Frederick Bird Primary School

Inspection Report Frederick Bird Primary School

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103695 Unique Reference Number Coventry Local Authority 298753 Inspection number 14 °15 December 2006 Inspection dates Marion Wallace 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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Swan Lane School address Primary Type of school Coventry Community School category CV2 4QQ 3 °11 Age range of pupils 024 76221920 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 024 76228026 Fax number 629 Number on roll (school) Steven Greenall Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Christine Lockwood Headteacher 28 June 2004 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 298753 14 °15 December 2006 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 four Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Frederick Bird is a very large primary school. It is situated in a disadvantaged inner city community. The main ethnic groups of pupils within the school are White British, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Black African. A high percentage of pupils speak English as an additional language and many enter the school not speaking English. The school caters for an increasing number of pupils who are refugees from Somalia and migrant workers from countries within the European Union. These include families from Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. There are 46 different languages spoken; this represents just under two thirds of the school. Just under a half of the pupils are entitled to free school meals and over a quarter of pupils have learning difficulties and disabilities. The number of pupils with statements of special educational need is below the national average. Attainment on entry to the Nursery is very low. A high percentage

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Description of the school

of pupils enter or leave the school at different times of the school year.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Frederick Bird Primary School, 14 °15 December 2006

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Grade: 2

This was an underachieving school which has come out of a category. It is now good school with some outstanding features, such as the leadership of the headteacher. The school provides a calm and secure environment. It works well to ensure that its pupils, who come from a wide range of backgrounds and who have a wide range of learning needs, are successful. All are respected and valued and consequently pupils feel safe and they have a positive attitude to their work. They all enjoy the activities offered because this is a very caring community. Pupils are challenged to do their best. This view is supported by parents and pupils. The school has successfully overcome many barriers to raising standards and demonstrates good capacity to improve further. This is because there is good leadership and management and outstanding leadership of the headteacher which are helping it to improve at a good rate. Leaders identify a clear direction and the outstanding quality

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Grade: 2

of the day to day care helps pupils meet their targets. High quality monitoring ensures pupils stay on track. For example, the 2006 national test results showed the school to be meeting its challenging targets for improving standards and pupils' achievement. Good teaching results in pupils achieving well and reaching the expected levels by the time they leave Year 6. Teaching is satisfactory in the Foundation Stage, with some good features. Although the children make steady progress most of them attain well below the expected levels by the time they enter Year 1. On a few occasions in Reception, children are not always challenged enough when they select their own activities. Although outdoor play provision in the Foundation Stage has improved some aspects of it are not as good as the rest of the school. Attendance of Foundation Stage children is unsatisfactory. By the end of Year 2, standards are below average,

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Grade: 2

and they are broadly in line by the time pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6. Effective support for pupils who join the school during term time ensures they are quickly integrated and make good progress. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and those who speak very little English also make good progress because of the additional support they receive. Preparation for future economic well-being is good, and pupils learn to become responsible members of the community. However, they are not sufficiently involved in the process of checking their own progress. The curriculum is good because it is carefully adapted to the particular needs of the pupils. The quality of the care, guidance and support the school provides is good and day to day care is outstanding because relationships are very strong. Pupils' personal development is good. Pupils have a good understanding about how to keep themselves

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Grade: 2

fit and healthy. Learning mentors make a significant contribution to personal development. Pupils know they are always available to help them sort out any problems.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Strengthen provision in the Foundation Stage by developing the outdoor area and encourage better attendance. 2 Inspection Report: Frederick Bird Primary School, 14 °15 December 2006 • Now that pupils know their learning targets very well, provide more opportunities for them to assess the quality of their own work so that they can recognise the steps needed to reach those targets.

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Grade: 2

In 2006, Year 6 pupils made exceptional progress from their starting point in Year 2. In the Year 6 national tests, results in 2005 were well below average. However, in 2006, the results improved markedly. From very low starting points on entry to school pupils reached average standards in English and mathematics and broadly average standards in science. Progress is good in Years 1 and 2. In the 2005 tests at the end of Year 2, standards were well below average. In 2006, the results improved to below average. Reading remained well below but writing and mathematics improved from well below to below average. Children achieve soundly in the Foundation Stage making satisfactory gains in their learning. Although standards are well below the expected levels by the time they start Year 1, a small minority of children meet or exceed the expected levels. Standards are especially low in communication, language and literacy on entry to Year 1 because a

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Grade: 2

high percentage of children have very limited English speaking skills.

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Grade: 2

The calm, supportive but challenging ethos of the school promotes pupils' good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school celebrates cultural diversity well, for example by ensuring the different religious festivals of the pupils are celebrated. Children settle well in the Foundation Stage; they work and play well together. Older pupils confidently express their opinions. Teachers have high expectations of behaviour and attitudes and consequently pupils behave well, are polite and helpful. Good efforts by the school ensure that attendance is steadily improving. It is now good for Years 5 and 6. However, the school correctly identifies that more needs to be done to improve the unsatisfactory attendance of children in the Foundation Stage. Pupils make good contributions to the local and wider community, for example by raising money for charities. Members of the school council take their responsibilities

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Grade: 2

seriously and they are pro-active in reflecting and acting upon pupils' views. Pupils have a good knowledge about how to keep themselves safe. They learn to recognise and deal with bullying and say …. 'We do not have much bullying now, we know who to tell …. teachers always deal with it quickly'. Pupils have a good understanding about how to stay healthy and they are proud of their 'healthy tuck shop'. Many lunch boxes, however, do not contain a healthy food balance. They benefit from clubs such 3 Inspection Report: Frederick Bird Primary School, 14 °15 December 2006 as steel pans and the many trips such as the residential trip to Wales. These things help pupils develop good social skills.

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Grade: 2

Nearly all lessons provide a good level of challenge for all pupils. Planning is good and lessons have a clear focus. A strength across the school is the contribution made to pupils' learning by teaching assistants. They are very well deployed and work effectively with pupils who have limited English language skills. As a result, these pupils make good progress. Electronic whiteboards are used well to engage pupils' attention and to consolidate learning. Many activities are interesting and pupils think that learning is fun. Lessons are adapted well to ensure that new or key vocabulary is explained, particularly for those pupils with limited English. In a few lessons pupils find it difficult to concentrate because explanations are not clear enough. Although teachers' questioning skills are generally good, on a few occasions teachers do not give pupils enough time to respond and think about ideas being presented to them.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is planned well and evaluated carefully and consequently pupils enjoy their work. In Years 1 to 6 opportunities for improving literacy and numeracy skills are planned for systematically and this contributes to the good gains pupils make in their learning. Pupils' information and communication technology (ICT) skills are used well to support learning in all subjects. In the Foundation Stage it is matched appropriately to children's needs but the lack of a wide range of resources for the outdoor area limits provision. There is good provision for pupils' personal development and visits are used very well to enhance learning; for example, the Young Shakespeare Company visited the school and this experience was used well in lessons. Good use is made of the local environment and there are well established links with the community to boost pupils' learning.

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Grade: 2

Very strong relationships exist throughout the school ensuring pupils receive outstanding day to day care. For example, the school provides transport for pupils to attend after school clubs where there are difficulties because their parents are working. The school is vigilant about ensuring pupils' safety and security. Effective arrangements are in place for safeguarding all groups of pupils and the quality of care for vulnerable pupils is good. In the Foundation Stage good induction procedures ensure that pupils settle quickly. Pastoral and academic support and guidance are very well led by staff. 4 Inspection Report: Frederick Bird Primary School, 14 °15 December 2006 Support for academic development is good. Pupils are set challenging class and individual targets and they know their targets very well. There are not enough opportunities, however, for pupils to assess the quality of their own work to enable

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Grade: 2

them to recognise the steps needed to reach those targets. Pupils who have English as an additional language, many of whom join different year groups at various times of the year, receive outstanding support and, consequently, they are very well integrated into the school and they achieve well.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher is well supported by the highly effective deputy headteacher and is an excellent role model. She has outstanding interpersonal skills and utilises staff strengths well in the drive for improved achievement and standards. The headteacher has created a very effective team which shares a common purpose. Good quality training has ensured that the school's self-evaluation is robust and accurate. Effective improvements have been made in all areas identified in the previous report. Parents are very satisfied with all aspects of the school's work. Middle managers are clear about their responsibilities in raising achievement and effectively evaluate their work. However, the transition from the Foundation Stage to Year 1 is less well developed and the school rightly recognises this as being a priority area for development. Class teachers understand areas that need to be improved and all have common approaches to managing pupils and tracking their progress. English,

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Grade: 2

mathematics and science are well coordinated by members of the senior management team who use their experience and expertise very effectively to raise standards in these subjects. The senior management team ensure new staff receive a very good induction to the school. The appointment of staff has significantly improved the quality of care and teaching within the school. The governors contribute well to the self-evaluation and have a clear understanding of how well the pupils are progressing. They challenge the leadership team effectively and also provide good support. 5 Inspection Report: Frederick Bird Primary School, 14 °15 December 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: Frederick Bird Primary School, 14 °15 December 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? 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

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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. 7 Inspection Report: Frederick Bird Primary School, 14 °15 December 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: Frederick Bird Primary School, 14 °15 December 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for welcoming us into your school. We enjoyed talking to you and your teachers, coming to your assembly and visiting your lessons. Frederick Bird is a good school with some outstanding features. These are the things we liked most about your school. • Your teachers work hard to make lessons interesting and to help you make good progress. • You are all treated equally and valued for what you can do. • You are cared for very well by all adults who work in the school. • You learn to work and respect each other well and you all feel safe. • You enjoy school and the activities, including the trips and visits to places like the Herbert Museum. • Your headteacher leads the school very well and your teachers help you realise the importance of leading a healthy lifestyle and being part of the school community. • To make things even better we have asked the school to: • ensure you all learn to become more involved in checking how well you are progressing

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

with your work • improve the outdoor play area for the Foundation Stage • improve the attendance of children in the Foundation Stage. 9 Inspection Report: Frederick Bird Primary School, 14 °15 December 2006

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