Russells Hall Primary School

Russells Hall Primary School Inspection report

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103813 Unique Reference Number Dudley Local Authority 308428 Inspection number 6 °7 May 2008 Inspection dates Jacqueline Wordsworth 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 297 School The governing body Appropriate authority D Glews Chair Linda Whittall Headteacher 17 January 2005 Date of previous school inspection Overfield Road School address Russells Hall Estate Dudley DY1 2NX 01384 816785 Telephone number 01384 816788 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 6 °7 May 2008 Inspection dates 308428 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, who evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and particularly investigated the pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and science and the guidance pupils receive about reaching the next stages of their learning. Evidence was gathered from classroom visits, discussions with staff, pupils and governors as well as examination of pupils’ work and school documents, especially assessment data. 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 form, were not justified and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

Russells Hall Primary School is larger than most primary schools. Almost all pupils come from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above the national average, as is the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals. Children's attainment when they begin school is below that expected for their age.

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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: Russells Hall Primary School, 6 °7 May 2008

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Grade: 1

What an inspirational place for pupils to be! Russells Hall is an outstanding school where all pupils flourish and achieve extremely well. Very good quality teaching and learning experiences, together with exceptionally effective leadership and management, promote the school's continuous improvement. Excellent leadership by the headteacher and deputy headteacher is the foundation upon which all other strengths are built. The senior management team play a central role in successfully managing different aspects of the school's work. Subject and other coordinators are very committed and carry out their responsibilities effectively. Governors are supportive of the school and carry out their responsibilities well. They are gaining in confidence in their role of critical friend. The overarching principle that guides the work of the school is that each pupil is special and is capable of exceptional achievement. Every pupil is treated sensitively by staff who know

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Grade: 1

exactly what approach to adopt to motivate different individuals. Consequently everybody, including staff and pupils, is encouraged to aim high. Excellent relationships and a shared vision by all staff enable all pupils of all abilities to attain well and make excellent progress. As a result, they are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education. Teaching is very effective. Each member of the teaching team shares a commitment to exploring all avenues to promote the effective learning of each individual child. Planning is good and states clearly what pupils are expected to learn, although this varies in its precision and consistency across the school. A key feature of the school's success is the meticulous way in which pupils' progress is measured and evaluated to check that all are on course to achieve the ambitious targets that are set for them. Support for pupils who experience learning difficulties and those who are vulnerable is

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Grade: 1

excellent. Through the highly effective use of assessment information, teachers swiftly identify pupils who are not making the progress expected. They then target resources effectively, enabling these pupils to make excellent progress. Attendance is satisfactory. As at the time of the last inspection, holidays taken during term-time account for many of the absences. Nonetheless, the school is doing all it can to ensure that pupils attend regularly. The school works hard at maintaining an effective partnership with parents and is successful in this. The majority of parents have very positive views of the school, feeling that it provides a very good standard of academic and personal education. Nevertheless, a minority feel that the school does not always listen to their views and suggestions. The school's strong principles provide a very effective foundation for pupils' excellent spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils appreciate well how people from different faiths

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Grade: 1

and countries live. They have an excellent understanding of how to keep fit, healthy and safe. Pupils are particularly mature, sensible and aware of how their actions may impinge on the enjoyment or learning of others. They care for and support each other very effectively. Pupils make an impressive contribution to the school's smooth running by taking on a very wide range of duties, such as play leaders and school councillors. They contribute significantly to the wider community by singing and dancing at local events and through their involvement with the parish church. An excellent system of pastoral care contributes well to the pupils' outstanding personal development. They say that they would have no hesitation in sharing any problems with staff in the certain knowledge that they would be listened to sympathetically, and feel safe in school. 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Russells Hall Primary School, 6 °7 May 2008

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Grade: 1

Pupils also receive detailed academic guidance. Teachers mark work thoroughly and include good advice on how to improve. Almost all pupils have a clear understanding of what they need to do to reach the next stages in their learning. The outstanding curriculum includes a wide range of very well attended clubs, regular visits and visitors, with regular opportunities to engage in creative and active learning. As well as the strength of what is taught in English, mathematics and science, pupils have rich learning opportunities in physical education, dance and art. The learning experiences provided for highest attaining pupils are also well modified to meet their needs. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are fully included in all aspects of the school's work, and support for these pupils is available in every year group to ensure that all have equal access to the curriculum. Currently, the school is giving additional weight to the development of speaking

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Grade: 1

and listening skills; there is good emphasis on developing pupils' effective use of language and this is having a very positive impact on raising pupils' achievement.

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Grade: 2

When children enter school in the Reception Year, their levels of skills and abilities are generally below those expected for their age. They achieve well in relation to their starting points as a result of good teaching, although by the end of Reception, standards are still below those expected for their age in language, communication and literacy, mathematics, physical development and knowledge and understanding of the world. However, in the areas of creative, personal, social and emotional development, standards are generally in line with those expected. The outdoor play area is underdeveloped as a tempting space to encourage spontaneous and physical play. The attitudes and behaviour of children in the Foundation Stage are good. They enjoy school and get on well with each other and the adults who teach them. Children play and work together well, sharing and taking turns. As a result, they are quite independent individuals.

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Grade: 2

For example, children were able to organise themselves to play and extend a mathematics game.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ In the Foundation Stage, provide more opportunities for physical play, especially outdoors.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that planning for what pupils are expected to learn is consistently precise and effective across the school. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Russells Hall Primary School, 6 °7 May 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: Russells Hall Primary School, 6 °7 May 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 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 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 1 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. 7 of 9 Inspection Report: Russells Hall Primary School, 6 °7 May 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 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: Russells Hall Primary School, 6 °7 May 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

8 May 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Russells Hall Primary, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 2NX Thank you for the warm welcome that you gave to me when I visited your school earlier this week. I found that yours is an outstanding school. It was good to talk with you and to discover your views. You told me that you felt really well cared for and safe in school, I agree with you. You know how to keep really healthy and fit. Thank you for the detailed explanation of how hard you have to work to achieve one of the many school merit badges. It was intriguing to see that there was a 'Wordsworth' badge. I was really interested to see the DVDs showing your work in gymnastics and dance. I thought that those of you who were 'evacuated' as part of your history topic on the Second World War really understood what it must have been like for those children who really did have to leave home. You told me that such experiences really bring learning to life for you and I

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

agree. I am pleased too that you make friends with one another and have positive attitudes to all aspects of school life. I think your teachers work very hard in planning interesting work for you to do and they look after you well. The headteacher and the governors have made many changes to the school to try to make it even better for you. I have made some suggestions that will help them to continue to do this.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Provide an area for the young children to be able to climb and play safely.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that when teachers plan your work, those plans are the very best they can be in deciding on what you need to learn in every lesson. I was impressed with the sensible ideas that you suggested for making the school a better place. I hope that your quest to have an even wider variety of sports on offer is successful and that you continue to do well in school. Some of you might want to look at the full report. See if you can find the bit about how mature and sensible I think you are. Best wishes Jacqueline Wordsworth Her Majesty's Inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Russells Hall Primary School, 6 °7 May 2008

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Annex B

Inspection of Russells Hall Primary, Dudley, West Midlands, DY1 2NX

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Annex B

Thank you for the warm welcome that you gave to me when I visited your school earlier this week. I found that yours is an outstanding school. It was good to talk with you and to discover your views. You told me that you felt really well cared for and safe in school, I agree with you.

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Annex B

You know how to keep really healthy and fit. Thank you for the detailed explanation of how hard you have to work to achieve one of the many school merit badges. It was intriguing to see that there was a ‘Wordsworth’ badge. I was really interested to see the DVDs showing your work in gymnastics and dance.

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Annex B

I thought that those of you who were ‘evacuated’ as part of your history topic on the Second World War really understood what it must have been like for those children who really did have to leave home. You told me that such experiences really bring learning to life for you and I agree.

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Annex B

I am pleased too that you make friends with one another and have positive attitudes to all aspects of school life. I think your teachers work very hard in planning interesting work for you to do and they look after you well. The headteacher and the governors have made many changes to the school to try to make it even better for you. I have made some suggestions that will help them to continue to do this.

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Annex B

• Provide an area for the young children to be able to climb and play safely. • Make sure that when teachers plan your work, those plans are the very best they can be in deciding on what you need to learn in every lesson.

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Annex B

I was impressed with the sensible ideas that you suggested for making the school a better place. I hope that your quest to have an even wider variety of sports on offer is successful and that you continue to do well in school. Some of you might want to look at the full report. See if you can find the bit about how mature and sensible I think you are.

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Annex B

Jacqueline Wordsworth Her Majesty’s Inspector

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