Mountbatten Primary School

Inspection Report Mountbatten Primary School

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117931 Unique Reference Number Kingston-upon-Hull Local Authority 290971 Inspection number 21 °22 September 2006 Inspection dates Jennie Platt 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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Wivern Road School address Primary Type of school Hull Community School category HU9 4HR 3 °11 Age range of pupils 01482 375224 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01482 707909 Fax number 260 Number on roll (school) Mrs Elizabeth Carmichael Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Sara Shaw Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 290971 21 °22 September 2006 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average school. Numbers on roll are declining. The school serves an area that is socially and economically disadvantaged. Exceptionally high numbers of pupils are eligible for a free school meal. A high number of pupils are assessed as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities. No pupil is from a minority ethnic group. Attainment on entry is much lower than average. A lot of pupils start and leave the school other than at the start and end of the school year.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Mountbatten Primary School, 21 °22 September 2006

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Grade: 3

The school provides an acceptable quality of education. It has some good and outstanding features. Pupils’ personal development is a strength. The school is an oasis of calm for many pupils. They behave well and establish firm friendships. Excellent attention is given to pupils’ welfare and pupils say they feel safe. They know staff care for them and they grow in self-confidence. This prepares them well for the future. Outstanding links with other agencies enable staff to offer informed help to all pupils, especially those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Pupils enjoy school and are eager to take advantage of all it provides. This is especially the case for the very good range of sporting activities on offer. Pupils develop a good understanding of how to keep healthy. They know this extends beyond physical exercise and have made posters declaring smoking is unhealthy. The school council has a strong voice. Pupils

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Grade: 3

raise their concerns with councillors and are very pleased with changes that result. In the views of pupils, the introduction of a ‘worry box’ at their suggestion has eliminated bullying and harassment. Pupils are pleased that they have made the school environment better and show a good understanding of improving their local community and helping others. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teachers make lessons fun by providing a stimulating range of activities. They use interactive whiteboards extremely well to capture pupils’ interest. A shortage of resources in class means pupils cannot use computers regularly to enhance their learning and this slows progress. The focus on discussion and talking with partners encourages pupils to think and share their ideas. Relationships are very good and lessons are infused with humour and laughter. Good teaching in the Foundation Stage leads to effective learning. From a very low starting

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Grade: 3

point, children make good progress although they do not reach the early learning goals expected for children of this age. Achievement in Key Stages 1 and 2 is satisfactory. Occasionally the pace of lessons slips, with the result that some pupils lose interest. More able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged. Test results at the end of Years 2 and 6 show few pupils exceeding national expectations and overall results are below average. Writing is a weakness because pupils fail to apply the skills taught in literacy lessons to their work in other subjects. Key Stage 2 test results have been slowly rising in recent years, especially in mathematics and science. In 2005, test results in science were above average, showing very good progress, especially for the high number of pupils reaching above average levels. The headteacher has successfully gained the support of parents, who are pleased that the school is a happy place for their children to learn. She has encouraged collaboration

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Grade: 3

and evaluation and the school has an accurate picture of what is working well and what requires attention. Subject leaders are less effective in checking that their interventions are closely linked to raising standards. Where actions are clear, such as promoting the raising of confidence in speaking and in mental calculations, the school is reaping benefits in improved achievement. The rise in results in Key Stage 2 is testimony to the effectiveness of interventions in science and mathematics. The capacity to improve is good. 2 Inspection Report: Mountbatten Primary School, 21 °22 September 2006

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards across the school, especially in writing. • Increase challenge and pace in lessons and check that work is closely matched to pupils’ ability, especially the more able. • Extend pupils’ use of computers in all subjects. • Extend the role of subject leaders and governors in monitoring and evaluation.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory. When children enter the Foundation Stage, their ability is much lower than usually seen. Social skills and the ability to communicate and interact with others are especially weak. Good teaching and a focus on promoting personal development enable children to overcome these barriers to their learning. They make good progress in all areas of learning, although they do not reach the expected learning goals for their age. Achievement in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory. Pupils build well on the basic skills learned in the Foundation Stage but are not always moved on at a fast enough rate. Results in national tests remain considerably below average. Teachers do not sufficiently challenge more able pupils and not enough of them reach above average levels. Achievement is satisfactory in Key Stage 2. Although test results in 2005 remained below average, they were higher than the previous year. In science, the focus on pupils

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Grade: 3

explaining their ideas is having a very positive effect on achievement and, last year, 55% of pupils reached above average levels, reflecting very good progress. In 2006, more pupils also reached higher standards in mathematics because of the extra attention given to problem solving and mental calculation. Results in English remain stubbornly low and writing is a weakness throughout the school. The focus on writing creatively is reaping benefits but pupils are slow to apply the basic skills they are taught. As a result, there are weaknesses in handwriting, spelling and punctuation. Boys and girls achieve similarly. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make satisfactory progress. Those with statements of special educational need make good progress to reach the targets set for them because staff are well trained to meet their very clearly identified individual needs.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ good personal development has a positive impact on learning and the friendly ethos of the school. Pupils grow in self-confidence and ability to express their views. This prepares them well for the future. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. It is effectively promoted through links with local churches, reflection, consistent moral messages, and celebrations of pupils’ achievements. The school successfully overcomes pupils’ limited knowledge of other cultures through a good range of visits and visitors. 3 Inspection Report: Mountbatten Primary School, 21 °22 September 2006 Pupils really enjoy school. Attendance is average but higher than similar schools in the city. The behaviour of pupils is good and when all come together for collective worship, it is exemplary. Pupils display good attitudes to learning, although work is not always presented well. Many pupils in Years 1 and 2 struggle to work independently.

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Grade: 2

Pupils feel safe in school. One pupil said, ‘In school none of us are worried’. They put comments in the worry box, confident that staff will resolve their concerns. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep healthy through diet and exercise. The school council are justifiably proud of the impact they have had on school life. They point to flower boxes, playground equipment and recycling as evidence of how they have improved their environment. All pupils try to improve the local community by becoming responsible citizens. They talk about picking up litter and helping others with gifts at harvest time.

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Grade: 3

Pupils say they enjoy their lessons because their teachers are kind. This is clearly evident. Very good relationships help pupils to learn in an orderly environment. Teachers encourage speaking and listening and pupils grow in confidence to express themselves. This has a knock-on effect on pupils’ ability to come up with their own ideas. The success of this can be seen in investigative work in science. Teachers make very effective use of interactive whiteboards to capture pupils’ interest. Teaching assistants give good support to pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, enabling them to play a full part in lessons. In the Foundation Stage, teaching is good. The focus on learning through play shows a good understanding of how these young children learn. In Key Stages 1 and 2, teaching and learning are satisfactory. Positive features include behaviour management, well-structured lessons and a high degree of fun and enjoyment, so pupils are eager

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Grade: 3

to learn. The pace of lessons is not always fast enough and some lessons include too much teacher talk and not enough time for pupils to complete their work. Some tasks lack challenge, especially for the more able pupils. In numeracy lessons, good attention is given to promoting mental arithmetic skills. Teachers are less assured in teaching writing and there is some lack of understanding about different approaches to use in raising standards.

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Grade: 3

Children get off to a good start in the Foundation stage because they have many exciting and practical things to do, especially in the outdoor area, which is used well in sunshine or rain. The focus on first-hand learning is continued in the afternoon in Key Stage 1 where subjects are grouped together as a topic. This successfully helps pupils to learn through practical activities. Links between subjects are well planned. 4 Inspection Report: Mountbatten Primary School, 21 °22 September 2006 In Years 2 to 6, pupils are taught literacy and numeracy in different groups according to their ability. This is generally effective but the individual needs of pupils within these groups are not always fully met and this slows progress. Limited access to computers results in them not being used well enough to help pupils learn. Pupils eagerly participate in activities. They appreciate the very good range of extra-curricular clubs. Many get off to a good start each day in the very popular

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Grade: 3

breakfast club and round off their days attending after-school clubs. These help them to develop healthy and active lifestyles.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Excellent attention is given to pupils’ welfare and personal needs. Regular health and safety checks are carried out to safeguard pupils. Child protection procedures are rigorous and pupils feel safe and secure. Staff are very alert to the social difficulties of many pupils, recognising that these can have an adverse effect on learning. Vulnerable pupils are helped in the Rainbow Room where they can discuss any problems and prepare for the learning day. Excellent links with a wide range of outside agencies guide staff so that they can provide the best advice for pupils and parents. Good systems help teachers to track pupils’ academic progress. This is particularly useful when planning for pupils who start school at different times in the school year. However, teachers do not always use this assessment information sufficiently well to help pupils understand how they can improve their work.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher has been instrumental in creating a school that is held in high regard by parents and the community. Pupils enjoy attending and staff enjoy working there. In an area of such high social and economic disadvantage, the priority to promote pupils’ personal development and well-being is of the utmost importance and the school succeeds well at this. There has been less success in raising standards. Nevertheless, with the support of staff, pupils and parents, a good foundation for future improvement has been laid. Equality of opportunity is satisfactorily promoted. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are helped to succeed but teachers could ask more of higher attainers. Careful timetabling ensures that staff now have more opportunities for contributing to improvement. This is an area that has weakened leadership and management in the

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Grade: 3

past. Subject leaders produce action plans for their areas of responsibility. These show what action they intend to take but do not always make it sufficiently clear how those actions will help raise standards, nor how improvement will be evaluated. Governance is satisfactory. Governors are supportive and a few are becoming more actively involved in checking for themselves what is happening in school. If all governors 5 Inspection Report: Mountbatten Primary School, 21 °22 September 2006 followed this example they would be better placed to carry out their role as a critical friend. 6 Inspection Report: Mountbatten Primary School, 21 °22 September 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. 7 Inspection Report: Mountbatten Primary School, 21 °22 September 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? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 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 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. 8 Inspection Report: Mountbatten Primary School, 21 °22 September 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? 9 Inspection Report: Mountbatten Primary School, 21 °22 September 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Mountbatten Primary School Wivern Road Hull HU9 4HR 25 September 2006 Dear Pupils Thank you for welcoming us into your school. We enjoyed meeting with you and the discussions we had have been most helpful in the writing of this report. We agree with you that yours is a friendly and happy school. This is because you behave well and try to help each other. You told us that you enjoy school because teachers care about you and this makes you feel safe. This is certainly true. We were very impressed with the way the school checks that you are looked after and provides extra help for those of you who may have worries you need to share with an adult. We have asked your headteacher and the governors to look at ways to enable you to make better progress, especially in writing. You are not always remembering to use the skills taught in your literacy lessons, particularly your handwriting and punctuation. The teachers are also

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

looking at how to make lessons more challenging and increase the use of computers. It was good to find out that you value keeping healthy and we hope you remember this as you grow older. We wish you well for the future. Mrs J E Platt, Mrs R Mothersdale and Mrs J Straw (Inspectors) 10 Inspection Report: Mountbatten Primary School, 21 °22 September 2006

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