St Andrew's Church of England Primary School

St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Resource Base for MLD Pupils Inspection report

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132806 Unique Reference Number Wolverhampton Local Authority 316021 Inspection number 4 °5 December 2007 Inspection dates David Carrington 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 Voluntary controlled School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 333 School The governing body Appropriate authority J L Smith Chair Linda Murphy Headteacher 19 May 2003 Date of previous school inspection Coleman Street School address Whitmore Reans Wolverhampton WV6 0RH 01902 558522 Telephone number 01902 558524 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 4 °5 December 2007 Inspection dates 316021 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. 4 °5 December 2007

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

St Andrew's CE is a large primary school with an integrated Resource Base for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. Whilst most pupils come from the local area, fifteen travel from other parts of the city for specialist learning support. Although the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is broadly average, there are more pupils with statements of special educational need than are usually found in schools of this size. There are eighteen different first languages spoken by the pupils and about half of the pupils are at an early stage in their use of English. The school has pupils from thirteen different minority ethnic backgrounds. The largest groups are from Pakistani, Indian, White British and Black British families. There is a small group of pupils from refugee or asylum-seeking families. The proportion of pupils who do not complete all of their education at St Andrew's is higher than most other schools. There

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Description of the school

is considerable hardship in the area around the school. When children start in the Nursery, they have low levels of skills and knowledge.

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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: St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Resource Base for MLD Pupils, 4 °5 December 2007

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Grade: 2

Parents are very pleased that their children attend this good school. It gives a warm welcome to pupils from all backgrounds and helps them to settle to happy and successful learning. The pupils want to do well because they are well cared for and given good support and guidance. They are also taught well, which means they build steadily from their low starting levels of skills and knowledge. By the time pupils leave Year 6, standards are a little below average. Progress is good in all year groups. The good quality of education is due to effective leadership and management. The headteacher gives an excellent steer to the school. The school's senior leaders work well together and provide very clear guidance for other members of staff. School leaders have high expectations and set challenging targets for the improvement of standards. Staff work well as a team, and systems to ensure that the school runs smoothly are generally good. Leaders have an accurate

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Grade: 2

understanding of the school's strengths and areas for further work. There is good capacity to take the next steps in improvement. Pupils' very different backgrounds are celebrated with enthusiasm. This is reflected in the display of pupils' work around the school, which shows that the pupils study from a good curriculum. English has key importance in the curriculum and the teaching of reading and writing is thorough. Pupils who have English as an additional language are supported well. They are keen to learn their new language and many soon become fluent, which is shown in the quality of their writing. Pupils are very proud of their school and they work together in harmony and friendliness. Their personal development is good. Although a few parents are worried about behaviour in the school, it is clear that the vast majority of pupils are well behaved and that staff deal effectively with the few who are not.

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Grade: 2

The 15 pupils who attend the Resource Base, enjoy their time at St Andrew's and they make good progress. They are taught well when they work together in their own room and also when they are taught with the other pupils. Specialist staff work in good partnership with teachers of the main classes and with people from the different support groups outside the school. Good records are kept to show the targets and progress of the pupils, although there is not yet enough precision in pupils' education plans or the development plans for the Resource Base. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities who are not part of the Resource Base also make good progress because they are well supported by the teaching assistants in class. Children in the Foundation Stage enjoy their work and make good progress. Their classrooms are bright and stimulating and show that their work is well matched to their needs. The outdoor

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Grade: 2

learning space is not as attractive or well resourced as the classrooms, which means the development of skills and knowledge is not as effective when the children work and play outside. The school takes great care of all vulnerable pupils. Procedures to safeguard pupils are secure. The progress of all pupils is charted carefully. A few pupils are frequently absent from school and their progress records show that they miss a lot of important work. Pupils who join the school later in their primary education often come directly from other countries. The school has good systems to assess their skills and knowledge when they start and to track their progress. Individual targets in English and mathematics are set for all pupils, and most pupils know them well. At present these targets are not referred to sufficiently when their work is marked, especially for higher-attaining pupils, so it is difficult for them to be fully aware of how well

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Grade: 2

they are doing or what their next steps are. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Resource Base for MLD Pupils, 4 °5 December 2007

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Grade: 2

Provision in the Foundation Stage is good. The children are well taught and there are lots of new and exciting things to learn about. They are enthusiastic learners who enjoy their many discoveries. By the time they leave Reception, the children have improved their skills and knowledge well, although very few reach the targets expected of children of this age. Whilst the outside learning area is in need of improvement, the children benefit from the time they spend in the Forest School. During the inspection, children in the Nursery were amazed and excited as they scrambled through the bushes to the treasure garden and were very excited when they dug up the hidden jewels. Their speaking skills were improved greatly by talking about these experiences. The Foundation Stage is well led and managed and the staff are always keen to improve what they can provide for the children.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the target sharing and marking systems to help pupils, especially the higher attainers, know what they need to do next to improve in order to reach their challenging targets. ■ Improve the quality of the outside learning space for children in the Foundation Stage.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Work with parents to ensure that all pupils attend school when they are fit and healthy.

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Grade: 2

Whenever pupils start school, they make good progress. Newcomers are welcomed and helped to settle quickly. They are soon eager to join other pupils in adding to their skills and knowledge. In most classes, there is a small group of pupils with very little English. They are supported well and quickly work together to improve their English. They know the importance of good English to help them learn effectively and to take a full part in all the interesting things in school. Pupils' obvious enjoyment of learning helps them to achieve well. Pupils work hard and their enthusiasm is infectious. Those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities try hard to keep up with the others and so their progress is good. Children in the Foundation Stage are keen to please their teachers and they happily investigate all the special things that are provided for them. Standards are rising. Although test results show that pupils reach levels just below the national

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Grade: 2

average, this represents good improvement during the time they spend in school. However, not as many pupils reach the higher levels in the tests compared to schools of similar size. The school has worked well to improve standards in reading and writing and is now working to raise standards in mathematics to an equal level. Pupils develop satisfactory basic skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT). This assists their preparation for the next step in their education satisfactorily.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy coming to school, and relationships with teachers and each other are good. They are usually well behaved and any examples of poor behaviour are dealt with effectively. Bullying is rare and any incidents are sorted out swiftly. Pupils are proud of their school and they work well together to help others in school and in the wider community. They enjoy being in school, 5 of 11 Inspection Report: St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Resource Base for MLD Pupils, 4 °5 December 2007 although despite the school's good efforts to encourage and reward regular attendance, it remains below average. Pupils are aware of healthy living and the importance of a balanced diet and exercise. They enjoy the 'huff and puff' exercise sessions. They know how to keep safe. The Nursery children exploring the Forest School took particular care not to pick up any sharp objects but pointed them out to staff so they could be removed safely.

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Grade: 2

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is good. They understand the difference between right and wrong, and are helped to understand and to celebrate their different cultural backgrounds. For example, in a Year 6 literacy lesson where children were writing about a family occasion, they discussed the ways in which families might celebrate Eid, Diwali or Christmas.

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Grade: 2

In most classes, pupils are taught well. In a few, teaching is satisfactory, although it is being improved successfully. Generally, teachers have good expectations of their pupils and they plan interesting activities to capture their imaginations. There is a brisk pace to lessons and pupils work hard because they are keen to reach their targets. There is good expertise to teach all the different groups in school. Staff are well trained to meet the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language. Teaching assistants provide valuable support to make sure their pupils are successful in their work. Art and music are well taught by specialist teachers, and the staff of the Resource Base are skilful in helping their 15 pupils do well. Pupils' work is marked regularly and the new system of marking has been established securely. However, the system is not sharply focused enough on whether individual targets have been

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Grade: 2

achieved or how the pupils can improve their work. Because of this, the higher-attaining pupils are not always pushed on fast enough.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is rich and inviting. Pupils are keen to find out about new things and often show good independent research skills. This is due to the practical nature of a lot of the work and the strong links between subjects. Reading and writing are often a very important part of work in subjects such as history, ICT and design and technology. There is a firm focus on developing pupils' creativity, with some good achievement in arts subjects. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is good because it is focused firmly on children's development in their six areas of learning. The Forest School is used well to broaden children's experiences. The rest of the outside space is less inviting and opportunities to build children's skills and knowledge are restricted by the rather bleak play space and fairly old resources. The school improvement plan includes a key priority to bring the quality of the outside space to a

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Grade: 2

good standard. The curriculum is extended well. Pupils are enthusiastic about the trips and residential visits they make. Year 2 pupils really enjoy their time spent overnight at a nearby learning centre. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Resource Base for MLD Pupils, 4 °5 December 2007 For many it is the first time away from home, and they are often nervous at first. They soon pick up courage and by the end of their short stay, they do not want to come away. Such positive experiences help their personal, social and health education greatly.

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Grade: 2

Staff are very concerned for the children's well-being and they take good action to safeguard them. Good links with parents help to make sure that pupils are happy and settled in their learning. Children settle well in Nursery and Reception, and their self-confidence is encouraged by the good quality of care and support. Parents are encouraged to support their children's learning by staying for a short while and helping their own child with starting a task. The needs of vulnerable children are well understood, and a good range of support is in place to help promote their personal and academic development. The school is alert to any possible difference in progress that groups of pupils show. Staff check the progress of pupils carefully and know how far, for example, pupils from the many different ethnic groups are making the same rate of progress. Pupils are given helpful feedback to show them how well they are learning, although this is not consistent in all classes. Sometimes they

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Grade: 2

are also told what to do next to reach their targets. Such guidance is not frequent enough, especially for the higher attainers who could reach even higher levels. Despite this, pupils are urged to do well and staff spend a lot of time advising them about their work and progress.

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Grade: 2

The school is led most capably by the headteacher who gives a strong steer to the school. The senior leaders share the headteacher's high expectations of the work of pupils and other staff. The school makes an accurate assessment of its performance, which it uses to set sensible priorities for further improvement. Systems to check and evaluate the quality of education and pupils' achievement are improving well and the new senior leadership team is showing that it has the ability to make essential improvements. Leaders and managers at all levels are working successfully to meet the increasingly challenging targets the school is setting in order to raise standards. Governors support the school's work to raise standards satisfactorily. They are beginning to ask important questions to check it is successful in all that it does. There is an effective partnership with parents, who have good opinions of the school. The school works exceptionally

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Grade: 2

well with people from outside agencies in order to provide a good quality education for all pupils. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Resource Base for MLD Pupils, 4 °5 December 2007 .

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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: St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Resource Base for MLD Pupils, 4 °5 December 2007

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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? 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 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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 disabilities make progress

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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 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

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and interests of learners?

2 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: St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Resource Base for MLD Pupils, 4 °5 December 2007

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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 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: St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Resource Base for MLD Pupils, 4 °5 December 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for the way you welcomed us to your school when we visited recently. We were impressed by your politeness, good behaviour and friendliness. You told us how much you enjoy school and about the way your teachers help you to learn. We agree with you that you are taught well and that St Andrew's is a good school. We have written a report to show all the things you can be proud of. The most important are:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you make good progress and your work improves well so that your standards are almost at the expected level when you leave Year 6 ■ you are pleasant people to know and you get on well with each other

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you learn well because your lessons are interesting and enjoyable

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ children in Nursery and Reception have fun in their learning and do well

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the adults in school look after you carefully

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your headteacher leads the school with expert skill. She is helped by other staff and the governors to make sure your education is good. There are three things that could be improved.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You do not have enough chances to find out what you need to do next to improve in order to reach your challenging targets. ■ The outside space for children in Nursery and Reception is not as full of interesting things as your classrooms. ■ A few of you have a lot of absence, which means you miss important things to help you learn.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We know you will help your teachers make these improvements. You can start by coming to school when you are well enough and by telling your teachers how well you think you are reaching your targets. We hope you do well in your learning. Good luck for the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: St Andrew's Church of England Primary School and Resource Base for MLD Pupils, 4 °5 December 2007

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Annex B

Inspection of St Andrew’s CE Primary School, Wolverhampton, WV6 0RH

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Annex B

Thank you for the way you welcomed us to your school when we visited recently. We were impressed by your politeness, good behaviour and friendliness. You told us how much you enjoy school and about the way your teachers help you to learn. We agree with you that you are taught well and that St Andrew’s is a good school.

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Annex B

We have written a report to show all the things you can be proud of. The most important are:

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Annex B

• you make good progress and your work improves well so that your standards are almost at the expected level when you leave Year 6 • you are pleasant people to know and you get on well with each other • you learn well because your lessons are interesting and enjoyable • children in Nursery and Reception have fun in their learning and do well • the adults in school look after you carefully • your headteacher leads the school with expert skill. She is helped by other staff and the governors to make sure your education is good.

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Annex B

There are three things that could be improved.

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Annex B

• You do not have enough chances to find out what you need to do next to improve in order to reach your challenging targets. • The outside space for children in Nursery and Reception is not as full of interesting things as your classrooms. • A few of you have a lot of absence, which means you miss important things to help you learn.

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Annex B

We know you will help your teachers make these improvements. You can start by coming to school when you are well enough and by telling your teachers how well you think you are reaching your targets.

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Annex B

We hope you do well in your learning. Good luck for the future.

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