Gig Mill Primary School

Gig Mill Primary School Inspection report

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103822 Unique Reference Number Dudley Local Authority 323904 Inspection number 2–3 October 2008 Inspection dates Jenny Batelen 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 479 School (total) 95 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 Janet West Chair Philip Raybould Headteacher 19 October 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection The Broadway School address Norton Stourbridge DY8 3HL 01384 818600 Telephone number 01384 818601 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 2–3 October 2008 Inspection dates 323904 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: Gig Mill Primary School, 2–3 October 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Gig Mill Primary School is bigger than most primary schools. Most pupils come from White British family backgrounds. About one fifth of the children have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language. Some children start The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) in Nursery and move into Reception where they are joined by a significant number of children from a variety of other settings. A single intake into Reception in September has begun this term. The 326 breakfast and after-school club is privately run.

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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: Gig Mill Primary School, 2–3 October 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school where staff are committed to the pupils and their welfare. The pastoral care provided is outstanding with the emotional well-being of pupils being central to the school's philosophy. Every child does indeed matter and leaders at all levels work together to ensure that this is so. Excellent induction procedures ensure that children have a confident start to school. Parents value this and the continuing care for their children in 'a large school that is a small family', as one parent commented. The school has successfully addressed the issues from the last inspection and continues to enable pupils to make good progress. Children enter the Nursery with skill levels in line with what is expected for their age and make good progress so that by the time they leave at the end of Year 6 they achieve above average standards. This is because teachers plan carefully and make good use of a range of resources,

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Grade: 2

thus giving appropriate challenge to all children. The care taken to ensure that all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, are able to achieve their best, is excellent. Pupils behave very well and are careful and considerate of each other and of adults. They appreciate the opportunities given, for instance, in assembly, to learn more about their responsibilities towards each other. There is outstanding provision for healthy lifestyles through the high quality school meals, sporting opportunities and outdoor learning. This is recognised through such awards as Healthy Schools, Football Association Charter standard and Emotional Well-Being award. There is consistency of provision throughout the school. Adults work well together and build good relationships with parents to support this provision. The broad curriculum is enhanced by the imaginative ideas of the staff and the introduction of Spanish and French is popular

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Grade: 2

with pupils and parents, giving 'a good basis to take them further at secondary school', as one parent commented. There are opportunities for pupils to experience a range of extra learning experiences through visitors to the school and visits, including residential stays. There is some inconsistency in the way that targets are used to improve the pupils' standards and, as a result, not all pupils know the steps they need to take to achieve those standards. The core skills in literacy, numeracy and science are well taught, but are not always used effectively across other areas of the curriculum. Pupils are well aware of and involved in their immediate and local communities, but systems to help them understand their place in the global community are not yet fully developed.

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Grade: 2

Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is good. Every child counts in this setting. Staff carefully assess children's attainment on entry, both to Nursery and Reception. Children make good progress in Nursery. Attainment on entry to Reception is varied and a significant number of children have skills below that expected for their age. Children continue to make good progress in Reception and standards on entry to Year 1 are broadly average. All areas of the curriculum are promoted equally well indoors and outdoors, with focused tasks and assessment opportunities being provided at all times. Adults support children effectively so that most become engrossed in their activities and enjoy their learning, although a few need more support to complete the focused tasks. Physical activity is planned into all areas of the 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Gig Mill Primary School, 2–3 October 2008 curriculum in response to an identified need when children start at school. The use of passwords

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Grade: 2

for adults picking up the children, the security of the site and children's understanding of how to keep themselves safe contribute to the outstanding promotion of the welfare of the children. The leadership and management of the EYFS are good. Teaching and learning are monitored and rigorous self-evaluation of the setting ensures continuous improvement. The leader is part of the whole-school senior leadership team, reflecting the value the school places on the EYFS. Partnership with parents is strong and one parent commented that 'Reception…provides a superb foundation for the children' and this is representative of the views of many. There is a strong partnership with outside agencies and the school's special educational needs co-ordinator to ensure that all pupils' needs are met and there is early identification of any children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the consistency in the guidance given to pupils to accelerate their progress, through marking and the effective process of setting targets. ■ Promote the development of basic skills across the curriculum.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the pupils' understanding of a culturally diverse global society.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well, reaching above average standards by the time they leave. This has been a consistent trend in Key Stage 2. There was a dip in standards last year but the school has identified the reasons for this and put in place many intervention programmes to support this year group throughout its time in Key Stage 2. Standards in Key Stage 1 have been below average, but recent results show a rise in standards, reflecting the increased provision of phonic teaching and the whole-school focus on writing. Staff use regular assessments and tracking systems to identify pupils who are not making the expected progress and use planning and targets to raise achievement. There is good challenge for the higher attaining pupils which is reflected in the number of pupils achieving the higher levels in all three subjects in the end-of- key stage tests. The use of the process of setting targets is developing, but pupils are not

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Grade: 2

always aware of how to make the small steps to achieve the targets. The school has identified mathematics as an area for development. There is good provision for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, with good identification and targeted intervention. Because of this support, these pupils make as good progress as their classmates and achieve well.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral and social awareness is good. All opportunities are taken to develop these areas and pupils spoke of liking assemblies as they 'make you think about how to care for others'. Opportunities for developing pupils' cultural awareness are not as strong. Pupils have an excellent awareness of how to lead healthy lives. The lunchtime provision enables pupils to make healthy choices and pupils with packed lunches are aware of the need to eat healthily. There is excellent sport provision, both within and in addition to the main curriculum, making good use of outside support as well as the expertise of the school staff. Pupils' safety is well managed and pupils are aware of how to keep themselves safe. They enjoy their time in school and staff are alert to helping pupils who, for some reason, may not be happy. Behaviour in classrooms and around school is very good and all members of the school community have

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Grade: 2

5 of 11 Inspection Report: Gig Mill Primary School, 2–3 October 2008 respect for each other. Pupils are encouraged to work as teams in their lessons and have a good involvement in their local community. Standards achieved mean they are being well prepared for the next step in their lives and opportunities for the older pupils to participate in projects at the local high school broadens their understanding of the world of work.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good and pupils make good progress overall. Teachers have very good relationships with the pupils and employ a wide range of methods to involve and inspire them. They use resources extensively and creatively and pupils enjoy learning. Well differentiated planning and learning enables all pupils to make progress in their lessons. Pupils are usually clear about what they are learning and, in the best lessons, they are helped to understand the learning objectives. Teaching assistants are very effective in their support for learning and assessment of pupils' progress. The use of targets is not consistent throughout the school and their use is not always clear enough to pupils to enable them to check their own progress. Similarly, systems to help pupils to assess their own work are inconsistent.

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Grade: 2

The constantly evolving curriculum enables all pupils to enjoy learning and achieve well. Provision for pupils who find learning difficult is good and all pupils have equal access to the curriculum and make good progress. Although there is some evidence of literacy and numeracy activities making a good contribution to pupils' learning in other subjects, opportunities are missed to use the core skills in all the different curriculum areas. Year group leaders plan effectively together to ensure continuity and progression in learning and to enable pupils to make a smooth transition between classes. The flexible approach to setting and grouping for English and mathematics ensures that pupils get the help and support they need. There is a wide range of well attended clubs and activities, visits and good interaction with the local community. The school makes excellent use of its outdoor facilities across the curriculum.

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Grade: 2

The personal care, guidance and support for the pupils are outstanding. Parents value this highly. There are good procedures for promoting good behaviour and attendance and the pupils' attitude to and enjoyment of their lessons reflects this. The good provision for pupils who find learning difficult and the excellent links with external agencies ensures an equally high standard of care for these groups. There are robust safeguarding procedures. The academic guidance and support of the pupils is developing. The process of setting targets in literacy is secure, but less so in numeracy, and pupils are not yet fully involved in the process. Marking, although thorough, is not always consistent and does not always indicate the required next steps in learning. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Gig Mill Primary School, 2–3 October 2008

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good and there is a good capacity to improve. The school has made significant changes to the leadership team since the last inspection and this is promoting a high quality education for all children. All managers and leaders are clear about their role and contribute to the self-evaluation and progress of the school. However, the school does not yet have effective systems to measure the success of its actions to bring about improvement. The school gives good value for money, balancing the costs of maintaining the building with the desire to maintain the level of resourcing for the school. Governors are committed to the school and support and challenge appropriately. Leaders at various levels are responsible for reporting to governors. The school enables pupils to have a good understanding of its own school community and has excellent links with the local community, with which the

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Grade: 2

pupils have regular opportunities to be involved. However, the opportunities to develop an awareness of the wider world community are not yet strong enough to help pupils understand and value the rich diversity of nations. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Gig Mill Primary School, 2–3 October 2008 .

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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: Gig Mill Primary School, 2–3 October 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?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Gig Mill Primary School, 2–3 October 2008

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 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 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 3 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Gig Mill Primary School, 2–3 October 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Inspection of Gig Mill Primary School, Stourbridge DY8 3HL Thank you very much for making us so welcome when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you and joining you in your lessons. This is what we found out about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher and all the teachers care a lot about making sure you are happy so that you can work hard and make good progress. ■ You told us how school helps you to understand how to care for others and you do!

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave very well and are polite and friendly.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You know a lot about leading healthy lives, take part in plenty of activities, and enjoy the healthy lunches that the school provides. ■ There are plenty of activities for you to take part in out of lesson time.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ All the adults work hard to make sure that you are safe. They have good plans to make sure that your school continues to get even better. ■ Your parents support the school and work with the teachers to help you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked your teachers to do three things that, with your help, will make your school even better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Help you to have a better understanding of how you can achieve your targets, through, for instance, the way your books are marked. ■ Encourage you to use the skills you learn in literacy, numeracy and science in all your other subjects. ■ Help you to have a better understanding of the world we live in and the way people in different countries live. My best wishes to you all. Yours sincerely Mrs Jenny Batelen Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Gig Mill Primary School, 2–3 October 2008

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