Kings Road Primary School

Inspection Report King's Road Primary School

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106322 Unique Reference Number Trafford Local Authority 287484 Inspection number 8 January 2007 Inspection date Stephen Wall 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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King's Road School address Primary Type of school Firswood Community School category Old Trafford M16 0GR 3 °11 Age range of pupils 0161 8813571 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 8817213 Fax number 506 Number on roll (school) Mr R Allan Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs M Galt Headteacher 30 April 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 287484 8 January 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

King's Road is a larger than average urban primary school serving a community with large pockets of challenging social circumstances. Nearly 90% of the pupils attending the school are from minority ethnic backgrounds and about 60% of these have English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is above average. The proportion of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those with statements of special educational need is below average. At the time of the inspection, the school was in the middle of a building programme to replace several temporary classrooms. The school is the holder of Investor in People status.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: King's Road Primary School, 8 January 2007

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Grade: 1

King's Road is an outstanding school because its pupils make excellent progress as they move through the school. By the time they leave King's Road, the pupils have developed into confident and mature young people ready to take full advantage of the next steps in their education. The overwhelming majority of parents are very happy with the school and value its commitment to making sure that their children achieve as well as they can. The school is deservedly very popular in the local community. Such an ethnically diverse intake and the difficult circumstances faced by many pupils are viewed very positively by the school. 'We do not see problems; we see challenges that we enjoy tackling. That's what we are about.' This sums up the school's outlook and largely explains its success. Outstanding leadership and management generate a real sense of teamwork so that everyone shares a common commitment to constant

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Grade: 1

improvement and the setting of high expectations. Children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage. Levels of attainment on entry to school are well below national and local expectations, especially in social and language skills. Teaching concentrates successfully on encouraging the children to interact socially with each other and to communicate their thoughts and ideas with greater fluency in English so that the children achieve well. This good preparation and highly effective teaching in Key Stage 1 sustains good progress so that by the end of Year 2, standards in English and mathematics are just below average. Consistent and relentless attention to developing the pupils' language skills in Key Stage 2, by making oral work the cornerstone of all lessons, enables the pupils to reach above average standards in English and science by the end of Year 6. The progress the pupils make overall is outstanding. However, the school recognises that although standards in

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Grade: 1

mathematics are average, they could be higher and is addressing this by improving the use of targets. This is a very happy school; it is seen clearly on the smiling faces of the pupils and adults. Pupils love being at school: 'I love it here. Everyone is so helpful and wants you to do your best.' Pupils' behaviour is excellent in lessons and around school. Their commitment and real concentration in doing their best and being engrossed in their work is commendable. Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy the opportunities they have to play their part in its success. The very effective school council gives the pupils a real say in the running of the school and their suggestions to improve punctuality, for example, have had a real impact. Pupils' social, moral, spiritual and cultural education is of the highest order. Pupils value the diversity of different religions and races. 'We all get along well together. It doesn't matter what you are; it's who you

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Grade: 1

are.' Observations during the inspection confirm the high levels of tolerance and harmony among the pupils. Teaching is highly effective because lessons are well planned, interesting and demanding. As a result, learning and achievement are excellent overall. The provision of modern foreign languages in the outstanding curriculum, taught by specialists, adds an extra dimension to pupils' awareness and development of their language skills as well as broadening their cultural horizons. 2 Inspection Report: King's Road Primary School, 8 January 2007 Central to the success of the school is the energy and commitment of the headteacher and senior staff in never failing to seek ways of improving the education it provides. For example, the use of data to monitor performance and track pupils' progress has been refined and made much more effective in recent years, with a consequent impact on improving standards. In the light of this track record of success, it is not surprising

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Grade: 1

that the school has outstanding capacity to improve even further and that it offers outstanding value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise achievement in mathematics in Key Stage 2.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' achievement is outstanding. Children start school in the Foundation Stage with levels of attainment which are well below average. Throughout the school, the pupils make exceptional progress so that by the end of Year 6, standards are above average in English and science, and average in mathematics. Results in 2006 confirm the steadily improving trend with improved levels of attainment in English and science where demanding targets were exceeded. In mathematics, results were similar to 2005, although there was some improvement in the proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels. In the light of the pupils' well below average starting points and the fact that for so many English is an additional language, the results in English are remarkably high and reflect the school's unremitting focus and outstanding success in this subject. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities also achieve very well in line with

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are excellent. Many parents really appreciate the fact that their children achieve far more than just a good academic education. Adults treat pupils with genuine respect and affection. In this nurturing environment, pupils feel safe and valued as individuals. 'We know what to do if we have a problem or if we are being bullied and we know our teachers will deal with it straight away.' Hard work and fun go hand in hand in the school and smiles and laughter are part of every day life. It is no wonder that the pupils enjoy school so much. Attendance figures are slightly below national averages, largely because of cultural and religious reasons. The school does all it can to promote attendance, for example, by appointing a school/home liaison officer whose impact can be seen in bringing about an improving trend in attendance in recent years. Pupils understand fully how

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Grade: 1

important health and healthy lifestyles are. For instance, they value the road safety lessons they receive and can summarise the most important messages conveyed. 3 Inspection Report: King's Road Primary School, 8 January 2007

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Grade: 1

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. Lessons are designed to build effectively on pupils' previous learning. Teachers ensure lessons have a variety of activities to keep pupils interested and on task. This helps motivate them to do their best and work hard. Teaching assistants are used very effectively to support teaching and contribute to the quality of pupils' learning. In every lesson visited during the inspection, pupils were busy with their work and in some classrooms pupils were so engrossed that they failed to notice the arrival of a visitor at all! In all classrooms visited, dialogue was at the heart of the teaching and learning. Teachers explained new concepts clearly and checked understanding rigorously. In numeracy lessons, pupils showed a clear understanding of their targets and knew what they needed to do to reach their expected levels. Teachers mark written work regularly and their comments are invariably helpful and

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Grade: 1

give clear indications of what pupils should do to improve their work.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding curriculum meets the needs of all pupils. It provides a wide range of learning experiences and supports their excellent progress both academically and personally. The curriculum is enriched by the study of modern foreign languages for all in Key Stage 2. This is an integral part of the school's strategy to raise standards in language and improve the pupils' ability and confidence to express themselves clearly. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage has a strong emphasis on communication and social skills. It successfully provides pupils with the necessary skills to engage fully in their learning when they enter Key Stage 1. Pupils really appreciate the wide range of enrichment activities on offer, especially in sports. Large numbers participate, adding significantly to their adoption of healthy lifestyles.

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Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support are outstanding and a significant strength of the school. All policies and procedures for the safeguarding of pupils are firmly embedded and reviewed regularly. Health and safety is taken seriously and risk assessments are carried out scrupulously. Appropriate checks on adults working in the school are carried out. The school works very effectively with a wide range of outside agencies to support pupils when specific needs are identified. Transition arrangements for transfer to a local high school are well developed. Pupils are confident that they will settle in quickly to their new school when they leave. 4 Inspection Report: King's Road Primary School, 8 January 2007 Procedures for using data to monitor the progress pupils make and support them in achieving as well as they can are exemplary. This enables, for example, the early identification of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the very

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Grade: 1

effective evaluation of strategies to meet their specific needs.

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Grade: 1

The headteacher provides excellent leadership and direction for the school. Senior managers, staff, parents and governors are very supportive and everyone contributes fully to the school's success. The headteacher has high expectations of everyone associated with the school. This is pivotal in helping pupils to achieve so well despite their low starting points and the problems many face. Very good procedures for monitoring teaching and learning help keep the quality of provision and achievement high. The outcomes of monitoring are used to highlight and share good practice; this encourages a working environment of sharing and learning. The school is a place of learning, not just for pupils, but also for teachers. It is not surprising that the school has succeeded in acquiring Investor in People status in recognition of its excellent leadership and management. Self-evaluation is rigorous; performance data are analysed

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Grade: 1

in detail to identify areas of relative strength and weakness to inform the school's effective improvement plan. However, the school is too modest in judging its effectiveness in all areas as good. This modesty results from a desire for continual improvement and a striving for perfection. On a day-to-day basis the school runs extremely smoothly, even during the period of considerable disruption caused by the building programme. Governors carry out their responsibilities conscientiously. They are both supportive and prepared to challenge where necessary. Excellent leadership and management have enabled the school to make outstanding progress since the last inspection. 5 Inspection Report: King's Road Primary School, 8 January 2007 .

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: King's Road Primary School, 8 January 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? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 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

1 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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?

1 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: King's Road Primary School, 8 January 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: King's Road Primary School, 8 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming me to your school and for being so kind and polite. I enjoyed my day at King's Road very much. I thank those of you who gave up time to talk to me about your school; your thoughts really did help me to come to my judgements. I think King's Road is a really happy and friendly school. I would like to share with you some of the things I found out. I think that your school is an outstanding place in which to learn for a host of reasons. No wonder you are proud of your school! Your behaviour in lessons and around school is excellent. You all get on so well together no matter what your race or religion. When I came into your classes you were all busy working hard and fully engrossed in your activities. You told me that learning was fun and I saw this in many classrooms. You told me how much you enjoy being at school and, again, I saw this in classrooms as you set about your work. The progress you make

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

as you move through the school is very good, especially in English, and this gives you a good preparation for the future. You are lucky to enjoy a wide range of exciting learning experiences, especially learning French and Spanish. The headteacher and all the other staff look after you exceptionally well and are constantly looking for ways to improve things for you. I have asked your teachers to make sure you learn even better in mathematics. I am sure you will all continue to work hard to keep King's Road an outstanding school. 9 Inspection Report: King's Road Primary School, 8 January 2007

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