Broad Heath Community Primary School

Broad Heath Community Primary School Inspection report

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103672 Unique Reference Number Coventry Local Authority 308379 Inspection number 3 °4 October 2007 Inspection dates Hazel Callaghan 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 235 School The governing body Appropriate authority Reg Ratcliffe Chair Jane Frankish Headteacher 26 January 2004 Date of previous school inspection Hanford Close School address Coventry CV6 5DP 02476 689558 Telephone number 02476 664176 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 3 °4 October 2007 Inspection dates 308379 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Broad Heath Primary has a much larger proportion of pupils from ethnic minority groups than is found nationally. There is a wide range of mother tongues spoken by the pupils and most have no knowledge of English when they start school. A high proportion of pupils are eligible for free school meals and an above-average number of pupils have learning difficulties. Almost a third of pupils either join or leave the school during their primary education, many in Years 3 to 6. When children start in the Nursery they have a much narrower range of skills and experiences than is usual for children of this age and standards are well below those expected. There has been a high turnover in the teaching staff over the last two years.

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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: Broad Heath Community Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007

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Grade: 2

Broad Heath is a good school that has improved significantly under the outstanding leadership of the headteacher. Her clear vision and strong resolve have driven the school forward. She has built a strong team of staff who, despite recent changes, are equally committed to ensuring they provide pupils with every opportunity to succeed. Staff provide exceptional levels of care, support and guidance, particularly for pupils' personal and pastoral needs. This greatly supports pupils' ability to learn and make good progress. The strong ethos throughout the school for team working results in pupils' good levels of personal development and well-being. Relationships are very good. Pupils feel safe. They enjoy school and want to do well. Teaching staff throughout the school have a good range of successful strategies to support pupils' good learning, and standards are consequently rising. Although typically standards

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Grade: 2

overall had been below average in Year 6 because of the high proportion of pupils with English as an additional language, standards improved last year. Standards by Year 6 are now broadly average. Despite some variations in standards, often caused by the large influx of new children and a high proportion of pupils with learning difficulties, all pupils achieve well during their time at Broad Heath. The provision in the Nursery and Reception class is a strength of the school and children make exceptional progress because of the high levels of support and very effective teaching. Progress is not as rapid elsewhere in the school and this is the clear focus for school improvement. The school has correctly identified the need to involve pupils more in evaluating their work, especially the more able pupils, so their progress can accelerate. Opportunities for pupils' self-evaluation are already successfully in place at the end of each

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Grade: 2

unit of work but have yet to be fully developed in lessons. The school has been successful in developing a curriculum that motivates pupils' interest and extends their knowledge and experiences well. Lessons are planned to successfully meet the needs of all pupils, especially those in the early stages of learning English. Pupils with learning difficulties are also well supported and encouraged so they a play a full part in lessons. There is a strong focus on developing pupils' basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics so that they can succeed, but opportunities to be more independent are not sufficiently provided. Teachers tend to direct pupils too much and restrict the choices they could make about how they learn and how to solve problems for themselves. Pupils' preparation for the next stages of learning is consequently satisfactory rather than good. Leadership and management are good overall. There are comprehensive and well-established

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Grade: 2

systems for monitoring the work of the school. Regular reviews provide the senior staff with information that supports their accurate self-evaluation. Strengths are celebrated and effective plans are put in place to address identified areas of weakness. Actions taken are evaluated to ensure that they support pupils' good learning. The governors are well informed and work alongside staff to further develop the school. Given the school's success in improving pupils' attainment, as well as their attendance and behaviour, the school's capacity for further improvement is good.

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Grade: 1

The provision for the children in Nursery and Reception is outstanding. Children start in the Nursery with standards well below those expected. By the time they move into Year 1, standards are broadly average because of the exceptional progress they make in their learning. Teachers 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Broad Heath Community Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007 understand the needs of these young children and provide a rich mixture of teacher-led activities alongside opportunities for children to explore and investigate for themselves. Children's knowledge of English is fostered extremely well in all their activities. Teaching assistants support children's understanding by talking to them in their own home language, wherever possible. All pupils gain confidence in their own abilities by working through carefully structured activities. The curriculum is well planned but there are plenty of opportunities for these young children

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Grade: 1

to influence what it is they do. The very well-resourced classrooms and outside area enable children to work and play together, so extending their personal and social skills well. Close monitoring of how children are learning ensures that activities build positively on what they already know and can do. Staff develop good partnerships with parents, who are welcome to work alongside their children in the classrooms to gain an understanding of how to support them at home.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop strategies for supporting pupils' evaluation of how well they are doing in lessons so they, particularly the higher attainers, understand how to succeed. ■ Give pupils more opportunities to solve problems that challenge their ideas, and enable them to organise their work independently.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well. From a very low base, especially in their understanding of English, pupils often attain average standards by the end of Year 6. The school has developed very effective systems of supporting pupils in the early stages of learning English both in the Foundation Stage and throughout the school. New pupils arriving at Broad Heath immediately start a thorough programme to support their first steps in gaining the vocabulary and understanding of English. This supports their good progress. The progress of boys has been identified correctly as a concern and a variety of positive strategies, including activities of greater appeal to boys, is motivating them more effectively, and standards are rising. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher standards, however, is still below average. To raise the attainment of more-able pupils is a focus for school improvement that is beginning to show positive results. The large

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Grade: 2

proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is well supported and they also achieve well from their different starting points.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning and enjoy school. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They behave well in lessons and around the school. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep safe and how to develop a healthy lifestyle. They use this knowledge well to make positive choices about what to eat and most enjoy taking regular exercise. There are good opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and to contribute to the community in school, for example, as 'playtime buddies'. The school council takes its responsibilities seriously and has made numerous improvements to the life of the school. Pupils also contribute to the wider community in a variety of ways. By the time pupils leave the school in Year 6, their social skills are good, as reflected in their good level of maturity, attitudes and behaviour. They are developing a satisfactory awareness of the world of work through their

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Grade: 2

5 of 11 Inspection Report: Broad Heath Community Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007 various visits, but pupils' ability to take initiative in their own work is not sufficiently well developed.

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Grade: 2

There is a strong focus on teaching the basic skills in English and mathematics that has had a positive impact on standards and progress in all classes. Resources are used well and this supports good progress, especially of the boys. Teachers have a good understanding of how to support pupils whose knowledge of English is not yet secure. Teachers explain clearly the purpose of each lesson, but pupils do not always know what is expected for them to be successful in their work. Older pupils and more-able pupils in particular are constrained by a lack of opportunities to evaluate the quality of what they have done and to recognise how it can be improved so that they may aspire to do well. Teachers' marking is, however, informative. It helps pupils remember to use what they have learnt and sets effective targets for pupils' next stages in learning. Teaching assistants also play an important part in pupils' learning. They

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Grade: 2

work well with teachers to support pupils of different abilities and needs using a variety of strategies to stimulate good progress.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum largely meets the needs of all pupils because of its good planning and many opportunities for pupils to use their basic skills, especially of information and communication technology in all areas of the curriculum. The school has recently introduced a programme of work to challenge and extend the learning of more-able pupils, but this is still in the early stages of development. An extensive range of additional opportunities enriches the curriculum. There is also a good range of after-school clubs in the arts, sport and other areas of interest. Good use is made of businesses and other groups to form 'Partnership Centres' to extend pupils' experiences in a wide variety of learning areas. The school's programme of personal, social and health education is good and strongly supports pupils' understanding of how to keep safe and healthy. Opportunities for pupils to initiate their own activities, to solve problems and to

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Grade: 2

organise their work independently, however, are limited. They are inhibited from fully developing independent learning skills which would support their future learning.

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Grade: 1

Pastoral care of pupils is outstanding. Robust procedures are in place for childcare and protection. The general perception of both parents and children is that Broad Heath is a caring school. One child said, 'Teachers are good listeners and they help us to look after ourselves. They try to make our lessons fun.' Responding to past levels of inappropriate pupil behaviour, the school has successfully introduced a wide range of well-managed procedures to modify this. Expectations of good conduct are high and those pupils who fall short are given excellent support to help them better conform. Good levels of support are provided for pupils with specific learning needs and those with emotional difficulties that affect their progress. Recently introduced procedures to improve attendance are very effective, as can be seen in the considerable improvement over the past year. Academic guidance is good and helps pupils to

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Grade: 1

6 of 11 Inspection Report: Broad Heath Community Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007 achieve well. Pupils' work is checked carefully and good systems are in place for measuring pupils' progress and setting targets for the next stages of learning. Pupils know their targets and appreciate the guidance and support provided.

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Grade: 2

There is clear evidence of improvement across all areas of the school that is due to the headteacher's firm leadership. This is recognised by parents. Typical comments are, 'The school seems to be improving every day' and 'Since the headteacher has led the school it has made a massive turn for the best'. The headteacher has high expectations of herself, of her staff and of the pupils. The school's regular and comprehensive systems for monitoring pupils' standards and progress leads the school's accurate self-evaluation and identifies areas for further improvement. Financial management is good and there have been many positive changes to the school building which, together with the wide range of good quality resources, have provided pupils with a stimulating learning environment. The school's leadership recognises that they still have some way to go in securing higher standards, especially of the more able pupils, but

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Grade: 2

positive strategies are already having a successful effect. The staff work very well as a team and carry out the leadership and management of their different responsibilities well. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Broad Heath Community Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Broad Heath Community Primary School, 3 °4 October 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? 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? 1 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 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 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?

1 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: Broad Heath Community Primary School, 3 °4 October 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 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Broad Heath Community Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Children Inspection of Broad Heath Community Primary School, Coventry, West Midlands CV6 5DP Thank you for making us so welcome and answering our questions when we visited you. You are rightly proud of your school and what it does for you. You and your parents are correct in thinking that you go to a good school. Here is a summary of what we found:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You achieve well and this is helping many of you to reach the standards expected, even though many of you are still developing a good knowledge of English. ■ The children in the Nursery and Reception classes make extremely good progress in lots of their work. ■ Your behaviour is good. You are polite, friendly and helpful to everyone. You understand how to keep yourselves safe, fit and healthy. ■ You clearly enjoy your lessons. You work hard and try to do your best.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You are taught well. Your teachers try hard to make sure that you all get work that is at the right level for you. ■ The curriculum is planned well and there is a good range of additional activities that make learning fun and help you to develop new skills and understanding. ■ The headteacher leads the school extremely well and is well supported by the other staff and the governors. ■ All staff look after you exceptionally well and support you in your learning.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Even though Broad Heath is a good school, there are some things it can do better. We have particularly asked the headteacher and governors to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Get you more involved in evaluating your own work so you understand how well you are doing and recognise how to improve your work. ■ Provide opportunities that challenge your ideas and enable you to work more independently.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Remember, you can always help things along by thinking how you can make your work better. Thank you again for making us feel so welcome. Mrs Callaghan Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Broad Heath Community Primary School, 3 °4 October 2007

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Annex B

Inspection of Broad Heath Community Primary School, Coventry, West Midlands CV6 5DP

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Annex B

Thank you for making us so welcome and answering our questions when we visited you. You are rightly proud of your school and what it does for you. You and your parents are correct in thinking that you go to a good school. Here is a summary of what we found:

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Annex B

• You achieve well and this is helping many of you to reach the standards expected, even though many of you are still developing a good knowledge of English. • The children in the Nursery and Reception classes make extremely good progress in lots of their work. • Your behaviour is good. You are polite, friendly and helpful to everyone. You understand how to keep yourselves safe, fit and healthy. • You clearly enjoy your lessons. You work hard and try to do your best. • You are taught well. Your teachers try hard to make sure that you all get work that is at the right level for you. • The curriculum is planned well and there is a good range of additional activities that make learning fun and help you to develop new skills and understanding. • The headteacher leads the school extremely well and is well supported by the other staff and the governors. • All staff look after you exceptionally well and support you in your learning.

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Annex B

Even though Broad Heath is a good school, there are some things it can do better. We have particularly asked the headteacher and governors to:

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Annex B

• Get you more involved in evaluating your own work so you understand how well you are doing and recognise how to improve your work. • Provide opportunities that challenge your ideas and enable you to work more independently.

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Annex B

Remember, you can always help things along by thinking how you can make your work better. Thank you again for making us feel so welcome.

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