Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery

Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery Inspection report

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134685 Unique Reference Number HERTFORDSHIRE Local Authority 294149 Inspection number 12 °13 March 2007 Inspection dates David Wynford-Jones 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 258 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Pat Lees Chair Mrs G.M. Leonard Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection The Brow School address Watford Hertfordshire WD25 7NX

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01923 678240 Telephone number 01923 678256 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 12 °13 March 2007 Inspection dates 294149 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 an average size school. It was opened in September 2005 following the closure of the Alban Wood Infant and Alban Wood Junior schools. Attainment on entry is below that of children aged 3. The school serves a diverse population. The socio-economic circumstances are very varied but average overall. Approximately one third of the pupils are identified as having learning difficulties. This is above the national average. The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage. There are few pupils from ethnic minority groups but three are at the early stages of learning English. The school offers before and after school care.

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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: Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery, 12 °13 March 2007

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school and provides sound value for money. The committed leadership of the headteacher has resulted in the successful opening of the school and the identification of a clear plan for its development. There is a good team spirit and the determination to do well. One parent wrote, 'I think it's a lovely school, although I was concerned when it first merged, it has turned out to be for the best.' Many pupils, in all year groups, started the new school with below average standards. Standards are now broadly average and are rising because the quality of teaching throughout the school is improving and pupils have a good attitude to learning. Overall, teaching, achievement and standards are satisfactory. Provision for children in the Nursery and the Reception class is good. They achieve well and many meet the expected levels in knowledge, skills and understanding by the end of the Foundation Stage. Whilst there is evidence of good teaching in Years 1 - 6,

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Grade: 3

this is not consistently the case in all classes. Strengths in the quality of teaching include good relationships, good subject knowledge and good use of questioning but, in too many lessons, pupils are unclear about the purpose of their work, targets are imprecise and they are given insufficient guidance on how to make better progress. Standards by the end of Year 6 are broadly average overall but are not high enough in writing and mathematics. Pupils with learning difficulties and those who speak English as an additional language make satisfactory progress in relation to their targets because they receive good support. Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good because the school's leadership places a high priority on this area. Pupils make a positive contribution to their own school community through the school council, and to the wider

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Grade: 3

community through raising money for charity. One pupil said, 'It makes you feel important'. Most pupils are well-behaved and enjoy school. Attendance is satisfactory. Skills to equip pupils for their future lives are being developed appropriately. Pupils are well cared for and all required child protection procedures are in place. Many pupils attend the good quality before and after school provision. This contributes significantly to their personal development and well-being. However, care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall because assessment procedures are insufficiently well developed and pupils do not get enough guidance on improving their work. The curriculum is satisfactory. It is well structured but is not sufficiently well designed to allow all pupils to achieve as well as they could, particularly in writing and mathematics. The curriculum encourages the majority of pupils to live a safe and healthy lifestyle well. Extra-curricular activities and visits are good and contribute

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Grade: 3

much to pupils' enjoyment of learning. The school's capacity for improvement is satisfactory. Subject leaders and senior managers are developing their roles in monitoring and evaluating the work of the school, but their work has not yet had a full impact on standards and achievement. Areas for improvements have been correctly identified but the school's own evaluations tend to be generous because there is a lack of rigour in analysing assessment information and the quality of teaching and learning. The school development plan lacks clear targets for success. Governors are supportive of the school and have established effective committee structures to oversee its development but governors do not provide enough well informed challenge to the school's leadership or exert sufficient direction over its programme for improvement. Overall, leadership and management are sound. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery, 12 °13 March 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

• Clarify pupils' targets and improve the quality of teachers' marking so that pupils are clear about what they have to do to improve. • Undertake a more rigorous approach to monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and learning and the standards that pupils achieve. • Make better use of the information gained from tracking pupils' progress to help raise standards, particularly in writing and mathematics. • Ensure the criteria for measuring the school's progress are clear.

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Grade: 3

By the end of the Foundation Stage, many children attain the nationally expected levels. They do particularly well in developing their social and emotional skills. In the 2006 national assessments, standards in Year 2 were below average in reading and writing and well below in mathematics. Standards in Year 6 were above average in reading but below in writing. Overall, they were broadly average in English, mathematics and science. Girls did not attain the same level as girls nationally but, like the boys, made satisfactory progress from the end of Year 2. Improvements to the quality of teaching and the curriculum are beginning to quicken pupils' progress so that in the current Year 2, standards in mathematics and reading are much nearer national expectations. Standards in writing remain comparatively weak. Standards in Year 6 are similar to those reflected in the results in 2006. The performance of pupils from minority ethnic

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Grade: 2

Pupils develop good relationships with each other and work and play together well. Older pupils care for those that are younger by acting as 'playleaders' or reading books to them. Pupils have a good understanding of how to adopt a healthy lifestyle through regular exercise and eating a balanced diet. Many are keen to take up opportunities to raise their fitness levels by attending after school clubs and they know the importance of keeping themselves safe. They know bullying is wrong and understand what to do if they see, or experience, unacceptable behaviour. Pupils contribute to the school community through the school council where views are sought and changes made. They also make good contributions to the wider community by raising funds for charities and representing the school in sporting and musical events. Pupils' good social skills and satisfactory progress make a sound contribution to their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Most enjoy school but attendance is only satisfactory because a few families do not get their children to school regularly and on time, despite much encouragement by staff.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning have improved over the last year and there are now more good lessons. Good features include the effective relationships between staff and pupils which are used to create a good atmosphere in which pupils enjoy learning. The skills of teaching assistants are used well so that their good support enhances pupils' involvement in their learning and 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery, 12 °13 March 2007 encourages better progress. Usually, a good range of teaching methods and learning resources are used, including interactive whiteboards. In most lessons, teachers' good use of questioning develops pupils' thinking and helps teachers assess their understanding. Teaching is only satisfactory overall, however, because staff make insufficient use of the information they gain from assessing pupils' work to set activities with clear, focussed objectives. Pupils' targets are

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Grade: 3

sometimes too broad and they are not given enough support to know how to achieve them. Teachers' marking rarely makes reference to their targets or clearly identifies what pupils need to do next to improve.

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Grade: 3

The school provides its pupils with a programme for learning that is broad, balanced and gives suitable emphasis to different subjects and the development of skills. Appropriate emphasis is now being placed on developing basic skills in literacy and numeracy but this has not yet resulted in significant improvements in standards. Information and communication technology (ICT) and music have a high profile within the school and contribute significantly to pupils' learning and their spiritual and cultural development. The programme for extending pupils' personal, social and health education is good. In the Foundation Stage there is a strong focus on children's personal development which lays a good foundation for future learning. The curriculum is enhanced effectively by the good range of well-attended before and after school clubs. There are also many trips to places of interest, including a residential experience for Year 6 pupils.

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Grade: 3

Several visitors are invited into the school to broaden the pupils' views of community issues. This is rightly to be extended to enhance their understanding of multicultural issues.

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Grade: 3

There are secure arrangements for child protection. Risk assessments are carried out thoroughly, and all staff are made aware of their responsibility to ensure high levels of health and safety. There are good strategies for dealing with any instances of inappropriate behaviour. Staff know the pupils well and the school has begun to develop a system to check on how much progress pupils make in English and mathematics. However, pupils receive insufficient guidance on exactly what they should do to reach the next stages in their learning. Children who find learning hard are well cared for and generally achieve as well as they should because an able team of teaching assistants works closely with the special needs co-ordinator and class teachers. Good partnerships with external agencies also help to ensure that these pupils make sound progress. Most parents feel that the school consults them and acts upon their views. Regular opportunities

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Grade: 3

are provided for them to meet the staff and to receive newsletters and progress reports.

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Grade: 3

Senior leaders have created a strong team and have gained the commitment of all staff to providing pupils with a good education. This is already leading to improvements in teaching, the curriculum, provision for extra-curricular activities, including educational visits, and the breakfast club. The impact is also beginning to be seen in the better progress pupils are making and in their attitude to school. Subject leaders are developing their roles satisfactorily. They are starting to monitor the quality of provision in their subjects and contribute to the 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery, 12 °13 March 2007 development of the school. The school has correctly identified the main areas for improvement and these have been included in the detailed school development plan. However, the criteria by which the school currently evaluates its progress are imprecise and insufficient use is made

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Grade: 3

of assessment information. Governors have rightly focused on the opening and establishing of the new school. They have set reasonably challenging statutory targets but they have not challenged the school sufficiently about the progress pupils make and the standards they achieve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery, 12 °13 March 2007 .

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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: Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery, 12 °13 March 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 NA 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?

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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery, 12 °13 March 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery, 12 °13 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 March 2007 Dear Pupils, Alban Wood Primary and Nursery School, The Brow Watford. Hertfordshire WD25 7NX. Thank you very much for making us so welcome when we visited your school. Looking at your books and talking to you about your work and your school helped us a lot in coming to our inspection findings. We think you are very lucky to have such a nice school to go to, especially with the opportunities to attend the breakfast and the after school clubs. We were very pleased to hear that you like coming to school and enjoy the different activities. We enjoyed listening to you playing the Samba drums and the other instruments. We think your school has done a lot in the short time it has been open and is giving you a satisfactory quality of education. A lot of time has been spent in setting up the new school, developing your playground and ensuring you have lots of play and learning equipment. Your teachers are working hard to make certain you are safe and help you make progress. We can

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

see improvements in your work already. The biggest improvement has been made in your personal development. The way in which you all have got together in your new school is really good, especially the way in which the older pupils help the younger ones. Your behaviour is good and you are developing a good understanding of healthy living and staying safe. Well done. We think, however, that you could reach even higher standards especially in writing and mathematics. We have asked your teachers to make certain you are clear about your targets and you know what you need to do next to improve. When they watch each other teach and look at your work, we have asked them to be really strict and ask 'Are the teaching and your work good enough and what would make it better?' We have also asked that the information your teachers have on your standards and progress is used more effectively to help the school set clear targets for its improvement.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Once again, thank you for making our visit enjoyable. Best wishes to all the pupils at Alban Wood Primary and Nursery School. David Wynford Jones Lead inspector. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Alban Wood Primary School and Nursery, 12 °13 March 2007

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