Ward End Primary School

Ward End Primary School Inspection report

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103217 Unique Reference Number Birmingham Local Authority 308254 Inspection number 29 April 2008 Inspection date David Carrington 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 472 School The governing body Appropriate authority Kalsom Khan Chair Suzanne Rose Headteacher 9 February 2004 Date of previous school inspection Ingleton Road School address Birmingham B8 2RA 01214 645424 Telephone number 01214 648988 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 29 April 2008 Inspection date 308254 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 Additional Inspector. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: improvement to the achievement of pupils, the quality of provision in the Foundation Stage and the effectiveness of provision for gifted and talented pupils. Evidence was gathered from published assessment data, the school’s own records, parents’ questionnaires, lesson observations and interviews with staff, governors and pupils. Other aspects of the school’s work were not investigated in detail, but the inspector found no evidence to suggest that the school’s own assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

Most pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, particularly Pakistani, at this large primary school. Almost two thirds of the pupils speak English as an additional language and many have no English when they start school. Children's attainment is low when they begin the Nursery. Many families in the area experience social and economic hardship and an above average proportion of pupils do not complete their full primary education at the school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Ward End Primary School, 29 April 2008

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Grade: 2

Ward End Primary is a good school. The pupils enjoy school greatly, they work hard and their achievement is good. Standards are rising and are a little above average at the end of Year 6. Children's starting levels in Nursery are particularly low in language and literacy, and their personal and emotional development, which means they have a lot of ground to make up in their first few years in school. Although around a third of the children do not reach the expected levels for their age by the time they join Year 1, they make good progress in the Foundation Stage. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 also progress well. Progress in mathematics is a little slower than in English, but senior leaders are working effectively to raise achievement in mathematics. A start has been made to provide greater opportunities for gifted and talented pupils to maximise their skills, although there are inconsistencies in the challenge provided for them.

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Grade: 2

Over a half of all parents shared their views of the school with the inspector. All but a handful were full of praise for the quality of education provided and the way the school nurtures their children to become pleasant , cheerful and kind people. Pupils from all ethnic backgrounds work very harmoniously together, helping and encouraging each other to do well. They have a good understanding of the school and wider community and are thoughtful of the needs of others. Behaviour is excellent and learning is calm and purposeful. The pupils have good knowledge of healthy and safe lifestyles and try hard to follow the guidance given. Pupils are prepared securely for the next stage in their education because, along with their rising standards, they work well together in teams, accept responsibility willingly and show considerable independence. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good.

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Grade: 2

The school works well with parents, other schools and a wide range of local support agencies. Attendance levels are rising because most parents want their children to benefit fully from the good education at the school. Care, guidance and support are all good. Pupils are safeguarded thoroughly, with careful systems to check staff and provide effective child protection procedures. Guidance to help pupils do well in their work is well focused on their individual targets and, for example, enables pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to make good progress. Pupils who join the school part-way through their primary education settle without delay and make good progress because they are guided well. The marking of pupils' work is regular and there are detailed comments, although they do not always focus on the steps that must be taken to reach the next level. Staff are working actively to improve this aspect of marking.

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Grade: 2

The pupils profit from the good quality of teaching. Lessons are fun and learning is usually practical and hands-on. Teachers bring the work to life, frequently by the effective use of the interactive whiteboards. Good opportunities are provided for pupils to talk to each other about their learning, which is helping to improve their speaking and listening skills. Support for pupils with little English is very good. Pupils benefit from the bilingual support provided by teaching assistants and parent volunteers. Non-English speaking pupils quickly become fluent in their new language. Their progress is good. The curriculum is interesting and motivating. Staff are working to improve the use of information and communication technology to develop pupils' basic skills in literacy and numeracy. There is a good programme of out of school activities, which the pupils recognise. They are especially keen to take part in the sports clubs and the

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Grade: 2

residential trip for Years 5 and 6. The successes of the school are due to good leadership and management. There is a particularly firm focus on improvement and outstanding educational direction, which is shared by all staff 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Ward End Primary School, 29 April 2008 and the governors. The headteacher is unswerving in her dedication to raising standards. She leads the school most capably. Senior leaders have a very realistic view of the effectiveness of the school's work because monitoring and evaluation systems are sharply focused on how well pupils are meeting the challenging targets that are set. The work of subject leaders is effective although they are less involved in checking the quality of provision than they might be. Governors also know how well the school is doing. They ask testing questions to check it is successful in helping the pupils to achieve well. There has been steady improvement over recent

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Grade: 2

years and the school has good capacity to continue this into the future. Effectiveness of the Foundation Stage Grade: 2 The Foundation Stage is led and managed well. This has resulted in good improvement to provision, especially in the use of the indoor and outdoor space. This space is used to provide many opportunities for pupils to investigate and play independently and to work with adults on more closely structured activities. Their skills and knowledge are built effectively through this approach. The children benefit from the enjoyable and motivating activities provided. Work is planned to make closer links between the two Reception classes in order to enhance children's learning further. Particular success is apparent in the development of children's language and literacy skills. Speaking and listening is a key focus of the work and the children's increasing skills are having a positive impact on their early reading and writing skills. The children also make good progress

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Grade: 2

in their personal, emotional and social development. Although not all the children reach the expected levels by the time they leave the Foundation Stage, they have a more secure platform of skills and knowledge for the work in later years.

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Grade: 2

The Foundation Stage is led and managed well. This has resulted in good improvement to provision, especially in the use of the indoor and outdoor space. This space is used to provide many opportunities for pupils to investigate and play independently and to work with adults on more closely structured activities. Their skills and knowledge are built effectively through this approach. The children benefit from the enjoyable and motivating activities provided. Work is planned to make closer links between the two Reception classes in order to enhance children's learning further. Particular success is apparent in the development of children's language and literacy skills. Speaking and listening is a key focus of the work and the children's increasing skills are having a positive impact on their early reading and writing skills. The children also make good progress in their personal, emotional and social development. Although not all the children reach the

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Grade: 2

expected levels by the time they leave the Foundation Stage, they have a more secure platform of skills and knowledge for the work in later years.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Create a challenging and inspiring programme of work for pupils with gifts and talents that enables them to flourish. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Ward End Primary School, 29 April 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Ward End Primary School, 29 April 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? Yes 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 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 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 of 9 Inspection Report: Ward End Primary School, 29 April 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 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? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Ward End Primary School, 29 April 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

30 April 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Ward End Primary School, Birmingham B8 2RA When I came into school, I was impressed with your hard work, cheerfulness and excellent behaviour. You welcomed me warmly and shared your ideas about the school. I have used your thoughts in writing my report. I agree with you that Ward End Primary is a good school. The list of good things is quite long, but these are the chief ones.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make good progress and reach standards that are a bit above average.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Children in Nursery and Reception quickly settle to good learning.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are taught well and your lessons are interesting and enjoyable.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You look after each other, work well together and are proud of your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You know your targets, and how well you are doing.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy all the sports activities, which you know will help you be healthy.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers take good care of you and make sure you are happy and safe.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your staff and the governors join Mrs Rose in her good work to make the school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

There is one important thing that can be done to improve your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that those of you with particular gifts and talents can achieve your best.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I know that you will be successful in the future and wish you good luck in your work. I also believe you will help your teachers improve the school further. You can do this by continuing to work well and by reaching your targets. Yours sincerely David Carrington Lead inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Ward End Primary School, 29 April 2008

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Inspection of Ward End Primary School, Birmingham B8 2RA

When I came into school, I was impressed with your hard work, cheerfulness and excellent behaviour. You welcomed me warmly and shared your ideas about the school. I have used your thoughts in writing my report. I agree with you that Ward End Primary is a good school. The list of good things is quite long, but these are the chief ones.

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Inspection of Ward End Primary School, Birmingham B8 2RA

• You make good progress and reach standards that are a bit above average. • Children in Nursery and Reception quickly settle to good learning. • You are taught well and your lessons are interesting and enjoyable. • You look after each other, work well together and are proud of your school. • You know your targets, and how well you are doing. • You enjoy all the sports activities, which you know will help you be healthy. • Your teachers take good care of you and make sure you are happy and safe. • Your staff and the governors join Mrs Rose in her good work to make the school even better.

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Inspection of Ward End Primary School, Birmingham B8 2RA

There is one important thing that can be done to improve your school.

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Inspection of Ward End Primary School, Birmingham B8 2RA

• Make sure that those of you with particular gifts and talents can achieve your best.

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Inspection of Ward End Primary School, Birmingham B8 2RA

I know that you will be successful in the future and wish you good luck in your work. I also believe you will help your teachers improve the school further. You can do this by continuing to work well and by reaching your targets.

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