Anglesey Primary School

Inspection Report Anglesey Primary School

p.1

132074 Unique Reference Number Birmingham Local Authority 293936 Inspection number 17 °18 January 2007 Inspection dates Nigel (Nick) Pett Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Anglesey Street School address Primary Type of school Birmingham Community School category B19 1RA 3 °11 Age range of pupils 0121 4644388 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0121 4644074 Fax number 714 Number on roll (school) Mohammed Afzel Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Sue Hughes Headteacher 13 January 2003 Date of previous school inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 293936 17 °18 January 2007 3°11 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by four Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

This is a very large primary school serving an inner city area. Around 90% of the pupils are from Asian backgrounds and most of the others are from Black communities. In the region of 95% speak a home language other than English and nearly all of these enter school with a limited command of English. The percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals is much higher than average. The proportion of pupils who move in and out of the school is higher than usual. The infant and junior sections are located on two adjacent sites separated by a busy road.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Anglesey Primary School, 17 °18 January 2007

p.3

Grade: 2

This is a good school which is particularly effective in helping its pupils to develop their command of English and their learning skills. Pupils' achievement is good during their time in the school. Children enter the Nursery with skills which are well below expectations for their age. They get off to a flying start, making outstanding, all round progress in the Nursery. Learning slows in the Reception and Key Stage 1 classes but is satisfactory and, where work is well matched to the pupils' needs, progress is good although many pupils are still having significant difficulties in their use of English. As a result, standards remain below average during these years. As they move through Years 3 to 6 their command of English improves rapidly and progress accelerates, so that by age 11 standards are average. The pupils' achievement in these later years is exceptionally high, placing the school in the top 10% of all schools for achievement

p.4

Grade: 2

in Key Stage 2 in each of the past four years. The rate of achievement shows how well the school supports the many different groups of pupils and ensures that their personal development is good. Pupils enjoy school a great deal and feel secure, as it is orderly and adults and pupils show respect for each other. Relationships are very good. In the Foundation Stage, children share and play together very well. Older pupils behave well and all pupils are proud of their school and their achievements. However, attendance is no more than satisfactory because of the extent of the holidays taken in term time. Teaching is good. Staff generally plan carefully to meet the pupils' diverse needs, although this is not as strong in some of the classes in Reception and Years 1 and 2. Good use is made of various methods to track pupils' progress but in a small minority of classes the information is not always well used to plan work and to set pupils

p.4

Grade: 2

effective targets to show them how they can improve. Pupils' learning benefits from the good curriculum and the many opportunities to develop their language skills, especially in Key Stage 2. Pupils understand how to be healthy and develop good skills for the next stage of their education. Care, guidance and support are good and exceptional in the way that the staff help pupils in coping with any personal difficulties they have. Good use is made of many support agencies and links with parents and carers are satisfactory. The work of the school is very much appreciated by parents and carers, who are enthusiastic about how it helps their children to grow and mature. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher is a very effective leader and she is very well supported by the staff, who work exceptionally well as a team, coping with the split site very well. Aspects of the school's work and life, such as teaching,

p.4

Grade: 2

attendance and improvement plans, are thoroughly checked by senior leaders. However, not all staff are involved fully enough in monitoring the quality of teaching to give it the extra impetus that will enable it to meet all pupils' needs consistently. There is good capacity to improve the school further as the school evaluates itself accurately.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Improve learning in Reception and Years 1 and 2 in a minority of classes by making sure the work is well matched to the pupils' needs. 2 Inspection Report: Anglesey Primary School, 17 °18 January 2007 • Improve the way that assessment is used in planning lessons and setting pupils clear targets to help them understand how they can improve their work. • Improve attendance by strengthening links with parents and carers.

p.4

Grade: 2

From well below starting points, the school does well to address the learning needs of its pupils and since the last inspection has raised the standards by the end of Year 6 so that they are now in line with the National average. Pupils make good overall progress during their time in the school, with outstanding progress in the Nursery and Key Stage 2. The 2006 national test targets were very challenging but were exceeded. After the excellent start in the Nursery, the pupils make sound progress in Reception and Key Stage 1 but their progress between classes is uneven in these years. In a few of them the pupils struggle to overcome their language difficulties partly because of many new pupils who have little grounding in English, and work is not always well suited to build on their previous learning. This slows the pupils' progress. As pupils gain better command of English during Years 3 to 6, their progress increases rapidly.

p.5

Grade: 2

The great majority of pupils have to learn English from scratch on their entry to the school but they make good progress. This is also true for those with learning difficulties and disabilities and the many pupils who join the school at various times of the year. Boys and girls do equally well by Year 6 but there is a wider gap at the end of Year 2, where girls do better than boys.

p.5

Grade: 2

Children make very good progress in their personal development in the Foundation Stage, as they learn to work together and share their ideas and resources. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 have very good attitudes and behaviour. They respond very well to their interesting lessons and most work hard. Classrooms are productive and learning is fun, leading to good relationships with all adults. Pupils are sensible and caring towards each other, and totally enjoy their learning. Attendance is satisfactory, although a significant minority of pupils have unsatisfactory attendance caused by extended holidays. Pupils understand the difference between right and wrong. Although some can be boisterous, the pupils do not feel that there is bullying or racist behaviour. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, and they respect faiths and traditions other than their own, playing easily together. The pupils contribute well

p.5

Grade: 2

to the community. The members of the school council take their responsibilities seriously and have a very good input to discussions about school life. More widely, pupils take advantage of opportunities to play their part in school activities and in the wider community. Pupils have a good understanding of how to lead healthy and active lifestyles. They know how to be safe and they seek advice from adults confidently. Pupils are proud of their achievements and are developing good social skills and 3 Inspection Report: Anglesey Primary School, 17 °18 January 2007 competences in literacy, numeracy and computing to support their future economic well-being. They are all proud of their school.

p.5

Grade: 2

Teaching is good and in the Nursery it is outstanding. It is also strong for older pupils. Work is not always well matched to pupils' needs in some Reception and Key Stage 1 classes. In a minority of lessons, the work is set in too much of the same style and pupils are not stretched enough to make the best progress. Older pupils make very good strides because the work is generally well structured and challenges all groups of pupils well. Teaching puts good emphasis on written and spoken English, helping pupils to improve their learning. Teachers and their assistants generally check pupils' understanding well by getting them to explain the meaning of words and by making pupils try hard to use their language well as they answer questions in all subjects. They make the learning interesting by using everyday examples and making the activities fun. Pupils like their teachers and say, 'They help us learn.' This effective teamwork

p.6

Grade: 2

means that individual support and group work provide good learning opportunities. This partnership is well used to keep pupils concentrating on their work by giving them additional tasks or challenging them to think for themselves. Interactive whiteboards are used very well to involve pupils in the learning activities and pupils make good use of computers in their lessons.

p.6

Grade: 2

The Foundation Stage curriculum is good. A wide range of interesting activities helps the children learn well, and better use is now made of the outdoor learning area. The curriculum in Years 1 to 6 has improved, giving pupils good opportunities to learn across all subjects and to gain good basic skills in literacy, numeracy and computing. The curriculum is planned very effectively to help pupils gain a command of English, with many opportunities to develop their speech and writing. Work is set in a series of themes which concentrate on everyday experiences and draw well on the backgrounds of all pupils, and these are generally well checked to make sure that they are meeting pupils' needs. Pupils' learning benefits from a good range of visitors and visits. The after school activities are satisfactory as they are limited by local circumstances and concerns. The personal, social and health programmes give pupils

p.6

Grade: 2

very good awareness of how to have healthy lifestyles and to be safe.

p.6

Grade: 2

The everyday care for the pupils' welfare is outstanding, making them feel happy and safe in school. Pupils have confidence in the staff and can express their concerns. Any 4 Inspection Report: Anglesey Primary School, 17 °18 January 2007 worries they have are dealt with quickly. Procedures for ensuring pupils' safety are good, including programmes to ensure that they are aware of the dangers in the wider community. Very good links exist with many agencies to support pupils and their families. The school works hard to monitor and improve pupils' attendance but not all parents and carers are responding well enough to make sure their children attend regularly. The management of behaviour is very good. The way that pupils' progress is checked has improved, although it is not yet consistent enough. Teachers' marking is generally good and helps pupils understand how they can improve their work but targets are not always used well enough. Pupils with behaviour and learning difficulties

p.6

Grade: 2

and those who are at an early stage of learning English are well supported. There is good support for pupils before they move to secondary school.

p.7

Grade: 2

The headteacher gives very clear direction and since the last inspection there has been very good improvement in the pupils' progress. During her recent support for another school, the deputy headteachers have maintained the good quality of education well on both sites. The senior leadership team and the staff work very well together and there is good capacity to improve the school further. The school development plan is good, with clear methods to measure its effect. The monitoring of teaching and learning and other areas of the school's work is effective so that all pupils have equal opportunities to succeed. Links with agencies and other schools are very good and links with parents and carers are satisfactory, although there is a good response to learning workshops about the curriculum. Governance is satisfactory, and governors are developing their skills in the way that they challenge the school.

p.7

Grade: 2

5 Inspection Report: Anglesey Primary School, 17 °18 January 2007 .

p.7

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: Anglesey Primary School, 17 °18 January 2007

p.8

Inspection judgements

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

p.9

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

p.9

Achievement and standards

2 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 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 3 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

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

p.9

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: Anglesey Primary School, 17 °18 January 2007

p.9

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: Anglesey Primary School, 17 °18 January 2007

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming us when we came to inspect your school, and talking with us about what you do there. We found that it is a good school, which helps you to learn well. Your school has been in the top 10% of schools in England for the past four years for the progress made by pupils in Key Stage 2. We are very pleased that those of you in Year 6 are also learning very well. The best features of your school are: • You all enjoy school and feel safe there, and your behaviour is mostly good. • You are generally well taught and learn well and treat your teachers with respect. • You enjoy the many good activities in subjects and in the clubs and visits that take place. • You are given very good support when you have personal problems. • Your headteacher and staff work very well together to make your school a good school. These are the things we have asked your school to do to make it better: • Help some of you to learn even better by making sure that in a small number of classes the

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

work is better matched to what you need to learn next. • Help some teachers to make clearer to you how you can improve your work. • Help some of you and your parents and carers to improve your attendance so that you learn as well as you can. Thank you again for being friendly and courteous. We hope that you will all continue to work with your teachers to make sure that your school, which you are proud of, continues to be the good school that helps you to grow up and gives you a really good start in life. 9 Inspection Report: Anglesey Primary School, 17 °18 January 2007

p.11