Kelvin Grove Community Primary School

Kelvin Grove Community Primary School Inspection report

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108323 Unique Reference Number Gateshead Local Authority 309648 Inspection number 5 °6 February 2008 Inspection dates Margaret Armstrong 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 369 School The governing body Appropriate authority Cllr Ian Mearns Chair Mrs Janice Skelton Headteacher 1 January 2005 Date of previous school inspection Kelvin Grove School address Gateshead Tyne and Wear NE8 4UN 0191 4774186 Telephone number 0191 4901899 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 5 °6 February 2008 Inspection dates 309648 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a large school situated in an area of social disadvantage in the centre of Gateshead. When children start school their attainment is generally well below what is typical for their age, particularly in relation to their language development and difficulties with speech. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is higher than average, as is the percentage who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The number of pupils who have a statement of special educational need is low. The large majority of pupils are White British and the remainder are from a wide range of minority ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils learning English as an additional language is higher than that found nationally. A small number of pupils are looked after by the local authority. The school provides breakfast and after-school clubs.

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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: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 5 °6 February 2008

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Grade: 4

In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well that in all the circumstances it could 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 mathematics and science in Key Stage 2; the curriculum; and aspects of leadership and management. As a result of these weaknesses the effectiveness of the school is inadequate and it does not provide satisfactory value for money. The school judges its overall effectiveness to be good but in doing so has taken insufficient account of the decline in standards in Key Stage 2. Children start Nursery with skills which are well below those expected for their age. An increasing number are at a very early stage of

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Grade: 4

learning English. As a result of carefully planned activities and effective support, children make good progress in the Foundation Stage. They continue to achieve well in Years 1 and 2 to reach average standards. In Key Stage 2 progress slows, so that by the end of Year 6 standards are below average in mathematics and science. This is particularly the case for higher attaining boys, who do not always engage fully in their learning. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who are looked after receive high quality support and achieve well. Those from minority ethnic groups and pupils who have English as an additional language make satisfactory progress. Teaching is satisfactory, but it takes too little account of pupils’ individual abilities and needs. In too many lessons the higher attaining pupils, particularly boys, make inadequate progress because teachers do not plan sufficiently challenging work for them.

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Grade: 4

Pupils’ personal development is satisfactory. The school celebrates the cultural diversity of its pupils; they are all clearly valued. Pupils are well cared for and they know how to keep themselves safe and healthy. Relationships are good and pupils behave well. They make a good contribution to the community through their involvement in fundraising for a range of charities and by participating in the work of the school council. Although pupils report that they enjoy school, attendance has been below average for several years, despite the introduction of new strategies to improve it. While their personal qualities prepare them well for the future, too many pupils leave school with weak basic skills so they are not adequately prepared for the next stage of learning. This is because the curriculum is inadequate and provides too few opportunities for them to develop their skills in mathematics and science to a high enough level.

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Grade: 4

Leadership and management are satisfactory. Following a number of staff changes, the headteacher and new senior team have a sharper focus on raising standards and achievement for all pupils. This has resulted, for example, in the improved standards in English at the end of Key Stage 2. However, the monitoring of teaching lacks rigour. This has meant that teachers are not always sure of how they can improve their practice and ensure pupils achieve as well as they should. Governors are fully committed to the work of the school and are intent on raising achievement and securing improvement.

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Grade: 3

Provision in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. Children start school in the Nursery with skills which are often well below those typical for their age, particularly in their ability to communicate and in their mathematical and personal and social development. The good level of care given 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 5 °6 February 2008 to children helps them to settle quickly so they learn to work and play together in a safe environment. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and other vulnerable pupils make good progress because of the effective adult support. By the end of the Foundation Stage the majority of children have not reached the level expected for their age except in their attitudes to learning and physical development. Effective links with parents ensure they support learning well. As a result, children make good progress in relation to their low starting points.

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Grade: 3

The Foundation Stage is well led by the newly appointed Foundation Stage leader; a clear action plan shows that prompt attention is being given to improving resources for role play and for the outdoor area.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards in Key Stage 2, particularly those achieved by the higher attaining boys.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the curriculum to provide more opportunities for pupils to acquire better basic skills in mathematics and science. ■ Monitor and evaluate the school’s performance more effectively and take prompt action to make the required improvements. ■ Improve pupils’ attendance.

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Grade: 4

Standards are below average when pupils leave school at the end of Year 6, and pupils’ achievement is inadequate. This is because pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable in Key Stage 2. When they enter Year 1, pupils’ levels of development are below those expected for their ages. Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1 and reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. In Key Stage 2 progress is inadequate. This is because too many pupils, particularly the higher attaining boys, do not achieve as well as they could in mathematics and science. However, actions taken by the school are beginning to take effect. Pupils are now making satisfactory progress in Year 6, for example, although this does not compensate for the slower progress they make in Years 3, 4 and 5. The school has been successful in raising achievement in English through the use of focused programmes of work. As a result,

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Grade: 4

standards in writing are average. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and looked-after children achieve well. The progress made by pupils from minority ethnic groups, including those who have English as an additional language, is satisfactory. Although support is well planned, a number of boys who learn English as an additional language do not fully engage in their learning.

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Grade: 3

The pupils’ personal development and well-being are satisfactory overall. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Relationships are good and, as a result, pupils are well behaved and manage their emotions well. Pupils have a clear understanding of right and wrong and treat each other with respect. They report that they enjoy coming to school although attendance has been below average for several years. This is due to the unsatisfactory attendance of a significant minority of pupils. The school promotes healthy lifestyles well. This enables pupils to make informed choices about the food they eat and to take regular exercise. Pupils say they feel safe and secure and are confident issues such as bullying would not be tolerated 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 5 °6 February 2008 in their school. They are a credit to the school and take a great deal of pride in their contributions

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Grade: 3

to the community. For example, they act as ‘peer mediators’ to support vulnerable pupils, take responsibility for keeping the school grounds tidy and support a good range of local charities. While their good social skills prepare them well for future learning, too many pupils leave school with poor basic skills in mathematics and science.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. However, teaching is too variable in quality to promote consistent progress, particularly at Key Stage 2. In some classes it is good and sometimes outstanding, while in others it is inadequate. The good teaching is typified by lessons progressing at a fast pace with activities that challenge pupils. In the good lessons, teachers have a thorough understanding of each individual’s needs and use perceptive questioning that extends pupils’ thinking. Explanations are clear and this helps pupils know precisely what they need to do to be successful in their learning. For example, in a Year 6 lesson pupils were engrossed in their learning when preparing hypotheses and finding solutions to challenging mathematical puzzles. Nevertheless, weaknesses in teachers’ subject knowledge adversely affect the teaching of basic skills, especially in mathematics and science. In addition, insufficient use is made of information

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Grade: 3

on pupils’ progress, so planning often lacks consideration of pupils’ needs and how their learning can be extended. For example, in some lessons the higher attaining boys do not engage as well as they should because teaching lacks challenge. Teaching assistants are well trained and provide good quality, targeted support. This means pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are able to play a full part in lessons and achieve well.

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Grade: 4

The curriculum is inadequate; it is not planned well enough to meet the full range of abilities in mathematics and science. Although recent efforts to develop the curriculum have resulted in improved standards in English, pupils in Key Stage 2, particularly the higher attaining boys, make inadequate progress because they have insufficient opportunities to practise and consolidate their basic skills. The curriculum has some strengths. It provides pupils with a variety of experiences which they enjoy. Personal, social, health and citizenship (PSHC) education promotes good behaviour, and helps the pupils to learn how to stay safe and healthy. The school provides a range of visits and visitors, for example, to Beamish Museum and the Roman settlement at Vindolanda and specialist tuition for ‘Bollywood dance’ and karate. The opportunities for learning beyond the classroom are good and pupils are keen to attend the

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Grade: 4

sporting and creative activities that are available.

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Grade: 3

Pupils are well cared for in the school. Parents speak highly of the way their children are looked after and view the school as a ‘warm and friendly place’. This reflects how effectively the staff create a pleasant and welcoming school that pupils and parents value. Procedures for child protection, risk assessment and health and safety are fully in place. As a result, pupils feel safe and secure because they know an adult will help them if they have a problem. The good links 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 5 °6 February 2008 with outside agencies ensure pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported and make good progress. Induction arrangements are good. Procedures for welcoming pupils new to the school help them settle in quickly and feel part of the school community. Academic guidance is underdeveloped. The school regularly tracks pupils’ progress but it does

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Grade: 3

not act early enough to deal with pupils who are falling behind. Teachers’ marking is supportive and encouraging. In the best examples it clearly indicates how pupils can improve their work but this practice is not consistent across the school. As a result, pupils do not always know how to move on to the next step in their learning.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher and new senior leadership team work together effectively, promoting a good team spirit in the school. Self-evaluation is satisfactory and senior leaders have identified the right priorities for improvement. Actions taken to raise standards in English have met with some success in improving progress in this subject. Senior staff have recently begun to analyse data more closely and set challenging targets for improvement but information about pupils’ progress is not used sufficiently well to ensure all pupils achieve their potential. In addition, the monitoring of teaching and learning is not rigorous enough. Teachers are not given sufficient guidance on how they can improve their practice. Governance is good. The newly appointed, experienced chair of governors sets a clear direction for the work of the school. Consequently, governors have a clear view of the

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Grade: 3

strengths and weaknesses of the school and an incisive vision for its future development. This, and the evidence of some improvement, indicates that there is satisfactory capacity for improvement in the future. The school has made satisfactory progress in addressing the specific areas for improvement identified at the last inspection, but has made insufficient progress overall. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 5 °6 February 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. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 5 °6 February 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? 3 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 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 3 How well learners enjoy their education 4 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?

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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 5 °6 February 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 5 °6 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

8 February 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, Gateshead, NE8 4UN Thank you for the part you played in the inspection of your school. I enjoyed spending time with you and listening to your views about your school. You told me how much you enjoy the visits and visitors. You also told me about the good range of sporting activities you take part in and how you stay healthy. I think that you behave well and that you are polite and helpful. Many of you help with the running of the school, for example by serving on the school council or by acting as peer mediators and buddies. Well done! I think that your school has a lot of good things about it. You told me you feel welcome in the school and that you are safe there. I could see that many of you work hard and enjoy your lessons, but I agree with some of you that sometimes the work set is too difficult or easy, and that your learning is not always interesting. To help you make better progress, I have asked

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the school to improve the curriculum so you have more opportunities to practise your basic skills in mathematics and science. I have asked the people who manage your school to look more closely at how well you are learning so that they know quickly how to improve things for you. You can expect to find lessons more exciting and to become more successful in your learning as the year goes on. Many of you come to school regularly and on time, because you know your lessons are important, but some of you are absent too often. The school has been given what is called a ‘Notice to Improve’, because some things need to get better quickly. It means that inspectors will return to the school over the next year or so to check that it has improved as much as it should have done. I hope you will try hard to arrive on time, enjoy learning and do as well as you can. Yours sincerely Margaret Armstrong Lead Inspector on behalf of the inspection team.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

11 of 11 Inspection Report: Kelvin Grove Community Primary School, 5 °6 February 2008

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