Kingsbury Primary School

PROTECT – INSPECTION

Age group 4-11 Inspection date(s) 16-17 September 2009 Inspection number 341575 Kingsbury Primary School Inspection report

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PROTECT – INSPECTION

Unique Reference Number 134924 Local Authority Warwickshire Inspection number 341575 Inspection dates 16-17 September 2009 Reporting inspector Patrick Finegan

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PROTECT – INSPECTION

The inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 .

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PROTECT – INSPECTION

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4-11 Gender of pupils Mixed

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PROTECT – INSPECTION

Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Lewis Headteacher Lucy Winkler Date of previous school inspection 8 May 2007 School address Bromage Avenue Kingsbury Tamworth B78 2HW Telephone number 01827 872275 Fax number 01827 872275

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by four additional inspectors. The inspectors visited 15 lessons, and held meetings with the headteacher, governors, staff, pupils and parents. They observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documentation including the school improvement plan, assessment information and safeguarding procedures. In addition, 79 parent questionnaires, 151 pupil questionnaires and 23 staff questionnaires were received and analysed.

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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

 how effectively the school tracks the progress of pupils in order to provide the necessary support and learning programmes  the effectiveness of the school’s leadership to monitor and evaluate teaching and learning  whether the school is succeeding quickly enough in raising attainment in mathematics in Key Stage 2 especially for girls.

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Information about the school

Kingsbury Primary School is of larger than average size. Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage in the term following their fourth birthday and join one of the two Reception classes. Almost all pupils come from White British families. Very few pupils come from a diverse range of backgrounds and none are at the early stages of learning English. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is low. The school has gained the Healthy School status and been awarded the Active Mark for Physical Education.

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Information about the school

Kingsbury Primary School is at a point of transition. The assistant headteacher is currently leading the school as the acting headteacher. A new permanent headteacher has been appointed and will take up the leadership of the school from January 2010.

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Information about the school

A privately run Nursery on the school site was inspected separately. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

Kingsbury Primary School is a satisfactory school. Attainment is broadly in line with national averages in English, mathematics and science. From starting points which are in line with those expected on entry, the majority of pupils make satisfactory progress, and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities sometimes make good progress. Progress in English is good but the progress of older girls in mathematics is uneven. Nevertheless, pupils’ achievement is satisfactory.

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Main findings

Attendance levels are consistently above average and indicate good pupil personal development. Parent and pupils’ questionnaires reveal high levels of satisfaction regarding the care and support pupils receive. As one parent commented, ‘The school shows real care and empathy for its children in all areas.’

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Main findings

 Teaching and the curriculum are satisfactory. The initiative to improve writing by extending the teaching of it to other subjects has resulted in improving the teaching of English and progress in it is good. Teachers’ planning is based on an accurate analysis of the performance of individuals and groups of pupils, but inconsistencies in teachers’ subject knowledge and planning for mathematics have contributed to the unevenness in progress, especially for girls. In some mathematics lessons pupils are asked to do work which is not sufficiently challenging and does not meet their needs. This lack of challenge restricts opportunities for good dialogue in lessons and constructive marking. The school has satisfactory capacity to improve further. Improvements in whole school self-evaluation by the new senior leadership team, such as targeted monitoring of lessons, have improved teaching and the curriculum.

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Main findings

However, the impact of these has not been monitored sufficiently by the governors which fail to effectively challenge any underperformance. The school does not promote community cohesion effectively enough. Pupils’ knowledge and experience of the diverse range of cultures within Britain and the wider world is underdeveloped due to limited opportunities to learn about, or experience them. Older pupils were unable to confidently discuss the major world religions and governors were unaware of the schools’ work within the local community.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the standards that pupils reach at the end of Year 6 in mathematics Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

- improving the quality of teaching by planning work that is engaging and provides an accurate level of challenge - providing marking and dialogue between staff and pupils about how to improve work and plan opportunities for pupils to follow up on the guidance given - increasing the mathematical skills and understanding of staff.  Strengthen the strategic leadership of the school, and particularly the role and responsibilities of the governing body, in monitoring, evaluating and planning for improvement so that by July 2010 all leaders successfully play their role in school improvement and effectively promote community cohesion.  Ensure that by July 2010 pupils have a good understanding and experience of cultural diversity within Great Britain and the wider world.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

About 40% of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils’ academic achievement is satisfactory. Children enter the Reception classes with skills that are in line with the levels expected for their age. Lessons observed show that children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress and achieve well. Pupils start Year 1 with standards that are slightly above those expected for their age. By the end of Years 2 and 6 their attainment is broadly average which is reflected in national test results at the end of Year 6 especially in science, writing and reading. There are weaknesses in pupils’ skills and understanding in mathematics, especially for girls. They make slower progress in mathematics compared to English where it is good and science where it is satisfactory. The strategies the school has introduced have raised attainment in writing and this is reflected in the standards found throughout the school. Attainment in other subjects, such as art, music and physical education is similar to those

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

expected for pupils’ ages, and make a good contribution to the bright and well ordered learning environment. This has also contributed to the school achieving the Active Mark for physical education.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils of all abilities and backgrounds, including those with special educational needs and disabilities, make satisfactory progress although some pupils with specific learning difficulties were observed making good progress while working within special groups to support their learning and progress. This was as a result of work that was well planned and accurately matched to the pupils’ needs. Pupils from minority ethnic groups make the same progress as others. Younger pupils work with real enthusiasm and confidence, independently and in groups. They relish the challenge of difficult tasks and persevere when they encounter difficulties. Older Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

pupils are keen to learn and speak with interest and knowledge about particular topics, such as the Second World War. However, in mathematics many say they do not feel fully challenged and this impacts adversely on their enjoyment and confidence. Pupils develop as competent and caring young people, who are appropriately prepared for the next stage of their education and their adult lives. This is reflected in their good attendance and the caring atmosphere within the school. For example, Year 6 pupils ‘buddy’ younger children for reading. Pupils are given few opportunities to contribute to the local community.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Respectful relationships between adults and pupils underpin the good behaviour and attendance of pupils and encourage them to feel secure and actively engage in many lessons. Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay healthy and safe and most develop sensible eating habits and participate well in the good range of sporting enrichment activities that the school provides for them. This has resulted in the school gaining the Healthy School status. Pupils’ moral and social understanding is strong and their spiritual development satisfactory. Their understanding and experience of the range of cultures within Britain and beyond is not sufficiently developed due to a lack of opportunities to study, or have first hand experience of, them.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes Pupils’ achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils’ attainment 1 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress 3 The extent to which pupils feel safe 2 Pupils’ behaviour 2 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 3 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils’ attendance 1 The extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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How effective is the provision?

Teachers’ planning for the Key Stage 1 curriculum is good with positive links between subjects being made to provide stimulating lessons. The curriculum in Key Stage 2 is

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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 Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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How effective is the provision?

satisfactory overall. Links between subjects, which make learning meaningful, are at an early stage and as yet have not had sufficient time to help raise standards in mathematics. There are satisfactory assessment procedures which allow teachers to measure pupils’ progress.

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How effective is the provision?

There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities. All staff know the pupils well but, because their expectations are not always sufficiently ambitious, the girls do not consistently reach the standards of which they are capable in mathematics. Teachers explain new ideas clearly and sometimes creatively so that pupils’ understand their work and remain enthusiastic about learning. Where teaching is good, teachers provide work that is well matched to pupils’ needs, stimulates pupils’ interest and allows them to make good progress. This is less developed in mathematics lessons in Key Stage 2 where girls often do not enjoy work that lacks challenge. The intervention from teaching assistants contributes effectively to pupils’ learning and progress. The curriculum is enriched by some partnerships with nearby schools and the local authority but opportunities are missed for applying skills learned in mathematics across the curriculum. Pupils do not yet

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How effective is the provision?

sufficiently contribute ideas towards improving their experience of the curriculum. Planning is enhanced by linking many subjects through themes.

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How effective is the provision?

The school provides a warm and caring environment for all pupils. The arrangements for transition from one stage to the next are satisfactory and those between the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 are particularly strong.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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How effective is the provision?

3 The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning 3 The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 3

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How effective are leadership and management?

The new acting headteacher has moved quickly to motivate staff and has identified and communicated the priorities for school improvement. She is embedding improvements in assessment and driving forward changes to improve the teaching of mathematics. These include specifically monitoring weaker subjects in lesson observations and improving the accuracy of teachers’ assessments. This has improved the quality of teaching.

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How effective are leadership and management?

The school has the confidence of parents and carers. Most now rightly feel that their views are valued. Securing equal opportunities for all pupils is at the heart of the school’s work and is successful in ensuring all pupils are valued as individuals. High expectations are made of behaviour and the school’s reward system is effective in Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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How effective are leadership and management?

motivating pupils. The targets the school sets for pupils to achieve by the end of Year 6 have not always been sufficiently high but this is being effectively tackled by the new leadership team and current targets are more challenging. Whilst self- evaluation and monitoring have enabled the school to raise standards in writing, progress in mathematics continues to be uneven. Governors ensure that statutory duties are met and they regularly check that measures to safeguard pupils are robust. They provide satisfactory support but do not challenge the strategic plans of the school, and they recognise that their arrangements to evaluate the impact of community cohesion are weak. Therefore the effectiveness of the governing body is inadequate. The school promotes pupils’ personal development well and provides appropriate support to meet the needs of most pupils. As there is a record of improvement in progress for all subjects at the end of Key Stage 2, even though this

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How effective are leadership and management?

is comparatively slower in mathematics, the school has demonstrated a satisfactory capacity to improve. Consequently the school provides satisfactory value for money.

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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 embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning 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 3 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 3 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 4 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children make good progress in all areas of learning because teaching is consistently good and children’s welfare is promoted well. The majority of children enter Year 1 working just above the expected level for their age. Children are happy, well behaved and have good attitudes to learning.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Relationships with parents and carers are good and they appreciate the regular communication with staff. Provision is good. Activities organised for both inside and outside are well planned, stimulating and engaging although outside activities are not as successful due to a lack of suitable resources. Children work with excitement and enthusiasm such as the opportunity to identify items in the ‘Sparkly Box,' which Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Early Years Foundation Stage

allows them to work out what objects are by using their sense of touch. They learn how to take turns by using puppets that encourage them to role play and practise good manners. They work independently and cooperate well when working with others. There is a good balance between activities that the children choose for themselves and those led by adults. All activities are carefully matched to children’s needs and interests and so children’s reading and writing skills develop at a good rate.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Leadership and management are good. The Early Years Foundation Stage leader is fully involved in the monitoring of provision, regularly evaluating its quality. There is strong team work and their ongoing assessment of children’s progress is very effective. Moderation of children’s attainment at the end of Reception is thorough. There are high quality transition arrangements from Reception into Year 1 and they enter there with attainment slightly above that expected at their age.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Views of parents and carers

The inspection team received approximately 28% of the possible parental questionnaires. These we examined and the team found that parents are overwhelmingly positive in their support for the work of the school. In their responses, many wrote about specific examples of care and support that have contributed to their children’s progress, happiness, development and well-being. They appreciate the wide range of opportunities available to pupils and praised the commitment of the staff and the leadership of the new acting headteacher. Some parents commented that their child’s class was overcrowded. A small number of parents perceived weaknesses in dealing with unacceptable behaviour but the inspection team found no evidence to support this view. The most frequent negative comments concerned lack of information concerning their children’s progress and the extent of their progress. The inspection team judged that the new leadership team

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Views of parents and carers

was addressing these concerns as a matter of urgency.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Kingsbury Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 12 statements about the school. The inspection team received 79 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 276 pupils registered at the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 52 65 25 32 1 1 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 53 67 25 32 1 1 0 0 The school informs me about my child’s progress 30 38 41 52 7 9 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 27 34 42 53 8 10 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 33 42 40 51 4 5 0 0 The school helps me to support my child’s learning 27 34 43 54 7 9 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 40 51 35 44 2 3 0 0 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 25 32 47 59 1 1 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school meets my child’s particular needs 32 40 42 53 4 5 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 23 29 45 57 5 6 1 1 The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 18 23 52 65 5 6 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 26 33 47 59 0 0 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child’s experience at this school 40 51 33 42 4 5 0 0

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted’s questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. 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.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 39 58 3 0 Primary schools 13 50 33 4 Secondary schools 17 40 34 9 Sixth forms 18 43 37 2 Special schools 26 54 18 2 Pupil referral units 7 55 30 7 All schools 15 49 32 5

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above were reported in The Annual Report of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills 2007/08. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Secondary school figures include those that have sixth forms, and sixth form figures include only the data specifically for sixth form inspection judgements.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

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.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners. Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.  The school’s capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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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. 22/09/09

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Inspection of Kingsbury Primary School, Kingsbury, B78 2HW

Thank you for making the inspection team so welcome when we visited your school recently. We were impressed by your behaviour and how much you enjoyed telling us about your school. The staff know you well and it was reassuring that you reported how well cared for you feel. They work hard to make sure you are safe and receive the support you need. Your new headteacher has lots of good ideas to improve your school and help you achieve higher standards. Children in the Reception classes make good progress and we would like teachers to make sure that you continue that rate of progress throughout your time at school. This is just satisfactory in the rest of the school.

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Inspection of Kingsbury Primary School, Kingsbury, B78 2HW

In order to make this happen, we have asked your teachers to provide you with more specific information on how to improve your mathematics work, especially older girls. We have suggested more discussions in class, more detailed marking and making lessons more exciting by improving the maths work they ask you to do. We have asked the governors to be more involved in drawing up the schools’ plans to make the school even better. They also need to make sure you have a better knowledge, understanding and direct experience of the diverse range of cultures in Great Britain and beyond. This is also to bind communities together so all can live harmoniously. You can help them achieve this by continuing with your good behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection of Kingsbury Primary School, Kingsbury, B78 2HW

Thank you again for being so helpful. We wish you every success in the future.

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Inspection of Kingsbury Primary School, Kingsbury, B78 2HW

Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 08456 404045 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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