Arthur Dye Primary School

Arthur Dye Primary School Inspection report

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115597 Unique Reference Number Gloucestershire Local Authority 311995 Inspection number 4 °5 June 2008 Inspection dates Chris Grove 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 341 School The governing body Appropriate authority Cathy Connolly Chair Liz Ramsay Headteacher 14 June 2004 Date of previous school inspection Springbank Road School address Cheltenham GL51 0PH 01242 527766 Telephone number 01242 227481 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 4 °5 June 2008 Inspection dates 311995 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

The school is larger than the average sized primary school. Most pupils come from an area of economic and social disadvantage, and the proportion of pupils entitled to a free school meal is high at nearly twice the national average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, principally moderate learning difficulties, is also well above average. A higher proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic groups than is the case in most schools, although few pupils speak English as an additional language. The school has the Healthy Schools and Activemark awards.

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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: Arthur Dye Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008

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Grade: 4

The school's overall effectiveness is inadequate. In accordance with Section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education, and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. The main reason that the school is not doing as well as it should is because the headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team have not provided clear enough direction for improvement. Although a range of monitoring and self-evaluation activities has been undertaken, these processes have not been sufficiently rigorous, with the result that action has not been based firmly on the analysis of acknowledged weaknesses. Insufficient clarity of direction and

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Grade: 4

inadequate self-evaluation have led to ineffective management systems. This includes a lack of rigour in the monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning. As a result, teaching and learning are inadequate. Significant weaknesses have not been identified, and there has been too little good teaching to increase progress and raise standards. There is insufficient challenge for pupils in lessons and tasks are not regularly matched to the attainment of different groups of pupils including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Marking does not give pupils sufficient guidance on how they could improve their work. As a result, progress across the school is inconsistent, resulting in inadequate achievement. Standards at Year 6 fell significantly in 2007. Standards in the current Year 6 are slightly higher, but are still below average in English, mathematics and science. Boys' attainment, in particular, is much lower

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Grade: 4

than average. Provision and progress in the Foundation Stage are inadequate. The curriculum is inadequate because it has not been sufficiently adapted to meet the needs of all pupils. In addition, the school has not effectively monitored the progress of pupils until this year when it began to work more closely with the local authority. Although the first steps have been taken to introduce a system to track pupils' progress, this has not yet been established long enough to enable the school to make adequate use of the information gathered. Target-setting for pupils has started in English, but it is not yet fully effective. Target-setting in mathematics has been introduced only in the current term, and hence has yet to have impact.. Pupils' personal development and their well-being are satisfactory. Relationships between adults and pupils are good. The quality of pastoral care and support is satisfactory, but

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Grade: 4

insufficient support is given to pupils to guide them in their academic work. Although most pupils enjoy school, this is not reflected in their attendance which has fallen over time and is now well below average. The school has taken steps to address this issue, but these have not halted the decline. Partnerships, including links with outside agencies, are satisfactory. Although a majority of parents is satisfied and, in some cases, pleased with the school, a minority is seriously concerned about their children's progress. The steps taken to promote improvement since the last inspection have not been sufficient. The school does not have an adequate capacity to make improvements.

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Grade: 4

When children enter the Reception class their knowledge and skills are below those expected for their age. Although some children make satisfactory progress, some are underachieving. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Arthur Dye Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008 This is because of inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and weaknesses in assessment. When the teaching and curriculum meet their needs, children enjoy their activities and their behaviour is calm and purposeful. However, there is too little activity of this quality. Insufficient assessment is undertaken when pupils enter the school with the result that the school cannot accurately gauge the extent of children's progress. There is too much direction by adults, which restricts the development of children's independent learning and their creativity. Tasks do not challenge children enough, which means they have too few opportunities to develop their skills,

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Grade: 4

knowledge and understanding. Children's relationships with one another are good. Arrangements to ensure children's safety and health are satisfactory. Links are established with parents before children start school. This leads to satisfactory involvement in their children's education. Although there is an awareness of some of the weaknesses in provision, too little has been done to improve matters.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that senior leaders rigorously evaluate the school's strengths and weaknesses and effectively implement measures to improve pupils' achievement. ■ Raise standards in English, mathematics and science in Key Stage 2, especially for boys.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that teachers match work accurately to the needs of all pupils in lessons, and have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. ■ Use assessment, marking and target setting more effectively to track pupils' progress, and provide pupils with better indications of the next steps in their learning.

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Grade: 4

Inadequate teaching and learning in Reception and in Years 1 and 2, and too little good teaching across the school, have caused inconsistencies in progress and resulted in inadequate achievement. Standards at Year 6 fell significantly in 2007 and national test data indicate that pupils made too little progress in English. The proportions reaching the higher Level 5 were significantly below average. Standards in the current Year 6 are a little higher this year, but they have not returned to the broadly average levels of previous years and remain below average. Boys' attainment is lower than average, and is markedly so at Year 6 in all core subjects, and particularly in English. The progress of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is inadequate because tasks are not always well enough matched to needs. The school has taken some steps to improve academic performance through the introduction of very structured

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Grade: 4

planning, but this approach has not yet had enough impact.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' attitudes to learning and their behaviour are satisfactory. Pupils are polite and courteous, and respond well to praise given by members of staff to acknowledge their efforts. This helps to raise their self-esteem. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory overall. Their moral and social development is good. They know the difference between right and wrong, and are very clear that name-calling and bullying are unacceptable. They understand the importance of being safe, and enjoy sports and games because they know that these activities keep them fit. Pupils understand the importance of a healthy diet, but some find it difficult to act on this knowledge, particularly at break times. Some older pupils are enthusiastic members of the school council. They have conducted surveys, and have been an effective part 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Arthur Dye Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008

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Grade: 3

of the school's decision-making process. They raise funds for charities, and make a satisfactory contribution to the community. Preparation for pupils' future economic well-being is inadequate because of below average standards in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT).

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Grade: 4

The quality of teaching and learning over time is inadequate. Much teaching observed during the inspection was satisfactory, and some was good. However, there was also some teaching which was inadequate because of lack of challenge and pace, or poor timing of lesson activities. This lack of consistency in the quality of teaching plays a major part in pupils' inadequate progress. Some aspects of teachers' planning for lessons are satisfactory, but tasks are not sufficiently adapted and matched to the different groups of pupils. Teachers and their assistants mostly manage their pupils satisfactorily in class. However, teachers do not build sufficiently well on their positive relationships to set high enough expectations for pupils' achievement. The quality of marking of work is inconsistent, and provides pupils with too little indication of what they could do to improve, or of the next steps in their learning.

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Grade: 4

The curriculum does not adequately meet learners' needs and interests. Curriculum revisions have been slow to develop because ineffective monitoring fails to identify what needs to be done to improve. Curriculum planning does not reflect the need for greater challenge for the more able pupils, and activities are not sufficiently adapted to meet the needs of pupils with different levels of ability. Inadequate provision has led to weaknesses in basic skills in literacy and numeracy in Key Stage 2. The provision for ICT is inadequate and is severely restricted by limitations in resources. The school has a varied range of extra-curricular activities, which are well attended. Learning opportunities outside school are limited by a lack of funds, and few educational visits are made. Visitors to the school, such as theatre groups, help to address this and provide some enhancement to pupils' learning experiences.

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Grade: 4

The school provides satisfactory pastoral care. Arrangements for safeguarding pupils are adequate, and there is satisfactory attention to pupils' health and safety. In the current year, the school has introduced targets to support the development of pupils' learning in English, and this has recently also been extended to mathematics.. The academic guidance for pupils is inadequate because target-setting and marking do not sufficiently indicate to pupils the next steps in their learning. Vulnerable pupils are identified and given satisfactory support. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Arthur Dye Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008

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Grade: 4

As a result of weaknesses in leadership at all levels, the school's strategic planning is not sufficiently prioritised or focused on improving pupils' achievement. The school did not meet most of the statutory targets set for pupils in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6 in 2007, in part because of the lack of robust assessment data. The school is committed to promoting equal opportunities, but these are limited by pupils' underachievement. Governors are committed to the school and provide support, but have not ensured that all their legal responsibilities have been met. They are aware of some of the school's strengths and weaknesses, but have not acted robustly enough to challenge the school to improve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Arthur Dye Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008 .

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Grade: 4

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Arthur Dye Primary School, 4 °5 June 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? 4 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 4 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

4 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 4 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

3 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 3 How well learners enjoy their education 4 The attendance of learners 3 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?

4 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: Arthur Dye Primary School, 4 °5 June 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 4 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 4 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? Yes Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Arthur Dye Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Inspection of Arthur Dye Primary School, Cheltenham GL51 0PH We would like to thank all of you, and your teachers, for your help during the inspection. We enjoyed seeing you in your classrooms and talking to you at playtimes and lunchtimes. There are some positive things to say about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You enjoy school, and you are polite and courteous.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have good relationships with the teachers and other adults, who take care of you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You have an enthusiastic school council which plays an important part in making decisions about the school. However, your school is not yet as good as it needs to be because:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You do not make as much progress as you should and test results in English, mathematics and science are not high enough. ■ The curriculum and some of the teaching are not good enough.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school is not checking up well enough on your progress.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Leaders and governors are not clear enough about how to improve things in your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Attendance is not as high as it should be.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have said that your school needs 'Special Measures', which means that it will get more outside help, and inspectors will do more checks in the months ahead to see that things are getting better. What your school needs to do now:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure that leaders are clear about what is good in your school and what needs to be better, and take action to so that you learn more quickly. ■ Help all of you to make better progress, especially so that your test results are higher by Year 6 in English, mathematics and science, especially for the boys. ■ Improve the teaching by setting you work which is better matched to your needs, and by expecting more of you. ■ Ensure that teachers know how well you are doing, and that they point out to you the next steps in your learning through better marking and target setting. You can help too by working hard and taking advantage of the improvements that your school will be making. We wish you every success in the future. Yours sincerely Chris Grove Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Arthur Dye Primary School, 4 °5 June 2008

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Annex B

Inspection of Arthur Dye Primary School, Cheltenham GL51 0PH

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Annex B

We would like to thank all of you, and your teachers, for your help during the inspection. We enjoyed seeing you in your classrooms and talking to you at playtimes and lunchtimes. There are some positive things to say about your school:

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Annex B

• You enjoy school, and you are polite and courteous. • You have good relationships with the teachers and other adults, who take care of you. • You have an enthusiastic school council which plays an important part in making decisions about the school.

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Annex B

However, your school is not yet as good as it needs to be because:

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Annex B

• You do not make as much progress as you should and test results in English, mathematics and science are not high enough. • The curriculum and some of the teaching are not good enough. • The school is not checking up well enough on your progress. • Leaders and governors are not clear enough about how to improve things in your school. • Attendance is not as high as it should be.

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Annex B

We have said that your school needs ‘Special Measures’, which means that it will get more outside help, and inspectors will do more checks in the months ahead to see that things are getting better.

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Annex B

• Make sure that leaders are clear about what is good in your school and what needs to be better, and take action to so that you learn more quickly. • Help all of you to make better progress, especially so that your test results are higher by Year 6 in English, mathematics and science, especially for the boys. • Improve the teaching by setting you work which is better matched to your needs, and by expecting more of you. • Ensure that teachers know how well you are doing, and that they point out to you the next steps in your learning through better marking and target setting. You can help too by working hard and taking advantage of the improvements that your school will be making. We wish you every success in the future.

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Annex B

Yours sincerely Chris Grove Lead inspector

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