’ learning. The school has worked well with the local authority to help the pupils make better progress. Risk assessments are carried out systematically and regularly reviewed. Child protection procedures are good. Pupils said that they can talk to adults about their concerns

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Grade: 2

knowing that their opinions and views would be valued.

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Grade: 1

The headteacher’s leadership is outstanding. She is resilient, determined and highly effective. She knows her school very well. Her high level of professionalism and expectation, combined with an overriding commitment to improvement has been central in moving the school from failure to success. ‘Our children deserve the very 4 Inspection Report: Rood End Primary, 22 November 2005 to 23 November 2005 best’ have been her constant watchwords. Two senior teachers who have been recruited recently, one on a permanent and the other on a temporary contract, have considerably strengthened the school’s collective leadership. They give very good support to the headteacher and are good role models for other teachers. The extended senior leadership group and delegation of management responsibilities to all staff have created a strong team with a common sense of purpose. The school’s revised staffing structure, particularly at a senior level, is sustainable, affordable and reflects the

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Grade: 1

school’s good capacity to improve further. Strategic planning is very good. There is a rigorous and effective programme of monitoring, evaluation, support and intervention. Teachers are held accountable for the standards achieved by the pupils. They receive detailed and helpful feedback about improving their work and targets for improvement are followed up carefully to ensure that they are met. Self-evaluation is exemplary. Teaching and non-teaching staff have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. This is based on a systematic and accurate analysis of assessment information to track the pupils’ progress and check their attainment levels. The inclusion of all pupils is central to the school’s vision of improvement. Staff know how well each pupil is achieving and whether they should be doing even better. The chair of governors is a loyal friend to the school and under her leadership the

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Grade: 1

governing body discharges its responsibilities well. Given the school’s very low starting point when it went into special measures and the recent rapid improvement at all levels, the judgement that leadership and management is outstanding is a considerable and immense achievement. 5 Inspection Report: Rood End Primary, 22 November 2005 to 23 November 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: Rood End Primary, 22 November 2005 to 23 November 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 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 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 3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 4 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 3 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 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 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

Rood End Primary School Rood End Road Oldbury West Midlands B68 8SQ 24 November 2005 Dear Pupils Thank you for welcoming us to your school. We have really enjoyed talking with you and visiting your lessons. You are all very friendly, cheerful and polite and have made sure that for the two days we have been with you we have felt a part of your school. Thank you for sharing your work with us. We could see that you always try hard to do your best and help each other. Well done! We think your school council does a very good job and works hard to improve things for you, like the changes to the playground, which you really appreciate. As you know I have been visiting your school each term to check that it is getting better. I am very pleased to tell you that you now go to a really good school! We had a good time talking to your teachers and it was good to see how well they and you got on together in lessons. Your

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

teachers, the headteacher and all the other adults in school work very hard to make sure that you are safe, that you do well with your work and enjoy it! We have asked Miss Devi and the teachers to carry on with all the very good work that they are doing to make sure that your writing, reading and mathematics keep getting better and that all your lessons are really good! We also would like all of you and your parents to make sure that you come to school every day! I shall take away lots of good memories about all of you at Rood End and have really enjoyed being at your school. Thank you again for being so helpful and friendly. Yours faithfully Andrew Watters Her Majesty’s Inspector

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