Calshot Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment so that all pupils, especially the most able, make substantial and sustained progress by:
  • ensuring that pupils are consistently challenged in their learning
  • providing pupils with more opportunities to reason mathematically and apply their learning to solve increasingly difficult problems in a wider range of contexts and at greater depth
  • using the Reception Year outdoor learning environment more effectively to promote learning.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders and governors are ambitious for Calshot Primary School and they are committed to ensuring that pupils are given every opportunity to achieve their potential. They have a shared goal to enable all pupils to ‘aim high’. The impact of this is a lively, happy school where pupils are able to grow into confident, articulate and tolerant individuals.
• Staff speak very positively about the school. They are proud to work in the school and feel well supported by senior leaders who provide strong leadership and set high expectations. Staff know the pupils well and value the regular continuing professional development they receive in order to further improve teaching and learning.
• The exciting and well-planned curriculum is broad and balanced, and is based on half-termly topics such as ‘Dragons’, ‘An island adventure’, and ‘World War II’. These are planned to ensure full coverage of all subjects over a school year and almost always incorporate links to a class novel. The topics are enhanced through regular visits, and pupils speak very enthusiastically about these trips and how they bring the topic to life. Music features strongly in the curriculum and all pupils have the chance to learn a musical instrument during their time in school. Pupils also benefit from a range of extra-curricular opportunities. These clubs are well attended and pupils appreciate the additional opportunities that they are given to learn new skills.
• Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. Pupils are taught about a wide range of faiths and cultures and this helps them to develop a high level of acceptance and understanding about diversity within the community. British values are at the heart of the school’s work. Pupils learn about democracy and the importance of having their views heard. Pupils feel valued and know that their opinions make a difference to the way in which the school is run. For example, mathematics workshops were arranged for parents after pupils identified that their families did not always know how to help them at home. This approach effectively supports pupils’ learning and they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are making good progress against their individual targets. Their specific needs are addressed in a variety of ways including extra support in class, specialist interventions and access to support for their emotional or mental health needs. Leaders use funding effectively to address identified needs, including through the use of external agencies. Leaders work closely with parents, keeping them informed of their child’s progress.
• School leaders use pupil premium funding effectively to support disadvantaged pupils during whole-class teaching, small group work and interventions with individual pupils. They track the progress of disadvantaged pupils at an individual pupil level to ensure that support is targeted to specific needs. As a result, most disadvantaged pupils are making good progress and diminishing the difference between their attainment and that of other pupils nationally with similar starting points.
• Leaders use the physical education (PE) and sports premium funding very well. A sports coach enables pupils to access a range of sports such as volleyball, cricket and netball during and after the school day, while more pupils are able to attend local sports tournaments and competitions. As a result, the level of pupil participation in physical activity has increased. Teachers are benefiting from professional development programmes which are improving the quality of PE teaching and helping to maximise pupils’ progress.
• Parents are extremely supportive of the school, commenting on the welcoming community atmosphere, the positive way in which staff and leaders respond to any issues raised and the progress that their children are making. One parent summed up their views by writing, ‘The staff, from the head to the kitchen staff, are all fantastic… they do such wonderful things… I am proud that my children are part of Calshot School.’
• Across the school, leaders are knowledgeable, enthusiastic and conscientious, resulting in a team with the capacity to drive forward improvements. Senior leaders analyse termly assessments and share the outcomes with staff. Subject leaders, particularly of English and mathematics, undertake monitoring activities, such as observing lessons and looking at pupils’ work, in order to gauge the impact of staff training and identify further areas for development.
• Although the majority of pupils are making good progress in English and mathematics, not all pupils, especially the most able, are making as much progress as they could. From their own records, leaders are aware of the need to provide more challenge for the most able pupils across the school in order for them to reach the higher standards that they are capable of achieving.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective. Governors are knowledgeable about the school, they are well informed and bring a range of experience and expertise to their roles. The governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and know well how pupils are progressing. They are clear about the areas for improvement within the school development plan and what needs to be done to improve further in relation to those. Members of the governing body are clearly ambitious for the school. They have a strong focus on ensuring that pupils are kept safe as well as improving outcomes for all pupils.
• Governors provide a good balance of support and challenge to the school leadership team. They use information gathered through visits to school, as well as from reports provided by leaders, to ask challenging questions in order to bring about improvements.
• While governors are diligent and effective in their monitoring of most aspects of the work of the school, they have not ensured that all the required information is published on the school website.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Keeping children safe is at the heart of the work of the headteacher, deputy headteacher and designated safeguarding leader who, together, have created a culture where all staff know that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. As a result, the school is a safe environment for pupils and they are well cared for at all times.
• All staff have had appropriate training and they are clear about what they should do if they have any concerns. Leaders maintain the required records and information is shared with relevant external agencies. Leaders are persistent when concerned about a pupil’s welfare and follow up with the appropriate agencies as necessary. Governors monitor whether there have been any safeguarding issues and check whether school procedures have been followed.
• Pupils say that they feel safe and secure in school and know who to talk to if they have any worries or concerns. This includes keeping safe online. Pupils are confident that any issues raised will be quickly resolved.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and ensure that classrooms are calm and positive environments in which to learn. As a result, pupils stay focused on their work almost all of the time. They are engaged and keen to complete their work to a good standard. Relationships between pupils and staff are very positive.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge and consequently they teach concepts securely. They work together, sharing their expertise, to plan interesting and exciting units of work to engage pupils in learning. Teachers are well motivated and their enthusiasm rubs off on the pupils.
• Grammar, punctuation and spelling skills are taught effectively across the school. Teachers adapt activities to provide additional support for those pupils who require it and deploy teaching assistants effectively to support individuals or small groups of pupils to make progress.
• Across key stage 2, pupils apply their writing skills in a wide range of contexts and have many opportunities to write at length. For example, in a Year 6 English lesson pupils wrote an emotive speech from the point of view of a character in their class novel. The teaching of writing is effective because teachers use questioning to promote and deepen pupils’ thinking, asking them to explain their understanding. The teachers also model examples very clearly so that the pupils know the standard of work that they are aiming to achieve. Pupils of all abilities work well together, listening attentively to each other, identifying positive features in their work and offering well-considered feedback.
• Pupils across the school generally read well, with confidence and a growing fluency. Pupils are able to apply their phonics skills to read new and unfamiliar words. There are strong routines in school to promote reading including daily reading sessions for all classes.
• The senior leadership team have developed a robust assessment system which they use effectively to track the progress pupils make in all subjects but with a particular emphasis on English and mathematics. Individual pupils’ progress is discussed at termly meetings. If a pupil is identified as not reaching the standards expected for their age, specific actions are agreed to help them to catch up. English and mathematics subject leaders use information about areas of strength and weakness within the curriculum to inform future planning. Teachers’ judgements about pupils’ attainment are currently checked within school and teachers are beginning to meet with colleagues from other schools to compare outcomes and standards.
• Pupils understand the school’s policy for giving feedback and this enables them to identify how their work can be improved. On occasions however, the feedback for the most able pupils is not challenging enough to enable them to take their learning forward.
• Mathematics lessons focus on practising basic mathematical skills to promote fluency and accuracy within calculation. This is improving pupils’ confidence with number operations. However, while activities are provided at a range of different levels, many pupils are spending too long on work that they can already complete with ease. The pupils’ ability to apply their mathematical knowledge and understanding to solve increasingly difficult problems, and problems in a wide range of contexts, is less well developed. This limits their progress, especially for those pupils who are capable of working at greater depth.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils are confident learners and pupils in all year groups demonstrate highly positive attitudes to learning. This has a strong impact on the progress that they make. Pupils take a pride in their work, their school and themselves. Pupils are caring and considerate to each other.
• Pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe. Pupils understand what bullying is and the various forms it may take but say that incidents of bullying are rare. Strong relationships exist between pupils and adults and amongst the pupils themselves. Pupils know that their views will be listened to and they are confident that any concerns will be dealt with by an adult.
• As pupils get older, there are increasing opportunities for them to become more independent and to take responsibility for others. For example, some pupils take on the role of play leaders, some represent their class on the school council while others are part of the assembly committee who prepare and present assemblies to the school. The school council are actively involved in the life of the school, most recently organising a campaign to promote parental awareness of the need to take care when parking near the school.
• The school’s nurturing environment promotes all aspects of pupils’ welfare. Each classroom includes a range of displays to support pupils’ learning and celebrate their achievements. Pupils value, and talk enthusiastically about, the various awards which recognise good work or positive attitudes to learning such as ‘star of the week’ or ‘star writer’.
• Pupils know how to keep themselves healthy and have an understanding about keeping fit and making informed choices about healthy eating. As some younger pupils said, ‘It is all about having a balanced diet.’
• The school runs breakfast and after-school clubs which provide an opportunity for pupils to socialise with friends and adults. The atmosphere is welcoming and relaxed and pupils are happy to attend. Staff encourage pupils to make independent choices about how they spend their time, although they provide a range of themed activities and outdoor games. There is also a quiet area available for pupils who wish to complete homework or project activities.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Behaviour in classrooms and around school is of a consistently high standard with almost all pupils being keen to learn and eager to come to school.
• Pupils are well mannered, polite and friendly. They are proud of their school. Pupils show respect for the ideas and views of other pupils, and work together cooperatively to support each other’s learning. For example, during a class discussion related to understanding each other’s feelings, pupils’ contributions were thoughtful and reflective, with one pupil saying, ‘There’s so much about the world that we don’t know and don’t see.’
• The school’s behaviour policy is clear and used consistently across the school. Pupils feel it is effective and that any instances of poor behaviour are quickly dealt with. The great majority of parents also support this view.
• Attendance is continuing to improve and is now higher than the national average, while the number of pupils who are regularly absent is reducing. The vast majority of pupils arrive at school on time and are keen to learn. Strategies to improve attendance are proving effective and staff are rigorous in following up any absence to ensure that pupils are not missing from education.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• School achievement information indicates that the majority of pupils across all year groups are currently making good progress and working at the standard expected for their age across a wide range of subjects. This is confirmed by evidence in pupils’ books and in current displays.
• In the 2016 key stage 2 tests, pupils made significantly more progress in reading and writing from their starting points than seen nationally, and a higher proportion of pupils met the expected standard. In mathematics, although pupils with low prior attainment made progress that was above average, progress for the other groups of pupils was not quite as strong. In 2015, key stage 2 attainment and progress for all pupils in reading and mathematics were significantly above the national average.
• In the 2016 key stage 1 tests, more pupils met the expected standard for their age in each of reading, writing and mathematics than was seen nationally but the proportion reaching the higher standard was lower. Outcomes in the Year 1 phonics screening check were high in 2015 and 2016.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress from their starting points and outcomes are at least in line with those of other pupils.
• Disadvantaged pupils generally achieve well. Evidence from end-of-key-stage tests, and over time, shows that progress for this group is either in line with that of other pupils nationally or improving. Where disadvantaged pupils do less well than their peers, it is often due to these pupils having a variety of additional needs. In most year groups, the most able disadvantaged pupils do as well as the other most able pupils in school.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics in relation to their individual targets. Leaders monitor pupils’ progress carefully and adapt support and intervention according to need.
• The most able pupils make steady progress in all aspects of their work, but they are not all achieving as well as they could. For example, in key stage 1 pupils are not being given enough opportunities to apply their writing skills to write creatively and at length. In mathematics, most-able pupils across the school are often insufficiently challenged in lessons.

Early years provision Good

• Children enter the early years with knowledge and skills which are typical for their age. Over the last three years, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development has risen each year and has been consistently above the national average. Children make good progress, and the majority are well prepared for their transition into Year 1.
• The children are well cared for and they are confident and eager to join in activities. Children’s behaviour is good and they show respect for each other. They play cooperatively sharing resources and discussing their activities.
• Children respond well to instructions from adults who have high expectations of them. The children know and follow clear classroom routines so that little learning time is wasted. The children can choose from a range of activities and the majority show resilience by focusing on a task for an extended period of time, even when working independently.
• Safeguarding procedures are effective and welfare requirements in the early years are fully met.
• The teaching of early literacy skills through phonics is strong and the children are making good progress. Children are accurately taught how to recognise the sounds that letters make and blend these together to make words. Children are beginning to write independently and enjoy both reading and writing activities. However, some of the most able children feel restricted in the amount that they can write because of the size of the paper being used.
• The early years leader has a good knowledge of the children and plans activities to address their needs and help them catch up if necessary. Staff record progress in individual learning journals which they share with parents. However, planning does not always identify next steps in learning so that opportunities to maximise progress may be missed, especially for the most able.
• The early years indoor learning environment is bright and stimulating. It is well resourced and supports all areas of learning. In contrast, the outdoor learning environment used by the Reception classes is not used as effectively. Activities and resources are more limited and children do not have enough opportunities to make choices.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 103391 Birmingham 10025235 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. 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 465 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Dharmesh Rajput Wayne Simner 0121 675 1059 www.calshot.bham.sch.uk/ enquiry@calshot.bham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 28–29 November 2012

Information about this school

• This is a larger than average primary school.
• Pupils come from a range of different ethnic backgrounds.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below national levels, while the proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below that found in most primary schools.
• The school runs both a breakfast and after-school club. This provision is managed by the governing body.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the curriculum and the use of pupil premium funding on its website.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 22 lessons or parts of lessons. A number of these observations were undertaken jointly with the headteacher. Inspectors also made additional short visits to many classrooms to gather evidence on particular aspects of the curriculum or pupils’ learning.
• Inspectors met with pupils and listened to some pupils read. They looked at examples of pupils’ work in their books and spoke to pupils formally and informally. The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime, lunchtime and around the school as well as in lessons.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other leaders and members of staff. The lead inspector also met with four representatives of the governing body including the chair of governors.
• Inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, the school’s records relating to safeguarding and attendance, minutes of meetings of the governing body, information relating to the monitoring of teaching and learning, school performance information and the school’s website.
• Inspectors considered parents’ opinions through scrutinising 34 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including 28 freetext responses. The lead inspector spoke to parents on the first day of the inspection and also considered outcomes from the school’s own survey of parents.
• Seven responses to the staff questionnaire were considered as part of the inspection.

Inspection team

Catherine Crooks, lead inspector Sian Williams Sue Parker Alan Prince Sarah Ashley Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector