Barry Primary School

Barry Primary School Inspection report - amended

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121939 Unique Reference Number Northamptonshire Local Authority 292269 Inspection number 11 °12 June 2007 Inspection dates Alison Grainger 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 460 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Dennis Stott Chair Lynne Pugh Headteacher 1 January 2002 Date of previous school inspection Barry Road School address Northampton NN1 5JS

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01604 234574 Telephone number 01604 639687 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 11 °12 June 2007 Inspection dates 292269 Inspection number

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Amended Report Addendum

Report amended due to factual inaccuracy

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Amended Report Addendum

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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Amended Report Addendum

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

Since the last inspection, the school has changed from a lower school into a primary school with the full primary age range. Situated close to the town centre, it draws its pupils not only from the area of mixed housing close by but also from further afield. Pupils are from a wide mix of social and economic backgrounds. A large majority is of White British heritage, with around a quarter from a variety of other ethnic minority backgrounds. The percentage of pupils with English as an additional language is slightly above average, although only a small number of pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is broadly average but a higher proportion than nationally have statements of special educational need. There is designated special educational provision for up to eight pupils with physical disabilities, who are fully integrated and taught alongside other

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Description of the school

pupils. Taking the intake as a whole, children's attainment on entry is at the level expected for their age. About two-thirds of children who attend the Nursery transfer to the school's Reception Year and other children enter Reception who have had nursery education elsewhere.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Barry Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school. Good attention is given to the all-round development of pupils socially and personally as well as academically, and many parents really value this. Parents comment particularly on the 'friendly environment' and 'positive atmosphere' in the school. Care, guidance and support for pupils are good, particularly the emphasis on personal welfare. Relationships between adults and pupils are warm and productive. As a result, pupils are confident in school and feel that they have an adult to turn to should the need arise. Their personal development and well-being are good. Most children enjoy school a lot and this is reflected in the above-average attendance rate. Behaviour is good and the school is a calm and racially harmonious community. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are fully involved in school life. The strengths in the care for pupils and in their personal development are apparent in the start

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Grade: 3

given to children in the Nursery and Reception Year. However, young children do not make satisfactory progress in their early reading and writing. Children are provided with many activities that they enjoy, but there are not enough opportunities for them to develop writing skills in the Nursery. Both reading and writing are insufficiently promoted through teaching and the curriculum in the Reception Year. As a result, the overall Foundation Stage provision is inadequate. In the school as a whole, standards are broadly average and pupils' achievement is satisfactory. However, there are some variations in pupils' progress in different years. Progress is satisfactory overall as pupils move up from the start of Year 1 to the end of Year 6, but pupils do not make enough gains in writing in Year 1. Some groups of pupils make good gains in this area in Year 2, but not all move on quickly enough, and standards in writing are lower than in reading and

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Grade: 3

mathematics at the end of Year 2. Progress accelerates as pupils move up from the start of Year 3 to the end of Year 6 and good gains are made in writing in Years 4 to 6. Teaching and the curriculum are satisfactory overall, as demonstrated by the satisfactory progress that pupils make by the time they leave. However, there is not enough development of writing skills in Year 1 and there are some shortcomings in the matching of activities to all pupils' needs in this area in Year 2. Teaching and the range of learning opportunities improve as pupils move up through the school, especially in Years 4 to 6. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher, senior staff and governors have accurately identified the main strengths and weaknesses of the school. Satisfactory self-evaluation, together with the school's reasonable track record of progress since the last inspection, shows that there is a sound capacity to move forward. While the school is working

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Grade: 3

to improve its effectiveness, not all action taken is the right action to rectify shortcomings swiftly. The school recognises that to hasten the pace of improvement, it needs to more rigorously evaluate how teaching and the curriculum impact on pupils' attainment and progress. It is also aware of the importance of ensuring that assessments of children's attainment and progress in the Nursery and Reception Year are accurate. At present the school is not sure of the accuracy of its own assessment data across the Foundation Stage.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that teaching and the curriculum support children in making a strong start in reading and writing in the Nursery and Reception Year. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Barry Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007 ■ Increase the opportunities for writing in Years 1 and 2 and ensure that they are always well matched to all pupils' needs to raise standards in this area. ■ Make sure that accurate assessments are made of children's attainment and progress in the Nursery and Reception Year. ■ More rigorously evaluate the impact of teaching and the curriculum on the outcomes for pupils. 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.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' achievement is satisfactory and standards are broadly average. However, there is some variation in pupils' rate of progress in English, particularly in writing. Children make a secure start in general in the Nursery but they move on more slowly in their early writing than in other areas. In the Reception Year, progress is satisfactory in some areas, particularly speaking, listening and mathematics, but too few gains are made in reading and writing. Reading and writing standards are too low when children transfer to Year 1. Standards at the end of Year 2 are lower in writing than in reading and mathematics. Pupils do not progress as well in writing as in reading and mathematics from the start of Year 1 to the end of Year 2. Too few gains are made in writing in Year 1. Pupils move on steadily from the start of Year 3 to the end of Year 6. Progress in writing accelerates in Years 4 to 6 so that pupils

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Grade: 3

reach average standards in English as well as in mathematics and science at the end of Year 6. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities progress at much the same rate as other pupils in their classes. Those at an early stage of learning English steadily gain competence in English.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They enjoy school very much and behave well, helping to make the school a calm and pleasant place. Children in the Nursery and Reception Year settle in quickly. Across the school, pupils from different backgrounds get on well together. Pupils make a good contribution to the community. Older pupils diligently carry out responsibilities, for example, as volunteer 'buddies' and 'playground monitors' supporting younger children. As one parent observed, 'My children have thrived on responsibilities offered to them as part of the whole-school organisation'. Pupils make substantial efforts for a range of charities and older pupils regularly welcome senior citizens to coffee mornings. Pupils gain a satisfactory understanding of how to keep safe, fit and healthy, although they do not always make healthy choices about what they eat. Skills for pupils' future lives, such as their competence

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Grade: 2

in the basics of literacy and numeracy, develop satisfactorily. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Barry Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007

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Grade: 3

Teachers manage pupils well. As a result, lessons proceed smoothly and pupils behave well. Good relationships promote positive attitudes and encourage pupils to join in. Teaching assistants and other support staff are deployed well in most lessons In particular, they do much to help pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. Well-focused teaching is provided in short sessions for pupils at an early stage of learning English. In the Reception Year, however, support assistants are not used well enough during whole-class sessions, resulting in missed opportunities to promote learning. Some important aspects of teaching vary in effectiveness and this is reflected, for example, in pupils' progress in writing. Where pupils learn most successfully, in Years 4 to 6, expectations of the standards pupils are capable of attaining are often high and work is generally closely matched to pupils' needs. In the Reception Year, expectations of what children should achieve

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Grade: 3

in reading and writing are not high enough. Teaching is not closely enough matched to all children's needs in literacy activities in the Reception Year and Year 1 and not all groups of pupils have their needs met in this area in Year 2.

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Grade: 3

In the Nursery and Reception Year there is an appropriate balance of activities directed by adults and those that children select from a range provided. Many stimulating activities support learning in the Nursery but there are too few opportunities for developing early writing. Whilst there is secure promotion of learning in some areas in the Reception Year, such as in speaking and listening, reading and writing are not promoted adequately. The Reception curriculum is not well enough based on an assessment of what children have already learnt in the Nursery. There is also too little attention to writing in different subjects in Years 1 and 2. A good curriculum is provided for pupils in Years 3 to 6. In addition to good coverage of the required subjects, pupils have opportunities to participate in a wide range of clubs, activities in music, drama and sports, and visits, including two residential trips. Visits and visitors also

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Grade: 3

broaden the experiences of younger pupils well. Where appropriate the curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of pupils with physical disabilities, for example, in physical education.

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Grade: 2

Much is done to help pupils feel safe and happy at school. Parents of pupils with physical disabilities or medical needs really appreciate the personal care given to their children. One parent, for example, observed that, 'As a working mother I can go to work confident that my son is happy and being well looked after by the school'. Effective use is made of outside agencies to meet the needs of pupils with learning difficulties as well as those with disabilities. Arrangements for child protection and for checking the suitability of adults in school are robust. Pupils have confidence in the school's measures for dealing with bullying or racism. As well as there being good systems to support children starting in the Nursery and Reception Year, pupils entering at a later stage are also helped to settle well. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Barry Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007 Academic guidance is satisfactory. There are examples of good guidance in Years 4 to 6 where

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Grade: 2

marking is linked well to pupils' individual targets. Guidance to help Reception children make progress is underdeveloped. Whilst the tracking of pupils' progress is gaining effectiveness across the school, staff are unsure of the accuracy of assessments at important points in the Nursery and Reception Year.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher, senior staff and governors know the school's main strengths and weaknesses. Some important changes have taken place fairly recently to help the school to build on its strengths and rectify its weaknesses. These include the establishment of a governors' school improvement committee and a new senior leadership team. Delegation of responsibilities to members of the leadership team is well thought through. There is good leadership of areas such as assessment, tracking progress in Years 1 to 6 and special educational needs. A reasonable amount of checking on the quality of provision takes place. However, there is not always sharp enough evaluation of the impact of teaching and the curriculum on the outcomes in pupils' attainment and progress. In the Foundation Stage, the assessments of children's progress and attainment are not reliable enough. These are the main reasons why improvements

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Grade: 3

to the provision for children in the Nursery and Reception Year are not taking place more quickly. The school knows that children should be doing better in reading and writing by the end of the Reception Year, but it has not accurately identified what specific features of its work require improvement. Nevertheless, there is a strong commitment to improvement and leaders responsible for different areas are working closely together. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Barry Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Barry Primary School, 11 °12 June 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? 4 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 2 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Barry Primary School, 11 °12 June 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Barry Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

13 June 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Barry Primary School, Northampton NNI 5JS Thank you for helping us when we visited your school. We enjoyed meeting you and finding out about your school. Your school is providing you with a satisfactory education. This means that teaching and the curriculum result in you making satisfactory progress during your time in the school. You told us that most of you like school a lot. The adults in school do a lot to help you to develop as pleasant young people who behave well and get on well with others. You said that the school does not tolerate bullying or racism and this is good. We saw that you are looked after well, including those of you who have special learning needs. It was good to find out that you settle well when you start at school, whether you begin in the Nursery, Reception or later on. You have a rich and exciting range of activities in addition to your daily lessons in Years 3 to

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

6. What an amazing range of clubs you have, plus all the visits and two opportunities to go on residential visits! Those of you who are younger also have lots of visits and visitors to give you new experiences. The adults in school are keen to make sure that you get the most out of your time in school. There are some improvements that we have asked them to make, particularly for those of you in the earlier years in school. The first of these is to make sure that all of you do as well as possible in reading and writing. We have also asked the adults to make sure that their assessments of what you can do and how well you are progressing are always accurate. To make improvements happen quickly, which is what the adults want, we have asked them to check even more carefully how teaching and the curriculum help you to learn. You can help by continuing to behave well and by always doing your best. Thank you once

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

again for your help. Yours sincerely Alison Grainger Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Barry Primary School, 11 °12 June 2007

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