Glynne Primary School

103832 Unique Reference Number Dudley Local Authority 286778 Inspection number 26 °27 June 2007 Inspection dates David Driscoll Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 477 School

p.1

The governing body Appropriate authority Ken Workman Chair Janet O'neill Headteacher 27 May 2002 Date of previous school inspection Cot Lane School address Kingswinford DY6 9TH

p.1

01384 816960 Telephone number 01384 816961 Fax number

p.1

3 °11 Age group 26 °27 June 2007 Inspection dates 286778 Inspection number .

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

This large primary school serves a relatively affluent area of Kingswinford. The proportion of pupils from a minority ethnic background is average, as is the proportion who speak English as an additional language, although all are fluent in English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is well below average and the proportion with a statement of special educational need is below average. There is a much higher proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities in the Foundation Stage than in other years in the school.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Glynne Primary School, 26 °27 June 2007

p.3

Grade: 3

Glynne provides a satisfactory education for its pupils. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. Children usually join and leave the school with standards that are average. However, the children who are currently in the Foundation Stage joined with lower standards. Many of them have learning difficulties or disabilities, and they have made good progress to reach average standards. Such progress is partly a result of good teaching, but also reflects the carefully planned work of teaching assistants supporting those pupils with learning disabilities or difficulties who are receive support from external services (School Action Plus) or those who have a statement of special educational need. This is a common feature across the school and explains why pupils with more severe or complex learning needs make better progress than others. The satisfactory progress made by most pupils is a result of satisfactory teaching. Pupils greatly enjoy coming

p.4

Grade: 3

to school, because they get on well with their teachers and with one another. For some, most notably the most able, the work can be too easy, so they make less progress than others. Pupils' good personal development is a strength of the school. The good curriculum places a great deal of emphasis on developing personal qualities, such as resilience, thinking about others and how to stay healthy and safe. Parents hold the school's good care, guidance and support in high regard because of the quality of pastoral care. Pupils receive good guidance on how to behave and develop good manners. As a result, pupils are polite, considerate and show a very good understanding of right and wrong. The academic guidance they receive is satisfactory. All have targets to improve their standards, but some are too long-term to be really useful, whilst marking rarely points out what it is they need to do to improve. The school's managers have many different ways of checking on the school's performance,

p.4

Grade: 3

including accurate tracking of the progress made by pupils. However, leadership and management are only satisfactory because the resulting information is not used to identify weaknesses in teaching, or to link what the school provides with what the pupils achieve. As a result, managers have a rather generous view of the school's performance. Nevertheless, where weaknesses are identified, for example in mathematics, changes made to the curriculum have proved effective in raising standards and reducing underachievement.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Improve teaching by ensuring that the tasks given to pupils, especially the most able, are sufficiently challenging. • Improve leadership and management by ensuring that checks on teaching identify clearly what needs to be improved, and by making more use of information on pupils' progress when evaluating the school's performance. • Improve the progress made by pupils by ensuring that targets set are achievable in the short term, and that pupils receive the necessary guidance on how to reach them. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

p.4

Grade: 3

Children are now getting off to a good start in the Foundation Stage, where standards are being improved from below average to average. From then on, pupils make satisfactory progress 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Glynne Primary School, 26 °27 June 2007 and leave with average standards and are adequately equipped with the skills they will need in later life. There are few differences in the progress of different groups, although those pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities identified as School Action Plus or with a statement of special educational need tend to do better than others. The majority with learning difficulties or disabilities make progress at the same rate as other pupils. Pupils' achievement is generally satisfactory and in most classes there are some pupils who are doing well. The school has addressed some underachievement that has occurred since the school was last inspected, but

p.4

Grade: 3

too often the most able pupils do not make the progress they should.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Behaviour is particularly good. Pupils are well mannered, courteous, respectful, polite and supportive of each other. They are punctual and their attendance is above the national average. Pupils are confident when discussing moral issues in assemblies and in lessons. Pupils enjoy coming to school and say that they have 'nice teachers' and plenty of friends. They feel safe in school, yet are well aware of safety issues. They have, for example, recently been involved in ensuring that the new perimeter fencing is adequate. Pupils make a good contribution to the school community through the class councils and school council. For example, they have been involved in improving the play facilities and feel it is 'a good idea for children to make rules, not just teachers'. They also understand their role in the wider community, most noticeably through the many fundraising

p.5

Grade: 2

activities in which they are involved. Pupils are well aware of the need to stay healthy, through both their diet and exercise, although some children still bring crisps and chocolate bars for their snacks.

p.5

Grade: 3

Children in the Foundation Stage make good progress as they are provided with activities and guidance which are carefully planned to develop their skills and independence. Throughout the school, teachers have good relationships with pupils and manage classes well. Teachers and learning support assistants work well together to plan the work for pupils on School Action Plus and for those who have a statement of special educational need. However, teachers do not consistently ensure the activities are matched well enough to the full range of ability in the class, particularly for the more able. Some of these pupils are not challenged enough and do not make as much progress as they are capable of. Teachers make sure pupils understand what they will be learning by sharing learning objectives with them. In one lesson, the teacher took this a stage further by breaking the objective into small steps. This enabled pupils to

p.5

Grade: 3

assess how much they had achieved in the lesson and what they needed further help with. As a result, the teacher knew what to plan for the next lesson and pupils knew what they needed to do to improve their work.

p.5

Grade: 2

The curriculum is broad and balanced and has improved recently, following a curriculum review. This has had a good impact in a number of areas, but particularly on standards in mathematics 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Glynne Primary School, 26 °27 June 2007 and writing. Pupils in Year 6 said they enjoy creative subjects, and the quality of the school's work in this area has clearly contributed to an Artsmark Gold award. A recently introduced initiative is helping pupils develop as lifelong learners. Pupils in Year 6 said that their work had improved as as a result. The curriculum is enriched by a good range of activities, such as football, orchestra, choir and Spanish, that enable pupils to engage positively with others and develop new skills. There is a good range of visits and visitors to the school that enhances the curriculum. The weakness in the curriculum lies in the initial planning, where too little attention is paid to

p.5

Grade: 2

making sure that it is adapted to meet the needs of pupils of differing abilities.

p.6

Grade: 2

The school's strength is in its pastoral care. Staff provide a supportive and caring atmosphere throughout the school, which promotes good behaviour and positive attitudes and ensures that pupils feel safe and well looked after. There is an expectation that pupils will behave responsibly, so pupils develop mature attitudes to the way they relate to one another. Risk assessments are thorough, and appropriate child protection and safeguarding procedures are in place. Academic guidance is satisfactory. All pupils have targets to work towards, but few are sufficiently focused on the current work, and instead, targets are for the much longer term. Marking is thorough and positive, and in best examples clearly identifies how children can improve their work, but such examples are few and far between and not consistent throughout the school, so pupils are not always sure as to what they need to do to progress.

p.6

Grade: 3

Managers carry out many checks on the quality of what the school provides, such as observing lessons, monitoring lesson plans and talking to pupils about their experiences. However, links are not made between what the resulting data shows and what the school is providing. For example, lesson observations show that teaching is good, whilst the school's tracking of pupils' standards shows that the resulting progress is only satisfactory. The school's managers have demonstrated they have the skills needed to move the school forward. Where weaknesses are identified, such as the achievement in mathematics last year, improvements are made to the curriculum. This has proved successful in reducing underachievement, but has not improved achievement to a good level because any underlying weaknesses in teaching have not been addressed. Observations of lessons identify the good aspects of teaching, but not those areas that could be improved. The result is a school that has

p.6

Grade: 3

made satisfactory progress since it was last inspected.. Governors are very supportive of the school and have a clear understanding of its strengths in pastoral care and pupils' personal development. However, they rely too heavily on the headteacher's report for their monitoring of standards, and do not sufficiently challenge senior managers to justify their evaluations. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Glynne Primary School, 26 °27 June 2007 .

p.6

Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Glynne Primary School, 26 °27 June 2007

p.7

Inspection judgements

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

p.8

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? 2 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

p.8

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

p.8

learners?

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

p.8

and interests of learners?

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

p.8

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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Glynne Primary School, 26 °27 June 2007

p.8

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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Glynne Primary School, 26 °27 June 2007

p.9

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

28 June 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Glynne Primary School, Kingswinford, DY6 9TH Thank you very much for helping us when we came to visit your school. You were great to talk to. Your mums and dads can be very proud of how polite you are and how well you behave. Your teachers do a lot to make sure that you know the difference between right and wrong and that you learn how to get on with one another. The BLP is helping you to learn more quickly, and most of you are now learning as fast as pupils in most other schools. Some of you told us that the work can be a bit easy sometimes, and we agree. So we have asked you teachers to make sure that the work you get is just hard enough to really make you think. We have also asked them to tell you how to do even better and give you some short-term targets, so you know what you should do to improve your work and how to reach these targets. You told us how much you enjoy school, and we can see why. You like your teachers and get on well with one

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

another. You know the teachers take good care of you, and you understand how to stay safe. You also know how to stay healthy, but some of you are still bringing crisps and chocolate for your snacks. So, you can help yourselves by asking your mums and dads to give you healthy snacks, like fruit, to bring to school. Overall, we found that you are getting a satisfactory education and leaving school with the sort of standards that we expect to see. The people who run the school make sure that when big things start to go wrong, they are quickly put right. We think they could make the school better by finding out what little things are not working, and helping teachers to put them right. With all best wishes for your future. David Driscoll Lead Inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Glynne Primary School, 26 °27 June 2007

p.10