Adderley Primary School

Adderley Primary School Inspection report

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103159 Unique Reference Number Birmingham Local Authority 308235 Inspection number 4 °5 March 2008 Inspection dates David Rzeznik HMI 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 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 561 School The governing body Appropriate authority Kadeer Arif Chair Marleen Douglas Headteacher 23 February 2006 Date of previous school inspection Arden Road School address Birmingham B8 1DZ 01214 641500 Telephone number 01216 851510 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 4 °5 March 2008 Inspection dates 308235 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 one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Adderley is a large school that is located in a multiracial part of Birmingham. The percentage of pupils from minority ethnic groups is very high. Most are of Asian origin, mainly from Pakistani backgrounds. Around 18% are Black African, mainly of Somali heritage, and this proportion is increasing. A small number are White British, of mixed heritage or from other Black or Asian backgrounds. The percentage of pupils whose first language is not English is very high, with a significant proportion that are beginners in English. The number of pupils who leave or join the school during the course of the academic year is much higher than normal. The eligibility for free school meals is well above average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those with statements, is below average. However, the proportion with learning difficulties in each year varies greatly. The turnover of staff is very high, with ten changes of class teachers since

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Description of the school

September 2007. The school has had difficulty recruiting and retaining teachers. The previous headteacher resigned from his post in December 2007. The substantive deputy headteacher has taken over the running of the school as acting headteacher until a new headteacher is appointed. She is supported and mentored by an experienced headteacher from a school nearby. A new chair of governors was appointed at the beginning of the autumn term 2007 and a new second deputy headteacher was appointed in January 2008. The school has gained an Active Mark award and has gained the International School award at advanced level.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Adderley Primary School, 4 °5 March 2008

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Grade: 4

In accordance with section 13(3) of Education act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could be reasonably be expected to perform. The school is therefore given a Notice to Improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to standards and achievement in English, mathematics and science, and the quality of teaching and learning in Years 1 to 6. Adderley Primary has a number of strengths but overall the school's effectiveness is inadequate. Throughout 2005 and up until October 2006, the school was going from strength to strength. Previous staffing instability had been resolved and senior leaders were providing effective leadership. As a result, pupils were getting a good education and were making good progress. However, the school has been through a very difficult period over the past sixteen months.

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Grade: 4

November 2006 onwards saw a period of real difficulty where tensions between top management and governors resulted in a number of teachers resigning, including the headteacher, in December 2007. Severe staffing disruption since autumn 2006 has adversely affected the continuity and coherence of pupils' learning and lowered staff morale. Resources were not always used effectively and efficiently to achieve value for money. When staff left, leaders had difficulty recruiting suitable replacements and pupils' education suffered. Consequently, standards fell, with many pupils making insufficient progress because too much teaching was ineffective. Standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 are extremely low. Pupils' progress in Years 1 to 6 is very uneven and generally not good enough. In Reception (Foundation Stage), effective provision helps children make good progress in all areas of learning. Very good group teaching of those

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Grade: 4

at the early stages of acquiring English ensures pupils' listening and speaking skills are developing well. Pupils' personal and spiritual development is satisfactory. Their moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils say that they enjoy coming to school, as demonstrated by their regular attendance. Their behaviour is good and they have positive attitudes to learning, even when provision does not always meet their needs. The school is a caring place, which means pupils feel safe and secure. The curriculum is satisfactory. In the past year, the school has introduced an International Primary Curriculum (IPC) to teach aesthetic, creative, physical and technological subjects. Because of staffing turbulence, this curriculum was not introduced as well as it might have been and its impact in terms of pupils' learning is limited. Some subjects, for instance, religious education and information and communication technology (ICT) are not

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Grade: 4

covered in sufficient depth and this restricts pupils' learning and the development of their skills. The quality of teaching ranges from very good to unsatisfactory and is inadequate overall. In too many lessons, assessment information is not used effectively to ensure activities are properly matched to pupils' capabilities. Withdrawal groups to support pupils in the early stages of learning English are very effective at encouraging pupils to talk in sentences. Teachers are good at modelling language structures to improve pupils' speaking, vocabulary and grammatical skills. However, such techniques are not used often enough in mainstream classes. Leadership and management are now satisfactory. The acting headteacher has shown resilience, fortitude and determination to keep the school running on a day-to-day basis when confronted with serious personnel and staffing problems. The headteacher and new deputy have quickly

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Grade: 4

4 of 12 Inspection Report: Adderley Primary School, 4 °5 March 2008 established a good working relationship. They have a clear view of the school's main strengths and weaknesses through effective monitoring of teaching and scrutiny of work. The school development plan prioritises the most important areas for action and senior leaders fully understand that inadequate teaching must be quickly eradicated and good quality teachers recruited if the school is to move ahead. The local authority (LA) has ensured an experienced mentor works alongside the new senior management team to help secure the required improvement. The acting headteacher has already made changes to subject leadership to improve its quality. Improvements have been made since the last inspection, such as more effective learning in the Foundation Stage. However, given that standards and teaching quality have declined, improvement is unsatisfactory overall. Nevertheless, recent developments

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Grade: 4

demonstrate that the school has a sound capacity to improve further, for example, in the measures put in place to improve provision in Reception, the teaching of English to beginners, and pupils' behaviour. Recent initiatives, such as encouraging pupils to write at length, are helping them structure their writing more effectively. As a result, standards are beginning to rise. The school has managed to fill all staff vacancies but a number of staff are temporary. Some good appointments have recently been made, and the early signs are that teaching quality is improving and pupils' progress is beginning to accelerate, albeit from a low base. Governors recognise that the retention of staff is not good enough. Governance has been strengthened with the appointment of a new chair of governors, and three new LA governors. The new governors are using their expertise to good effect. For example, the chair of governors

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Grade: 4

knows that some parents do not feel comfortable approaching senior leaders and do not have confidence that their views and suggestions will be taken into account. He has held meetings with parents, with senior staff present, to help bring about the required improvement. Although governors realise that greater support and challenge is required in order to hold the school to account effectively, they do not yet have procedures in place to achieve this.

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Grade: 2

Provision for children in the Reception classes is good. Children work in a stimulating and interesting environment. A good range of relevant and worthwhile activities ensures that all areas of learning are covered effectively. There is a lovely atmosphere in classrooms and adults have formed good relationships with the children. Attainment on entry is very low. Children make good progress because of effective teaching and a curriculum that meets their individual needs well. Good induction arrangements ensure children settle quickly. They are happy, enthusiastic and really enjoy their learning. The caring and sensitive approach to children helps build their self-confidence and self-esteem. As a result, their personal and social skills are developing well. Teachers rightly concentrate on developing communication and language skills and the approaches used are effective. For example, the introduction of new methods to teach letters and sounds and practical mathematics has paid

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Grade: 2

dividends, with children making good progress in both aspects. Assessment procedures are good. Information gained from monitoring is used effectively to plan activities that are closely matched to children's needs and abilities. Leadership and management are good. Staff work well together and there is a real sense of teamwork to achieve targets and goals.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards by accelerating pupils' progress in reading, writing, mathematics and science, and ensure that all other subjects are covered in sufficient depth. 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Adderley Primary School, 4 °5 March 2008 ■ Improve the quality and consistency of teaching by making more effective use of assessment information to ensure work is effectively matched to pupils' capabilities, and ensure staff effectively model language structures to improve pupils' speaking, vocabulary and grammar skills. ■ Improve relationships and communication with parents so that they feel confident to approach senior leaders and trust that their views and suggestions will be taken into account. ■ Ensure governors develop clear procedures for holding the school fully to account and improve the retention of staff and reduce the number of supply staff used to bring about greater continuity in learning and better value for money.

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Grade: 4

Children start school with basic skills that are much lower than normal. Although they make good progress in Reception, most children are working below the levels expected for their age when they start Year 1. Achievement is inadequate and standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 are exceptionally low. The school does not yet meet the minimum government targets set for the end of each phase. The percentage attaining the nationally expected and higher levels in reading, writing, mathematics and science at the end of Years 2 and 6 is far too low. In 2005 and 2006, the oldest pupils made good progress over time. In 2007, standards in Year 6 plummeted and the progress made by the oldest pupils was inadequate in English and significantly lower than expected in science. Pupils' progress in mathematics also dipped but was satisfactory overall. Current performance data shows that the progress made since September

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Grade: 4

2007 in reading, writing and mathematics is not good enough across Years 1 to 6. The oldest pupils' progress in science has also been inadequate. The progress made by those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is similar to their peers. Those at the early stages of acquiring English are making good progress in developing their listening and speaking skills. Whole-school targets are challenging and pupils will have to make good gains in their learning to achieve them.

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Grade: 3

Pupils make a positive contribution by helping to run the summer fair and older pupils regularly help younger ones. Various fundraising events have raised considerable sums for charities and good causes. For example, Year 5 pupils are preparing a cookery book to sell to raise money for a global charity. School council representatives are proud that their peers have elected them, but feel that they cannot make a difference because they meet too infrequently. They have therefore not made the impact that they would have liked. Pupils know what constitutes a healthy lifestyle and say which drugs are good for you and which are harmful. However, some do not adopt a healthy diet as they choose to eat crisps and chocolate at mealtimes. Pupils are aware of the need to adopt safe practices and show a good understanding of 'stranger danger'. They heeded the advice to take extra care. Pupils are developing the necessary personal qualities

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Grade: 3

for adult life. However, their literacy, numeracy and ICT skills are insufficiently developed and this hinders their future success. 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Adderley Primary School, 4 °5 March 2008

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Grade: 4

Leaders know that pupils' progress has been far too inconsistent because of inadequacies in teaching and constant staffing disruptions. There are pockets of good teaching but not enough of it. Where teaching is good, pupils are suitably challenged through engagement in interesting and exciting activities, which they enjoy. In too many lessons, assessment is not used well enough to pitch work at the right level. Where teaching is inadequate, it is because teachers' expectations are too low, and activities are mundane and not fit for purpose. On occasions, teachers spend too long talking to the class and do not give pupils enough time to carry out the planned activities. In general, there is too little modelling of spoken language to develop pupils' vocabulary and grammatical skills. The impact of teaching assistants varies greatly. When they are deployed well, for example, supporting beginners in English, they do a great job, but this is not always

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Grade: 4

the case. Marking is inconsistent and is not always helpful in identifying strengths and areas for development. In nearly all lessons, the quality of relationships is good and pupils behave well and have positive attitudes to learning.

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Grade: 3

There is an appropriate focus on developing pupils' skills in English, mathematics and science. Provision for pupils in the early stages of learning English is very good. The new opportunities for extended writing, especially in Year 6, are helping to accelerate pupils' writing skills. Whilst the IPC curriculum ensures that all National Curriculum subjects are taught, some subjects are not covered in sufficient depth. The school provides a satisfactory programme of drugs and sex education to help pupils stay healthy and safe. The curriculum is suitably enriched with visits to places of interest, such as the local airport and Weston-super-Mare. Visitors to school include African drummers and South American and Asian dancers. These experiences make the curriculum more enjoyable and have a positive impact on pupils' cultural development.

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Grade: 3

Pupils are well cared for. Robust child protection and health and safety procedures are securely in place and understood by all. Staff are alert to pupils' social and emotional needs and sound links are made with external agencies to provide support for vulnerable children. The recently-appointed learning mentors are having a positive impact on improving both attendance and pupils' behaviour. Target setting procedures are sound and pupils know their targets and what must be improved. However, academic support is not fully effective in ensuring pupils make at least satisfactory gains in their learning in Years 1 to 6. 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Adderley Primary School, 4 °5 March 2008

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Grade: 3

Pupils' progress is soundly tracked and information is starting to be used to tackle inadequacies in provision. Challenging targets are being set to raise standards. Teachers are now being held to account for the quality of education provided and the progress made by children each term. Governors ensure the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities. They recognise that a closer eye must be kept on the school and that the new leadership team will require good support and guidance. The move to link up with a local training provider to improve recruitment is a wise one. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Adderley Primary School, 4 °5 March 2008 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Adderley Primary School, 4 °5 March 2008

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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? No Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

4 How well do learners achieve? 4 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 4 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 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 3 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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Adderley Primary School, 4 °5 March 2008

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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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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? Yes Does this school require a notice to improve? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Adderley Primary School, 4 °5 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

6 March 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Adderley Primary School, Birmingham B8 1DZ

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ I would like to thank you for the friendly welcome you gave to inspectors when they visited your school recently. We enjoyed talking with you, observing your lessons and looking at your work. We decided that your school needed to improve in some important areas so you are better taught, make faster progress and achieve higher standards. We liked these things about your school ■ Children in the Reception classes are making good progress. Those who are beginners in English have settled in well and their listening and speaking skills are developing well. ■ You get on well with each other and with your teachers.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave well and it was pleasing to hear that you have raised a lot of money for charities and good causes. ■ You say that you enjoy school and most of you attend school regularly.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You feel safe at school and are well looked after. It was good to hear that you know not to talk to strangers as somebody nearly went missing recently. ■ Your acting headteacher, new deputy headteacher and governors are working hard to make life even better for you and your parents.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ We have asked the acting headteacher and governors to improve four things

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ We want you to improve your reading, writing, mathematical and scientific skills and to learn lots of new things in other subjects too. ■ We want you to be well taught and for teachers to use information on your progress so you are given work that is just right. ■ We want the school to be very welcoming to your parents, so they enjoy coming to speak to staff, understand what is going on and how they can help to improve school life. ■ We have asked the governors to get even better at checking how well the school is doing and ensure that good teachers join the school and that they stay. An inspector will come back to your school in around six months time to see what progress has been made. Best wishes David Rzeznik Her Majesty's Inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Adderley Primary School, 4 °5 March 2008

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Annex B

Inspection of Adderley Primary School, Birmingham B8 1DZ

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Annex B

I would like to thank you for the friendly welcome you gave to inspectors when they visited your school recently. We enjoyed talking with you, observing your lessons and looking at your work. We decided that your school needed to improve in some important areas so you are better taught, make faster progress and achieve higher standards. We liked these things about your school • Children in the Reception classes are making good progress. Those who are beginners in English have settled in well and their listening and speaking skills are developing well. • You get on well with each other and with your teachers. • You behave well and it was pleasing to hear that you have raised a lot of money for charities and good causes. • You say that you enjoy school and most of you attend school regularly. • You feel safe at school and are well looked after. It was good to hear that you know not to talk to strangers as somebody nearly went missing recently.

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Annex B

• Your acting headteacher, new deputy headteacher and governors are working hard to make life even better for you and your parents.

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Annex B

We have asked the acting headteacher and governors to improve four things • We want you to improve your reading, writing, mathematical and scientific skills and to learn lots of new things in other subjects too. • We want you to be well taught and for teachers to use information on your progress so you are given work that is just right. • We want the school to be very welcoming to your parents, so they enjoy coming to speak to staff, understand what is going on and how they can help to improve school life. • We have asked the governors to get even better at checking how well the school is doing and ensure that good teachers join the school and that they stay.

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Annex B

An inspector will come back to your school in around six months time to see what progress has been made.

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