Glebelands Primary School

Glebelands Primary School Inspection report

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131513 Unique Reference Number Leicester City Local Authority 293773 Inspection number 4 °5 October 2006 Inspection dates Rajinder Harrison 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 266 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Chris Down Chair Michael Dix Headteacher 1 March 2001 Date of previous school inspection Chancel Road School address Leicester LE4 2WF

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0116 2340010 Telephone number 0116 2357515 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 4 °5 October 2006 Inspection dates 293773 Inspection number .

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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

The school is of average size. It is located on the outskirts of the city but pupils come from a wide area. Although the majority of the pupils are from White British backgrounds, a quarter are from other minority ethnic heritages, the largest of which is Indian. The proportion of pupils entitled to receive free school meals is very low. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is a little less than average. The school is a pilot for the local authority's extended schools' programme and a training school for the graduate teacher programme.

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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: Glebelands Primary School, 4 °5 October 2006

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school with many good features. It is a very caring establishment where pupils feel happy and secure in their learning and development. They enjoy a good curriculum with opportunities to explore the world beyond the school so they are aware of what is available to them in their future lives. The extended curriculum successfully enhances and broadens the experiences pupils have. Through good provision for their personal development, pupils learn how to keep safe, fit and healthy. They are keen to learn, behave well and form good relationships. They take on responsibilities, for example, through the school council, and learn the importance of living as part of a community and respecting the needs of others. Pupils with learning difficulties and those from ethnic minority heritages feel a full sense of belonging in a school that is welcoming and where everyone is valued. Parents are overwhelmingly positive

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Grade: 3

about the school and the success their children enjoy. Provision in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and children settle quickly into school routines and soon feel at home. Pupils achieve satisfactorily and make satisfactory progress throughout the year groups from Nursery to Year 6. Standards in English, mathematics and science are in line with national averages in Year 6. Teaching is satisfactory, as is pupils' achievement. Teaching is not always challenging enough to raise pupils' standards further and the new assessment procedures for monitoring individual pupils' performance have not yet had the impact necessary to improve achievement. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Issues raised in the last inspection have been addressed satisfactorily but there has been insufficient focus on raising standards. The school's view of its performance is over-generous because monitoring and evaluation procedures are

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Grade: 3

not rigorous in picking up and tackling issues early enough to ensure higher achievement. Governors provide good support but have not challenged the school enough to raise standards more quickly. The school has had significant staff changes in the last two years and now has a strong senior management team. With greater responsibility now being delegated to subject leaders, its capacity to make the necessary improvements is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Monitor and evaluate the school's performance rigorously and at a quicker pace so that the attention centres on raising standards and achievement. ■ Improve teaching in all lessons so that it gives greater challenge to pupils and results in higher achievement.

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Grade: 3

On joining the school in Foundation 1, children's skills and knowledge are broadly average in all the areas of learning. They make satisfactory progress and reach the expected levels by the end of Foundation 2. Their progress from Years 1 to 6 is satisfactory. In Year 2, standards are average in reading and writing and mathematics, and in Year 6 they are average for English, mathematics and science. Pupils' overall achievement is satisfactory. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds achieve as well as their classmates. While pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, and those of lower ability, receive good individual support, they are not always prepared well enough for test situations in order to achieve their full potential. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Glebelands Primary School, 4 °5 October 2006 The pupils in Year 6 who took their national tests in 2006 reached above average standards in

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Grade: 3

the Year 2 tests they took four years previously. They did not make the expected gains because of weaknesses in assessment, in the monitoring of individual pupils through accurate target setting, and a lack of challenge in the teaching. The school met its targets in all but English at the higher level, but the targets were not overly challenging.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good. While most pupils attend school regularly, overall attendance is no better than satisfactory because a few are absent too often and this impedes their progress. Pupils enjoy school and participate enthusiastically in a wide range of activities. For example, in a French lesson, pupils practised their pronunciation with gusto and the choir sang show stopping songs with great passion. Most work hard, behave well and show kindness to others. They take on responsibilities sensibly, for example, the school council members negotiate and debate in detail how to make access to football during lunchtimes fair for all. Pupils understand the importance of living healthy lifestyles and keeping safe. Many attend the numerous sporting activities the school provides. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Through good opportunities for reflection, such as 'what I would do to change the world if I could', they appreciate how

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Grade: 2

important it is to safeguard the environment. They know what is right and wrong by drawing up their class rules and gain confidence and independence through residential visits and other social events. They show consideration for others by initiating fund raising events and develop good understanding of different faiths and cultures through a range of experiences such as visits to temples or working with visitors in school who also give them a valuable insight into the world of work. Their average standards in basic skills prepare them for future life satisfactorily.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory, resulting in pupils' satisfactory achievement. Attractive displays of pupils' work brighten up classrooms and stimulate their interest in learning. Teachers plan work that links subjects so that pupils can see how new information fits in with what they already know. Most lessons move at brisk pace but occasionally overlong presentations result in a few pupils losing concentration and becoming restless and noisy. There are instances where the level of challenge in the teaching is not high enough for all pupils to achieve as well as they should. Teachers and support staff work well together and good relationships make it easy for pupils to seek help when they need it. Pupils with learning difficulties receive good individual guidance and staff use relevant materials and strategies to help them take a full part in lessons. Pupils' progress is reviewed regularly. The assessment procedures that help teachers identify

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Grade: 3

where pupils are not doing as well as they might have not been in place long enough to show a marked impact on pupils' higher achievement. Teachers evaluate the impact of their teaching by encouraging pupils to assess their own work. Marking, while satisfactory, is inconsistent and so pupils are not always clear about what they have done well or how they might improve their work. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Glebelands Primary School, 4 °5 October 2006

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is now good. This is because of recent improvements to link work across subjects, give more time to promote writing skills and introduce effective intervention programmes to support higher achievement for lower ability pupils. All the areas of learning are covered appropriately in the Foundation Stage but the outdoor space is not used to maximum effect. In Years 1 to 6, the curriculum provides a good framework to support effective teaching and learning but opportunities are sometimes missed for pupils to practise their computer skills in classrooms. An effective programme is in place to support pupils' good personal development. A range of visits to places of interest and visitors offering many skills and expertise enrich the curriculum well. The introduction of French has enhanced pupils' speaking and listening skills and widened their cultural awareness. The activities and sports clubs provided through the

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Grade: 2

school and the extended schools' programme augment provision well.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Procedures to deal with child protection, safety, bullying and unacceptable behaviour are all good. Older pupils receive good mentorship training to learn how to support and guide younger pupils and each other. The school works hard to maintain good attendance among most of its pupils and relevant agencies are brought in to deal with the few who have high absence. Overall provision for pupils with learning difficulties is satisfactory. Guidance from external agencies is sought where necessary and parents are kept fully informed. Having recognised that lower ability pupils sometimes fail to achieve their potential in test situations, plans are in place to address this. The use of assessment to guide pupils in their learning is now good. Progress is reviewed regularly and appropriate interventions are implemented through individual target setting. There is evidence that this practice is beginning to have an impact on raising achievement.

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Grade: 2

Most teachers ensure pupils understand and pursue their targets but the practice is not consistent in all classes.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher provides sound direction for development. The improvement planning has resulted in better assessment procedures, pupils' good personal development and a good curriculum to underpin teaching and learning. Partnerships with parents and other schools and organisations are good and the school is well regarded in the area. Governors are kept well informed and work closely with the school to bring about improvements. However, because there has been insufficient focus on raising standards, the school has been slow in checking that the improvements undertaken result in pupils of all ages and abilities achieving their full potential. A number of procedures are in place to monitor and evaluate the work of the school. For example, senior managers and subject leaders regularly monitor teaching and give some useful guidance to colleagues about how teaching can improve. But this monitoring has had limited

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Grade: 3

6 of 11 Inspection Report: Glebelands Primary School, 4 °5 October 2006 impact because the focus on how well pupils learn as a result of the teaching is not sharp enough. After successful restructuring, the new senior management team is bringing a greater rigour to self-evaluation. It has accurately identified areas where teaching is not as challenging as it should be and is implementing strategies to improve it. So, while pupils' achievement is currently no better than satisfactory, there are definite signs that these strategies and interventions are having a positive effect on improving progress. The capacity for further improvement is therefore good. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Glebelands Primary School, 4 °5 October 2006 .

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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: Glebelands Primary School, 4 °5 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 3 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

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 3 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 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: Glebelands Primary School, 4 °5 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Glebelands Primary School, 4 °5 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You may remember we came to visit your school recently to look at the work you do and to talk to you and your teachers. I am writing to tell you what we found out from our visit. We enjoyed meeting you and thought you were polite and sensible. Thank you for being so friendly and helping us find our way around all the classrooms. Please thank your parents too for filling in a form that gave us their views about the school. We are pleased they are happy with the school. It was really lovely listening to your choir singing so beautifully. There are many good things we like about your school and here are some of them

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ We can see you like school, always do your best and enjoy learning.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ It is good to see that you get on well with each other and with all the teachers that help you with your work and organise lots of clubs and events after school. ■ We know the school takes good care of you and provides you with so many interesting things to do, like going on residential trips and visiting other interesting places. ■ We like the way you are kind and help to look after each other and raise lots of money for charity and this shows us you are really good young people. ■ You behave well and know how to keep fit and healthy and we hope you carry on eating lots of lovely fruit and vegetables every day. While there are so many good things about your school, we think there are a few that could be better. For example

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ We would like your teachers and the governors to work quickly to make the changes that they need to, so that you can do even better in all your subjects. ■ We would like your school to try to be good at everything it does and have asked the teachers to check that what they do is making your school the best ever. ■ We think you could do even better in your work if your teachers made sure your lessons were really good all the time so we have asked them to try and do this. We are sure you will carry on being happy, making great friends and having fun learning. We wish you all the best possible in the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Glebelands Primary School, 4 °5 October 2006

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