Glenmead Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and governance by ensuring that:
  • there is increased capacity among senior and middle leaders to monitor teaching and share the best practice in the school more widely
  • leaders review urgently the impact on teaching of the introduction of the new mathematics scheme
  • governors are more robust in holding leaders to account for pupils’ progress
  • communication with parents is more effective, so that information published on the website is up to date and meets statutory requirements, and that parents are better informed about how their children are doing in their learning
  • leaders evaluate the impact of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities with greater rigour
  • there is a smooth transition for children from Reception to Year 1.
• Improve outcomes by the end of key stage 2, including for disadvantaged pupils, in reading and mathematics by ensuring that teachers:
  • understand how to apply the mathematics scheme consistently well so that they set work that is appropriate to pupils’ different starting points
  • plan activities that are more challenging for most-able pupils
  • enable pupils to read more widely across a range of genres and subjects. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Senior leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. As a result, they know that outcomes in reading and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 have not been good enough over the last three years.
• Senior leaders have successfully made writing a key priority for improvement. Outcomes have improved significantly by the end of Year 6, from a very low base in previous assessments.
• Leadership capacity has been reduced because those senior leaders who left at the end of the summer term in 2018 have not been replaced. Leadership at other levels is a weakness. A number of middle leaders are very new to their roles, such as in English and for special educational needs (SEN). Leadership of mathematics is in an acting capacity. Not all subjects have coordinators. Where there are gaps, such as in modern foreign languages, geography, and design and technology, remaining senior leaders have to take on additional responsibilities.
• Leaders have engaged successfully since the last academic year with support through an external consultant and with two local successful schools. Support commissioned on behalf of the local authority is about to begin, but belatedly, given the decline in outcomes over the last three years.
• Despite the training for the new mathematics scheme introduced this term, leaders have not been quick enough to pick up teachers’ misconceptions. This has led to some teachers pitching work at the middle-attaining pupils only, meaning that tasks are too easy for some pupils and too difficult for others. Leaders successfully identify strengths and weaknesses in teaching but have not been swift enough in addressing weaknesses identified, especially in the teaching of mathematics.
• Leaders do not evaluate the impact of the pupil premium with enough rigour. Outcomes are not improving quickly enough for disadvantaged pupils in reading and mathematics but have significantly improved in writing. It is too early to evaluate the impact of recent changes to how leaders allocate the funds.
• Leadership of SEN is very new. Parents are appreciative of the good levels of care, guidance and support for their children. Effective support is in place, but evaluation of the impact of support provided through additional funds is limited.
• There is a strong drive to increase the take-up of sport through the physical education (PE) and sport premium. Pupils try new activities such as archery, orienteering, circuit training and cricket. Boys with low attendance have been targeted to improve their attendance through participating in sport. Pupils receive ‘golden tickets’ if they remain members of clubs over a period of time. Leaders analyse carefully the rate of uptake of sports clubs, which has grown over time.
• Leaders have successfully improved attendance. Attendance is rising, especially for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• A large majority of parents who responded to Parent View said that they would recommend the school to another parent. The large majority of parents spoken to were positive about the school, especially the care, guidance and support provided. A minority of those spoken to – about a third of those responding to Parent View and several commenting on the Parent View free-text facility – had concerns about the school’s communication with them. They were not happy with the information they receive about their children’s progress. Parents reported that, while they like the text messages, emails and newsletters, they find the website unhelpful. Many of the policies on the website are out of date and some of the statutory information required by the Department for Education (DfE) is missing. The website does not meet the DfE requirements for information that schools must publish, including on safeguarding, SEN and the pupil premium.
• All staff responding to their survey agreed that they were proud to be a member of the school. Almost all said that leaders use professional development well to encourage, challenge and support teachers’ improvement.
• Leaders promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and British values very well through the curriculum, assemblies and displays around the school. Pupils were made aware of the rule of law through ‘democracy week’. Pupils write weekly prayers for Friday’s collective worship. These are displayed prominently.
• Pupils experience a broad and balanced curriculum supplemented by a wealth of extra-curricular activities which they said they enjoy. On ‘Freedom Friday’, they get the chance to participate in activities in greater depth, such as art, cookery, textiles and woodwork. There are several inter-school tournaments and clubs, for example for football and table tennis. Monitoring of the take-up of activities such as the breakfast club is underdeveloped.
• Some of the issues identified from the last inspection, to raise achievement in mathematics and improve outcomes in English and mathematics for disadvantaged pupils, remain because they have not been addressed quickly enough.

Governance of the school

• Governors have an accurate view of the school based on the information they receive from leaders. They are aware of the strengths and weaknesses in outcomes at the end of key stage 2 in the last three years. Governors are highly committed to their roles and have sought an external evaluation of the performance of the school. Governors check that the school meets its safeguarding duties and responsibilities.
• Minutes from governing body meetings show that governors do not sufficiently challenge leaders. They are too ready to accept leaders’ explanations for pupils’ underperformance.
• Governors do not ensure that the school’s communication with parents is of the highest quality. They are not aware of omissions of essential information on the school’s website. However, they are aware that improving communication with parents is a priority for improvement.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Designated leaders are up to date with training and are well informed about the latest national guidance. Checks on new staff are very thorough. Recent training for all staff has included the latest guidance, including on radicalisation and extremism, peer-on-peer abuse and female genital mutilation. Staff spoken to during the inspection knew what to do should a safeguarding incident arise and to whom they should report concerns.
• The very large majority of pupils who responded to the inspection survey or who spoke to inspectors agreed that they feel safe. This was consistent with the views of the very large majority of parents responding to Parent View and all staff responding to their survey.
• Pupils are taught well through the curriculum, including in personal, social and health (PSH) education lessons, and in how to keep themselves safe when out of school. For example, they are taught about the dangers on the internet such as cyber bullying, and water safety through visits to Sutton Park.
• Policies are up to date to take account of the latest guidance, but information published on the website is out of date.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• A number of teachers are struggling with the new mathematics scheme. There are misconceptions that the scheme requires them to teach to the middle. Low-attaining pupils find the work too hard. Most-able pupils finish the work quickly and are not then sufficiently stretched and challenged. This leads to some incidents of pupils losing concentration and focus on their work and some low-level disruption.
• Work in pupils’ books indicates that, over time, there are many occasions where all pupils, regardless of their different starting points, have had the same level of challenge in their work. This has had a negative impact on pupils’ progress.
• Where mathematics is being taught in line with leaders’ expectations, pupils fully engage in their learning. They enjoy the challenging activities that are accessible at different levels of difficulty.
• Additional support for low-attaining pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is effective and gives pupils full access to their learning. Additional adults are skilful at motivating those pupils who find learning difficult or those boys who struggle to write for extended periods of time.
• Pupils are taught well to read fluently using the phonics skills they acquired in early years and key stage 1. However, opportunities to develop wider reading across the curriculum are limited. A number of pupils spoken to report that they do not read widely, and that there is no library in the school.
• Feedback to pupils is not consistently in line with the school’s policy. Where low-attaining pupils regularly get work wrong, for example, they are not given enough guidance on how to improve.
• About a third of the pupils responding to the survey said that they do not receive sufficiently challenging work most of the time. A scrutiny of pupils’ books confirmed this view in reading and mathematics but not in writing.
• Teaching of writing is good. Teachers enable pupils to write in different styles and for a variety of purposes, such as story-writing and factual reports. Some pupils are now working at the higher standard, building effectively on the punctuation and grammar skills they have already acquired.
• There is a good atmosphere for learning in most classrooms. This is largely based on the positive relationships developed between adults and pupils and among pupils themselves.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The large majority of pupils responding to the survey said that they are happy and enjoy school. This was confirmed by the very large majority of parents responding to Parent View and those who spoke to inspectors.
• Almost all pupils responding to the survey and those who spoke to inspectors confirmed that the school encourages them to respect people from different backgrounds and to treat everyone equally. This was reinforced in an assembly on tolerance that was seen by an inspector. However, pupils’ knowledge of the beliefs of other faiths is limited.
• Pupils feel safe in school. Most said that either bullying does not happen or, where it does, teachers are really good at resolving issues. Pupils reported confidently that there is always an adult in school to talk to if anything is worrying them. They know what to do, for example, if they hear any racist name-calling.
• Pupils confirmed that the school encourages them to look after their emotional and mental health. Pastoral staff meet with individual parents as required to support their children’s mental health.
• Most pupils confirmed that they receive good advice about their next steps.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. This was confirmed by the large majority of pupils speaking to inspectors or responding to the survey.
• Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. The environment is calm, including at breaktime and lunchtimes. Pupils behave well for the most part in lessons, where they settle quickly to their work. They listen well to adults and to each other and respond promptly to instructions.
• Behaviour in lessons is generally good. Pupils have a tendency at times to be passive and compliant rather than taking responsibility for their learning.
• Most pupils are resilient, so that where work is too difficult, they persevere. Where they have finished their work quickly, many use their time productively to check their answers or help others. However, there are times, particularly in mathematics, when work has not been pitched at the appropriate level of challenge. Some pupils switch off and this leads to instances of low-level disruption, such as off-task chatter, fiddling with equipment or gazing out of the window.
• Exclusions are rare.
• Up until 2017, pupil absence was high compared with the national average. As a result of actions taken by leaders, such as the introduction of gold, silver and bronze awards, attendance is improving rapidly. Attendance is improving too for those who are persistently absent, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities. Where necessary, pastoral staff collect children from home.
• The breakfast club is having a positive impact on improving attendance and punctuality and strengthening links between pastoral staff and parents.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The school’s assessment of the progress made by pupils currently in school shows that, overall, while most pupils have made good progress, there are variations from one class to another linked to the effectiveness of teaching. This variation is particularly apparent for disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• In the most recent, as yet unpublished, tests and assessments at the end of key stage 2, outcomes improved significantly in writing for both standards and progress. However, they declined in mathematics and reading. There were too few low-attaining or most-able pupils in Year 6 last year to comment on their outcomes.
• Leaders and teachers have placed a strong emphasis on promoting a range of writing opportunities in English and other subjects throughout the school, for example writing instructions for a food recipe. Pupils have the chance to write stories and factual reports and to present balanced arguments. As a result, more pupils achieved the expected standard than in previous years. The proportion of pupils achieving greater depth in writing significantly improved in 2018 compared to 2017 when the proportion was below average.
• Disadvantaged pupils made very rapid progress in their writing from key stage 1 to key stage 2 in 2018 because of the targeted support and strategies to promote writing. However, their progress in reading and mathematics declined compared with the previous year.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in phonics at the end of Years 1 and 2 is consistently above the national average. Pupils are prepared well to apply the phonics skills they have learned in key stage 1. However, they do not experience a wide enough range of texts in their reading and consequently reading outcomes are low at the end of Year 6.
• About one in four parents who responded to Parent View had concerns that their children were not making enough progress.

Early years provision Good

• Leadership in early years is good. The proportions of children achieving the early learning goals are consistently above the national average. Children make good progress from their low starting points. Leaders have an accurate view of children’s outcomes in Reception.
• Children have the opportunity to engage in a range of purposeful, child-initiated activities in clearly designated and well-planned working areas. For example, in mathematics, children can count pictures and clip the correct number peg to match the number in the picture. Staff are effective in supporting children with their reading through phonics and listening to them read. They support handwriting through developing fine motor skills and a range of strategies for pencil control. Children can write on a range of different surfaces.
• There are attractive displays to support and celebrate children’s learning.
• Children acquire good learning behaviours and routines quickly in early years. They work and play well together. There is a calm and purposeful environment in Reception. Group time has been extended to build up children’s concentration and resilience.
• A high proportion of children leave Reception having achieved the expected learning goals for their age, including in mathematics. However, the transition to Year 1 is difficult for some as they struggle to cope with the rapid change to more formal learning. Leaders have not yet evaluated the impact of the changes to the curriculum in mathematics in Year 1, which has led to a marked contrast in the way mathematics is now taught in Year 1 compared with Reception.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 103320 Birmingham 10052847 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 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 373 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Kieran Lyons Hilary Allan Telephone number 0121 464 3173 Website Email address www.glenmead.bham.sch.uk enquiry@glenmead.bham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 8 May 2014

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.
• The percentage of pupils from minority ethnic groups is broadly average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above average. The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is below average.
• No pupils attend off-site alternative provision.
• The chair of the governing body has been appointed since the school was last inspected.
• Two assistant headteachers who left in July 2018 have not been replaced.
• The mathematics coordinator was on maternity leave during the inspection.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed 29 lessons or parts of lessons, of which the large majority were jointly observed with a member of the senior leadership team. In addition, inspectors made other short visits to lessons and other activities.
• Inspectors heard pupils read during lessons and scrutinised their written work in English, mathematics and other subjects.
• An inspector attended a whole-school assembly.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, other leaders and members of staff, and spoke to two groups of pupils. Inspectors met three members of the governing body, including the chair. An inspector also met a representative from a company commissioned on behalf of the local authority to support schools.
• Inspectors took account of 45 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as 34 responses to the Parent View free-text service. Inspectors also spoke to 13 parents at the school gate.
• Inspectors considered the 165 responses to the pupil questionnaire (all from pupils in Years 4, 5 or 6) and 22 responses to the staff questionnaire.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised a number of documents, including those relating to the school’s self-evaluation, as well as minutes of governing body meetings, improvement plans and the school’s information on pupils’ recent attainment and progress.
• Inspectors considered behaviour and attendance information and policies and procedures relating to special educational needs, pupil premium funding, the PE and sport premium, safeguarding and child protection.

Inspection team

Mark Sims, lead inspector John Bates Diane Pye

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector