John Randall Primary School

Inspection Report John Randall Primary School

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123445 Unique Reference Number Telford and Wrekin LEA 292666 Inspection number 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006 Inspection dates Frances Gillam AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Queen Street School address Primary Type of school Madeley Community School category Telford, Shropshire TF7 4DS 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01952 586864 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01952 586864 Fax number 181 Number on roll Rev R Duckett Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs E H Middleton Headteacher 4 June 2001 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 292666 2 May 2006 - 3 to 11 3 May 2006 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

John Randall is an average sized primary school. Almost all of the pupils are from a White British background. A small number of pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds, most of whom are of Indian heritage. Over a third of pupils are entitled to a free school meal and a higher than average proportion of pupils has learning difficulties and disabilities. The number of pupils who enter and leave the school other than at the normal times is high. Attainment, when children start school in the nursery, is well below average. There has been a very high turnover of staff in the last two years, particularly within the senior management team. The school has achieved the gold Healthy Schools award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: John Randall Primary School, 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006

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Grade: 3

John Randall Primary is an improving school. It provides satisfactory value for money and a satisfactory standard of education. This reflects the school’s view of its work. The quality of provision in the Foundation Stage is good. Even though standards are below those expected by the end of Reception, children make good progress. Pupils also make good progress by Year 2. However, prior to the present management team, past disruptions to pupils’ learning in Years 3 to 6 and weaknesses in the school’s work resulted in a downward trend in standards and a legacy of underachievement. Effective work with the local authority and a robust evaluation of the school’s work are leading to well focused action and improved teaching, which is now satisfactory. This is now reversing the downward trend, particularly in reading, mathematics and science, where pupils’ progress is satisfactory. These comparatively recent developments demonstrate

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Grade: 3

the school’s good capacity to improve and the effective leadership of the newly appointed headteacher and the deputy headteacher. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. Senior managers and governors are fully aware of what needs to be done to sustain improvements and to iron out inconsistencies in teaching, such as weaknesses in the quality of marking. Weaknesses persist in writing; standards are not high enough and the progress of the average attaining pupils lags behind others. Pupils are happy at school and well cared for. As a result, they have a good understanding of how to keep safe and healthy.

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What the school should do to improve further

•Improve standards and achievement in writing by ensuring that teachers adapt their planning to meet the needs of the average attaining pupils more effectively. •Ensure a greater consistency in the quality of marking.

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Grade: 3

Pupils achieve satisfactorily but standards remain below average by the end of Year 6. Children in the Nursery and Reception class make good progress. Even though standards are below those expected for children entering Year 1, effective teaching has moved them on from the well below average standards on joining the Nursery. There are still weaknesses in language and literacy but these are dealt with effectively, particularly in Year 2. Pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2 and standards by Year 2 are broadly average, as shown in the results of the 2005 tests. Progress is not as rapid in Years 3 to 6 as it is in the other year groups but it is improving. Tracking pupils’ progress and higher expectations of what they can do now ensure that pupils meet challenging targets and build more effectively on what they have learnt before. As a result, most pupils in Year 6 are on track to reach the targets

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Grade: 3

2 Inspection Report: John Randall Primary School, 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006 set for them in reading, science and mathematics. Standards are now closer to the national average in science and reading but are still below average in mathematics. These standards are much better than the results of the 2005 tests. However, standards are not high enough in writing and average attaining pupils have weaknesses in punctuation and spelling and in structuring their writing. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make satisfactory progress. They meet the realistic targets for their improvement as a result of the good support they receive.

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Grade: 3

Pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. Behaviour is satisfactory and has improved because of recent initiatives. Staff deal well with a minority who sometimes misbehave and disrupt others’ learning. Although the school is working hard to improve attendance, with some successes, levels are below average. Nevertheless, pupils enjoy school. They make healthy choices, adopt good eating habits and take regular exercise. They care for others and look out for themselves, acting safely in and around school. Pupils make a positive contribution to the community, organising events such as an Easter celebration. Findings ways to fund such events help to prepare pupils for the world of work. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils appreciate the difference between right and wrong; they say that fairness and consideration are shown by adults and by other youngsters. The breakfast club and action fun club

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Grade: 3

promote good social development. Pupils appreciate that local traditions are complemented by celebrations of major religious festivals including Ramadan, Diwali and Chinese New Year.

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Grade: 3

Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Teaching is good in the Foundation Stage and Year 2. Carefully planned activities allow pupils to explore and try things out for themselves. This sparks their interest and they can see the purpose in what they are doing. Many pupils now find lessons fun and say they are rarely bored with learning. Pupils feel this is a great improvement, particularly in Years 3 to 6, and they are learning more as a result. In all classes, strategies to improve learning are being implemented carefully, with particular successes in promoting good behaviour and setting goals for pupils’ learning. These strategies help pupils to achieve more and to increase their rate of progress. Teachers’ planning meets the needs of most pupils but is not always adapted sufficiently for average attaining pupils to make the best progress in writing. The work of ‘closing the gap’ marking helps pupils to know

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Grade: 3

the next steps in learning. However, areas for improvement are not always clearly 3 Inspection Report: John Randall Primary School, 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006 identified for pupils and teachers do not always check if pupils are responding well enough to their comments. These inconsistencies slow the progress pupils make.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory and organised so that most activities build systematically on what has gone before. However, it is not always tailored sufficiently well to meet the needs of the average attaining pupils in writing. Many pupils enjoy and benefit from the wide range of after school and lunchtime activities, including sports, computers, gardening and pottery clubs. A well planned range of activities helps pupils to be active and healthy and build self-confidence. The small group and individual support for vulnerable pupils is particularly beneficial and pupils from the school council spoke enthusiastically about arrangements for personal, social and health education. The school has beneficial links with the local community. Visitors from a local secondary school promote many sports activities. Well planned educational visits to museums and environmental and residential centres help to bring learning alive.

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Grade: 2

The school promotes pupils’ health, safety and well-being effectively. Personal and work-based barriers to learning are specifically identified and the special needs coordinator and learning mentor work very well together to ensure no pupils are left unsupported. The work of the learning mentor is particularly beneficial in helping the most vulnerable pupils with pressing personal or domestic problems. Effective child protection and risk assessment procedures ensure pupils’ safety. The school ensures the care of its pupils through its good provision for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, effective support for pupils who have personal needs and recognition of the needs of higher attainers. However, more should be done to help the average attaining pupils with their writing. Good liaison with parents and a range of external agencies ensures that pupils who need specific support are well

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Grade: 2

cared for. The school makes particularly good use of individual support strategies designed by the local authority and the local area cluster.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The drive of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are significant factors in improving the quality of provision. Following a time of many staff changes, they have successfully developed a clear sense of direction and established a strong staff team. However, most subject leaders are relatively new to their posts and, with the exception of English, mathematics and science, are still developing in their roles. Links with the local authority are strong and effective in developing strategies to root out the causes of underachievement. Priorities are well 4 Inspection Report: John Randall Primary School, 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006 chosen because the school’s evaluation of its work is good. Senior managers use these evaluations to hold staff accountable and to focus support for individuals and groups of pupils. As a result, aspects of good teaching are developing and strategies, such as

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Grade: 3

those adopted to improve behaviour, are now working well. Even though standards in 2005 were well below average, the results were the highest the school had achieved for five years. Over the past three terms many pupils’ work in Years 4 to 6 has improved. Most are now on track to meet the targets expected for their age and ability and recent improvements in reading, mathematics and science are a clear measure of the school’s good capacity to improve. The school actively involves pupils and their parents by canvassing their views and taking effective action. Governors are well informed and now feel more involved in decision making. They are gaining the confidence to raise questions about the effectiveness of the school’s provision. 5 Inspection Report: John Randall Primary School, 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: John Randall Primary School, 2 May 2006 to 3 May 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 3 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 3 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for making Mr Gwinnett and myself so welcome when we came to visit your school. We enjoyed talking to you and hearing what you had to say about your lessons. We would like to tell you what we thought about your school. •Children in Nursery and Reception and pupils in Years 1 and 2 do well with their work. •You told us that you enjoy your lessons because they are interesting and fun. Many of you said this makes you work harder and try your best. •You know all about how important it is to eat sensibly and to exercise regularly to help you grow up fit and healthy. •You told us that your teachers are kind and we agree. All the staff in the school care for you very much and make sure that you are kept safe and well. •Your headteacher and deputy headteacher know how well you are doing. This helps them to make good decisions about what is needed to help you do even better. •There are lots of good activities that you can do at lunchtimes and after school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You are especially excited about the trips you make to interesting places. •We think that many pupils in Years 3 to 6 could do better with their writing. We have asked Mrs Middleton to make sure that teachers plan activities that help these pupils to do their very best. •You told us that you want to do well so we have asked your teachers to give you good ideas about how you can make your work even better. I wish you every success for the future.

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