Chandos Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Increase the proportion of pupils, and in particular those who are disadvantaged, who are working at the standard expected for their age in reading and writing at the end of key stage 1 and key stage 2.
• Further improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that teachers:
  • provide a sufficient level of challenge for all pupils, especially the most able
  • pick up and address errors and misconceptions as they occur in pupils’ work.
• Leaders should ensure that curriculum planning enables pupils to acquire and deepen their skills and knowledge in a wider range of subjects.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has a clear and accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. He is well supported by an enthusiastic and determined senior and middle leadership team. With the good support of the academy trust, leaders have improved teaching and created a secure, caring environment in which pupils are keen to learn. As a result, standards are improving.
• Leaders carry out regular checks on the quality of teaching. Additional, external evaluation is provided by leaders from other schools within TEFAT through peer-to-peer reviews. These reviews have a specific focus, for example teaching for pupils who speak English as an additional language. Clear recommendations, together with sharp and incisive feedback, are provided to help teachers improve their practice. Teachers whose practice is not yet good receive support plans.
• The school’s assistant headteachers make a good contribution to leading improvements in teaching in their respective phases and subjects. Some, who are new in their posts, have made an impressive start in auditing the quality of teaching and producing clear action plans. They are actively involved in teaching groups to boost pupils’ progress. They lead training and have introduced new initiatives and schemes to provide greater structure and support for both teachers and pupils. Leaders have a clear understanding of what is working well and where further improvements are needed.
• Middle leaders also make a significant contribution to pupils’ academic development and welfare. The mathematics leader monitors achievement closely. Actions taken are having a positive impact on pupils’ achievement. Standards in mathematics are stronger than those in English. Leadership of attendance and family support are also highly effective. Strong links are formed with parents and carers through workshops and coffee mornings. Home visits and support for vulnerable families have led to increased pupil attendance and reduced persistent absence.
• Leaders celebrate diversity in the school. They place a strong focus on inclusion, providing good support for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who speak English as an additional language. Staff receive training in how to meet the needs of individual pupils with specific needs. Leaders monitor the effectiveness of support provided against pupil targets, making adjustments where necessary. There is a central, regional focus for pupils with SEND within the MAT, which aids this monitoring.
• Leaders spend the pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils and that received for pupils with SEND effectively. Additional teaching and pastoral staff are employed to support pupils and their families. Pupils receive extra help in class and intervention programmes to improve their progress and close gaps in their learning. Speech, language and play therapy provided make a good contribution to pupils’ social and emotional development. Consequently, pupils participate confidently in all aspects of school life.
• The physical education (PE) and sports premium funding is used well by leaders to provide pupils with increased access to competitive sporting experiences within and beyond the school. Sports coaches work with teachers to develop their skills in teaching PE, which ensures that the improved PE curriculum is sustainable. Additional resources purchased, and sports clubs offered, contribute to pupils’ physical fitness and well-being.
• The curriculum is designed to interest and engage pupils. ‘Learning challenges’ ensure that most curriculum areas are explored by a series of questions. History, science and religious education skills and knowledge are successfully incorporated into work set. Displays around the school and discussions with pupils support inspection evidence that music and art are taught regularly. However, pupils do not currently learn a modern foreign language and have limited experience of other subjects. This restricts their progress in these areas. The curriculum is enriched by visits, visitors and events linked to topic work. This adds to pupils’ enjoyment of school.
• The school supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. From the outset, children in the early years are taught the importance of rules and the need to treat everyone with respect and kindness. Pupils learn about different religions and cultures and show a high level of tolerance and respect for those from different backgrounds. The school is set within a diverse, multicultural area and leaders ensure that discrimination of any type is not tolerated. As a result, pupils play and learn together in a harmonious community.
• Most parents have positive views of the school. They are very pleased with the school and say their children are happy and safe. A very small number of parents who responded to the Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, had concerns about the school. These views were not typical of the majority of parents.
• While British values are not taught explicitly, they are implicit in the experiences pupils have and in the school’s values. These are based on the acronym of ‘Chandos’. Pupils know and follow these values, such as compassion, honesty and aspiration and are proud to be a ‘Chandos child’.

Governance of the school

• The MAT structure of governance is clearly communicated to all parties. The headteacher and governors have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities and there are distinct lines of accountability. TEFAT leaders provide very good levels of support to school leaders and staff.
• Regular visits and meetings with the regional director ensure that the trust has an accurate and up-to-date view of the school. Senior leaders and teachers work in close collaboration with the other schools in the trust to share best practice and check that assessments of pupils’ work are accurate.
• Governors have an accurate view of the school’s performance. They have worked closely with the headteacher in making whole-school changes, including restructuring the senior and middle leadership teams, to bring about marked improvements.
• Governors bring with them a range of skills that are used to good effect to support and challenge the work of the senior leadership team. They are particularly rigorous in their checks on safeguarding practice. They ask probing and challenging questions in meetings to hold leaders to account. They visit the school regularly to gather first-hand information and to meet with different leaders to hold them to account.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that pupils’ safety is their highest priority. All staff have received full training on all aspects of how to keep pupils safe, including on the ‘Prevent’ duty, to recognise and report issues about radicalisation and extremism. Staff know what to do if they have any worries about pupils and convey any concerns quickly to leaders. Leaders respond to these concerns swiftly to make sure that any pupil who needs help and support receives it. Record-keeping of referrals made is meticulous and thorough.
• Leaders carry out appropriate checks when appointing staff. Due process is followed and leaders have been trained in safer recruitment procedures. The central record of staff details is well organised.
• Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school. Pupils say that they have confidence in staff to address any concerns that they might have. Helpful assemblies, visitors to school and school activities are all used to teach pupils about how to stay safe in different contexts, including when they are online. Programmes used are age-appropriate, for example, ‘Real Love Rocks’ teaches Year 6 pupils about healthy relationships.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Since joining the MAT, leaders have worked hard to improve the quality of teaching. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use this well to plan lessons that meet the needs of pupils of different abilities and ages. Most teaching is good. This is beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes, especially in phonics and mathematics. Effective support is provided to teachers whose practice needs to improve.
• In some classes, pupils are working at standards below those typical for their age, especially in reading and writing. Teachers use assessment information to identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding and plan interesting activities to address these gaps. However, on occasion, some activities are too easy and do not challenge pupils well enough, especially the most able pupils. For example, pupils sometimes draw pictures rather than developing their writing skills. This limits pupils’ progress.
• Teaching assistants are used to support pupils’ learning effectively. They have positive relationships with pupils and a secure understanding of pupils’ needs. They provide encouragement and question them well to check their understanding and help them work out answers for themselves. This supports the improved progress pupils are now making.
• Teaching in mathematics is good. Teachers ensure that pupils have access to a variety of apparatus to support their mathematical learning where needed and link lessons to real contexts. Pupils also apply their mathematical knowledge in other subjects, which helps them deepen their understanding. Levels of challenge are provided through problem-solving and reasoning activities. Review points, together with peer-to-peer support, are used successfully during lessons to help pupils consolidate their learning of important concepts.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Pupils can apply their knowledge of the sounds that letters make when reading new and tricky words. However, from Year 2 onwards, some pupils still lack fluency and struggle to demonstrate their understanding of what they have read. Initiatives introduced are helping to address this. Teachers ensure that reading skills are taught regularly and provide pupils with a ‘word of the day’ to help extend pupils’ reading and vocabulary.
• Teachers successfully plan tasks for pupils to write for different purposes and different audiences. Staff training in the teaching of writing is beginning to have an impact on the presentation and quality of pupils’ work. For example, pupils’ handwriting is improving and greater attention is being paid by teachers to correcting pupils’ use of grammar, punctuation and spelling. Pupils are becoming increasingly confident in editing and improving their work. However, sometimes, adults do not pick up and address misconceptions or errors quickly enough. Although standards in writing are improving, they remain low in some year groups.
• The needs of disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND are met well through a carefully designed combination of work in class and additional interventions. Work is matched closely to pupils’ individual needs. Working with a partner or within a small group is helping to build pupils’ confidence and develop their resilience.
• Some pupils speak English as an additional language while other pupils have poor oral skills. Teachers model language well to help improve these pupils’ speaking skills. They introduce specific and appropriate subject vocabulary well to extend pupils’ abilities in speaking and writing.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils have positive attitudes to school and are proud to say they attend Chandos Primary. Pupils were keen to tell inspectors that they enjoy school, like their teachers and appreciate the range of opportunities provided for them.
• The family support worker and learning mentor provide high levels of nurture and support for vulnerable pupils and their families. Good links exist and regular contact is made. Members of staff are supportive and caring. As a result, pupils gain confidence and feel supported.
• Pupils say that bullying is very rare and staff deal quickly with any misbehaviour. This helps them feel safe. Pupils are confident to share any worries with staff and also know the Childline telephone number off by heart.
• Pupils enjoy and readily take on additional responsibilities in school. For example, pupils act as tuck shop monitors, art ambassadors and school captains.
• Pupils are encouraged to be aspirational through projects and events such as working with bio-medical engineers from Birmingham University. Pupils spoken to about their job preferences wanted to open businesses and become artists or designers. Future aspiration is reinforced as part of the school’s focus on Chandos values.
• Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay healthy. They enjoy the wide range of sporting opportunities offered through clubs and PE lessons. Pupils understand the importance of a healthy diet and many bring fruit to school as a snack and select the healthy food options offered at lunchtime. Pupils regularly learn about good health in science lessons.
• Pupils enjoy attending the breakfast club. They are well cared for in the club and appreciate the activities offered. The club provides a positive start to the day and an opportunity to socialise with different age groups.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils behave well in, and around, the school. They are attentive in lessons. They are polite and respectful to adults and visitors. Pupils know and follow the behaviour policy. They report that any conflicts which arise are quickly resolved.
• Leaders monitor behaviour carefully and all adults manage pupils’ behaviour well. Incidents are logged and recorded systematically. Leaders track types and numbers of incidents and analyse trends and patterns to detect where action is needed. Records show that the number of incidents is reducing and that exclusions are used in line with the school’s policy and only as a final sanction.
• Pupils play happily together and look after each other well. They are highly respectful and tolerant of others’ beliefs and backgrounds.
• The learning mentor and parent support worker work collaboratively and tirelessly to improve pupils’ attendance. They have had considerable success in building positive relationships with parents. As a result, attendance is consistently in line with national figures and rising steadily. Persistent absence is challenged and monitored closely.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The progress of pupils throughout the school is improving but is not yet consistently good in each year group. Pupils make stronger progress in mathematics than in reading and writing and attainment is generally higher in mathematics.
• In 2017, progress at the end of key stage 2 was above average in reading and mathematics but broadly average in writing. In 2018, progress in reading fell and was broadly average.
• Attainment at the end of key stage 1 over the last two years has been below the national average in reading and writing. While attainment in mathematics was low in 2017, it rose in 2018 and was in line with the national average. However, very few pupils reached greater depth in any subject.
• Attainment at the end of key stage 2 in 2017 was close to the national average in reading and mathematics but below average in writing. Results in 2018 fell in all subjects, both at the expected standard and higher levels. As a result, some pupils were not well prepared for the next stage of their education.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the phonics screening check in Year 1 is close to the national average and stable.
• Disadvantaged pupils made less progress than other pupils nationally in 2018 in reading and writing. However, their progress in mathematics was stronger and above average. Disadvantaged pupils attained less well than other pupils nationally at the end of key stages 1 and 2. Although the school’s assessment information shows that current pupils are making good progress, wide differences still exist between disadvantaged pupils in some year groups, especially in Years 1 to 3. These differences do, however, diminish as pupils move through the school.
• Pupils with SEND make good progress from their different starting points because they are well supported and work is accurately matched to their learning needs.
• There is a larger-than-average proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language in the school. The majority of pupils speak English fluently and can converse easily. Additional resources and adult support are provided for the small numbers who are still at the early stages of learning the language. Pupils quickly develop their language skills due to the support in place. This ensures that these pupils achieve well.

Early years provision Good

• Children get off to a strong start in the Nursery and Reception classes. They experience a broad and balanced curriculum, including phonics and early reading. A wide range of writing and mathematical activities are planned to support children’s development of letters and numbers. Other areas of learning are also well planned and children thoroughly enjoy and are adept at using computers and making music.
• The large majority of children join school with skills and knowledge which are below those expected for their age, most notably in communication and language. Carefully planned activities, with lots of adult modelling and skilled questioning, ensure that children quickly develop their speaking and listening skills and make good progress. Where children continue to have delays, speech and language therapy is accessed to give the specialist input needed.
• The proportion of children in 2018 who achieved a good level of development was close to the national average. This represents good progress from their starting points. While disadvantaged children also make good progress from their starting points, fewer reach the standards required in literacy and mathematics compared to their peers. Gaps are therefore already evident when children enter Year 1. Disadvantaged children achieve well in their physical, personal, social and emotional development due to the support and opportunities provided.
• Teachers use resources effectively, both in the classrooms and in the outdoor learning environment, to develop children’s interest and understanding. Everyday items and equipment are used creatively to provide real-life learning opportunities for children. For example, children in their imaginative play use real wheels, bricks, pots, pans and cooking utensils.
• Children behave well in the early years. They are cooperative and happy to share resources and equipment. This is because teachers structure learning to enable children to develop well both socially and emotionally.
• Teachers assess children’s learning regularly. They observe activities and make notes of what children say and can do. These observations, together with photographic evidence and samples of children’s work, form a profile for each child. These are stored electronically and used to inform adults’ early assessments of children’s starting points and their abilities.
• The Nursery and Reception classes and outdoor areas are a safe learning environment for children. Resources are used sensibly and children are taught how to use equipment safely. For example, outdoors, children were encouraged to jump from a PE table onto a PE landing mat. Although it was a significant drop, with adult encouragement and supervision, all children participated and developed their courage and confidence in an outdoor activity.
• The early years leader has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the quality of education in the Nursery and Reception classes. Her knowledgeable approach is underpinned by regular teaching, monitoring and working alongside staff. Good support is provided to those who are newly qualified to ensure that they have the skills and knowledge needed to develop good learning.
• Effective induction processes help children to get off to a positive start. Home visits are carried out for each child before they join the school. This allows effective working relationships to be established from the outset. Staff encourage parents to be involved in their child’s education through workshops and regular communication. Children settle quickly and adapt well to routines. Individual adjustments are made where staff feel a child needs more time to settle.
• Arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with all adults having a good understanding of the specific requirements for the safety of young children. Welfare requirements are met. The provision is well staffed. It is a safe environment and all statutory school policies are in place. This ensures that children are safe and feel safe.

S

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 143908 Birmingham 10058461 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy sponsor-led 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 451 Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Board of trustees Caroline Whalley James Allan 0121 464 3881 www.chandosprimary.org enquiry@chandosprimary.org Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Chandos Primary School converted to academy status in February 2017. This is the school’s first inspection since conversion. It is one of the 28 academies that are part of The Elliot Foundation Academies Trust. The same headteacher was in post prior to the school joining the trust.
• The board of trustees has oversight of all academies within the trust and overall legal responsibility for each school. They are also responsible for the quality of education provided by the school, governance, finance and human resources. The board delegate some areas of responsibility to the local governing body, for example curriculum, safeguarding and pupil premium.
• This school is larger than the average-sized primary school. It is in an area of high deprivation.
• Pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds. A high proportion speak English as an additional language.
• The school receives additional funding through the pupil premium funding for a higher- than-average proportion of disadvantaged pupils.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average.
• The proportion of pupils supported with an education, health and care plan is below average.
• The school provides full-time and part-time places for children in the Nursery class.
• The school runs a breakfast club before school.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. Almost all observations were carried out with the headteacher or one of the three assistant headteachers.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leadership team and other members of staff with leadership responsibilities. Discussions were also held with representatives of the academy trust and the local governing body.
• Inspectors took account of the 10 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and parent text. Comments made by parents as they brought their children to school were also considered together with the school’s own survey responses from parents.
• Staff views were evaluated through the 26 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire.
• Pupils’ views were collected by talking to pupils during the school day and informally at breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors listened to a selection of pupils read, talked to them about their learning and reviewed the work in their books with senior leaders.
• A number of documents were reviewed including the school’s self-evaluation, the school’s development plan, data on pupils’ attainment and progress, reports by the academy trust and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector David Walker Caroline Badyal Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector