Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery

Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery Inspection report

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125554 Unique Reference Number Warwickshire Local Authority 315259 Inspection number 11–12 November 2008 Inspection dates Ken Buxton HMI 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 222 School (total) 55 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 Dave Fenton Chair Sue Gallagher Headteacher 13 October 2003 Date of previous school inspection 9 January 2008 Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Clapham Terrace School address Leamington Spa CV31 1HZ 01926 423404 Telephone number 01926 430854 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 11–12 November 2008 Inspection dates 315259 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: Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery, 11–12 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is an average size primary school. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is slightly lower than average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is just above the national average and about 20% of pupils at the school do not have English as their first language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well above average as is the number having a statement of special educational needs. The school has a specialist base for pupils with speech and language disorders. Pupils attending this base work in classes and in small groups sometimes supported by a speech and language teacher, a teaching assistant or specialist therapist. Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision is located in the Nursery and Reception class. There is also a pre-school wrap-around care provision, which is on the same site, but managed independently. Pupils at the school are able to access a breakfast club and an after-school club

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Description of the school

that provide wrap-around care for pupils and are also independently managed. The school works in partnership with Warwick University to provide teaching placements for trainee teachers. The school has been awarded the Arts Council's Artsmark gold award, a silver status Eco-school award, an Active Mark award and has just gained Healthy Schools status.

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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: Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery, 11–12 November 2008

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Grade: 4

Although this school is providing an acceptable standard of education those responsible for leadership and management are not working together effectively to evaluate robustly the school's performance and to lead improvement. 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 than 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 leadership and management including governance. Taking their starting points into account, pupils make satisfactory progress overall. Pupils attending the speech and language base make good progress. Children join the EYFS with skills and abilities below those expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress across this

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Grade: 4

stage of learning. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have fallen over the last three years. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are below average with few pupils achieving the above average Level 5 in mathematics. The curriculum is satisfactory with weaknesses in mathematics resulting in some pupils in different year groups covering the same work. The quality of teaching is satisfactory overall. When teaching is good pupils respond with enthusiasm. Most lessons are organised well and engage pupils in learning. However, teaching does not always ensure that pupils are given work that best matches their different abilities. In some lessons teaching does not always expect enough of pupils and so the work they are given does not sufficiently challenge them. At the time of the inspection the school was making plans to set Key Stage 2 pupils into ability groups for mathematics. However, as this initiative had not fully started, it was too soon to judge the

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Grade: 4

impact of these plans. The pastoral care and support pupils receive is good. However the academic guidance given to pupils through teachers' marking is not always effective in helping pupils know what they need to do to improve. Pupil's personal development is satisfactory. Their behaviour is good and they work and play together safely. Pupils have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles, which they are keen to adopt. Leadership and management are inadequate because effective action is not being taken at all levels to improve standards. Plans to improve provision lack measurable targets that could be used to evaluate progress and reflect the limited opportunities for subject leaders to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning. There is insufficient emphasis on discussing standards with governors who are not receiving enough information to be able to hold the school to account. As a result there has been a fall in standards at the end of Key Stage 1 and standards at the

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Grade: 4

end of Key Stage 2 remain barely satisfactory. A number of recent changes to school organisation has bought considerable strain on leaders and taken up substantial amounts of time. As a result there has been some disagreement at senior leadership level and between governors. The majority of parents wrote through the inspection questionnaire to support the school's efforts but around a quarter of those replying feel that the school's efforts to consult and work in partnership have not been successful. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery, 11–12 November 2008

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Grade: 3

Most children begin school with skills below those expected for their age, especially in language, communication and physical development. Children's attainment on entry has fallen over recent years, partly because the number of children with a limited understanding of the English language has increased. The staff work closely with parents and other agencies to provide good levels of support and encouragement helping the children to settle quickly and begin to learn. Children generally make satisfactory progress during their time in the EYFS, given their capabilities and starting point. The school recognises that children's progress in speaking, reading and writing has been slower than in other areas. Consequently, action has been taken to remedy this weakness but some good opportunities to promote these skills are missed. Provision for children's personal and social needs is satisfactory. Children with speech and

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Grade: 3

language difficulties receive good support from the school's specialist language staff, teachers and teaching assistants and, as a result, they often make good progress. The curriculum is suitable and takes appropriate account of EYFS requirements. Assessment arrangements are underdeveloped, making it difficult to plan accurately for the wide ability range. Recent changes in personnel, including changes at leadership level, have impacted adversely on planning, organisation and developments in the EYFS.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality of leadership at all levels; ensure there is better monitoring and self-evaluation to provide a more accurate picture of teaching, learning, standards and achievement. ■ Improve standards and achievement, particularly at the end of Key Stage 1 and in mathematics.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise teachers' expectations of what pupils should achieve in lessons and make work more challenging. ■ Improve the quality of academic guidance for pupils through consistent high quality marking of work.

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Grade: 3

Pupils start Year 1 with standards that are below average. Standards have fallen over the last three years at the end of Key Stage 1 although the amount of progress pupils make in Years 1 and 2 has remained broadly satisfactory. Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 2. However, by the end of Key Stage 2 standards remain below average. In 2008 standards rose slightly in all subjects but especially mathematics. However, the rise in mathematics standards was due to more pupils achieving the average Level 4 whilst the proportion achieving the higher Level 5 fell. School data show that most pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make broadly satisfactory progress. Those pupils attending the speech and language base are supported well and, as a result, make good progress.

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Grade: 3

The personal development and well-being of learners, including their social, moral, spiritual and cultural development, are satisfactory. Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around the school is good and the vast majority display good attitudes to learning and work hard. However, 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery, 11–12 November 2008 attendance levels are below the national average despite the concerted actions taken by the school to improve matters. Pupils are keen to adopt healthy eating habits and they have a good understanding of the importance of physical fitness. Many participate in the extra-curricular activities, including sport. They develop confidence by taking on responsibilities around the school, including acting as playtime mentors and as members of the school council, where they make decisions to improve aspects of the school's provision. For example the school council's

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Grade: 3

recent efforts to improve the use of the pupils' toilets proved particularly successful. Relationships among pupils across the school are good and they feel safe and able to confide in adults, if needed. Pupils are supportive and show consideration for others, for example regularly befriending those who sit on the 'Friendship Bench' and encouraging them to join in. They make a satisfactory contribution to participating in community events by raising funds for charities and joining in with local events. The pupils' relatively low standards in basic skills mean that they are not as well prepared for the next stage of their education as they might be.

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Grade: 3

There are some good features in many lessons that engage pupils and ensure that they participate fully. In good lessons relationships are good and pupils behave well, often displaying good attitudes towards learning. The lessons are typically organised well creating a good working atmosphere and maintaining a good pace throughout. Teaching assistants and specialist staff contribute well in lessons, often supporting lower ability groups or helping pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to make satisfactory progress. However, teachers' expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always high enough and, although they plan in detail, they do not always cater sufficiently for the range of abilities in their class, with the result that pupils are not always challenged sufficiently and progress slows. The school is developing a new system for tracking pupils' progress but information from assessment is not yet used consistently

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Grade: 3

by teachers to match work accurately to pupils' individual needs. As a result of low teacher expectations, the presentation and standard of pupils' work is not always as good as it might be.

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Grade: 3

Much of the school's curriculum is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements. Insufficient progression across the mathematics curriculum prevents pupils making satisfactory progress. A few teachers are using relevant themes to link the learning in different subjects, but this skilful use of the curriculum is not yet evident more widely across the school. Pupils respond positively to lessons where they are involved in practical and investigative work because they enjoy the opportunity to apply skills learnt in one subject to a practical problem in another. Pupils in Key Stage 2 also benefit from being able to learn French as a modern foreign language. They are able to take advantage of a wide range of extra-curricular activities, educational outings and visitors that help to enrich their experiences. The Year 6 visit to Coventry Cathedral on Remembrance Day was a particularly successful outing that brought history to life in a most

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Grade: 3

powerful and memorable way; the experiences from this visit were used very successfully in class the next day. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery, 11–12 November 2008

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Grade: 3

Staff have a high concern for the pastoral welfare of their pupils and know them well. As a result, pupils feel safe and know that they have someone to turn to. There are effective arrangements for safeguarding the pupils. The academic guidance for pupils does not always help them understand what they need to do to improve. For example, the marking of pupils' work often acknowledges effort and achievement, but not enough attention is paid to explaining how pupils could improve their work. Pupils are given targets, for example in their literacy work, but they are not always written in child-friendly language. The exception to this is the good guidance offered to pupils who have speech and language difficulties.

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Grade: 4

Different levels of leadership are not working together effectively to ensure that there is a cohesive drive to improve standards and, as a result, insufficient attention has been spent on arresting and reversing the trend of low and declining standards. There is a lack of unity within the senior leadership team. The leadership of the EYFS has also been a cause for concern and was replaced at half term. There have been recent disagreements within the governing body, which have restricted the impact of their work to contribute towards tackling issues facing the school. These disagreements have also created a rift between the school and some parents, which has damaged the school's efforts to promote community cohesion. Information provided to governors is often overgenerous or insufficiently detailed in its assessment of the situation and does not give an accurate picture of how well the school is performing. As a result, governors have failed to identify precisely why standards and

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Grade: 4

achievement are falling. This is partly because the school's monitoring of initiatives is not robust enough and does not focus sufficiently on how new initiatives impact on pupils. School improvement planning does not identify, with enough precision, the priorities or actions that will secure the urgently needed improvement. Similarly, subject action plans do not focus sufficiently on raising pupils' achievement and subject leaders do not have enough opportunities to monitor the impact of their plans. The impact of leadership and management does not provide a convincing record of raising achievement and the capacity to improve is inadequate. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery, 11–12 November 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: Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery, 11–12 November 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?

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 capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

3 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 3 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 3 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 4 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

3 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 3 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: Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery, 11–12 November 2008

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learners?

3 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 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 3 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 4 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 4 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 4 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? Yes Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery, 11–12 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

13 November 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery, Leamington Spa, CV31 1HZ Thank you very much for making us so welcome when we visited Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery. We really enjoyed speaking with you in lessons, at lunchtime and around the school. Many of you told us how much you like your school and we can see why. This letter is to let you know what we wrote in the full report, which we have sent to the school. These are the things that we found are best.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The staff know you well and take good care of you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave well and you have good manners.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Children starting in the Nursery class settle quickly.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The speech and language base provides good support.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

During our visit, we found some important things that need to be improved. We have recommended that your school be given a Notice to Improve, which means there are some important things that need to improve. This is what we have asked your headteacher, staff and governors to do.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Ensure that those in charge of the school work together successfully to check what is happening in the school and bring about improvements. ■ Increase the progress you make, particularly in Key Stage 1 and in mathematics.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Ensure that staff have higher expectations of what you are capable of achieving so that they set you challenging work. ■ Make sure that you are given more help and clear advice on how to improve your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You can also help to improve things by working hard and by keeping your work neat and careful. Thank you once again and don't forget to do your best at all times. Ken Buxton Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Clapham Terrace Community Primary School and Nursery, 11–12 November 2008

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