Radford Primary Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching so that pupils are offered the right level of challenge in all classes, by:
  • adapting tasks and providing work during lessons to challenge pupils who have the potential to reach or exceed age-related standards in reading, writing and mathematics
  • making sure that teachers and support staff routinely check that pupils correct mistakes, especially when writing and completing mathematics tasks
  • asking more challenging questions in lessons, rather than going over too much work already learned, particularly for the most able pupils.
• Improve pupils’ behaviour in lessons, by:
  • making sure that lessons engage, challenge and interest pupils
  • ensuring that the same school-wide expectations are set for behaviour in all classes
  • expecting pupils to complete their work on time.
• Sustain improvements to pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, by:
  • closing still further, in all classes, the difference between the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils and others nationally who are not disadvantaged
  • using more effective and consistent methods to help pupils improve the accuracy of their spelling and quality of handwriting
  • checking that pupils are improving their reading skills and making sure that pupils
  • read widely and often improving pupils’ problem-solving skills in mathematics lessons by helping them use the most effective calculation methods to solve problems.
• Improve further the impact of leadership on sustaining improvements to teaching and pupils’ achievement in all classes, by:
  • setting clearer targets and measures of success in the school’s development plan to help gauge the impact of actions taken to improve teachers’ performance and pupils’ progress identifying the most common weaknesses in teaching and communicating these to teachers and support staff so they know how best to improve their practice.
  • 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

• Leaders do not provide an accurate assessment of the quality of teaching. They carry out regular and systematic monitoring of lessons, pupils’ work and progress but do not have a clear enough view of the most common strengths and weaknesses of teaching in all classes.
• The school’s development plan does not identify specific priorities to guide leaders’ monitoring activities. As a result, leaders are not addressing some common weaknesses, such as teachers’ questioning or the lack of pace and challenge offered to middle- and higher-ability pupils. The development plan sets out broad, generic priorities to improve teaching but does not set out actions to pinpoint and address the most common weaknesses of teaching and pupils’ achievement.
• Teachers’ lesson plans are scrutinised regularly and there are routine reviews of pupils’ work and progress. Teachers and leaders with responsibility for managing subjects or aspects of the school use their own subject action plans which provide more precise priorities for improvement. However, leaders are not focusing enough on improving teaching in those classes where the level of challenge and expectations for behaviour and work are not ambitious enough.
• Despite these shortcomings, the executive headteacher, headteacher, assistant headteacher and governors have brought stability to the school. Leaders and governors have managed to eradicate the weakest teaching which resulted in the significant underachievement evident from the national test results in 2015.
• Leaders demonstrate the capacity for sustained improvement. In the last 12 months, leaders and governors appointed key staff who are effective in sharing best practice to help teachers and support staff improve their practice. As a result, there are early indications that standards are improving and leaders are providing common expectations for pupils’ work and behaviour that are starting to show more consistency.
• There are increasing opportunities for leaders and staff to see and share best practice with other academies across the multi-academy trust (MAT) and across a local network of outstanding and good schools. Where teaching requires improvement, leaders provide guidance and support for teachers and support staff and the strongest teachers are starting to influence the performance of other staff. The headteacher has been particularly effective in overseeing improvements to the early years provision.
• Leaders redesigned the curriculum to provide a rich and broad variety of projects, visits and special themes that enliven pupils and make learning interesting and enjoyable. For example, pupils are provided with first-hand outdoor experiences, such as a trip to Kenilworth Castle to complement a recent topic entitled ‘Towers and Turrets’. Key stage 2 pupils visit Warwick University to take part in ‘lectures for young people’ as leaders endeavour to raise the aspirations of disadvantaged and vulnerable families. The election of school councillors, as one pupil stated to an inspector, ‘Helps us to become better pupils and to help others’, as well as providing direct experience of local democracy. The school’s leaders and staff are very committed to teaching pupils the British values of democracy, and respect and tolerance of people from different cultures and races, and with different beliefs and customs.
• Specialised programmes and events are organised for specific groups, such as the visit of a storyteller specifically aimed at White British Roma and Traveller pupils and families. This, as well as many examples of specific interventions for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, reflects the school’s commitment to inclusion and the opportunities it provide for all pupils. Leaders and staff provide good opportunities, as well as effective support and intervention work for pupils who speak little or no English. Pupils who join the school at different times during the school year, especially those learning English as an additional language, soon settle and do well because the school provides effective support for these pupils.
• Most of the parents that inspectors spoke to are pleased with the range of experiences their children are provided with. Homework links effectively to the topics planned in the school’s curriculum and parents are increasingly involved, for example they helped pupils make models to display in the school as part of their studies of Ancient Greece. The school hosts special musical events and acts as a ‘music hub’ for the local community. Displays of pupils’ creative and fine art adorn corridors and reflect the broad range of topics and themes studied as well the good use made of educational visits and visitors. There are many examples displayed or recorded in pupils’ work that demonstrate how well leaders and staff enhance pupils’ studies, making a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• The primary school physical education sports fund is used well to support participation in sports and games. In addition to regular physical education and swimming lessons, after-school clubs provide good opportunities for pupils to engage in team games, sports and activities that promote healthy and active lifestyles.
• The MAT provides a good balance of challenge and support for the school’s leaders and staff. This is improving the effectiveness of the school as teaching and pupils’ achievement are improving. Following the disappointing 2015 national test results, the trust, senior leaders and governors analysed pupils’ outcomes and, rightly, identified underachievement in key areas, such as in reading and mathematics. As a result, leaders and governors deployed effective teachers with the right quality and expertise to teach in the Year 5 and Year 6 classes last year. The most recent national test results in 2016 point to improvement, although there is still more to be done to maintain consistently good teaching in all classes across the school.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective because the local governing board is overseeing and managing improvements to the school.
• The chair and other key governors keep in regular touch with the executive headteacher, headteacher and assistant headteachers to hold leaders and staff to account for pupils’ achievement and staff performance. However, they do not always receive an accurate overview of the quality of teaching.
• The performance of staff is linked to pay progression and management responsibilities. Governors receive regular updates about pupils’ progress and have a good understanding of pupil performance data, enabling the local governing board to challenge underperformance. This includes the achievement of disadvantaged pupils where the differences are diminishing but there are still significant differences in some classes between their achievement and that of other pupils nationally who are not disadvantaged. The most recent reliable national comparisons (2015) show that some disadvantaged pupils were more than a year behind other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• All safeguarding arrangements are robust. Staff recruitment and vetting procedures are rigorous and effective. There is an effective and vigilant culture of safeguarding. Every member of staff, including supervisory staff at lunchtime and adults who manage the breakfast club, understand their roles in relation to child protection procedures. Staff and governors know what to do and who to ask to seek advice about the safety and welfare of pupils. The MAT has consistent procedures across all five of its academies to monitor safeguarding procedures.
• The parents that spoke to inspectors were positive about the school and are pleased with the way that leaders and staff are committed to pupils’ well-being and safety. Teachers and support staff are well trained and vigilant. Administrative staff diligently check and verify the identity of visitors when they arrive at school.
• The safety and well-being of children in the early years (Nursery and Reception class) is well managed and the early years welfare requirements are fully met.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Pupils’ work, assessment information and lesson observations show that teaching requires improvement because it has not yet led to consistently good achievement for pupils in all classes.
• Inspection findings confirm that teachers are increasingly adopting more consistent practice but are not always expecting enough or exercise consistent expectations for work and behaviour in lessons.
• The majority of staff, as reflected in their responses to the staff questionnaire, and most of the parents spoken to during the inspection are pleased with improvements to teaching since the headteacher joined in September 2014. These improvements include more stable staffing and the elimination of weak or poor teaching that led to past underperformance by pupils as seen in the 2015 national test results. Staff morale is high; this is also reflected in the staff questionnaire and the way teachers respond to feedback on their performance.
• Inconsistencies exist across classes. Some teachers do not ask questions or probe further to deepen pupils’ understanding and knowledge. This slows learning and prevents pupils from developing higher levels of understanding. The work set for pupils is not always challenging enough, especially for the most able pupils and those who need to catch up and have the capability to reach age-related expectations.
• Class discussions are more effective when pupils contribute by sharing ideas and are given the opportunity to read aloud to others or to explain themselves in complete sentences. Pupils in Year 6, for example, come up with ideas and answer questions fully because the teacher provides ample opportunities for productive discussion. Evidence from their previous work shows that Year 6 pupils often have time to map out their ideas before writing independently. This was also a good feature of teaching seen in Year 4 during a science lesson when pupils were invited to read out the results of their enquiries into the viscosity of different fluids and substances. However, this is not common enough practice, so pupils’ speaking, listening and use of vocabulary does not improve well enough in all classes. In some lessons, pupils are too noisy and this disrupts the learning of others because teachers and support staff have not yet adopted effective systems to control pupils’ behaviour in lessons.
• Teachers’ marking and assessments are improving. Teachers usually offer good guidance for pupils so they can understand the next steps in their learning, although teachers’ expectations are not always high enough. When asked by inspectors what they were expected to complete independently in the time allowed, pupils were unclear so did not produce enough work and wasted time chatting. This is also reflected in pupils’ workbooks in those classes where there are inconsistent expectations for work and progress during lessons.
• There are some inconsistent and common weaknesses in lessons that are not being pinpointed when leaders monitor pupils’ work or teaching. For example, workbooks in some classes show incomplete work or corrections that have not been made when pupils are asked to revisit their work. Pupils’ independent writing in some classes shows inconsistent presentation and irregular handwriting. In some classes, handwriting and presentation are of good quality and in others they are untidy or not improving enough, with some repeated spelling errors.
• In mathematics books, pupils are often expected to solve problems that engage and interest them. The most effective teaching helps pupils to improve their knowledge and understanding because teachers are helping pupils to correct errors and go over mistakes. However, in some classes problems are too easy or too hard. Pupils either complete a whole page getting everything correct without enough challenge to their learning, or they complete a page incorrectly and are not being taught an efficient method of calculation.
• Despite these weaknesses, there are signs of improvement. Many lessons are well structured, pupils are managed well and positive relationships are developed. The most effective teaching sets high expectations for behaviour and learning. This enables pupils to achieve well and show keen attitudes to work that contribute well to their learning. As a result of this more challenging teaching, pupils sustain their concentration and interest for lengthy periods. This is not yet always the case however, reflecting inconsistent expectations in some classes.
• Good-quality work and displays around the school reflect the wide range of opportunities on offer to the pupils, as well as the good contribution that the school’s planned curriculum makes to pupils’ personal development.
• Both teachers and support staff plan and teach small groups of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils who have additional learning needs make similar rates of progress as other pupils. Teachers and those responsible for monitoring these pupils are checking the impact of each intervention programme to make sure they are best suited to help pupils reach their expected learning targets.
• New arrivals, including pupils in the early stages of learning English, are provided with support that is well planned and effective to meet their needs. These pupils soon settle into the school and improve their spoken and written English.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• There are good opportunities for pupils to learn about other faiths, customs and traditions through religious education, the arts, music, themed topics, projects and educational visits. The school is successful in promoting a strong emphasis on tolerance and equality, which prepares pupils well for life in a modern, democratic Britain.
• Pupils have good manners, are polite and generally show respect for others’ feelings. They are helpful and courteous to adults and visitors. They are helpful and respectful to pupils who have disabilities or when a child is upset or distressed. For example, some older pupils took care of a child from the early years who strayed into the ‘big playground’ and brought the child to safety by escorting her to an adult.
• Pupils enjoy volunteering to help others as playground leaders, school councillors or librarians. The school’s indoor and outdoor environment and resources are well maintained, clean and stimulating which is appreciated and respected by pupils. They willingly offer to tidy up after eating their lunchtime meal or sandwich and there is very little litter or unkempt areas – reflecting how well pupils care for their school.
• The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is effective. Pupils learn a lot about staying safe and healthy. For example, pupils can explain the precautions they need to take when using computers, including the use of the internet or text messaging on mobile devices. Pupils say that bullying is rare. Pupils confirmed that the few incidents, like name-calling or when friends fall out, are dealt with by leaders and staff.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Learning slows when pupils lose interest, go off task by chatting or do not do enough work because teachers’ expectations are not consistent enough in some classes.
• There is good behaviour and attitudes to learning in those lessons and classes where expectations are high for both behaviour and work. In some lessons, however, pupils do not always have enough to do that engages them fully, so some pupils chat or their attention wanders away from the task set for them.
• Pupils are keen to learn and do their best. They cooperate well when working in groups or with a partner and are willing to tackle problems, demonstrating resilience and perseverance. However, they are not always expected to do enough work in the time provided. The best behaviour in lessons exists when teachers set out clear guidelines when pupils work independently or in groups so they are clear about the tasks and what is expected. This is not always the case though and this is reflected in lessons and in pupils’ workbooks where too little work has been completed or is sometimes left incomplete.
• Leaders and staff are effective in dealing with the few racist or bullying incidents that sometimes occur and log these to ensure they are not repeated. The lessons learned from these incidents are noted by school leaders. Appropriate behaviour modification programmes and discussions with families and pupils resolve issues to make sure pupils are safe, well cared for and not at risk of harm or intimidation.
• Attendance is improving well and is now in line with the national average. Past records (from 2015) show that some pupils who receive special educational needs support were not attending regularly enough but this is no longer the case and their attendance has improved significantly this year. Leaders and staff keep robust records and monitor patterns of absence well. Family support and early help is provided for vulnerable families that are effective in encouraging pupils to attend regularly and to come to school on time. Leaders and staff adopt effective measures by working with families to reduce persistent absence rates.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Although improving, pupils in some year groups are not making consistently good progress over time. Leaders and staff were quick to respond to the disappointing national test results for Year 1, Year 2 and Year 6 pupils in 2015. Last year’s national assessments and test results in 2016 show that some targeted and effective teaching, especially in Year 6, enabled the majority of pupils to reach age-related standards in writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2. Fewer pupils reached the age-related standard in reading in Year 6 last year as they made slower progress compared with writing and mathematics.
• It is not possible to compare the most recent national test results (from 2016) for pupils in Year 6 with previous years’ results. This year’s tests were the first to be administered as part of the revised national curriculum and there are different attainment criteria compared to previous years. The Year 1 phonics screening test results, which can be compared with previous years, improved significantly on the previous year’s low standards.
• In key stages 1 and 2, the 2015 national tests showed that the overall attainment of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics was well below the national average and the school did not meet the government’s floor standards at that time (the minimum requirements for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics for Year 6 pupils). At that time, two years ago, these results represented inadequate progress in relation to pupils’ starting points. Since then, the headteacher and senior leaders have improved teaching enough to start raising standards. The school’s accurate assessment information shows that current progress and attainment in classes across the school show improvement. However, improvements are not yet at a consistent or even pace across classes, reflecting inconsistencies in the quality and effectiveness of teaching that still remain.
• In all year groups, the large majority of pupils are making the expected rate of progress. This is improving so that all groups are starting to catch up on previously lost ground. However, the proportion of pupils making more than expected rates of progress varies considerably across classes. This affects most those pupils who were previously underachieving, including the most able pupils.
• The difference between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and others who are not disadvantaged is diminishing although, again, this is uneven as the differences are wider in some classes compared with others. The school’s use of pupil premium funding to target and support the achievement of disadvantaged pupils requires improvement in order to achieve greater consistency across classes.
• Pupils are increasingly making better progress in writing and mathematics compared with reading, although in Year 6 they are making good progress in all aspects of their work because the teaching remains consistently strong and effective in this class. Across the school there are increasing opportunities for pupils to write more extensively and independently in other subjects, such as science, religious education and humanities (history and geography), although the quality of handwriting and spelling varies, reflecting teachers’ inconsistent expectations.
• The most able pupils are not always reaching high enough standards, including those that are disadvantaged who fall short of reaching these higher standards. However, there are signs of improvement in mathematics and to a lesser extent in writing, where an increasing proportion of pupils are on track to reach higher standards.
• Younger pupils in the early years and key stage 1 are increasingly using their phonics skills well to read with confidence independently. However, some pupils, including older pupils in key stage 2, do not read with full understanding because they are not reading often enough or experiencing more challenging and varied books, authors and genres of literature.
• Pupils learning English as an additional language make good progress, building on the good foundations laid in the early years. It is significant to note that nearly half of pupils who join the school are learning English as an additional language. By the time they finish key stage 1 and key stage 2, the large majority of these pupils become fluent and competent English speakers.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities in all year groups make similar progress to most other pupils, including those that are disadvantaged. In some classes and in the early years, planned support and interventions, particularly in English and mathematics lessons and topic work in science and other subjects, help pupils who find learning difficult to keep up with others.

Early years provision Good

• The children make good progress in early phonics, reading, writing and mathematics, which prepares them well for Year 1. Nearly half of the children join the early years with little or no spoken English. These children soon engage with adults and other children, learning songs, nursery rhymes and traditional stories. The children soon pick up and use conversational English during the varied and stimulating indoor and outdoor activities they experience with their classmates.
• Most three- and four-year-old children start school with skills and abilities that are well below those typical for their age, particularly in language and communication. Good teaching and effective pastoral support for both children and families in the Nursery and Reception class are getting the youngest children off to a good start.
• Outcomes are improving. Well over half of the children reach a good level of development in early literacy (reading and writing) and mathematics by the time they start Year 1. Although this is below the national average, this represents good progress in relation to children’s low starting points. They make good progress, particularly in communication skills such as listening and speaking with understanding, as well as in their development of early reading and writing skills. Children with little or no English make rapid progress and soon settle into the school’s early years setting.
• The inspection took place only three weeks into the school year for Nursery children. Nursery and Reception children are already engaging and developing communication and mathematics skills. They improve these skills through stimulating role play activities, dressing up, gathering and counting shapes and handling utensils skilfully in outdoor wet and dry areas.
• The teaching and support provided for children in both the Nursery and Reception classes is of good quality, although adults do not always ask questions that provide opportunities for the children to think harder or explain what they have learned. For example, Nursery children were keen to show adults what they were doing when using small nets to scoop up and count toy fish and sea creatures from the outdoor wet table, but were not always asked questions to extend their language. Nonetheless, adults do respond well when children say something or comment on what they are doing. For example, Nursery children at an early stage of learning to speak English were keen for adults to use words like ‘big’ and ‘small’ and to experiment further with more words.
• Children share and communicate with each other with increasing confidence, skill and enjoyment. In the Reception class, the children were observed engaging in a stimulating range of outdoor activities. The teacher asked the children to recognise colours when making cards and hats during their recent work about the Hindu festival of Diwali.
• In both the Nursery and Reception classes, adults form positive relationships with the children. However, the morning’s activities sometimes group children together as a whole class and the discussions do not have the same impact as when children work in smaller groups. This is because some children find it difficult to interact with others and with adults when spending too long in a large group.
• The headteacher provides good leadership, management and oversight of the early years. In addition to home visits and the effective use of a family support worker, the staff liaise with other early years settings within the school’s network of local schools and settings to moderate and undertake accurate assessments of children’s needs and abilities. Assessments are regular and help to monitor how well each individual child is doing. The information is also helpful for parents as they receive recorded and pictorial evidence, including photographs and examples of children’s early drawing and writing, to show their children’s progress and development in the children’s ‘learning journeys’ (ongoing written and pictorial evidence kept in books).

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140389 Coventry 10019984 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 Academy sponsor-led 3–11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 220 Appropriate authority The local governing board Chair Headteacher John Brodie Lucie Buran Telephone number 02476 597234 Website Email address www.radfordprimaryacademy.org.uk head@radford.coventry.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The academy complies with the Department for Education’s guidance on what academies should publish.
• The school did not meet floor standards in 2015, which are the minimum requirements for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• Radford Primary Academy converted to become an academy on January 2014. When its predecessor school, Radford Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be inadequate overall and required special measures. This is the academy’s first section 5 inspection since conversion. Radford Primary Academy is part of the Sidney Stringer Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) which comprises five academies in Coventry. The executive headteacher oversees the management of all five academies across the MAT.
• This is a small primary school. There is an early years provision comprising a Nursery class for three-year-old children who attend in the mornings only; and one Reception classes for four- and five-year-olds who attend full time.
• The school is part of a network of local schools. This partnership supports training, staff development and leadership across the network.
• One third of pupils are of White British heritage. Other pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds representing minority ethnic groups, the largest of which (nearly one fifth of all pupils) is of Pakistani heritage. Half of all pupils speak English as an additional language and approximately one third of pupils who join the school, particularly in the early years (Nursery or Reception), speak little or no English.
• The percentage of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above that of most schools.
• The academy runs a morning breakfast club and after-school clubs.

Information about this inspection

• In addition to lesson observations, some of which were carried out with senior leaders, inspectors reviewed pupils’ recorded work and met with groups of pupils to discuss their work, behaviour and safety, or to hear them read. Inspectors also spoke to pupils informally during break and lunchtimes to ask them their views about the school. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour and safety in the playground and at other times during each of the two days of inspection.
• Inspectors looked at a range of documentation including: leaders’ and governors own evaluations of the school’s effectiveness; the school’s development plan; information about pupils’ achievement, progress and performance; and documents and information related to governance, teaching, behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.
• Inspectors held discussions with the executive headteacher, headteacher, two assistant headteachers, and other members of teaching and support staff. The lead inspector met two governors, including the chair of the local governing board. He also met with an improvement adviser commissioned by Coventry local authority. Inspectors spoke to pupils during lessons about their work and progress and to the adults who run the breakfast club, as well as some pupils attending the club.
• Inspectors spoke informally to a number of parents and carers to seek their views about the school. There were too few online responses to the Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, for inspectors to scrutinise. However, inspectors did consider the views of parents who sent their comments to the West Midlands Ofsted regional office by text or email.
• Inspectors spoke to nearly all teaching staff, including newly qualified teachers, to provide feedback on lessons observed. Inspectors also considered the views of 23 members of staff who completed the online inspection questionnaire.

Inspection team

Charalambos Loizou, lead inspector Tim Hill Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Michael Appleby Ofsted Inspector