Salisbury Primary School

Inspection Report Salisbury Primary School

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104178 Unique Reference Number Walsall Local Authority 286872 Inspection number 8 °9 February 2007 Inspection dates Bogusia Matusiak-Varley 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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Salisbury Street School address Primary Type of school Darlaston Community School category Wednesbury WS10 8BQ 3 °11 Age range of pupils 0121 5686779 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0121 5266504 Fax number 238 Number on roll (school) Peter Robinson Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Michael Wheeler Headteacher 1 January 2003 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 286872 8 °9 February 2007 3°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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This average size school is in an area of high social and economic disadvantage. Nearly all of the pupils have English as an additional language and 33% are at the early stages of language acquisition. The large majority of pupils are of Bangladeshi and Pakistani origin. The school has recently admitted a growing number of pupils from Poland. An above average percentage of pupils are eligible for free school meals. An average percentage of pupils have learning difficulties and disabilities and a few pupils have a statement of special educational need. Attainment on entry to Nursery is well below that seen nationally especially in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development and personal, social and emotional development. The school is housed in an old Victorian building which is in a poor state of repair, despite the heroic efforts of the school to maintain it. There are many drawbacks

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Description of the school

especially in provision for outdoor play in the Foundation Stage. The school is a thriving centre for community learning and has recently been awarded the Sports Active Mark.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Salisbury Primary School, 8 °9 February 2007

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Grade: 3

This school provides a satisfactory and improving quality of education for its pupils. A quote from the school council summed up the school, 'Teachers like us, encourage us and appreciate our differences. We learn how to get on with one another and many of our parents now attend classes in school.' The school has two outstanding features. As a result of exemplary provision for pupils' cultural development, racial harmony is excellent within the school and links with outside agencies and the community are excellent. Parents support the school totally because they know that their children are well looked after. Standards and achievement are satisfactory. There has been a steady increase in standards up until 2006 At present, standards in English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT) are below average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Most of pupils' achievement is satisfactory in relation to their prior

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Grade: 3

attainment. Pupils with English as an additional language and those with learning difficulties and disabilities make satisfactory progress but more capable pupils are, on occasions, not sufficiently challenged. From an exceptionally low starting point, pupils make satisfactory progress although there is still some work to do in raising standards in writing, problem solving in mathematics and experimental and investigative skills in science, areas identified by the school in its accurate self-evaluation. In the Foundation Stage, whilst not attaining the expected standards, children achieve satisfactorily, although their progress is hampered by the lack of an outside play area and planning for play activities is not as rigorous as it could be resulting in missed learning opportunities. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good as a result of the good care and support given to the pupils and the provision for spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Grade: 3

development. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to learn about being healthy, safe and making a positive contribution to the community. At present, provision for achieving economic well-being is satisfactory. Pastoral care is stronger than the academic guidance given to pupils because the school has only just implemented a rigorous system for tracking pupils' progress and using information from assessment to plan the next steps of learning. This results in the more capable pupils making less consistent progress than they should. Teaching and learning are satisfactory but marking does not always tell pupils what they need to do in order to improve their work. The curriculum is satisfactory, it is broad, balanced and is well enriched with visits and visitors. The leadership and management and governance are satisfactory as is the school's capacity for improvement. The headteacher is an inspirational leader who has done

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Grade: 3

much in uniting the various communities the school serves. He is supported adequately by the senior management team but, as yet, not all senior managers are actively involved in checking and evaluating teaching and learning and analysing data to move different groups of pupils on at a faster rate. An inordinate amount of time has been 2 Inspection Report: Salisbury Primary School, 8 °9 February 2007 spent by the headteacher and governing body on improving inadequate accommodation which is now well past being fit for its function.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the rates of pupils' progress in English, mathematics and science especially for the more capable pupils. • Ensure that teachers' marking informs pupils of what they need to do in order to improve their work and that assessment data are used more rigorously to plan the next steps of pupils' learning. • Ensure that children in the Foundation Stage have better access to outside play and that the planning identifies what children should be learning. • Develop the role of the senior management team, especially in checking and evaluating teaching and learning and in analysing data so that they obtain a sharper view of pupils' achievement and how it can be improved.

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Grade: 3

Most pupils, including many with English as an additional language and pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, achieve satisfactorily in relation to their capabilities by the time they leave the school. The majority of children start school with very limited communication, language and literacy skills in English. Initially, this is a barrier to learning. The pace of learning improves as they grow older but a significant minority of pupils still have limited vocabulary to use in their written work. Standards are below average in English, mathematics, science and ICT in Year 2 and Year 6. Children make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage but do not attain the expected standards on entry to Year 1. Their progress is restricted by a lack of an outdoor learning environment and a weakness in some aspects of planning. Pupils make satisfactory progress through Years 1 to 6 but, at times, more capable

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Grade: 3

pupils could be doing better. The underdeveloped use of assessment information results in these pupils consolidating what they already know rather than acquiring new knowledge quickly. Most pupils refine and improve their literacy and speaking skills at a faster pace in Years 5 and 6 as they gain more self-confidence with language.

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Grade: 2

Pupils have an excellent understanding and a genuine appreciation of their friends' differing cultural backgrounds. 'Our views are taken seriously here' said a member of the school council. Overall, pupils' attitudes to learning are satisfactory but, sometimes, girls are too passive in whole-class discussions. Pupils enjoy school and this is reflected in their satisfactory attendance. Behaviour is good. The pupils follow procedures very well. This was seen to good effect when pupils were kept indoors during the lunch break on a snowy day. Pupils showed 3 Inspection Report: Salisbury Primary School, 8 °9 February 2007 warm relationships as they played happily in their classrooms and acted sensibly. Pupils have a good understanding of healthy and safe lifestyles. They are safe in the knowledge that caring adults offer willing support. 'Our teachers always have time to listen' said one pupil. Pupils contribute very well to their community such as the singing

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Grade: 2

they do regularly in nursing homes. They support a wide range of local charities through running their own shop with the help of a governor. Their developing literacy, numeracy, ICT skills, group work, and opportunities such as debates and discussion on global warming and ecological issues, prepare them satisfactorily for their economic well-being.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' learning is often more effective in Years 5 and 6 because an increasing number of pupils respond in a more mature and diligent way to the teachers' prompting. Strengths of teaching evident across the school include warm relationships between staff and pupils and the careful sharing of learning objectives at the beginning of lessons. Other improving aspects typical of those across the school include the use of ICT which helps pupils with English as an additional language to learn visually and the use of humour which keeps pupils focused. The impact of teaching on pupils' learning is less successful at times because of the inconsistent use of assessments and marking to show pupils how to improve. On occasions, there is insufficient challenge for more capable pupils. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory, especially in the teaching of basic skills but, at times, children's chosen activities are not sufficiently well underpinned by learning intentions.

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Grade: 3

Specialist support for pupils at the early stage of acquiring English and for pupils with complex learning difficulties is appropriate and these pupils make satisfactory gains in learning.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is enriched with a good range of clubs and activities. These have a beneficial impact on pupils' personal qualities because team work and early leadership skills are encouraged. Clubs are held before school and during the lunch break so that the majority of pupils can continue their religious education studies outside school. A recent increasing focus on planning in problem solving, writing and experimental and investigative science is just now starting to have a beneficial impact on pupils' achievement. However, the challenge offered to potentially more capable pupils is inconsistent. ICT is very well resourced and is being used with increasing success to improve pupils' attitudes to learning. However, the accommodation is in urgent need of renewal and represents a constraining influence on delivering aspects of the curriculum such as gymnastics, independent learning and collaborative projects. Children in the Foundation

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Grade: 3

4 Inspection Report: Salisbury Primary School, 8 °9 February 2007 Stage lack appropriate learning facilities and this restricts further opportunities for language development.

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Grade: 2

The provision for pastoral care is stronger than the academic guidance offered. Guidance for pupils' academic achievement is satisfactory but not enough pointers are given to pupils on how to improve the quality of their work. Procedures for safeguarding children are rigorous. The school has good procedures to ensure that pupils attend regularly. Health and safety issues are regularly checked by the headteacher and governing body in spite of the very poor state of the accommodation.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management have been very successful in establishing a strong presence in the community. Strategic systems such as monitoring standards of teaching and learning and tracking of pupils' progress are recent initiatives but already their impact is being seen, for example on the recent improvement in pupils' understanding of mental mathematics. The senior management team is mutually supportive having a good understanding of the pastoral needs of the pupils. It does not, however, sufficiently challenge itself to rigorously examine assessment data and set a clear steer for the drive to raise standards further. This prevents leadership and management from being good. The headteacher is adored by the pupils. 'He is not only a great head but when he teaches us he makes learning easy' said one of the older pupils. The school development plan is a useful document which identifies the correct areas

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Grade: 3

for improvement but its weakness lies in the vagueness of how improvements are to be measured. This has a knock-on effect on the monitoring and evaluation role of the governing body which, whilst being fully aware and supportive of the many challenges the school faces, cannot accurately measure the impact of provision on the academic outcomes pupils attain. 5 Inspection Report: Salisbury Primary School, 8 °9 February 2007 .

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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: Salisbury Primary School, 8 °9 February 2007

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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 3 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

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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: Salisbury Primary School, 8 °9 February 2007

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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: Salisbury Primary School, 8 °9 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you so much for talking to us about your school. We think that your school is improving and, at the moment, it is providing you with a satisfactory quality of education. You enjoy coming to school and your headteacher and teachers are rightly valued by you. We are particularly impressed by the way in which all of you get on with one another, especially the way in which you respect the many different religions practised at the school. Your headteacher has worked hard at finding ways to improve your school; your information and communication technology (ICT) suite is truly magnificent. We think that you are making satisfactory progress in your learning but you could be learning at an even faster rate. We have asked your teachers to tighten up on a few things. You can help by asking your teachers to use what you already know to set you challenging tasks and to be more precise in marking your work so that you know what to do next in order to improve.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Those of you who find work easy could ask your teachers to give you more demanding challenges. We have asked your teachers who are on the senior management team to help your headteacher identify what works and does not work in lessons and analyse your test results more rigorously so that you can make even better progress. You all behave well and have satisfactory attitudes to learning. Well done for arriving in school on time and attending regularly! You have a good knowledge of healthy eating, staying safe and we agree that this is a happy school where you are all valued. We know that you will play a part in improving standards by setting a good example to others through your hard work in lessons. We are very impressed with the way your parents turn up regularly for learning opportunities offered to them in school. We have requested that your headteacher and governing body make it easier for the youngest

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

ones of you to play outside; let us hope that this will not take too long. In the meantime, keep up the good work! 9 Inspection Report: Salisbury Primary School, 8 °9 February 2007

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