Wyvern Primary School

120028 Unique Reference Number Leicester City Local Authority 313483 Inspection number 8–9 June 2009 Inspection dates Roger Sadler 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 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 430 School (total) 0 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 Louise Smith Chair Jill Anstock Headteacher 23 May 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Wyvern Avenue School address Leicester LE4 7HH 01162 661408 Telephone number 01162 666782 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 8–9 June 2009 Inspection dates 313483 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: Wyvern Primary School, 8–9 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by four additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Most pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, mostly Asian and Asian British with family roots in India, and many come from homes where English is not the first language. A small but growing proportion of pupils are from Tamil speaking families, recently arrived in Britain. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. Most of these relate to pupils' language development or their emotional or social needs. The proportion of pupils entitled to claim free school meals is above average. Early Years Foundation Stage provision is located in two age groups. Children enter Foundation Stage 1 around the beginning of the school year after their third birthday and attend part time. They move to the full-time Foundation Stage 2 classes at the start of the school year they become five. The school has gained a Healthy Schools Award, the Activemark for physical education and exercise and the International Schools Award.

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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: Wyvern Primary School, 8–9 June 2009

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. It is well led and managed. Staff respond well to the headteacher's high expectations and the good quality guidance and training provided by senior leaders. Because monitoring and evaluation are thorough and effective, senior leaders and subject leaders have a clear and accurate view of where to focus their work to make the school better. The school has improved many aspects of its work since the previous inspection. For example, due to some determined work by staff, pupils' writing is now much better than previously. Also standards reflected in national assessment results for Year 2 pupils are much higher this year. The school has good capacity to continue to improve in the future. When children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage, many have knowledge and skills below those typical for their age. Their English language skills and their personal development are especially limited. Throughout the school, pupils make good progress, and the vast majority

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Grade: 2

of pupils achieve well to attain average standards by the time they reach the end of Year 6. Care, guidance and support are good. Each term, the school assesses and meticulously reviews the progress of each pupil and additional support is given to those at risk of falling behind. Carefully tailored extra support helps pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to progress well. Frequent extra help enables those who enter the school with limited spoken English to quickly gain confidence and make good progress. In Years 3 to 6, opportunities are occasionally missed to provide additional challenge or guidance for more able pupils. Although the school sets challenging targets for how many pupils should attain average levels, targets for how many should attain higher levels are insufficiently demanding. Consequently, fewer pupils than could be expected exceed levels expected for their ages, especially in mathematics

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Grade: 2

and science. Teaching and learning and the curriculum are good. Lessons are well planned and interesting. Pupils are required to work hard and concentrate in class. From the Early Years Foundation Stage onwards, behaviour is consistently good. In lessons, pupils are given many opportunities to speak to one another and to hold short discussions in pairs or small groups. This practice contributes to their excellent progress in speaking and listening and by the end of Year 6, pupils use spoken English confidently and articulately. Teachers' marking of pupils' work is challenging and gives clear guidance on where improvement is needed. Many pupils, especially in older classes and in writing, show an impressive understanding of exactly where they need to focus their efforts in order to move their work on to the next level. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Staff take great care of pupils and

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Grade: 2

manage pupils well, and relationships are excellent. Consequently, pupils feel secure, thoroughly enjoy their time at school and are friendly, polite and mature. Pupils readily take on responsibility and make an excellent contribution to the school and the wider community. The vast majority of both parents and pupils regard the school highly. Both parents and pupils remarked on how much pupils enjoy school.

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Grade: 2

Children thrive on the good provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They benefit from good induction arrangements, including home visits, and high quality care and support, settle quickly into the Nursery class and soon develop enthusiasm for learning. They behave and 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Wyvern Primary School, 8–9 June 2009 cooperate well when, for example, learning to count and order numbers. Staff have a very good knowledge of their needs and provide particularly well for children with limited English and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. As a result, these and other children make good progress in all areas of learning. Children continue to make good progress in the two Reception classes, especially in their language and personal development. However, by the end of Reception, many pupils attain standards a little below those expected for their ages. Their good progress in language is supported by the strong emphasis given to helping children

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Grade: 2

understand and use letters and sounds, and also by the many opportunities children have for talking to each other and adults. Good quality teaching and the provision of many stimulating activities reinforce children's eagerness to learn and the development of independence and self- confidence. Themes such as the farmyard and the seaside capture the imaginations of the children and increase their knowledge of the world. Outdoor provision is good and children enjoy opportunities to choose activities from a wide variety of colourful resources. Staff have very good relationships with the children and are very sensitive to their needs. Occasionally children lose concentration when left too long without adult intervention, and this slows their learning. Good welfare procedures result in children feeling safe and happy as they learn. Assessment is used well to help staff plan children's next steps in learning. The good relationship with parents is enhanced

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Grade: 2

when many parents work with their children for a short time at the start of each school day. The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed and staff have a shared and accurate understanding of where further improvements are needed.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the proportion of pupils achieving higher levels, particularly in mathematics and science, by setting more demanding targets and providing greater challenge, guidance and support for more able pupils, especially in Years 3 to 6.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress and achieve well so that by the end of Year 6, standards are in line with national averages. However, a lower than average proportion of pupils attain higher levels, especially in mathematics and science. Standards in Years 1 and 2 have risen well this year to a little above average levels, and many more pupils attain standards expected of their ages. More Year 2 pupils have attained above standards expected for their ages in reading and writing. Writing is very well taught throughout the school and by Year 6, writing standards are above average. Those pupils with limited English soon begin to progress and achieve well. Strong emphasis is placed on developing pupils' oral skills and their progress and achievement in spoken English is excellent. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress due to good quality support by teachers and teaching assistants.

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Grade: 2

Pupils love coming to school and their excellent attitudes and keen enjoyment of lessons significantly contributes to the good progress they make in many lessons. Although a few pupils take extended family holiday breaks, attendance rates are good. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They express their feelings well; for example, a pupil in Year 2, writing about moral issues stated, 'I like to talk about bullying and I like it when people listen 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Wyvern Primary School, 8–9 June 2009 to me.' As a Year 6 girl said, 'We don't get bullying but lots of falling out.' Pupils almost always behave well in class, except on the rare occasions when teaching is less demanding and a few become unsettled. Pupils are well aware of dangers and safety outside of school, including road and internet safety, and they behave with consideration of the safety of others. Pupils

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Grade: 2

show a good awareness of how to lead a healthy life and are very keen to participate in the many sporting opportunities provided in school. Many pupils make a very strong contribution to the school and wider community and are developing a mature understanding of being good citizens. This is done, for example, through being members of the school council, the Wyvern Buddies or as Sports Leaders who say that their job is to help the little ones in the playground. A school council member said with great understanding, 'It's about involving all the children, not just the school council.' Their well-developed personal qualities and their good achievement in basic skills such as literacy and numeracy contribute well to their preparation for the next stage in their education and later life.

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Grade: 2

Teachers establish a very positive working atmosphere. Pupils are expected to behave and concentrate well and to work hard. The teaching of writing is a major strength and particular writing skills are systematically developed, not only in English lessons but in other subjects. Standards in reading and spelling are rising in younger classes due to good quality daily teaching of letters and sounds and also due to the well-organised home reading programme. In English and mathematics, work is often well matched to the learning needs of pupils of different abilities. In some subjects, such as history, geography and science, teachers' plans are sometimes insufficiently adapted to meet the full range of abilities within the class. This occasionally slows the progress of the more able. Interesting resources, including the interactive whiteboards, are used well to support good quality teaching and pupils' enjoyment of learning.

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Grade: 2

Particularly strong emphasis is given to developing pupils' English skills, and pupils make very good progress in writing and excellent progress in speaking and listening. Pupils enjoy the wide range of interesting activities and approaches to learning provided by staff. The curriculum is enriched well by a broad and continually changing programme of clubs such as Indian cookery, dance and German. Also, visits are used well to extend pupils' experiences and develop their knowledge of the wider world. These include, for example, residential visits and visits to an Asian neighbourhood centre and a farm. Many sporting activities are offered, including basketball, and all pupils have the opportunity to learn French. The curriculum is modified very well to meet the learning needs of pupils with limited spoken English and also to those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. It is less often modified to meet the learning needs of

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Grade: 2

Pastoral care is outstanding and academic guidance and support is good. The strong emphasis all staff place on every aspect of pupil care is reflected in the provision of healthy lunches and 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Wyvern Primary School, 8–9 June 2009 the high, yet discreet, level of security. Pupils know they have someone to talk to and that they are listened to if they have a problem. Thorough attention is paid to risk assessments, especially in relation to the many trips out of school. Child care and protection arrangements fully meet current requirements. Pupils with learning difficulties and pupils at early stages of learning English receive frequent additional support but less emphasis is given to providing additional support and guidance to higher attaining pupils. All teachers mark pupils' work thoroughly and set clear targets for the next steps in learning. Consequently, many pupils have

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Grade: 2

an impressive knowledge of how well they are doing and understand exactly what they need to do to improve, especially in their writing.

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Grade: 2

Good leadership and management are evident in pupils' good progress and in their polite, confident and pleasant demeanour and good behaviour. Senior leaders encourage and enable other leaders to develop their leadership roles. Subject leaders carry out their roles effectively and work in close partnership with senior leaders and governors. Governors know the school well and help the school improve by providing good challenge and support. They recognise, however, that they need further training in using national data to compare the performance of the school with similar schools nationally. Clear guidance and training for staff and rigorous follow-up checks ensure that aspects of teaching, such as the way pupils are helped to improve their work, are consistently effective throughout this large school. Parents are kept well informed about school events and how they might help their children at home. The school has recently reviewed and improved the way it contributes to community cohesion.

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Grade: 2

Staff ensure that pupils develop a clear understanding and sensitivity towards each other's life and beliefs and also of those of other ways of life in modern Britain. Good links with contrasting schools in Britain and overseas are helping pupils learn about other ways of life in our country and abroad. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Wyvern Primary School, 8–9 June 2009 .

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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: Wyvern Primary School, 8–9 June 2009

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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?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 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: Wyvern Primary School, 8–9 June 2009

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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 2 The attendance of learners 2 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 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 3 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: Wyvern Primary School, 8–9 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

10 June 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Wyvern Primary School, Leicester, LE4 7HH Thank you for making us so welcome when we came to inspect your school. We send special thanks to those of you who gave up part of your lunchtime to talk with us. We thoroughly enjoyed talking with you and your teachers and watching you learn. Wyvern Primary is a good school. It is well run, giving you a good education and a good preparation for life in your next school and in the wider community. Adults teach you well so that you make good progress. I am pleased yours is such a happy school and that you and your parents are pleased with it. You clearly thoroughly enjoy school and attend regularly. You all have a clear understanding of how to act safely. You understand what is right and what is wrong. You also show consideration for others and are very friendly to each other. You should be proud of your good behaviour and manners. Those of you who find learning difficult make good progress because

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the school helps you learn. Those of you who speak other languages at home make great strides in learning to speak and write English. There are many things that your headteacher, the staff and the governors want to improve because they want your school to get even better. We agree with them that there is one important thing to be done first. This is to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ help those who find learning easier to do even better in science and mathematics.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I send you our very best wishes for the future. Yours faithfully Roger Sadler Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Wyvern Primary School, 8–9 June 2009

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