King George V Primary School

King George V Primary School Inspection report - amended

p.1

131223 Unique Reference Number Sandwell Local Authority 315757 Inspection number 22 °23 November 2007 Inspection dates Jim Henry Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 207 School The governing body Appropriate authority Gillian Punshon Chair Alison Matthews Headteacher 15 March 2004 Date of previous school inspection Beeches Road School address West Bromwich B70 6JA 01215 530060 Telephone number 01215 530060 Fax number

p.1

3-11 Age group 22 °23 November 2007 Inspection dates 315757 Inspection number

p.1

Amended Report Addendum

Report amended due to Ofsted notification

p.2

Amended Report Addendum

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.

p.2

Amended Report Addendum

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

King George V is an average-sized primary school. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is higher than the national average. The majority of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and three quarters speak English as an additional language. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is in line with the national average. King George V School serves a relatively deprived area.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: King George V Primary School, 22 °23 November 2007

p.3

Grade: 3

King George V School provides a satisfactory education for its pupils. The relatively new headteacher has moved the school forward and has a clear vision and understanding of its needs. She has made significant changes to the leadership and management of the school, improving the way it monitors pupils' progress and establishing more rigorous procedures to evaluate teaching and learning. Satisfactory teaching with some good features ensures that pupils' achievement is satisfactory, even though standards are below average when they leave at the end of Year 6. From a low starting point, children make good progress in the Foundation Stage and make adequate progress in Key Stages 1 and 2. Satisfactory achievement in basic skills such as literacy and numeracy, coupled with good personal skills, means that the pupils are adequately prepared for the next stage of their education and later life. Pupils' spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is good. They behave well and their

p.4

Grade: 3

respect for each other reflects the school's success in celebrating the cultural diversity within the local community. Pupils feel safe in school. They have a good awareness of how to live a healthy lifestyle and take the opportunity to be involved in the variety of after-school clubs available. The majority of parents value the education and care that the school provides, although a small minority feel that the school should take more account of pupils' views. Attendance is satisfactory, but the level of unauthorised absence is high. This is due to a small number of families taking extended holidays during term time. In addition, poor punctuality by a minority of pupils inhibits teaching and learning at the beginning of the day. In most lessons, pupils really enjoy their education and make good progress. However, this is not yet consistent enough across the school. In some lessons, too much teacher-led activity

p.4

Grade: 3

results in pupils lacking the motivation to be fully engaged in their learning. In these lessons, expectations of how much pupils can do are not sufficiently high. Pupils have pride in their work and this is shown in the good presentation and layout of work seen in their books. The marking of work celebrates pupils' successes but is not consistently effective across the school in showing the pupils how to improve. The recently introduced pupil tracking system is helping teachers to monitor pupils' progress and identify any underperformance. Targets have been set for the end of each year group based on pupils' past achievements. At the moment, these targets are realistic but not yet sufficiently challenging. Pupils are aware that they have targets but do not fully understand what they have to do to achieve them. Effective steps have been taken to improve the school since the last inspection. The newly

p.4

Grade: 3

formed leadership team is beginning to have an impact on the quality of teaching and learning and the rate of pupils' progress, although the role of middle managers in monitoring aspects of the school's work is as yet underdeveloped. The governors are supportive and are beginning to hold the school to account for the achievement and standards reached. The capacity of the school to improve further is satisfactory.

p.4

Grade: 2

Children start in the Nursery with knowledge and skills that are well below what is typical for their age, particularly in literacy and numeracy. However, due to the very caring relationships 4 of 11 Inspection Report: King George V Primary School, 22 °23 November 2007 the school fosters, children settle quickly and achieve well. They are safe and well looked after. They make new friends quickly, work alongside everyone happily, and behave well. Teaching is good. Interesting activities provide a good balance between those that are led by adults and those that the children choose. This helps them enjoy their education as well as explore new experiences confidently. Children's standards are still below the expected levels by the end of the Foundation Stage, particularly in literacy skills such as writing. Good strategies, such as more speaking, reading and writing activities, are in place to address this. Children new to

p.4

Grade: 2

learning English are given good support and progress quickly. Good leadership and management ensure effective teamwork amongst all staff. Classrooms are very stimulating and well resourced. The outdoor area, which is particularly popular, provides children with attractive space to play and learn independently and extend their skills.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ raise the quality of teaching and learning so that it is consistently good

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ ensure that middle managers play an effective part in the monitoring of the school's work

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ ensure pupils have good academic guidance, including more challenging targets, to improve their work ■ improve the attendance and punctuality of pupils.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

p.5

Grade: 3

Pupils make good progress in the Foundation Stage and satisfactory progress across Key Stages 1 and 2. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1, although they rose overall in 2007, are below the national average. Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 have fluctuated in recent years, from being in line with the national average, to above in 2006, and falling below in 2007 in mathematics and science. Achievement is satisfactory overall, but inconsistent because of the lack of challenge in some lessons. The school is effectively beginning to address this through the tracking of pupils' progress and the setting and monitoring of individual targets. The headteacher has regular meetings with class teachers to monitor steps towards achieving targets set for the pupils. This is starting to improve the identification of any underperformance and have an impact on the progress of pupils across the school.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils' positive attitudes to learning show that they enjoy school. 'I like school because we learn so much' is a typical comment. Pupils are polite, courteous and respectful of others. They know what is expected of them and respond well, even in lessons that are uninspiring. They work well with others and enjoy many responsibilities. For example, 'playground buddies' take care of those who are upset or lonely. The school council influences school improvement by, for example, deciding what clubs and play facilities pupils might like and how to raise funds for charity. Many pupils choose healthy options at lunchtimes and run a 'healthy tuck-shop' to influence others. They exercise regularly through the many sporting activities on offer. By 5 of 11 Inspection Report: King George V Primary School, 22 °23 November 2007 working with community safety officers on anti-bullying projects, pupils know how to stay safe

p.5

Grade: 2

and whom to go to if they feel threatened. Through various recycling projects, litter collecting in the locality and representing the school at public events, pupils contribute well to the wider community. There is a strong sense of community harmony within the school. Visitors and visits help pupils gain a good understanding of the many diverse cultures represented in the school and local area. The poor attendance of a few pupils impedes their progress, and the lateness of others means that lessons are sometimes disrupted at the beginning of the day.

p.6

Grade: 3

In most lessons, pupils are keen to learn and good relationships ensure a productive atmosphere. Where teaching is particularly effective, the pupils really enjoy lessons because they have pace, work matches their needs and they work independently. In the less effective lessons, too much teacher-led activity takes place and there is not enough challenge for some pupils. As a result, time is not always used effectively to support the progress of pupils and some become disengaged from their learning. An effective system for the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning has been introduced and this is beginning to have an impact on improving the quality of teaching. The marking of pupils' work is inconsistent across the school, and targets for helping the pupils to improve are more effective in some classes than in others. Lessons are planned to use support staff effectively to help pupils with learning difficulties.

p.6

Grade: 3

Whilst the curriculum is satisfactory, it does not always provide opportunities for pupils to work independently or apply their basic skills across subjects. Planning covers subject requirements adequately but there is not enough challenge for some pupils and, consequently, they make less progress than they could. The recent focus on boosting pupils' writing skills through the 'Big Writing' project is having some impact on raising standards in Key Stage 2. Teachers are beginning to link learning across subjects to help pupils make better sense of their learning but these strategies are still relatively new. A good programme supports pupils' personal development effectively, particularly promoting healthy and safe lifestyles. Pupils appreciate the many after-school sports clubs and other events that make school fun. They benefit from many visits, including the residential trip, and from the good range of visitors who help to make

p.6

Grade: 3

the curriculum more interesting. Such activities boost pupils' confidence and give them a good insight into the world beyond school.

p.6

Grade: 3

Care arrangements are good. Procedures to ensure pupils' safety, welfare and protection are securely in place. Pupils have the confidence to go to any adult in the school if they have any problems. Pupils new to the school are welcomed warmly and arrangements to prepare pupils for secondary school are effective. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who are new to learning English receive good individual support. External agencies such as the behaviour support service, educational psychology service and the education welfare office are involved where appropriate. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: King George V Primary School, 22 °23 November 2007 The school now has effective systems to check pupils' academic achievement and any pupils who are underachieving are identified early so they can receive the help they need to catch up. The assessment data on pupils' achievement is used to support and inform the setting of targets

p.6

Grade: 3

for pupils. However, teachers do not make best use of this information to challenge pupils fully or involve them in the process so that they understand what they need to do to reach their targets. Similarly, some marking is good at guiding pupils but the practice is inconsistent.

p.7

Grade: 3

The relatively new headteacher is having a very positive impact on the work of the school by providing strong leadership and giving a clear vision of the school's strengths and areas for development. Staff share this vision and are supportive of the drive to bring about improvement. The newly appointed middle management leadership team are beginning to effectively support the headteacher and deputy headteacher, and there is a collective determination to move the school forward and implement change. The focus placed by the headteacher on monitoring and improving the quality of teaching is beginning to impact on increasing the rate of pupils' progress. The governors are supportive of the school and the recently appointed chair of governors is working closely with the headteacher to develop the procedures necessary to hold the school to account. The governors are developing their understanding of the strengths and

p.7

Grade: 3

areas for improvement in the school, especially in achievement and standards. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: King George V Primary School, 22 °23 November 2007 .

p.7

Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: King George V Primary School, 22 °23 November 2007

p.8

Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the 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 effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

p.9

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 disabilities make progress

p.9

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 2 How well 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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: King George V Primary School, 22 °23 November 2007

p.9

and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: King George V Primary School, 22 °23 November 2007

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

26 November 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of King George V Primary School, West Bromwich, B70 6JA Thank you for making us feel welcome when we visited your school. We enjoyed our visit because everyone was so friendly and helpful. Mrs Matthews and all the other adults in the school look after you well and make sure you are safe and feel happy. We thought you would like to hear what we found out about your school:

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you behave well and look after each other

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you are friendly and welcome new children in to the school

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you told us that you enjoy school, especially all the different trips and activities that you do both in school and after school ■ you enjoy being rewarded for working hard in class and are proud of your work

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your teachers and other adults work hard to help you get better at reading and writing and in other subjects. We have asked those who look after your school to do things to make it even better:

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure that your teachers set work that really makes you think and stretches you to do the best you can ■ make sure that senior teachers check that all the children are doing as well as they can

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure that all the children know what they have to do to improve and how to do it

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure that the few children who miss too much time at school attend regularly and those who tend to be late come on time. You can help by working as hard as you can with your teachers. I am sure that with everyone doing his or her best, school will continue to be a happy place where you enjoy learning. Good luck for the future. Yours sincerely Jim Henry Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: King George V Primary School, 22 °23 November 2007

p.11

Annex B

Inspection report: Error! Reference source not found. School, Error! Reference source not found. 1 of 1

p.12

Annex B

Inspection of King George V Primary School, West Bromwich, B70 6JA

p.12

Annex B

Thank you for making us feel welcome when we visited your school. We enjoyed our visit because everyone was so friendly and helpful. Mrs Matthews and all the other adults in the school look after you well and make sure you are safe and feel happy.

p.12

Annex B

We thought you would like to hear what we found out about your school:

p.12

Annex B

• you behave well and look after each other • you are friendly and welcome new children in to the school • you told us that you enjoy school, especially all the different trips and activities that you do both in school and after school • you enjoy being rewarded for working hard in class and are proud of your work • your teachers and other adults work hard to help you get better at reading and writing and in other subjects.

p.12

Annex B

We have asked those who look after your school to do things to make it even better:

p.12

Annex B

• make sure that your teachers set work that really makes you think and stretches you to do the best you can • make sure that senior teachers check that all the children are doing as well as they can • make sure that all the children know what they have to do to improve and how to do it • make sure that the few children who miss too much time at school attend regularly and those who tend to be late come on time.

p.12

Annex B

You can help by working as hard as you can with your teachers. I am sure that with everyone doing his or her best, school will continue to be a happy place where you enjoy learning. Good luck for the future.

p.12