Lady Bay Primary School

Inspection Report Lady Bay Primary School

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122596 Unique Reference Number NOTTINGHAMSHIRE Local Authority 292453 Inspection number 29 January 2007 Inspection date Susan Aldridge 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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Trent Boulevard School address Primary Type of school West Bridgford, West Bridgford Community School category

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Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG2 5BD 4 °11 Age range of pupils

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0115 9747001 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0115 9747002 Fax number 346 Number on roll (school) Ms Deborah White Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Jonathan Jones Headteacher 15 October 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 292453 29 January 2007 4 °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 an Additional Inspector in one day.

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Description of the school

This is a large primary school in a residential area of West Bridgford. Attainment on entry is above average. Most of the pupils are White and of British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below average. No pupils speak English as an additional language. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is low. Most families have favourable socio-economic circumstances. There is a lower than average proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities. The school's work has been recognised by the Investors in People Award and it has Healthy Schools Status.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lady Bay Primary School, 29 January 2007

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Grade: 2

Lady Bay is a good school that provides good value for money. The school's success stems from its good leadership and management and its committed and caring staff. Most parents are very happy with the provision the school makes for their children. It provides a good, interesting range of learning experiences that are well taught. As a result, pupils achieve well and their personal development is good. Pupils enter the Reception year with knowledge and skills that exceed those normally expected for their age. They make good progress here because the teaching is good and they reach above average standards. By the time pupils reach Year 6 standards are well above average, indicating that they make good progress and achieve well in their time at the school. Standards have been consistently above or well above average for several years. In 2006 the school was in the top 18% of primary schools for the progress that pupils made. However, not all pupils make equally good progress. Girls

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Grade: 2

make better progress than boys. The school is aware of this and has suitable plans for rectifying the matter. It is also in the process of strengthening its provision for pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities, who make satisfactory progress. Most pupils enjoy school, although girls tend to be more enthusiastic about it than boys. By the time they leave the school, pupils are confident and articulate. Pupils' behaviour is good. They make an excellent contribution to the school and wider communities because they are given a wealth of opportunities to do so. By initiating and organising mini-enterprise activities in groups they develop well the important skill of co-operation that will be useful in later life. Pupils also have a thorough understanding of how to maintain their personal safety; they know the principles of healthy living and physical activities are popular. Staff, pupils and parents are all agreed that the school's buildings are in need of

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Grade: 2

improvement, and this is the case. There are suitable plans for building development. The school is popular and oversubscribed. There is not enough space for all classes or for storage. As a result, one Reception class is currently being taught for part of the time in a hall and entrance space. The halls are not suitable for whole classes of juniors to be taught physical education and the boys' toilets in the junior block are in need of refurbishment. Nonetheless, staff make the best use of the available accommodation. They provide a stimulating environment, with eye-catching displays, many of which celebrate the high quality of pupils' work, notably their writing and artwork. There are also good links with the community to extend learning experiences. The school has improved well since the last inspection. Standards by Year 2 have improved and teaching in the Foundation Stage is now good. In the last year, there

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Grade: 2

have been significant improvements in the school's provision of extra curricular activities and information and communication technology (ICT) resources. The school's capacity to improve further is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that all groups of pupils make equally good progress. 2 Inspection Report: Lady Bay Primary School, 29 January 2007 • Rectify the weaknesses in the school's accommodation that are identified in this report.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good and standards are exceptionally high. The school sets challenging targets to raise achievement, which it generally reaches successfully. Children in the Foundation Stage make good progress in all areas of learning. Standards by Year 2 have improved since the last inspection as the school has rectified underlying weaknesses in teaching. In 2006, standards were above average overall and well above average in writing. Standards reached by girls were well above average. The gap between boys' and girls' attainment was wider than the gap nationally. In Year 6 in 2006, standards were exceptionally high overall and in English and mathematics, they were above average in science. Far greater proportions of pupils reached the higher level in all three subjects than they did nationally. In English, the proportion at Level 5 was almost twice the national figure. Boys and girls did equally well in English and mathematics but in science, girls outperformed the boys.

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Grade: 2

A small proportion of parents feel that pupils with learning difficulties do not make enough progress. This is not the case. Pupils' progress is tracked adequately, and suitable support is provided for those that are not making the progress expected of them. As a result, these pupils make satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being is good. One parent noted that the school 'is wonderful at nurturing their pupils into well-rounded individuals'. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Those of different races work and play happily together. Attendance is good. Pupils willingly take on responsibilities, as playground peacemakers, for instance. Although the school is limited in the extent to which it can provide a wide range of physical activities, pupils take part in a good range of extra curricular sports, and most walk to school and eat healthily whilst there. They show considerable initiative, by selecting charities to support and working in groups to organise fund-raising activities. To thank them for their efforts in raising funds for Tsunami victims, they were invited to Trent Bridge to entertain the public by playing cricket during a lunch interval in a test match, and this they did.

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Grade: 2

3 Inspection Report: Lady Bay Primary School, 29 January 2007

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. There is a clear teaching and learning policy and good practice is being shared. Staff form good relationships with pupils and show respect for them. This results in confident pupils who ask and answer questions, volunteer opinions and make suggestions. Expectations of good work and behaviour are clear, and pupils respond well to this. Secure assessment is put to good use in planning activities that are interesting and well matched to pupils' abilities. Clear learning outcomes are identified for pupils of different abilities, but these are not always reviewed equally well with pupils during lessons. Teaching assistants give the right amount of help. Questioning is good; at best it involves all the pupils. Participation is maximised when teachers ask pupils to discuss in pairs during whole-class sessions or to jot their ideas down on whiteboards.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good curriculum, although it is limited by weaknesses in accommodation. The number of computers has recently increased, but these are situated in a corridor rather than a separate room, and this is not ideal. The school links well with others to supplement its resources. For instance, one pupil spends time in a local special school, and others join community groups who offer activities and clubs. There is a good range of visits, visitors, themed days and residential experiences which bring learning to life, add interest and enjoyment and promote pupils' personal development well. Pupils themselves are able to influence the curriculum, by choosing to organise fund-raising activities for instance. The school is further developing its satisfactory enrichment for gifted and talented pupils.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. High standards of personal care and support enable most pupils to make good progress and all to develop well as young people. The school council enables pupils to influence school life. Pupils are particularly pleased that their council was instrumental in enabling them to choose who to sit with at lunchtimes. All pupils have personal targets for literacy and numeracy and they know well what these are, particularly their literacy targets. Marking is good and helps pupils to improve. However, pupils and parents find that homework is given more regularly by some teachers than others. Procedures for child protection and safeguarding pupils are robust and meet current requirements. Parents views on the support for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities range from wholehearted praise to dissatisfaction. The support given to this relatively small group of pupils is satisfactory. The school keeps an eye on all pupils' progress and has

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Grade: 2

4 Inspection Report: Lady Bay Primary School, 29 January 2007 a suitable range of strategies to support them, including linking with external agencies and special schools.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher and his deputy provide good leadership: leading staff well in developing a mission statement and agreeing revised aims for the school. Parents are pleased that the school has extended extra-curricular opportunities and pupils appreciate the fact that the headteacher is present in the playground each morning. The headteacher's vision is shared by staff and governors, who are committed to improving the school. The headteacher, together with the deputy head and governors, has consulted staff, pupils and parents to identify the development priorities for the next three years. The deputy headteacher collects and analyses data. This good self-evaluation results in an improvement plan that identifies the right priorities. For instance, it identifies correctly the need for subject leaders to extend their roles to include monitoring of standards and provision in their subjects. Governance is good. Governors have many

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Grade: 2

skills pertinent to their roles and are most supportive. They ask probing questions and help to shape the direction of the school. 5 Inspection Report: Lady Bay Primary School, 29 January 2007 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Lady Bay Primary School, 29 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 2 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

2 How well do learners achieve? 1 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 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 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?

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: Lady Bay Primary School, 29 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: Lady Bay Primary School, 29 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

30 January 2007 Dear Pupils Lady Bay Primary School, Trent Boulevard, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG2 5BD Thank you for making me so welcome in your school, especially those who spent some time talking to me about school life. I came to the school to find out how well you are all getting on and whether there are any things that could be improved. I enjoyed my busy day and found that your school is a good one. Most of you are making good progress and you are also developing well as young people. I was most impressed with the way you show initiative in raising money for charities through mini-enterprise activities. This helps you to develop important skills that will be useful in your adult lives. I was pleased to see that most of you behave well in lessons and around school, and that your attendance is good. You are lucky to have staff who teach you well and also take good care of you. You also have a lot

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

of trips to places of interest, including residential school journeys, as well as visitors coming to school. Your parents are pleased that there are more clubs and activities after school now. You told me that you like the way Mr Jones is in the playground in the mornings to greet you. You told me so much during our discussions and I have not been able to put it all in the report, but I made sure that I told Mr Jones and the governors before I left, because I know that they are keen to make your school even better. They are doing a good job, which is one reason your school is good. I have spoken to them about the school buildings and they are already working hard to make them better. I have also asked them to make sure that all of you make the same good progress, because this is not the case for all of you at the moment. I hope that you will all keep up the good work. Best wishes, Mrs S Aldridge Lead Inspector

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

9 Inspection Report: Lady Bay Primary School, 29 January 2007

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