Martinshaw Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 22–23 June 2009 Inspection number 327152 Martinshaw Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 119925 Local Authority Leicestershire Inspection number 327152 Inspection dates 22–23 June 2009 Reporting inspector Mike Capper

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 under pilot arrangements; it was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act .

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number on roll 200 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gurdip Bhamra Headteacher Andrew Raben Date of previous school inspection 12–13 June 2006 School address Forest View Groby Leicester Leicestershire LE6 0BB Telephone number 01162 876749 Fax number 01162 876207 Email address manager@martinshaw.leics.sch.uk Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk 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

This pilot inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 13 lessons or part lessons, and held meetings with governors, different groups of pupils and staff. They observed the school’s work and looked at teachers’ planning, the school’s assessment information, safeguarding policies and samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also analysed the 34 questionnaires that were returned by parents.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following:

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Introduction

 the attainment of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage and how quickly they learn  the effectiveness of teaching at meeting differing needs, particularly for less able pupils  the impact of leaders at improving provision for more able and gifted and talented pupils  how well curriculum enrichment contributes to pupils’ enjoyment of school  pupils’ cultural awareness and the school’s contribution to community cohesion.

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Information about the school

This average-sized primary school takes almost all of its pupils from the local community. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. The number of pupils identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities is broadly average. Most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a Reception class.

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Information about the school

The school has an Activemark for its work in physical education and an Eco-School Silver Award for the way it helps pupils to learn about the environment. Both of these awards were gained in 2008.

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Inspection judgements

Grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Main findings

This good school has improved significantly since the last inspection due to the sustained efforts of a determined leadership team. Progress has picked up across the school and is now good, although leaders know that there is still some unevenness in how quickly pupils learn in Key Stage 2.

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Main findings

Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage, where differing needs are met particularly well and there is a rich and exciting curriculum. In the rest of the school, attainment has begun to rise and it is now well above average in the current Year 6 in English, mathematics and science. In Year 6, early indications are that pupils will reach the school’s highest results for several years in national tests and will exceed their already challenging targets.

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Main findings

Pupils are taught well and have positive attitudes towards learning. Teachers provide good challenge for more able pupils in most lessons and there is helpful additional support for the gifted and talented through work in lessons and links with outside providers. The way that the school has improved provision for these pupils is indicative of the effectiveness of school self-evaluation. This is helping the school to identify and tackle areas of weakness quickly. Governors also play a good part in this. For example, they saw that there was a demand for additional support for parents outside the school day and introduced a well run breakfast club. Together, leaders have been effective in moving the school forward and they have successfully shown that there is a good capacity for further sustained improvement.

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Main findings

Good relationships between teachers and children mean that most pupils are happy at school. They especially like the exciting range of visits and visitors that teachers use to bring subjects alive and enrich the good curriculum. Teachers have good expectations of how well pupils should behave but they sometimes accept work from pupils that is not their best and is poorly presented. Teachers plan thoroughly for lessons, but in some classes in Key Stage 2, work is not always pitched at the right level for all pupils, especially the least able, and this slows learning. However, pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are supported well by skilled teaching assistants in many lessons. When this support is in place, they make faster progress towards meeting their targets for improvement.

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Main findings

The school’s contribution to community cohesion is satisfactory. Leaders know that they need to carry out an audit of provision to identify what they are already doing well so that when they write a policy it is pertinent to the school’s needs. Pupils already have good awareness of their own cultures and beliefs based on good work in the local community but there are few opportunities for pupils to meet with children from different social, economic or cultural backgrounds. Consequently, pupils’ understanding of life in multicultural Britain and beyond is comparatively weak and is a priority for improvement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching in Key Stage 2 so that it is good or better most of the time by ensuring that staff more consistently pitch work at the right level for all pupils, especially the least able  Improve the presentation of work by raising teachers’ and pupils’ expectations of what constitutes an acceptable quality of work  Improve the way that the school promotes community cohesion – by December 2009 ensuring that the school has carried out an audit of current provision and written a policy that guides leaders – by July 2010 establishing links with schools in different social, cultural or economic settings to strengthen pupils’ knowledge of life beyond Groby.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

Pupils’ good enjoyment of school is an important factor in their good achievement. Although there is some variation from year to year due to differing numbers of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in each class, attainment is improving throughout the school and in lessons where pupils learn quickly and perform well most of the time. Consequently, most pupils are making good progress, although the least able do less well in Key Stage 2, where work is sometimes too hard for them. Girls and boys make the same progress, with all pupils showing good interest and enthusiasm in lessons. Pupils get on well together and behave sensibly most of the time. Occasional silly behaviour is usually managed effectively by teachers.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

The school teaches pupils good values. Good links with a local church ensure that spiritual development is promoted well. Cultural development is satisfactory overall because pupils have a good awareness of their own cultural heritage. In contrast, their knowledge of cultures other than their own is comparatively weak and limits the school’s contribution to community cohesion. Pupils are very keen to take responsibility and do so very sensibly. School and eco-councillors are very conscientious and help pupils to make a good contribution to the community. For example, the ‘Lunchtime Legends’ reward scheme to improve behaviour was suggested by school councillors.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

With the exception of presentation, where teachers do not always have high enough expectations, basic skills are promoted well, and pupils develop good levels of confidence. They learn to manage budgets through activities such as ‘The Teddy Bear Repair Shop’. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education and later life. Pupils know how to stay safe and healthy. For example, they make sensible choices about what to eat at the ‘Healthy Tuck Shop’. However, not all pupils understand the importance of protecting themselves from the dangers of sunburn on a sunny day.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 2

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes Pupils’ attainment 1 2 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress 2 The quality of learning for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and their progress How well do pupils achieve and enjoy their learning? 2 To what extent do pupils feel safe? 2 How well do pupils behave? 2 To what extent do pupils adopt healthy lifestyles? 2 To what extent do pupils contribute to the school and wider community? 2 Pupils’ attendance 1 2 How well do pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being? What is the extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development? 2

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How effective is the provision?

Pupils are benefiting from a concerted and successful drive by senior leaders to improve teaching across the school, and although some inconsistencies remain, it is now good. Teachers are hard working and they make good use of resources such as the interactive whiteboards to make learning interesting. Teachers are making increasingly good use of information about what pupils already know to plan the next stage of learning, although this is not yet consistently good across the school. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Year 6, work is generally pitched at the right level for all pupils and consequently they quickly acquire new skills. However, there are occasions in Years 3, 4 and 5 when less able pupils do the same work as others. When this happens, work is sometimes too hard.

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How effective is the provision?

Pupils are well cared for and the school is diligent in identifying pupils who are finding school life difficult and works well with outside partners to find additional help when it is needed. Pupils enjoy school so much because there are many fun activities both in and out of lessons. As one pupil said, ‘Every day is different!’ Clubs and visits promote personal development well, although opportunities to learn about life beyond Groby are not integrated well into everyday learning. Good partnerships with other school’s support have a good effect on learning in subjects such as French.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching 2 The use of assessment to support learning 2 The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where 2

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 2

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How effective are leadership and management?

There has been a good drive for improvement over the last three years and, in the accelerated progress now seen in many lessons, the school is beginning to reap the benefits. Senior leaders and governors work together well and their ambitions for the school are shared by other staff. Together, they have a good understanding of what still needs to be improved based on thorough self-evaluations that take in the views of staff, parents and pupils and includes good analysis of data. Where teaching is still satisfactory, there are good systems for promoting improvement and this is having a beneficial effect. For example, the quality of marking has been developed well following staff training.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school promotes equality successfully and tackles discrimination with rigour so that pupils learn to respect each other. Leaders know that the school’s contribution to community cohesion is no more than satisfactory and they have rightly identified that they need to audit provision as a first step to moving forward in this area.

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How effective are leadership and management?

There are good arrangements for safeguarding pupils’ well-being and, at the time of the inspection, national guidelines in this area were fully met. The school is aware that it needs to have more rigorous systems in place to ensure that the right levels of supervision are maintained at lunchtime on those few occasions when a member of staff is absent.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in communicating ambition and driving improvement The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school’s engagement with parents and carers 2 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 3 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

‘My child has settled very quickly and is making super progress.’ This comment from a parent is typical of the positive view that parents have of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children’s achievement is good in the Reception class because they are taught well and are given high quality support to help them learn quickly. When children start school, most are working at the expected levels for their age. They make good progress and, in the current Reception Year, children are on track to reach above age–related expectations by the end of the year. This represents an improvement over attainment in 2008, when the school acknowledges that there were inaccuracies in assessments. Progress is especially good for the younger children who start school in the spring term; they are supported well and quickly catch up with their peers. All children benefit enormously from exciting activities that promote independence and confidence and provide generally good challenge

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Early Years Foundation Stage

whether they are working indoors or outdoors. Adults have high expectations of all children and they expect them to work hard at all times, although just occasionally there are missed opportunities to extend learning when they are working independently. Early Years Foundation Stage leaders have a good understanding of what still needs improving. For example, they are currently working on making even better use of the outdoor area by improving resources. Senior leaders in the school are aware that they need to develop their own knowledge of the Early Years Foundation Stage so that they can take a more active role in monitoring provision in the case of staff absence.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Views of parents and carers

The number of returned questionnaires was comparatively low. In these, a large majority of parents indicated that they are happy with the school nearly all of the time. Many feel that the school provides good quality care for the pupils and that their children are well taught, with the quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage being especially appreciated. A small number of parents raised concerns about communication and the way that unacceptable behaviour is tackled. Inspectors found that the school deals with occasional bullying or rough play appropriately but leaders know that they could do more to explain to parents how they do this. Systems for communicating with parents are the same as those typically found in most schools, although leaders have not recently published a school profile as required by regulations.

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Views of parents and carers

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Martinshaw Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. If a parent has more than one child at the school, we ask them to record an answer against all the questions, for each of their children. The inspection team received 34 completed questionnaires. In total, there are 142 parents and carers registered at the school.

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Views of parents and carers

Always Most of the time Occasionally Never Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 24 9 1 0

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. In 2007-8, 15% of schools were judged to be outstanding. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. In 2007-8, 49% of schools were judged good. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. In 2007-8, 32% of schools were judged satisfactory. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves. In 2007-8, 5% of schools were judged inadequate.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, training or development. This may refer to the acquisition of skills, knowledge, understanding or desired attributes. Attributes include qualities or personal competencies which are important to the development of the pupil; for example personal, social, cultural, emotional or health.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school. 24 June 2009

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Inspection of Martinshaw Primary School, Groby LE6 0BB

Thank you for welcoming us to your school and for showing us your work. You were polite and friendly and we are pleased that you attend a good school and are able to learn in such a lovely setting. The woodland area is wonderful!

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Inspection of Martinshaw Primary School, Groby LE6 0BB

Some of the things we found out about your school.

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Inspection of Martinshaw Primary School, Groby LE6 0BB

 Good teaching helps you to learn well and to make good progress across the school.  In the Reception class, children work together well and adults plan interesting work for you to do.  You are taught all the things you should be and you thoroughly enjoy school, especially the many clubs, visits and visitors.  You have a good understanding of how to stay safe and healthy. The gardening club sounds great fun and it is brilliant that you are being so careful about looking after the environment.  All adults in school are very kind and caring and they help you to understand how to improve your work.  Senior leaders and governors are leading the school well and they are doing the right things to make it even better.  Most of your parents and carers are pleased that you come to this school.

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Inspection of Martinshaw Primary School, Groby LE6 0BB

What we have asked your school to do now.

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Inspection of Martinshaw Primary School, Groby LE6 0BB

 Make sure that teachers always pitch work at the right level for all of you, especially those of you who find learning difficult.  Check that teachers always expect you to produce neat work.  Give you more opportunities to learn about life beyond Groby.

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Inspection of Martinshaw Primary School, Groby LE6 0BB

We thoroughly enjoyed talking with you about your work and watching you learn. You can help your teachers by trying harder to keep your work neat all of the time. Yours faithfully

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Inspection of Martinshaw Primary School, Groby LE6 0BB

Mike Capper Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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