Cheslyn Hay Primary School

Inspection Report Cheslyn Hay Primary School

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124189 Unique Reference Number Staffordshire Local Authority 292919 Inspection number 23 °24 January 2007 Inspection dates Graham Sims 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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Saredon Road School address Primary Type of school Cheslyn Hay Community School category Walsall WS6 7JQ 3 °11 Age range of pupils 01922 857080 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01922 857085 Fax number 363 Number on roll (school) J Toplis Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Martin Tibbetts Headteacher 20 May 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 292919 23 °24 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Cheslyn Hay Primary School is a larger than average primary school. The great majority of the pupils are of White British heritage and almost all speak English as their first language. Pupils' socio-economic backgrounds vary widely but are broadly average. In January 2006, the school opened a nursery for 26 children who attend part time, but lost its larger pre-Reception class at the same time.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Cheslyn Hay Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007

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Grade: 3

Cheslyn Hay Primary School provides a satisfactory standard of education. The school has some good features and the great majority of parents have a positive opinion of the school. The school is welcoming and friendly, and most of the pupils enjoy coming to school. The quality of teaching, the curriculum and the care, guidance and support are all satisfactory. Children receive a good start to their education as the quality of provision in the Foundation Stage is good. They continue to make good progress in Key Stage 1. By the end of Year 2, standards are above average. Progress is not as good in Key Stage 2. For the pupils who left in 2006, standards were below average and their achievement was unsatisfactory. Boys' achievement, standards in writing and aspects of science were particular weaknesses and are still priorities for development. Over the last year, the school has received intensive support to improve the teaching of English and

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Grade: 3

mathematics. This initiative is bearing fruit. Although standards in the current Year 6 are still below average, they are better than the year before and pupils' achievement is now satisfactory. This improvement is more marked in most other year groups in Key Stage 2. The teaching is good up to Year 2, but thereafter there is still too much variation in quality and in teachers' expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving. Some good practice is emerging as a result of recent training, but too many lessons fail to cater for the differing needs of pupils and do not motivate them to learn. Some of the teachers' marking of pupils' work is helpful, but too often pupils are given insufficient guidance on how to improve their work. There is a good range of activities, such as visits and after-school clubs, to enrich the curriculum, but staff do not make the most of these opportunities to extend pupils' learning. The teaching of English

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Grade: 3

and mathematics has improved significantly, but the teaching of some other subjects, such as history and geography, is unchallenging and is not used sufficiently to develop basic skills of literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT). Pupils' personal development and well-being are satisfactory, but here too there are significant variations. The school is an orderly community, but in some lessons there is an underlying restlessness. Pupils have a sound understanding of healthy lifestyles and safe practices, but the healthy snacks provided for younger pupils at break time contrast with less healthy choices at lunchtime. Pupils contribute ideas through the school council and are happy to undertake responsibilities, but opportunities are missed to help pupils become more independent and self-confident. The main reason for such variation in the quality of provision lies with the school

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Grade: 3

leadership. As with other aspects, the leadership and management are satisfactory. The leadership lacks a sufficiently clear vision and is not rigorous enough in checking what happens within the school and evaluating its own performance to ensure the highest possible standards. There is clear awareness of important areas that need to be improved, but plans to deal with these areas are not rigorous enough. Some staff carry out delegated responsibilities very effectively, whilst there is insufficient delegation of responsibility to other staff. Some initiatives have led to improvement and show that the school has the capacity to improve, but much remains to be done 2 Inspection Report: Cheslyn Hay Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007 to improve the current barely satisfactory provision if the school is to fulfil its mission statement, 'Every Child Matters. Every Day Counts.'

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve standards, particularly in writing and science, and pupils' achievement, particularly that of the boys, in Key Stage 2. • Improve leadership and management by providing clearer direction, monitoring the school's provision more closely, producing more explicit development plans and delegating responsibilities more effectively. • Improve the quality of teaching by raising teachers' expectations, improving planning so that it meets individual needs and engages their interest, and providing clearer guidance to pupils on how to improve their work. • Improve the quality of the curriculum by making it more stimulating and interesting, particularly in subjects such as science, history and geography, and ensuring that all subjects contribute to the development and consolidation of pupils' skills in literacy, numeracy and ICT.

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Grade: 3

Standards of attainment when children enter the school vary from year to year, but are broadly average. Children make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes. In 2006, for example, children progressed from slightly below average on entry to reach the nationally expected standards by the end of Reception. Pupils continue to make good progress in Key Stage 1. Standards have improved over the last five years and are above average in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. Over the same period, the school's results at the end of Year 6 have fluctuated markedly. In 2005, they were above average. In 2006, they fell significantly and were below average in English, mathematics and science. The achievement of this group of pupils was inadequate. Progress in English at Key Stage 2 has been weak for a number of years. Results in science were above average for a number of years, but fell in 2006

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Grade: 3

because there is not enough emphasis on investigative work. The school's targets have not been high enough in the past. However, more challenging targets for the future and improved teaching are helping standards to rise. Standards are still below average in Year 6, but in almost all other year groups they are now at least average and in some years they are above average. Overall, pupils' achievement is satisfactory.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory, as is the development of skills that will help pupils to cope with the future. In the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 these aspects are good; pupils show visible enthusiasm in lessons, participate eagerly, behave well and develop a good range of skills. Although most pupils say they enjoy school, their enthusiasm is less evident in Key Stage 2. In 3 Inspection Report: Cheslyn Hay Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007 some lessons, pupils are restless and do not always pay attention or concentrate on their work, but some of the teaching is not sufficiently motivating. When given the opportunity, pupils respond well to challenging activities and the opportunity to work independently. Equally, members of the school council enjoy making a difference through their decision-making, such as helping to choose new playground equipment

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Grade: 3

or artwork for the library, but opportunities for pupils to develop a real sense of responsibility are limited, even for pupils in Year 6. Pupils' cultural development has improved since the previous inspection as a result of a special multicultural week and visits to places of worship. Improvement in their spiritual development is less evident. The level of attendance is satisfactory.

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Grade: 3

The teaching in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 is good. Lessons are lively and well paced, and teachers plan carefully for different groups of pupils, taking account of what pupils already know. There is also some good teaching in Key Stage 2, but the quality in this part of the school is more variable and satisfactory overall. Pupils are not as consistently motivated and engaged in their learning. Recent initiatives to improve the teaching of English and mathematics are starting to have a positive effect. Teachers are much clearer about their objectives and targets for pupils. However, pupils' written work, particularly in science, history and geography, shows that teachers do not always have high enough expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving and are not rigorous enough in ensuring that pupils complete their work or respond to the comments they have made. Some of the tasks provided lack sufficient challenge,

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Grade: 3

with all pupils in the class are given the same tasks which inhibits the progress of more able pupils and is not always appropriate for the less able.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is good and promotes all aspects of children's learning well. The school is very aware of the difference in the performance of girls and boys and has taken steps to improve boys' motivation by providing more boy-friendly books in the library and participating in a project to raise boys' achievement through sport. These initiatives are starting to have a positive impact on boys' achievement. The school also provides a good range of additional activities, such as visits to places of interest and after-school activities, which enrich the curriculum. These activities have a positive impact on pupils' personal development, but do not always contribute as fully as they could to developing pupils' academic skills. Whilst the school is improving its curricular provision for English and mathematics, provision for subjects such as history and geography is weak, and pupils are not given sufficient

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Grade: 3

opportunity to carry out investigative work in science or engage in more substantial 4 Inspection Report: Cheslyn Hay Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007 pieces of work which require them to use their own initiative. There is very little development of the key skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT through these subjects.

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Grade: 3

The school is generally a happy, friendly place where pupils show respect for each other. Staff know the pupils well and are committed to their well-being, providing an attractive and welcoming learning environment for them. Most pupils feel safe and confident they can approach an adult if they have a problem, although pupils say that some staff are not as approachable or as fair in their dealings as others. Links with the local high school's behaviour team have had a positive effect on supporting pupils who find behaving appropriately difficult. Pupils with learning difficulties receive satisfactory support from teaching assistants. Procedures to ensure all aspects of pupils' safety are generally secure. Systems for tracking pupils' progress are effective, having improved significantly over the last year. Through these, the school identifies very clearly which pupils need additional support, but staff do not always take enough

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Grade: 3

note of their assessment information when planning work for pupils, particularly for the more able pupils. Whilst some good marking practice is developing, too often teachers give pupils insufficient guidance on how they could improve their work and often give undue praise for work that does not merit it.

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Grade: 3

The school's leadership team has a clear awareness of the most important areas that need developing and has taken effective steps to improve some aspects of the school. All acknowledge that provision in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 is significantly better than it was, and the benefits of this are now percolating through the school. The quality of teaching and pupils' achievement in English and mathematics are improving as a result of the school's involvement in an intensive support programme. Although a satisfactory direction forward has been achieved through such improvements, the school still lacks a really clear vision for the future and well formulated plans to secure improvement in all areas. The monitoring and evaluation of its own performance has lacked rigour, so that some areas of underperformance have escaped notice. Governors have a realistic view of the school and have implemented a new management structure which has led to improvement in some

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Grade: 3

aspects of management. They have not always been firm enough in holding the school to account for its performance. Recent improvements show that the school has the capacity to move forward, but more determined leadership and management are required if the school is to improve the achievement of all pupils. 5 Inspection Report: Cheslyn Hay Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007 .

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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. 6 Inspection Report: Cheslyn Hay Primary School, 23 °24 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 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?

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

3 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: Cheslyn Hay Primary School, 23 °24 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: Cheslyn Hay Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We enjoyed our visit to your school and would like to thank you for your welcome and for talking to us. Overall, your school provides you with a satisfactory education. We were impressed with what we saw in the Reception classes and Years 1 and 2, but have identified a number of things which could be improved in Years 3 to 6. These are our main findings: • In Reception, and Years 1 and 2, you are making good progress and achieving better standards in reading, writing and mathematics than in many schools. • In Years 3 to 6, you are making satisfactory progress and the standard of your work is improving, but standards in Year 6 are still below those achieved in most schools. • You are polite and friendly and your behaviour is good for much of the time, but you are quite restless in some lessons and do not always pay as much attention as you should. • The quality of teaching varies; overall it is satisfactory, but it does not always motivate you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to learn or provide you with sufficient challenge. • The school provides some good activities and some helpful projects, such as the RATs project, but does not provide enough opportunity for you to carry out investigative work in science or to interest you and deepen your understanding in history and geography. • The staff have made the school an attractive place and provide a satisfactory standard of care, although you relate more easily to some staff than to others. • The governors, headteacher and staff have introduced some good new initiatives over the last year, but could do more to help your school to improve. We have asked the governors and staff to: • Help you to improve the standard of your work and make better progress in Years 3 to 6, particularly in writing and science, and to ensure boys do as well as girls. • Keep a more careful check on what is happening throughout the school and make clearer

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

plans to make the school better than it is. • Provide you with more challenging and appropriate work and give you clearer guidance when marking your work. • Provide more interesting lessons so you are motivated to learn, and show you how you can develop your literacy and numeracy skills through every subject. You can help your school to improve as well, by cooperating with your teachers, paying attention in all lessons and trying your hardest so that you develop into really independent learners. 9 Inspection Report: Cheslyn Hay Primary School, 23 °24 January 2007

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