Medina Primary School

116195 Unique Reference Number Portsmouth Local Authority 312209 Inspection number 22–23 October 2008 Inspection dates Andrew Saunders Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 196 School (total) 29 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Sue West-Thomas Chair Mr Howard Payne Headteacher 21 February 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Medina Road School address Cosham Portsmouth PO6 3NH 02392 375 475 Telephone number 02392 214 237 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 22–23 October 2008 Inspection dates 312209 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Medina Primary School, 22–23 October 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is an average sized school located in a suburban area of Portsmouth. There are more boys than girls, particularly in some year groups. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is higher than national figures, as is the number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. These figures also show an imbalance in particular year groups. The number of pupils with English as an additional language is very low, as is the number of pupils from minority ethnic groups. Provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) comprises the Reception class. The school has Healthy Schools status (2007-2010), the Investors in People award (2005) and the Activemark (2007). It was runner-up in the Portsmouth Schools' Tidy Schools competition and was awarded the Clean Team award in 2007, as well as gaining a bronze award in the South and South East in Bloom School Grounds competition.

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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: Medina Primary School, 22–23 October 2008

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Grade: 2

This school provides a good quality of education where pupils develop a positive attitude to learning, particularly because of the excellent care, guidance and support they receive. The school has a dedicated staff team, morale is high and everyone shares the same vision and commitment to improvement. There is a strong focus on raising standards. Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding; it is well focused on the needs of individual pupils and the curriculum is being enriched and adapted to ensure pupils' enjoyment. From low starting points, pupils achieve well and standards are broadly average by the time they are ready for secondary school. A few pupils with learning difficulties and emotional and behavioural issues have more to overcome. Despite this they, too, achieve well. Writing has been a school focus and recent data shows that the strategies introduced to improve boys' writing in particular, are having an impact. For example, writing is often developed through

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Grade: 2

exciting topics. Even so, the standard of writing could be higher, particularly for the more able pupils, who do not yet have the confidence to go beyond what teachers expect or work without direction. Learning is good because pupils are well motivated and involved as active participants in setting targets and improving their work. Teachers are enthusiastic and make lessons stimulating by providing practical tasks and emphasising oral work, which leads to good progress in speaking and listening. They ensure that pupils are aware of what they need to do to improve their work and how to move on to the next level. However, the pace and activities in some lessons at Key Stage 1 are not sufficiently challenging; as a result a few pupils do not reach the standards they might. This is a happy school because the personal development and well-being of pupils are good. Pupils feel safe and well looked-after in school. As a parent said, 'My child looks forward to

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Grade: 2

school every day and will be very upset to leave.' Parents are overwhelmingly positive about what the school does for their children. In particular, they say their children make good progress and that they are well informed. Pupils understand the importance of keeping fit and staying healthy, and contribute to the school's community in many ways such as serving as junior leaders, buddies and taking part in assemblies and fund-raising activities. Their views are seen as increasingly important in the running of the school. The school promotes pupils' confidence and self-esteem well. Leadership and management are good because accurate self-evaluation has led to the introduction of strategies that have raised standards across the school, such as ensuring pupils respond to marking and effective use of targets for groups and individuals. Sharing of information between staff means that senior leaders know their school and the pupils very well,

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Grade: 2

the progress of pupils is monitored carefully and support is provided quickly where needed. The managers and governors work well together to raise standards and promote enjoyment. Consequently, the school has a good capacity to improve.

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Grade: 1

Children in the Reception class get off to an excellent start to their education because staff work effectively as a team to provide an exciting and safe learning environment where children feel happy and settled. Relationships are excellent and this instils confidence and self-worth 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Medina Primary School, 22–23 October 2008 in children. Children enter the Reception class with standards that are well below those usually found in children their age, in almost all areas of learning. However, in some aspects including reading, writing, calculation and some aspects of personal, social and emotional development their skills and knowledge are very low. During their time in Reception, they make excellent progress in almost all areas of learning. By the time they leave, most children are working within the early learning goals in most areas of learning. However, a few children are working below this in reading, writing and calculation

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Grade: 1

because of their low starting points. Children's progress is tracked carefully through observations and assessments and areas for development are identified thoughtfully. The excellent links with parents, other early years providers and outside agencies create a culture of learning together, which makes transition to school easy and enjoyable for both children and their parents. Staff encourage creativity and curiosity effectively through carefully planned activities both indoors and outdoors. For example, children were enthusiastic to talk about the puppet show they set up and recorded outside, making comments about their performance. The Foundation Stage leader sets an outstanding example through her own practice and pursuit of further improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards in writing, particularly for the more able.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve teaching in Key Stage 1 by ensuring that lessons are more challenging.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good. Standards are broadly average at the end of Year 6 and this represents good progress from pupils' low starting points in the EYFS. During Key Stage 1, many pupils make good progress, although standards are below average, having made up considerable ground. With more challenging teaching, standards could be higher. In the most recent national assessments, pupils in Year 6 reached the challenging targets set by the school. Although improved, standards in writing have remained lower than other aspects of literacy. Consistent with the national picture, boys reach lower standards than the girls, although the school's analysis shows that this gap is narrowing. Higher proportions of pupils than is usual join and leave the school throughout the year, not least in Year 6, which adversely affects the progress they make. The effective use of information and communication technology (ICT) means pupils

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Grade: 2

The school's caring ethos, where each individual is treated as a valued member of the school community, means that pupils make good progress in their personal development. Pupils enjoy their time in school because staff are mindful about developing their personal skills alongside their academic achievement. The opportunities for reflection and focus on thinking about emotions mean that pupils are learning to understand more about how they feel. They behave well and show positive attitudes to learning. Attendance is broadly in line with the national average. The school works very closely with outside agencies to improve the attendance of the few persistent absentees, for example through new strategies, which are having a significant impact on these pupils. Pupils are developing a good understanding of how to keep healthy through the healthy tuck shop, regular access to drinking water and participating in physical

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Grade: 2

5 of 11 Inspection Report: Medina Primary School, 22–23 October 2008 activities. They know how to keep themselves safe and feel secure in school; they said that any incidents of bullying are dealt with quickly and effectively. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good. They take their roles as council members, junior leaders, trained 'buddies' and monitors seriously and help to bring about improvements in the school environment. The development of their basic skills including ICT, together with the opportunities they have to develop their interpersonal skills and experience work and learning beyond the school, prepare them well for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Good use of information about the progress pupils are making, along with good subject knowledge of teachers means that almost all lessons are effective and the pupils enjoy learning. In Key Stage 1, lessons occasionally lack pace and pupils are less engaged by some of the tasks provided, so that standards reached by some pupils are not as high as they could be. Throughout the school, there is an ethos of shared responsibility for learning, so that pupils understand their part in doing even better. While teaching provides helpful contexts for writing across the curriculum, it does not always enable the more able writers to develop these contexts for themselves. Pupils and teachers reflect on the learning during lessons and this informs what they need to aim for next. Along with good questioning this helps ensure that pupils are learning to learn, not just reach a solution. Written work is marked consistently, following the school

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Grade: 2

guidelines, and pupils respond positively and with appreciation, so that they learn from what they have done. Targets and successes are shared with parents regularly and the school works hard to encourage them to be part of the learning journey.

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Grade: 2

The school has worked well to develop a curriculum that is engaging and provides interesting, enjoyable learning opportunities. In particular, it has ensured that topics encourage boys' writing across the curriculum. Links between subjects are strong and give an integrated feel to the tasks and activities pupils do. This also provides experiences that help pupils to put their learning into context. The curriculum is further enriched by a good range of visits and visitors. For example pupils and teachers thoroughly enjoyed the visit of a famous author, which was well used to develop speaking and listening into writing. There is a good range of activities after school and the school are working with the extended schools manager to take this even further, particularly to provide more things to interest girls. Opportunities for family learning are a powerful tool in developing the learning partnership with parents; for example the

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Grade: 2

workshops on ICT or on supporting reading are well regarded by parents and pupils.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' enjoyment, security and safety are the underpinning principles of all the school does. The procedures to protect and safeguard pupils are thorough and meet the statutory requirements. The provision for pupils with learning difficulties is very good. As a result, these pupils make good progress towards their targets. Pupils with behavioural and emotional difficulties make excellent progress towards their targets because the school uses its strong 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Medina Primary School, 22–23 October 2008 links with outside agencies and carefully focused support within school very well to support them and their families. The school recognises the importance of support at home and they provide highly regarded opportunities to improve parents' knowledge and confidence. The teaching assistants are an effective part of the teaching team and make a valuable contribution to support pupils' different needs. The school has excellent systems in place to monitor pupils'

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Grade: 1

progress and set targets for improvement and this leads to appropriate, quick intervention where it is needed. The way pupils are involved in evaluating their progress towards their targets and encouraged to take ownership of their learning is exemplary.

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Grade: 2

The strong vision of the headteacher, along with his senior leadership team, means that they have been effective in identifying and tackling the key areas for improvement. Through careful analysis of available data, they have a clear picture of the school's strengths and areas for development. They lead the team of staff effectively and have developed an ethos of continually striving to improve teaching and learning for the pupils. Monitoring of lessons results in clear feedback to colleagues, which helps them improve their practice, for example through a coaching programme. Any shortfalls in pupils' progress are addressed with similar rigor. For example, the reasons for pupils' slower rates of progress in mathematics in 2007 were carefully analyzed, and strategies introduced to address them, with the help of the local authority. Current data show improvements in mathematics as a result. Subject leaders are well informed and effective

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Grade: 2

in leading improvements in their areas of responsibility. Along with the data analysis, information is shared with governors, which helps the governing body to have a clear idea of how the school is doing, and it provides good challenge and support. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Medina Primary School, 22–23 October 2008 .

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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: Medina Primary School, 22–23 October 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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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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 1 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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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/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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: Medina Primary School, 22–23 October 2008

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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 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: Medina Primary School, 22–23 October 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

10 November 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Medina Primary School,Portsmouth,PO6 3NH Thank you very much for welcoming us to your school just before half term. We enjoyed chatting to so many of you and finding out what you think about your school. Many of you told us that you think your school is a good school, and we agree with you. We were impressed with the way your teachers take care of you and help you to know how to learn well. The younger pupils get a very good start because the Foundation Stage is so well organised and makes sure learning is fun. You older pupils know what your targets are and how you can reach these, because you take time to think about what you have learned during your lessons. We could see in the lessons we saw that you enjoy learning, and you told us that the teachers make lessons interesting. As a result, you behave well and enjoy coming to school. The school also helps your families to know how they can help you with your learning.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Even though you are doing well, there are some things your school can do to make sure things get even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Help you to do even better in your writing, particularly those of you who find learning a bit easier. You can also help by using all the ideas your teachers give you, to do the best writing you can. ■ Make sure that all of the teaching in Key Stage 1 is as good as it can possibly be, to help you reach higher standards. Most of all, you should continue to enjoy learning and help each other to make your school a great place to be part of. Yours sincerely Andrew Saunders Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Medina Primary School, 22–23 October 2008

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