Woodgate Primary School

Inspection Report Woodgate Primary School

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103310 Unique Reference Number Birmingham Local Authority 286626 Inspection number 17 °18 October 2006 Inspection dates David Driscoll Reporting inspector

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

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Lutley Grove School address Primary Type of school Bartley Green Community School category Birmingham B32 3PN 4 °11 Age range of pupils 0121 4642315 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0121 4642238 Fax number 306 Number on roll (school) Lesley Franklin Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Robin Reynolds Headteacher 4 June 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 286626 17 °18 October 2006 4°11 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

Woodgate is a large school that serves a deprived area of Birmingham. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities at the school is average, but the proportion with a statement of special educational needs is above average. Standards on entry to the school have been falling in recent years, but standards on entry this year have improved.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Woodgate Primary School, 17 °18 October 2006

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Grade: 3

Woodgate provides a satisfactory education for its pupils, both in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 to 6. Pupils make satisfactory progress and leave with average standards. Their achievement is satisfactory in most areas of their studies, although progress in mathematics is good. While the curriculum and teaching are satisfactory overall, the provision for mathematics is better. Pupils are taught mathematics in classes according to their ability, which means teachers are more easily able to match the work to their needs. The teachers in Year 1 find this more difficult, because the assessments made at the end of the Foundation Stage do not provide a complete picture of how able pupils are on starting Year 1. This slows pupils' progress at the start of Year 1, although they make up the ground lost by the end of Year 2. Pupils do not develop their information and communication technology (ICT) skills as quickly

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Grade: 3

as they could, because they do not have enough opportunities to use them in other subjects. The school pays great attention to making sure that pupils are safe and happy in school by providing good quality care, guidance and support. Pupils enjoy coming to school, behave well and act responsibly. Their personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. Those who have difficulties controlling their behaviour are supported particularly well. The school has made satisfactory progress since it was last inspected, as a result of satisfactory leadership and management. The headteacher and his deputy get a good overview of the school's main strengths and weaknesses, so their evaluation of its overall performance is accurate. However, they carry a huge workload because the role of middle managers is underdeveloped. As a result, aspects of good practice are not being identified and spread as quickly as they could be in order to improve the

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Grade: 3

quality of teaching and learning, although this is improving.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise the quality of teaching and learning, by ensuring that middle managers take greater responsibility for the monitoring of pupils' and teachers' performance and thus spread consistently good practice. • Increase the opportunities for pupils to develop their ICT skills. • Ensure assessments at the end of the Foundation Stage are sufficiently accurate to provide a firm basis for the planning of lessons in Year 1.

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Grade: 3

Pupils make satisfactory progress in their academic studies and in the skills that they will need in later life. They leave with standards that are average, and this represents satisfactory achievement. There are fluctuations from year to year in pupils' standards on entering the school, but the same picture of satisfactory progress is apparent, 2 Inspection Report: Woodgate Primary School, 17 °18 October 2006 regardless of their starting point, gender or background. Progress is a little slower at the start of Year 1 than in other years, but pupils catch up by the end of Year 2. Progress in mathematics is good in Years 3 to 6, but pupils do not develop their skills in using ICT as quickly as they could. Each year the school meets or exceeds its realistic targets, which are appropriately challenging.

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Grade: 2

The school is a harmonious community where pupils show respect for each other. Very good relationships are evident between all adults and pupils. Pupils develop a good understanding of what it means to be part of a community through the many opportunities to take responsibility. They look out for one another in the playground and have a well-developed sense of how to keep themselves and others safe. Involvement in the wider community is good through strong links with the local church and other schools, both primary and secondary. Behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. Pupils' attitudes to learning are good. They behave well and enjoy coming to school. They talk enthusiastically about their lessons, particularly when teachers make them interesting by including practical activities or role play. 'Lessons are fun!' they say. Pupils are proud to be members of the School Council and talk enthusiastically of their

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Grade: 2

role in shaping the school. They refer to improvements in the toilets and the new goalposts in the playground. Some older pupils enjoy the role of peer tutor, helping younger pupils with an aspect of their learning. Pupils are aware of the need for a healthy lifestyle and are beginning to understand what foods they should eat. They enjoy the 'Wake Up, Shake Up' session held every day after lunch: 'It helps us to work better'. However, at playtime many still do not put their good intentions into practice, choosing the least healthy option available.

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Grade: 3

Across the school, pupils are clear about what they are going to learn because teachers are good at explaining the purpose of lessons. In mathematics lessons, teachers find it much easier to match work to the individual pupils, because there is not such a wide range of ability for them to deal with. In some other classes, the work is sometimes a little too easy for the most able, or too hard for the least able. In Year 1 the result of earlier inaccurate assessment is that teachers can go through work too quickly, without checking that all pupils have understood. 3 Inspection Report: Woodgate Primary School, 17 °18 October 2006

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Grade: 3

Some aspects of the curriculum work very well. The teaching of mathematics in sets, for example, is clearly proving successful in improving achievement. The same approach is used in literacy, but with larger groups. The use of a specialist to teach science to all classes has also improved standards. The curriculum for pupils with learning difficulties is particularly good, especially for those with social and behavioural difficulties. It focuses on changing the way they relate to others, so they are able to make the same progress in their academic work as other pupils. Learning is enlivened through the use of visitors and visits, but pupils do not get enough opportunities to develop their skills in using ICT in other subjects. This means pupils are not developing their skills as quickly as they could, although the school has plans to improve this aspect of its provision.

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Grade: 2

Parents express strong support for the school because they know their children are well looked after. The good quality of care is evident as the staff know the pupils well and have a high level of commitment to ensuring the school site is a welcoming, safe and secure environment. Pupils feel confident to ask an adult for help and advice when necessary, and the advice they get is of good quality. One particularly strong aspect of the school's work is the way it helps pupils with learning difficulties related to their behaviour to improve. The school uses a Learning Mentor who works specifically and very successfully with such pupils, and several who would otherwise be at risk of exclusion have been able to continue their education with this support. In most years the assessment of pupils is highly accurate. However, the assessment of pupils at the end of the Foundation Stage inflates their standards. The school has

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Grade: 2

good systems for tracking pupils' progress and these allow teachers to explain carefully what pupils need to do to improve.

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Grade: 3

Much of the management of the school is carried out by the headteacher and his deputy. The deputy, for example, is responsible for literacy and pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, and this term has taken responsibility for the Foundation Stage. The role of other managers, such as some subject co-ordinators, is underdeveloped. They do too little in the way of identifying and spreading good practice in order to improve the quality of teaching and learning. The school's managers, including governors, get a clear picture of its strengths and the main areas for improvement, such as those noted in this report. However, the way that the school 4 Inspection Report: Woodgate Primary School, 17 °18 October 2006 checks on teaching leads to a slightly generous evaluation of its quality. Too little attention is given to the impact of the teaching on pupils' progress, or to identifying the individual weaknesses that prevent a satisfactory lesson from becoming a good

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Grade: 3

one. Plans drawn up to address the weaknesses are generally successful, and this shows that the school has a sound capacity to improve further, and provides satisfactory value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Woodgate Primary School, 17 °18 October 2006 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Woodgate Primary School, 17 °18 October 2006

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Woodgate Primary School, 17 °18 October 2006

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Woodgate Primary School, 17 °18 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for the way you welcomed us into your school and helped with our inspection. You, and your mums and dads, told us how happy you are at school. You get on well with each other and are particularly good at helping if someone has a problem. The grown-ups are good at helping you too. Most of you always try your best and know how to behave well. You could take more notice of what you are being taught about how to be healthy. We noticed, for example, that only a few of you always chose the healthiest food to eat at playtime. Overall, you get a satisfactory education, but you are good at maths because the teachers know how to set you problems that are just hard enough to test you. There are some things that the school could do to get better. Some of the marks that teachers give to pupils when they leave Reception are not quite right, so we have asked the teachers to have another look at them and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

make sure they are spot on. You told us that you would like to do more with computers; we agree that standards are not high enough in ICT, so we have asked the teachers to let you use them in more lessons, and they have already planned to do this. The grown-ups who look after the school have lots of plans to make it better. However, most of the plans are being organised by one or two people, so we have asked more grown-ups to get involved in running the school. They could spot the things that work really well in lessons and tell all the teachers about them. I wish you all the very best for your future. 9 Inspection Report: Woodgate Primary School, 17 °18 October 2006

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