Eastlands Primary School

Inspection Report Eastlands Primary School

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125575 Unique Reference Number Warwickshire Local Authority 293296 Inspection number 17 October 2006 Inspection date David Westall 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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Lansdowne Place School address Primary Type of school Rugby Community School category CV21 3RY 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01788 575328 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01788 536205 Fax number 213 Number on roll (school) Gordon Cook Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Jill Tomlinson Headteacher 8 July 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 293296 17 October 2006 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.

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Description of the school

The school is situated in an area where social and economic conditions are broadly average. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average, whilst the percentage identified as having learning difficulties is average. A small number of pupils are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Eastlands Primary School, 17 October 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school where pupils achieve well and their personal development is first rate. Staff appreciate and value the pupils and help them to develop into kind, cooperative and caring individuals. Consequently, the school is a happy and harmonious community where pupils get on well together and enjoy their education. It is not surprising that parents hold the school in high regard. A typical remark to the inspector included, 'My children love school and I am delighted with the standards they have achieved'. Pupils' achievement is good. From average starting points on entry to the school, pupils do well to reach above average standards in Year 6. Provision in the Foundation Stage is broadly satisfactory and enables children to make steady progress. Most children reach the expected standards at the end of the Foundation Stage. Pupils' progress accelerates notably in Year 1 and is good across Years 1 to 6. As a result,

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Grade: 2

standards are a little above average in Year 2 and above average in Year 6. Teaching and learning are good overall. Teachers' enthusiasm and professionalism shine through in lessons. Their planning is effective and the good curriculum meets pupils' needs well. Teachers have the knack of making learning interesting. Pupils say, 'We work hard but still have fun'. Indeed, laughter and smiles are everywhere in this school, and learning is seen as a shared experience. Nevertheless, there is still scope for improvement. At present, teaching and learning are satisfactory, rather than better, in the Reception class. This is largely because children are not always given the focused help they need when the class is working in groups on different tasks. As a result, some do not make the most of the learning opportunities that are provided. The personal development and well-being of pupils are outstanding. This stems from

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Grade: 2

the supportive relationships that exist across the school. It is clear that pupils like and respect their teachers and that these feelings are reciprocated. As a result, pupils know that staff have their best interests at heart, and they have a clear sense of self-worth because they know they are valued as individuals. The quality of care, guidance and support is also outstanding. All of these factors contribute to pupils' very positive attitudes to school. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They are polite, readily listen to others, accept differences of opinion and know how to have fun together. Leadership and management are good. Self-evaluation procedures are rigorous and ensure that the school has an accurate view of its strengths and areas for development. The school's success owes much to the astute and committed leadership of the headteacher. She keeps her finger firmly on the pulse of the school, works tenaciously

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Grade: 2

to improve pupils' educational opportunities and communicates her high expectations persuasively so that staff feel part of a successful team. Staff morale is high. The senior management team, subject leaders and governors all fulfil their roles well and contribute to the school's success. The school has made good progress since its last inspection and has maintained high standards in Year 6. It is already implementing well-judged plans to improve the teaching in the Foundation Stage to match the good teaching elsewhere in the school. Consequently, Eastlands has a good capacity to improve. 2 Inspection Report: Eastlands Primary School, 17 October 2006

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the satisfactory teaching in the Foundation Stage to match the good teaching elsewhere, so that children always receive the focused help and challenge they need to make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievement is good and standards are above average in Year 6. In the Foundation Stage, children achieve well in their personal development because it is fostered effectively by the adults. Children are confident and well behaved. They develop good relationships with their classmates and share resources amicably. In other areas of learning, their progress is satisfactory. At the end of the Foundation Stage, most pupils reach the expected standards in all areas of learning. In Years 1 and 2, the rate of pupils' progress increases and is good. The school's actions to improve pupils' progress in writing have been successful, and overall standards are a little above average in Year 2. In Years 3 to 6, pupils continue to progress well in English, mathematics and science. The school sets itself challenging targets for pupils' standards and these are met. Consequently, overall standards are above average in

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Grade: 2

Year 6 and have been significantly better than in most schools for a number of years. Pupils also achieve well in information and communication technology (ICT) and their skills are above average in Year 6. The most capable pupils and those with learning difficulties or disabilities make good progress, as do those who are learning English as an additional language.

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Grade: 1

Pupils are very keen to learn and their attendance is above average. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. Pupils develop very good relationships with others and have a well-developed sense of fair play. They respond well when given responsibilities, for example as members of the active school council and as mentors for those who need support at lunch and breaktimes. Pupils are safety-conscious and show considerable care for the welfare of others. They enjoy a good range of physical activities and understand the importance of healthy eating. Pupils grow their own organic fruit and vegetables on the nearby council allotment, sell the produce and use the funds to buy seeds and help charities. Pupils are very aware of the need for energy conservation and recycling, and the school achieved the Eco Award in 2005. Pupils have a strong social and community awareness, the ability to work together well and good literacy, numeracy and ICT skills.

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Grade: 1

Consequently, they are well prepared for their future. 3 Inspection Report: Eastlands Primary School, 17 October 2006

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Grade: 2

Teachers plan their lessons carefully and manage pupils' behaviour well. They know what they expect pupils to learn and their explanations are clear so that pupils are confident about tackling their work. Assessment procedures are good. Consequently, tasks are generally matched very accurately to pupils' needs. Often, teachers know just when to intervene with well-judged advice and when to stand back and let pupils work things out for themselves. However, when children are working on different tasks in the Reception class, they are sometimes left to carry on for too long without adult intervention. As a result, opportunities are sometimes missed to provide focused guidance, and to use questions to probe children's understanding and develop their thinking. Teachers' positive relationships with their classes, and their good skills in capturing pupils' interest, are reflected in pupils' excellent behaviour and sustained

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Grade: 2

concentration. 'I could have carried on for much longer,' commented one pupil after working hard in a lesson that clearly fired his interest.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. All areas of learning are soundly covered in the Foundation Stage. However, the excellent outside facilities are not used enough to benefit children's learning. In Years 1 to 6, the curriculum is rich and caters for all pupils well. Whilst an effective emphasis is given to the development of pupils' literacy and numeracy skills, care is also taken to provide a broad range of worthwhile learning experiences. First-rate use is made of ICT to support pupils' work in other subjects. For example, pupils have made impressive film and PowerPoint presentations as part of their work in science and history. Across the school, pupils' personal development is fostered very strongly. The curriculum is enriched by a wide range of educational visits, visitors and school clubs. These are greatly enjoyed by pupils. After reflecting on a visit to Warwick Castle, where pupils dressed in period clothes, one commented, 'It was great and helped me

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Grade: 2

to really understand what life used to be like'.

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Grade: 1

The staff know the pupils extremely well and the school works very effectively with parents so that pupils' needs are met. Parents are justifiably confident that their children are very well looked after at school. Pupils feel safe and know that they can talk to staff if they have any worries. Child protection procedures are robust and regular health and safety checks are carried out. The school works very well with external agencies to provide support for pupils when this is required. Effective arrangements 4 Inspection Report: Eastlands Primary School, 17 October 2006 help children to settle into the Foundation Stage and prepare Year 6 pupils for their next stage of education. Support and guidance are outstanding for pupils' personal development, and good for their academic development. Pupils' progress is tracked carefully, and well-judged actions are taken to support any pupils who may be falling behind.

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Grade: 2

The school has a clear sense of direction. Strategic planning is well focused and is informed by the school's accurate self-evaluation. The improvement plan has a beneficial impact on pupils' achievement. However, it does not include planning beyond the current educational year and the school recognises this as an area for improvement. Governance is good. Governors keep themselves well informed, including through visits to see the school in operation. The professional development of the staff is good. They benefit from detailed and helpful feedback about their performance by the headteacher and senior staff. Consequently, areas for improvement are identified, discussed and addressed. A climate has been created where staff are constantly trying to improve the school even further. In these circumstances, it is not surprising that pupils do well. 5 Inspection Report: Eastlands Primary School, 17 October 2006

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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: Eastlands Primary School, 17 October 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? 3 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? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 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?

1 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: Eastlands Primary School, 17 October 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? 8 Inspection Report: Eastlands Primary School, 17 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming me into your school and for being so friendly, polite and helpful. Here are some of the good things I found out • You think Eastlands Primary is a good school and I agree with you. • You enjoy school, you like your teachers and have lots of friends. • Your behaviour is excellent in lessons and at other times. • The adults take very good care of you, and you know whom to go to if you need some help. • You have lots of opportunities to learn different things. • The teaching is nearly always good and helps you to make good progress in lessons. • The standards you reach are usually higher than in most schools. • The headteacher makes sure the school is well organised and that you do well. I found one main thing your school needs to improve. I have asked the headteacher and governors to make sure that children in the Reception class are not left to get on with their work for too long without the help of adults. When this is done, the children will learn more

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

quickly. Thank you again for your help. I enjoyed my day at your school and was particularly impressed with the very good way in which school council members carry out their duties. 9 Inspection Report: Eastlands Primary School, 17 October 2006

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