Southglade Primary and Nursery School

Southglade Primary School Inspection report

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131005 Unique Reference Number City of Nottingham Local Authority 328546 Inspection number 24–25 September 2008 Inspection dates Pat Walsh HMI 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 339 School (total) 0 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 Cllr Brian Grocock Chair Mrs Linda Harrison Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Beckhampton Road School address Bestwood Park Nottingham Nottingham NG5 5NE 01159153980 Telephone number Fax number

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3–11 Age group 24–25 September 2008 Inspection dates 328546 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: Southglade Primary School, 24–25 September 2008

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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

This is a larger than average sized school with Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision for children in the Nursery and Reception classes. The school opened in September 2007, formed by the amalgamation of the infant and junior schools. The catchment serves an area of social and economic disadvantage. The school provides extended support through a breakfast and a nursery lunch club. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is low. An above average proportion of pupils are eligible for free school meals. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. The school recently gained the Gold Healthy School Award.

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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: Southglade Primary School, 24–25 September 2008

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory and improving school. The headteacher has been successful in establishing one new and united community from the two schools. The strong emphasis on building a confident staff team has resulted in a better curriculum and a shared commitment to improve pupils' achievement. However, it will take more time for the changes to impact consistently on pupils' achievement, the curriculum and teaching and learning, all of which are satisfactory. As a result, leadership and management are satisfactory overall. School leaders have set the school on the right path and give it a satisfactory capacity to improve further. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. The most recent test results indicate that standards, notably at the end of Key Stage 2, are rising. Progress varies between classes because although some lessons are good, teaching is not consistently effective in improving pupils' learning. Activities

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Grade: 3

do not always interest or challenge pupils sufficiently and assessment is not used precisely enough to help pupils learn. The school has identified writing as a weakness and has begun to tackle pupils' underachievement. There are early signs that the changes to the curriculum are improving pupils' skills in this area. Pupils with specific learning needs are supported appropriately and they make sound progress. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good and consequently the children make good progress from their low starting points. The pupils' personal development and well-being are satisfactory. They generally behave well in the classroom and have good attitudes towards learning. Positive relationships are a strong feature of the work of the school, and most pupils work well with adults and with each other. They are well cared for and know that adults are keen to offer help and support. They show a

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Grade: 3

good awareness of how to keep healthy and enjoy their involvement in sports activities. Their sound contributions to the school and the local community, along with satisfactory literacy and numeracy skills, help to ensure that they are adequately prepared for the next stage of their education and the world of work. However, there are too few opportunities for pupils to gain a thorough understanding of the wider culturally diverse community. The school knows what needs to be done to improve pupils' learning and its planning for the future is effective. The recently formed senior leadership team, under the enthusiastic direction of the headteacher, play a pivotal role in identifying and monitoring key areas for improvement. However, some of the systems, such as the whole-school tracking, have not been in place long enough to improve pupils' achievement consistently across all year groups.

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Grade: 2

The Foundation Stage is well led and managed, consequently the curriculum and teaching and learning are good in the Nursery and Reception classes. Good arrangements exist to ensure the children's safety, health and well-being, and the children get off to a good start. Although they vary from year to year and between areas of learning, children start in the Nursery with standards that are well below those typically found for their age. Aspects of language development, such as speaking, listening and writing, are particularly poor. Children make good progress in all areas of learning because of well planned activities and good quality adult support. Teachers and teaching assistants plan lessons that children find interesting and that are generally matched well to their abilities and needs however, at times there is too little challenge for the most able. By the end of the Reception year, some children reach the expected

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Grade: 2

4 of 11 Inspection Report: Southglade Primary School, 24–25 September 2008 goals but despite the good provision, many enter Year 1 with standards that are below expectations. The teaching of basic literacy and numeracy skills is firmly rooted in practical activities that appeal to children. New procedures have been introduced for teaching children letter sounds to support their writing and this is beginning to show in children's improved work. Progress in personal development is good. Children grow in confidence and independence. They eagerly choose from the wide range of activities, both inside and outside. They play happily together and learn to share and to make choices.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop a secure system for tracking pupils' progress and use the assessment information more precisely to target pupils and improve their learning, especially in writing. ■ Improve the quality and consistency of teaching by spreading good practice across the school and ensuring that lessons provide a suitable level of interest and challenge for all pupils. ■ Provide more opportunities for pupils' to develop their knowledge and understanding of a culturally diverse community. ■ A small proportion of schools whose overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory but which has areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next Section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Children's education gets off to a good start in the Foundation Stage but progress from this point on is uneven so that standards and achievement are satisfactory overall. This is largely because the quality of teaching and learning is variable and because some key management systems are an early stage of development. Pupils do best in reading and to a lesser extent in mathematics. In particular, work to strengthen the teaching of reading is beginning to pay dividends. Standards at the end of Year 2 and 6 are below average in these subjects and standards in writing and in speaking and listening lag further behind. This is because newly devised approaches to learning in writing are yet to be consistently applied. In addition, the success with which adults in the Foundation Stage harness talk to encourage learning is yet to be successfully mirrored in other year groups. Pupils with learning needs make satisfactory

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Grade: 3

progress because their precise needs are known and acted upon.

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Grade: 3

Pupils feel that what was once two schools has become one and one in which for the most part they feel safe and secure. Pupils are polite and well mannered. Coaching in this starts at an early age with adults modelling good eating habits whilst dining with the Nursery children. For the most part pupils enjoy lessons, although attendance rates are below average. Behaviour at these times is good with many pupils eager to learn. Most are able to work alongside and with each other, although some find it difficult to express their thoughts in a clear and detailed way. Whilst pupils are active at playtimes, this activity is not always productive so that behaviour in the playground does not match the standard found in lessons. Pupils report some bullying and occasional racial name-calling. The School Council goes some way to helping pupils take responsibility for their school but it is the work of the peer mediators in which this comes into

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Grade: 3

its own. These pupils are often the first port of call in solving disputes and fellow pupils talk in glowing terms of their ability to act as peacemakers. Pupils demonstrate a good knowledge 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Southglade Primary School, 24–25 September 2008 of healthy eating with well-balanced school meals enabling many to put principal into practice. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. However, their knowledge of the life and customs of their neighbours in multicultural Britain is underdeveloped.

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Grade: 3

The teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Improved standards in Year 6 in 2008 are reflected in the strong teaching in this year group. Teachers mostly organise their lessons at a good pace, and pupils' behaviour in some classes is managed very well. All staff have warm, positive relationships with the pupils, but some teachers tolerate inattention in lessons. This allows the pupils to become restless and so learning is slowed. Teachers use resources well, whether it is the interactive white boards or toys to assist counting. Teaching assistants are well deployed and they capably work with pupils who have difficulties with their learning. The most able pupils are sometimes not challenged sufficiently because teachers have not planned work that is more difficult for them. Teachers set pupil targets to improve their learning. Sometimes, there can be too many different targets, without a clear way of telling when pupils

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Grade: 3

have achieved them. Furthermore, not all teachers are using assessment information to carefully plan the next steps in learning.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is developing well as a single strand of learning since the two schools joined together. This has been helped by the willingness of staff to work together, to undertake relevant training, and to take on new roles as coordinators of each subject. Literacy and numeracy are developing well through topic work. The drive to improve writing is being helped by planning many opportunities to practise writing in most subjects. There are good links between many subjects, often enhanced further through recent events such as the science and art week. Pupils' learning experiences are broadened by the teaching of Spanish and by several sporting clubs and a first aid club. Many visits to places such as Nottingham Castle and the Goose Fair also make learning more interesting. Pupils in Years 2 and 6 have the chance to go on a residential visit each year. The school provides a satisfactory range of opportunities to develop community

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Grade: 3

links, for example through the work of the police community support project and parental learning. However, there are too few opportunities in lessons for pupils' to develop their understanding and knowledge of other cultures, faiths and lifestyles.

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Grade: 3

Robust systems for ensuring pupils' safety underpin the school's caring nature and ensure that pupils' pastoral needs are given close attention. Breakfast, lunch and after-school clubs provide a safe, secure environment and a satisfactory range of activities for those who attend. The school is effective in helping the most severely vulnerable pupils by working in close partnership with a range of outside agencies. Pupils who find it difficult to learn, behave or attend school regularly are well provided for. Personally tailored individual plans successfully guide the work of teaching assistants. Whilst the school monitors attendance and takes decisive action in helping non-attenders, not enough is done to celebrate or routinely reward those whose 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Southglade Primary School, 24–25 September 2008 attendance is improving or reaching a good level. Academic guidance is satisfactory. The system

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Grade: 3

to accurately track pupils' progress through the school is underdeveloped and does not yet provide a secure base for leaders to be certain about how pupils are doing or for teachers to guide the next steps in learning.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher, supported well by the senior leadership team, has established a clear educational direction for the school. The whole school team is now working closely together to bring about positive and steady change in many aspects of the school's work. The recent initiative to improve the curriculum so that all subjects are more clearly linked has led to some improvements in pupils' achievement in writing. The roles of subject leaders have been clearly defined and these teachers have been involved this year in monitoring their subjects, with a clear focus on improving standards and achievement. The school has begun to track pupils' progress across all year groups but has not yet developed a systematic approach to the analysis of the data. Consequently, the school does not always plan support for learning precisely enough to tackle underachievement. Targets, although providing adequate challenge, do not always

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Grade: 3

help to improve performance sufficiently. Governors are supportive of the school and have a satisfactory understanding of the issues for improvement. They visit the school regularly however, few make focused visits to monitor and evaluate the work of the school. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Southglade Primary School, 24–25 September 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: Southglade Primary School, 24–25 September 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? 3 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? 2 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

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/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: Southglade Primary School, 24–25 September 2008

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learners?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 3 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 3 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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: Southglade Primary School, 24–25 September 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

26 September 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Southglade Primary School Nottingham NG5 5NE Thank you for making us welcome when we visited your school. We really enjoyed looking around and meeting you, your teachers and teaching assistants and seeing what you achieve in school. We found talking to you very interesting and these discussions helped us to come to decisions about how good your school is. We were particularly impressed by how hard everyone has worked to join the two schools together so that you can work and play with one another. It was good to see how polite and well mannered you are and that most of you concentrate well in lessons. You told us that for most of the time you feel safe and happy in school, but that there is still a small amount of bullying and bad behaviour on the playground. We were delighted to see that the peer mediators are doing such a good job to sort this out and to make the playground a peaceful place. You know a lot about staying fit and healthy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and it was good to see how sensibly the youngest nursery children eat their lunch together. We think you need to know more about how children and families in different cultures and communities live together. This is important in preparing you for the world when you are adults. All the staff work hard to help you learn as much as you can and the school is providing you with a satisfactory education. I have asked your headteacher, the teachers and the governors to make sure that the work you get in all classes is interesting and really makes you think hard. I have also asked them to help you to make your writing better by giving you plenty of interesting things to write about. They will need to keep checking how well you are doing and use this information to plan your work. I am sure you will help by continuing to behave well and always doing your best. I wish you well for the future. Yours faithfully

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Pat Walsh Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Southglade Primary School, 24–25 September 2008

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