Anderton Park Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that more matches the best in the school by ensuring that:
  • all staff have consistently high expectations of pupils’ spelling, handwriting and presentation.
• Continue to improve outcomes for pupils, particularly in writing, by fully embedding the strategies that are now in place.
• Further develop leadership and management by:
  • ensuring that areas for development identified are followed up swiftly, in order to improve consistency within year groups and across the school
  • continuing to engage with the parents of pupils who are absent for extended periods of time.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher, governors and senior leaders are determined to improve the life chances of the pupils. The school mission statement – ‘relationships, aspirations and sparkle’ – threads through all that leaders do and set out to achieve for the pupils. As a result, relationships are positive and pupils are ready to learn.
• Leaders know the school’s strengths and areas for development. They are honest in highlighting areas they need to focus on and tackle these with drive and determination. For example, leaders rightly identified weaknesses in pupils’ achievement in reading. They took effective action and, as a result, pupils’ progress improved rapidly last year. Reading continues to be a focus for further improvement.
• Leaders have high expectations of teachers and support them through effective and continuous training. Staff morale is high because leaders invest in staff’s well-being and training. Staff value this and say they enjoy their job. They pride themselves in being a strong team dedicated to the pupils.
• All teachers and teaching assistants have performance management targets that relate to key priorities for improvement. Senior leaders use a wide range of information to check on the quality of teaching and staff performance. Leaders recognise the need to follow up areas identified for improvement swiftly.
• A new tracking system is helping leaders monitor progress and attainment closely. Regular meetings between leaders and teachers give teachers a chance to talk about individual pupils who may need extra help or further challenge. Targets are set and discussed. This means that all teachers and leaders are clear about what is expected.
• Middle leaders are ambitious for the school. They understand their role and responsibility to improve outcomes for pupils and are clear about their priorities. For example, the leaders of mathematics have reviewed teaching and learning in this subject following a dip in attainment in 2016. They have taken effective action to bring about the necessary improvements and, as a result, outcomes have improved.
• Support for pupils with special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities is effective. The SEN coordinator (SENCo) monitors additional support regularly and takes carefully planned action. This helps pupils to catch up and make good progress. Leaders use additional funding to support pupils with SEN and/or disabilities well.
• Leadership of equalities is a strength of the school. Equality has high status and has a high profile on a daily basis. All members of the school community – staff and pupils included – demonstrate their commitment to treating everyone equally. The local authority says that the school is ‘the leading light in Birmingham’ for its equalities work. Pupils are given many opportunities to voice their thoughts and opinions. They have a good understanding of democracy. As a result, pupils are extremely well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• The curriculum covers a wide range of subjects and includes extensive additional activities. There is a clear rationale for everything that is taught. Sport, music and drama enhance pupils’ experiences. For example, Year 4 pupils recently performed ‘Twelfth Night’ at a local theatre. A Paralympic athlete visited the school to help inspire pupils to aim ever higher. The curriculum helps pupils to be proud to be British and from Birmingham.
• Leaders use pupil premium funding to support disadvantaged pupils carefully. They provide a wide range of appropriate support. A well-led pastoral team ensures that pupils are well cared for and ready to learn. Coaching and mentoring enable disadvantaged pupils to achieve in line with or above other pupils.
• Leaders use the primary physical education and sport premium effectively to increase pupils’ participation in sport and give pupils the opportunities to compete against others. An enthusiastic and skilled practitioner ensures that staff are supported and trained well. There is a clear commitment to ‘spot, pick and push’ individuals displaying significant talent and link them with local sports clubs. This is ensuring a legacy from the funding.
• Parents are positive about the school and say that their children are cared for and safe. They feel that they can approach staff and are listened to should they have any concerns. A small minority would appreciate more information about how well their child is doing. Many parents commented on the harmonious community spirit in the school.

Governance of the school

• Governance of the school is effective. It has strengthened further since the last inspection. Following a skills audit, the governing body was reconstituted and developed a streamlined approach to meetings and ‘away days’. As a result, governors know the school well and use their skills and knowledge effectively to monitor and hold leaders to account.
• Governors are ambitious for the school and work with leaders to drive the improvements needed in reading and writing. They visit the school to observe learning in action and talk with staff and pupils about their work.
• The governing body has a good understanding of performance management procedures. Governors ensure that the teachers’ standards are central to pay and performance discussions.
• Governors play an important role in ensuring that safeguarding is effective. The safeguarding governor regularly audits the school’s procedures and ensures that timely and appropriate support is given to vulnerable pupils. Together with school leaders, governors actively support the school’s work on equalities, making sure that all pupils are safe and valued.
• The governing body ensures that pupil premium funding and PE and sport funding are spent effectively and make a positive difference to pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are highly effective. Through her drive and determination, the headteacher has ensured that a culture of safeguarding and keeping children safe is at the heart of the school and all decision-making. Leaders ensure that all staff are trained well and are kept up to date on safeguarding issues, including extremism, radicalisation and female genital mutilation. The headteacher’s mantra is ‘think the unthinkable’. All staff adopt this and, through a thorough understanding of the school’s safeguarding policy, act swiftly when concerns arise.
• The designated safeguarding leader is deeply committed and knowledgeable about safeguarding and leads a dedicated pastoral team. A systematic, caring and thoughtful response is given to any pupil or family in need. Parents describe the actions and support of the school as ‘way beyond what is expected’.
• The school has a robust system for dealing with children missing from education. Leaders are tenacious in following up any concern through phone calls and home visits to ensure that children are safe.
• Leaders and governors ensure that the required checks for anyone working or volunteering in the school are carried out. Processes and documentation to ensure safer recruitment of new staff are robust and extremely thorough. Leaders make sure that new staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities from the outset.
• Parents and pupils say that the school is a safe place. Pupils know who to talk to if they are worried about anything and are confident that adults listen to their concerns. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe and have a good understanding of how to use computers and the internet without putting themselves in danger. Staff and governors promote and monitor carefully internet safety across the school.
• The school works effectively with external agencies to ensure that early help is given to all those who need it. The headteacher is highly skilled in developing these links through her strong commitment to working with a range of partners and regularly leads safeguarding training for other leaders in Birmingham and beyond. This ensures that the school is at the forefront of keeping children safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching is good. There are considerable strengths in teaching across the school. The majority of teachers have very high expectations of the quality of work that is required in lessons. They make sure that pupils are clear about what they have to do. As a result, pupils make rapid progress.
• Relationships between pupils and adults are very positive. Teachers know their pupils well. They work hard to ensure that lessons are lively and engaging for all. Pupils are keen to learn and talk enthusiastically about their work with their partners and in small groups. In most lessons, pupils concentrate hard.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge and use this effectively to plan lessons. Most teachers are good at using questions to help pupils think deeply about their learning. Teachers also use questions skilfully to check pupils’ understanding and to extend their knowledge further.
• Mathematics teaching is highly effective. Teachers explain concepts and strategies clearly using a range of visual resources that support pupils. Pupils are encouraged to think for themselves, solve a range of problems and explain their mathematical thinking. Teachers link real-life situations to the mathematical skills they are teaching. For example, in a Year 5 class where pupils were practising their multiplication tables a link was made with managing money and paying household bills.
• Phonics is taught well particularly in the Reception classes. Children quickly begin to use the letter sounds to read and spell. When writing about where they thought ice would melt more quickly, children correctly linked the new sound ‘ch’ with chair.
• The teaching of reading has been a key focus following a dip in results in 2016. Teachers’ and teaching assistants’ subject knowledge has improved as a result of high- quality, focused training. Pupils respond well to the challenging texts that are chosen to develop their understanding of what they have read. In Year 5, for example, pupils confidently described the character Scrooge by referring to the text to justify what they were saying.
• Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning and progress. They have good subject knowledge and understand how to meet the needs of the pupils they are supporting. Throughout the inspection, inspectors observed highly effective support enabling pupils to make strong progress.
• Teachers provide effective homework that further develops pupils’ understanding of the English language so that they are better prepared for their next steps. For example, work on idioms is having a positive impact on helping pupils to explain what they mean. In a Year 6 class, pupils explained confidently that ‘passing the time of day’ means ‘you have a little chat about nothing important’. Pupils were rightly proud of their new-found knowledge and understanding.
• Occasionally, the work pupils are doing is too easy for some or lacks the challenge that others require to keep them focused. Where tasks are matched appropriately to pupils’ needs, pupils make stronger progress.
• Not all teachers share the same expectations of how pupils should present their work. Occasionally, the advice and feedback that teachers share with pupils are limited and pupils are unclear about what to do to improve their work. Some staff do not routinely expect pupils to write neatly, form letters correctly, spell basic words accurately or complete their work to a high standard. As a result, some pupils’ books do not reflect the good quality of learning seen in the majority of classrooms.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils are outstanding ambassadors for their school. They give visitors a warm welcome and demonstrate respect for all. They talk confidently about their school with pride and are keen to tell visitors about their work and the activities they take part in.
• Leaders focus strongly on relationships and the culture of care within the school is exceptional. This drive comes from the headteacher and every member of staff follows this example. Pupils collaborate and are helpful to each other. All adults promote clear messages about the impact of bullying and hurtful behaviour on pupils’ well-being. Pupils say that bullying is rare and if it does happen adults deal with it quickly.
• An outstanding feature of the school is the drive to ensure equality for all. The school challenges stereotypes and strives for community cohesion both inside and out of school. The school is currently the only primary school to be involved in a United-Kingdom-wide project called ‘A call to men’ that is focused on promoting respect and preventing violence. In Year 6, boys stated, ‘Equality plays a very big part in our school
  • boys and girls are equal. That’s what we believe.’ Pupils are tolerant and have a good understanding of one another and the community in which they live.
• Pupils know how to stay safe in a variety of situations. Pupils are knowledgeable about online safety. They are clear about how they can protect themselves in school and at home.
• Pupils are aspirational, with high hopes for their futures. They enjoy learning and want to do their best. They talk avidly about becoming accountants, teachers or psychologists, for example.
• School leaders provide a range of opportunities for pupils to develop their own leadership qualities. Pupils act as equalities monitors, play leaders, grammar police and English ambassadors. Pupils take their responsibilities seriously and rise to the challenge.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are polite and well mannered. They have good attitudes to school, take their work seriously and show respect to those teaching them.
• Parents and pupils say that behaviour is good. Pupils understand the behaviour code, and behaviour observed around school during the inspection was good. While talking to an inspector, boys in Year 6 commented: ‘We couldn’t say we are all perfect but the majority of us try our very best with our behaviour.’
• Lunchtime staff, a sports coach and the equalities leader engage pupils of all ages in a range of active games during the lunchbreak. These games help pupils use the space carefully and further develop relationships.
• Low-level disruption happens occasionally when work is not fully meeting pupils’ needs. When this occurs, incidents are carefully tracked, recorded, monitored and manged by leaders. Pupils are then encouraged to complete a consequence sheet saying what they did wrong and what they have learned as a result.
• Some aspects of the behaviour policy are currently under review. These include the guidance on physical intervention. The current guidance given to staff is not as strong as it needs to be and leaders are tackling this quickly.
• Leaders do everything they can to try to improve attendance, although rates of attendance are below average. They systematically use strategies such as first-day calling, home visits and fines to follow up any absence. However, the unauthorised extended leave of a few pupils continues to prevent attendance rates from rising further.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Following a drop in outcomes at the end of key stage 2 in 2016, leaders took decisive and effective action. This has ensured that the progress of current pupils in school is now good.
• Pupils across key stage 2 are making strong progress from their starting points in reading. This is a result of a focus on developing reading comprehension skills for all pupils. While the proportion of pupils reaching the national standard in reading at the end of key stage 2 is still below the national average, it rose sharply from 28% in 2016 to 60% in 2017.
• Achievement in mathematics by the end of key stage 2 is strong. Pupils’ progress matches that of the top 20% of schools nationally. Attainment is above the national average.
• Outcomes in writing dipped at the end of key stage 2 in 2017. Leaders carefully analysed and unpicked the reasons for this. They have taken effective action and, as a result, writing standards for current pupils are improving rapidly. There is a particular focus on making sure that pupils’ spelling, handwriting and presentation skills are well developed.
• The proportion of children who attain a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year continues to rise. In 2017, it rose from 60% to 65%. Although just below the national figure, it represents a continued rise over the last three years. Children make very good progress in early years from their low starting points. As a result, they are well prepared for Year 1.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check in Year 1 has risen and is now close to the national figure. By the end of Year 2, the majority of pupils meet the expected standard. Those who do not meet the standard are pupils new to the school, the large majority of whom are at the early stages of learning English.
• By the end of Year 2, those pupils who have been at the school since the early years reach standards that are in line with national averages for reading and writing. Pupils who needed to catch up received effective support and made strong progress from their starting points.
• There are no significant differences between outcomes for pupils from different backgrounds. Fewer pupils who are learning to speak English attain at greater depth at the end of key stage 2, but they make good progress while they are at the school.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve at least as well as other pupils. Their attainment is in line with or above the national average for all pupils at the end of key stage 1. Attainment in mathematics and English grammar, punctuation and spelling by the end of key stage 2 is also in line with or above national averages for all pupils. Additional funding, provided to support the progress of these pupils, is used effectively. As a result, they make faster progress than other pupils.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their different starting points. Effective support and appropriate interventions enable these pupils to make rapid progress. This is evident in the standards they reach and from the strong progress seen in books.
• Current pupils are making good progress across the curriculum. Standards are rising and as a result pupils are better prepared for the next stage of their education.

Early years provision Good

• Children get off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes. A large proportion of children start school with skills and knowledge below those typical for their age, especially in language. They make good progress from their starting points in all areas of their learning.
• The proportion of children achieving a good level of development has continued to rise. This means that children are ready for the next stage of their education in Year 1.
• The early years classrooms provide a positive learning environment in which children are encouraged to be independent from the start. In the Nursery class, children are able to select resources such as scissors, sticky tape and paper to complete activities by themselves. Children know where things are kept and all help at tidy-up time to put them back in the right place.
• Routines are well established and children are safe. Adults care well for the children. They talk to the children constantly, show them what to do and help them develop strong relationships with each other. Children work happily in small groups, taking turns. Their behaviour is good. All safeguarding and welfare standards are fully met.
• Adults support children’s learning well. Their questioning challenges the children to think hard and make links with what they already know. For example, when learning about getting ready for Christmas, children talked excitedly about other celebrations where special food is shared, homes are decorated and gifts given. On occasions, adults miss opportunities to help children to form letters accurately.
• The curriculum is broad and starts with children’s interests. This engages the children from the start and they work with good concentration. A range of high-quality books stimulates discussion and imagination. Children enjoy retelling stories such as ‘Stick Man’ using small puppets to bring their story to life. Children have many opportunities to write and practise their numbers and to show what they can do independently. For example, children were observed during the inspection writing lists of names and creating their own sums using numbers up to 20.
• The leader of the early years is clear about the strengths and areas to develop. She is working with staff to develop greater consistency across the three Reception classes, something that leaders have identified as an aspect for improvement. A range of learning walks, lesson observations and planning scrutiny is helping to strengthen this. The leader has a good understanding of the progress made by all the children.
• Links with parents are strong and parents talk positively about the way their children are settled and enjoy coming to school. Parents are welcomed into the early years classrooms each morning, where they can stay and complete an activity with their child. Parents regularly contribute to the children’s learning journals.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 103192 Birmingham 10037892 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 749 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Nick Weaver Sarah Hewitt-Clarkson Telephone number 0121 464 1581 Website Email address www.andertonparkschool.org/ enquiry@anderton.bham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 June 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Anderton Park Primary School is much larger than the average primary school.
• The large majority of pupils are of Asian or Asian British Pakistani heritage, with the others coming from various other minority ethnic backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have a statement of SEN or an education, health and care plan is below the national average.
• The early years provision consists of two part-time Nursery classes and three full-time Reception classes. The children’s centre on the school site is due to close at the end of December 2017.
• The school provides a breakfast club each morning.
• The school did not meet the government’s current floor standards in 2016. These are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics for pupils by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and deputy headteacher and other key leaders. A separate meeting was held with seven members of teaching and non-teaching staff. The lead inspector also spoke with three members of the governing body including the recently appointed chair of governors. The lead inspector discussed the school with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors made visits to classrooms on both days of the inspection. Most of these visits were with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide selection of pupils’ books with school leaders.
• Pupils were spoken to formally and informally. A group of pupils accompanied an inspector on a learning walk around the school. Inspectors heard pupils read. They observed behaviour in classrooms, in corridors and outside on the playgrounds.
• Inspectors were unable to consider the responses on Ofsted’s Parent View website as there were not enough to generate a report. However, they did talk to parents on both days of the inspection.
• Inspectors noted and analysed 31 responses to the staff questionnaire.
• Various school documents were scrutinised, including the school’s self-evaluation and school improvement plan, anonymised information about managing teachers’ performance and records of monitoring. Minutes of governors’ meetings and information about pupils’ progress, behaviour, attendance and safety were also analysed and discussed with leaders.
• Documents relating to safeguarding were checked and inspectors looked at published information on the school’s website.

Inspection team

Nicola Harwood, lead inspector Derek Gardiner Stephen Cox Jeannette Mackinney Her Majesty's Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector