Kingshurst Primary School

Kingshurst Primary School Inspection report

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135139 Unique Reference Number Solihull Local Authority 319614 Inspection number 18 °19 June 2008 Inspection dates Usha Devi HMI 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 Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 437 School The governing body Appropriate authority Pauline Griffiths Chair Anne Edkins Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection School Close School address Kingshurst Birmingham B37 6BN 0121 7886510 Telephone number 0121 7886511 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 18 °19 June 2008 Inspection dates 319614 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

In 2007, Kingshurst Junior and Kingshurst Infant Schools were amalgamated to form a new school. Kingshurst Primary School opened in September 2007. Therefore, there is no previous inspection report. The school operated on a split site until January 2008. It is now housed in a new building in North Solihull. Within the school premises, there is a before- and after-school club and a children's centre. The vast majority of the original Kingshurst Junior and Kingshurst Infant School pupils attend the new primary school. The majority of children come from White British families with a small number from minority ethnic backgrounds. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above the national average, as is the percentage of pupils eligible for free school meals. Since February 2008, the permanent headteacher has been absent and the deputy headteacher has been the acting headteacher. An experienced headteacher from a local primary school is

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Description of the school

working closely with the school and providing senior staff with additional support.

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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: Kingshurst Primary School, 18 °19 June 2008

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Grade: 3

Kingshurst Primary School is a satisfactory school. This new school is a positive and welcoming environment where staff work together well to ensure pupils receive a good level of care. Despite the limitations of working across two sites, a change in leadership and delays with moving into the new school, staff have worked hard to ensure that pupils have settled very quickly. As a result, pupils say that they feel really safe and find school very enjoyable. Pupils' personal development and well-being are satisfactory with some good features. Behaviour in classes and around school is good and pupils are safety conscious. Through their involvement in the work of the newly formed school council and fundraising events, pupils make a satisfactory contribution to the local community. When children start in the Nursery, their performance is below that normally expected. They make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage but begin Year 1 with levels of attainment

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Grade: 3

that are below those expected for children of their age. The school's assessment information shows that the majority of pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1 and 2. Due to recent improvements in provision, the rate of progress is accelerating and an increasing proportion of pupils are beginning to make good progress. Standards are below the national average but steadily rising. The school has identified some variations in performance in reading, writing and mathematics between classes and groups of pupils. For example, pupils in some classes in Key Stage 1 and 2 make relatively better progress in reading than writing. The school has secure plans in place to even out these variations. While the school's collective leadership and management are satisfactory, the leadership of the acting headteacher is good. She has worked sensitively with staff to create a common sense of purpose. Staff and governors share her determination to raise standards further and respond

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Grade: 3

enthusiastically towards new initiatives. For instance, following a whole-school review of the quality of teaching and learning, the acting headteacher introduced a consistent approach to teaching literacy and mathematics. She also redeployed some teachers and teaching assistants in Years 5 and 6 so that they could provide additional support to groups of pupils who were not making the expected rate of progress. These actions have been contributing positively towards the rising standards and rates of progress. This, together with secure self-evaluation and improvements since the amalgamation, indicates the school has a satisfactory capacity to improve further. The members of the school management team use the analysis of assessment information to identify pupils who are at risk of underachieving and meet with class teachers to agree the strategies for accelerating progress. However, following the identification of relative areas of

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Grade: 3

weakness, senior staff do not always undertake frequent checks or intervene promptly to ensure actions are consistently implemented and having the desired impact on pupils. The school is aware that this is leading to some inconsistencies in teaching. Teaching is satisfactory overall. Effective support from the local authority and the consultant headteacher has led to recent improvements in the quality of teaching. Some teaching is now consistently good and having a beneficial impact on pupils' achievement. Progress accelerates when teachers set imaginative tasks which challenge pupils' thinking and give them the opportunity to apply and build on their previous learning. However, this good practice is not sufficiently widespread. The pace of learning slows when teachers spend too long on whole-class introductions and leave too little time for pupils to learn actively during lessons. In too many 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Kingshurst Primary School, 18 °19 June 2008

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Grade: 3

lessons, there is insufficient challenge for the more able pupils. Consequently, they make satisfactory rather than good progress. Academic guidance is satisfactory. While pupils have individual targets for improvement, they are not fully involved in reviewing and assessing their progress towards these. The school is in the process of developing the curriculum, which is satisfactory. Some staff are beginning to place a greater emphasis on enhancing pupils' learning skills while also maintaining the necessary focus on pupils' basic literacy and mathematical skills.

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Grade: 3

A caring atmosphere pervades the whole Foundation Stage. Parents are particularly complimentary about the school's induction process into the Nursery. Staff place a high emphasis on children's personal and social development and ensure children settle quickly and feel well cared for and safe. Health and safety requirements are fully met, with teachers keenly aware of potential hazards. Children in the Foundation Stage make satisfactory progress because of satisfactory provision. In the better lessons, teachers plan practical tasks that engage the children, encourage creativity and develop independence. There is a satisfactory balance between child-initiated and adult-led activities. Occasionally, over long teacher input slows down progress because children do not have sufficient time to learn through practical experiences. The Reception classes are in the process of developing the outdoor curriculum. Leadership of the

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Grade: 3

Foundation Stage is satisfactory. The assessment of children's progress is not yet consistent.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards and ensure a consistently good rate of progress in reading, writing and mathematics throughout the school. ■ Strengthen the quality of teaching further to ensure that it is consistently good or better, particularly by increasing the level of challenge for the more able pupils. ■ More frequently monitor the performance of pupils and intervene promptly when pupils are at risk of underachieving. A small proportion of 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.

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Grade: 3

Standards are below average overall. Pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, make satisfactory progress. Recent improvements to the teaching of mathematics and literacy are having a successful impact on pupils' learning. Although progress is satisfactory overall, there is some unevenness in the progress made in different subjects in some classes in Key Stage 1 and 2. For instance, progress in reading has been relatively better than that in writing in Years 3 and 4. There is a legacy of underachievement in Year 6. The school reports that this is due to previous disruptions with staffing. However, from a low baseline, the pupils in this year group have made satisfactory and almost half have made good progress. The school's assessment information indicates that the more able pupils are capable of making faster progress and reaching higher standards. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Kingshurst Primary School, 18 °19 June 2008

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Grade: 3

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. There are strengths in pupils' social and moral development. Pupils work together amicably, respect the feelings of others and have a well developed sense of fair play. However, pupils show limited decision-making skills and initiative in lessons. Pupils' cultural and spiritual development is sound. Attendance levels are just below the national average. Despite the school's efforts to encourage good attendance, a number of parents continue to take their children on holiday in term time. Pupils' behaviour is good. A small minority sometimes present challenging behaviour but staff manage this well. Pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the importance of healthy lifestyles. Their satisfactory progress in literacy and numeracy helps them to be soundly prepared for their future.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall and improving. Very positive relationships exist between the teachers, teaching assistants and pupils. This has a beneficial impact on the pupils' attitudes towards learning. The teachers' behaviour management skills are good and help to ensure that no time for learning is lost. Pupils make good progress when teachers use open-ended questions to challenge pupils' understanding. They also achieve well when staff use assessment information to plan tasks that meet the different needs of learners. However, this is not always the case and in too many lessons teachers do not sufficiently challenge pupils. The tasks for the more able are often too easy. Teachers regularly mark pupils' work, but the quality of marking is inconsistent. On occasions, teachers offer little guidance on how work may be improved and accept low standards of presentation.

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Grade: 3

The school has extended the day in order to provide opportunities for a good range of enrichment activities to take place. This is a very positive initiative but, despite the school's best efforts, uptake of all after-school activities is very poor. Pupils appreciate the good range of educational visits. They enhance pupils' knowledge and add to their enjoyment of learning. After reflecting on a class visit to a local water treatment centre, as part of their science curriculum, one pupil remarked 'I know lots about micro-organisms in the water cycle, more than I could have learned in class.' Provision for pupils' literacy, numeracy, and information and communication technology skills is sound. Planning to support the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is satisfactory. The school is at an early stage of developing the links across subject boundaries and is only just beginning to expand the

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Grade: 3

opportunities pupils have to extend their writing skills.

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Grade: 3

The school is a very caring community where relationships between adults and pupils are positive. Consequently, pupils feel very secure and know their staff will listen if they have any 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Kingshurst Primary School, 18 °19 June 2008 worries at school. Child protection procedures are robust, as are health and safety checks. The acting headteacher is planning to extend the existing links with parents by inviting them to curriculum evenings and open days in the new school. The school works well with outside agencies to support pupils when this is required. The inclusion team, for example, is particularly effective at securing appropriate support for pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The quality of academic guidance is satisfactory. Pupils' knowledge of their learning targets is variable. Consequently, pupils are not always sufficiently aware of their next steps in learning.

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Grade: 3

The acting headteacher leads the school well. She has placed a high emphasis on accelerating the progress of pupils and raising standards. The members of the school management team provide her with effective support. They are leading their areas of responsibility with enthusiasm and are beginning to provide staff with guidance that is raising staff's expectations of pupils' capabilities. Although senior staff are monitoring the progress of pupils towards their individual learning targets, the targets for the more able pupils are not sufficiently challenging. Governors provide satisfactory support. They have a sound understanding of the school's priorities for improvement and are developing systems for checking the work of the school. For example, some governors have met with senior staff to evaluate the impact of actions on pupils' progress. During this period of transition, the school has received a good level of support from the local

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Grade: 3

authority and the consultant headteacher. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Kingshurst Primary School, 18 °19 June 2008 .

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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: Kingshurst Primary School, 18 °19 June 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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Overall effectiveness

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

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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 disabilities make progress

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learners?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 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 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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and interests of learners?

3 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: Kingshurst Primary School, 18 °19 June 2008

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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 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: Kingshurst Primary School, 18 °19 June 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Children Inspection of Kingshurst Primary School, Birmingham, B37 6BN Thank you for your friendly and warm welcome when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking to you about your work, visiting your classrooms and looking at your work. Thank you for telling us all about the changes that have taken place and your new school. We would like to say a special thank you to the children on the school council who came to talk to us. We decided that Kingshurst Primary is a satisfactory school and it is helping you to make satisfactory progress. We were pleased to see that some of you are now making good progress. This is what we liked most about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your behaviour is good and you listen carefully to each other and the adults you work with.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your acting headteacher, teachers and all the adults that work with you take good care of you and make sure that you are safe. ■ Your acting headteacher, the staff and governors are working hard to make your school even better. ■ Your school gives you the chance to visit many interesting places, like the water treatment centre. You told us that you enjoy visiting different places because it helps you to learn. We have asked Mrs Edkins, the staff and governing body to help you all make faster progress so that you learn as well as you can in reading, writing and mathematics. We have also asked all the teachers to make sure that your lessons challenge you to do your best, and that there are more checks to see that this is happening. You can help them by always working as hard as you can. Thank you once again to all the adults that work with you, the governors, the office staff, the adults who work in the local authority and you for making us feel so welcome. We wish you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the very best for the future. Yours sincerely Usha Devi Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Kingshurst Primary School, 18 °19 June 2008

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Annex B

Inspection of Kingshurst Primary School, Birmingham, B37 6BN

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Annex B

Thank you for your friendly and warm welcome when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking to you about your work, visiting your classrooms and looking at your work. Thank you for telling us all about the changes that have taken place and your new school. We would like to say a special thank you to the children on the school council who came to talk to us.

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Annex B

We decided that Kingshurst Primary is a satisfactory school and it is helping you to make satisfactory progress. We were pleased to see that some of you are now making good progress.

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Annex B

This is what we liked most about your school.

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Annex B

• Your behaviour is good and you listen carefully to each other and the adults you work with. • Your acting headteacher, teachers and all the adults that work with you take good care of you and make sure that you are safe. • Your acting headteacher, the staff and governors are working hard to make your school even better. • Your school gives you the chance to visit many interesting places, like the water treatment centre. You told us that you enjoy visiting different places because it helps you to learn.

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Annex B

We have asked Mrs Edkins, the staff and governing body to help you all make faster progress so that you learn as well as you can in reading, writing and mathematics. We have also asked all the teachers to make sure that your lessons challenge you to do your best, and that there are more checks to see that this is happening. You can help them by always working as hard as you can.

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Annex B

Thank you once again to all the adults that work with you, the governors, the office staff, the adults who work in the local authority and you for making us feel so welcome. We wish you the very best for the future.

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