Radford Primary Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • assessment systems are followed and applied by all teachers across the school to support pupils in making better rates of progress
  • improvement targets set for teachers help them understand how pupils could be making better progress
  • subject leaders better support teachers to improve pupils’ outcomes in their areas of responsibility.
• Improve the quality of teaching learning and assessment to secure better outcomes for pupils by ensuring that:
  • teachers have higher expectations of what pupils should achieve
  • teaching challenges all groups of pupils so that more pupils reach the higher standards at the end of key stage 2
  • pupils’ misconceptions are identified and corrected in lessons to improve pupils’ progress
  • pupils are taught how to apply problem-solving and reasoning skills in mathematics
  • teachers ask questions that deepen pupils’ understanding.
• Improve behaviour by ensuring that:
  • all staff follow and apply the school’s behaviour policy
  • there is a reduction in the number of fixed-term exclusions.
• Improve the quality of early years provision by ensuring that:
  • adults assess children’s learning precisely and use this information to move their learning on
  • adults improve children’s speaking skills, especially those who have limited language acquisition, so they can access the wider curriculum.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• There has been some disruption to teaching over the past year, particularly across early years and key stage 1. Leaders have challenged weaker teaching, which has resulted in some staff changes. Managing this process has had an undoubted impact on improving the quality of teaching and outcomes across the school. Despite these challenges, leaders remain determined to improve the school.
• Leaders generally have an accurate view of the quality of education. Priorities identified in the school’s learning improvement plan are focused on the correct areas for development. However, some of the actions taken have not improved the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes quickly enough.
• Leaders, supported by the multi-academy trust, are monitoring the quality of teaching and supporting teachers to improve their practice. However, improvement targets set for teachers do not always help them understand how pupils could be making better rates of progress. As a result, the quality of teaching is not yet good and remains variable particularly across key stage 1 and early years.
• Although leaders keep detailed assessment information about pupils’ progress, because they have not insisted that teachers follow the school’s assessment systems correctly, this information is often inaccurate. Furthermore, leaders do not always check pupils’ assessments against the work in their books. Too often pupils’ misconceptions go undetected and they repeat work that is too easy. As a result, their progress stalls, particularly in mathematics.
• Subject leaders have a clear view of the strengths and priorities for improvement in their areas of responsibility but have not yet started to measure the impact of their work on improving outcomes for pupils.
• Additional special educational needs funding is used effectively to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. The special educational needs coordinator has a good understanding of the pupils who need additional support. She carefully tracks the progress that these pupils make and ensures that their individual needs are identified at an early stage. Consequently, the education for these pupils is improving.
• Since the last inspection leaders have carried out a pupil premium review. Detailed plans are now in place and funding is sharply targeted to support these pupils in overcoming identified barriers to their learning. The current achievement of disadvantaged pupils in most year groups has improved.
• Leaders have planned a well-balanced curriculum that provides appropriate emphasis on developing pupils’ skills through a range of subjects. Leaders widen opportunities for developing pupils’ interest and enjoyment of the curriculum by providing activities such as theatre visits, re-enactments of the Coventry Blitz and visits by local artists.
• Leaders and staff support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding through a core set of values. These values are integral to the British way of life and pupils learn to respect and understand all major faiths, beliefs and cultures. As a result, pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders ensure that additional funding for sport and physical education (PE) is well used to increase pupils’ fitness and participation in physical activity. For example, many pupils benefit from the range of sports activities provided by the school and all pupils take part in ‘the daily 5-minute run’.

Governance of the school

• Governors are committed to the school. They have a range of skills and understand their roles and responsibilities, for example, regarding safeguarding. They meet with school leaders and visit classrooms on a regular basis. Governors have provided effective ongoing support and challenge to school leaders and know the school’s strengths and weaknesses and how standards compare with those of other schools. They have carried out an external review of pupil premium spending and now make sure that leaders have the necessary resources to implement effective interventions and support for disadvantaged pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders make the necessary statutory checks and follow government guidelines to ensure that staff are safe to work with children. Governors are well informed of safeguarding issues and meet regularly with staff to ensure that they fulfil their responsibilities.
• Training for all staff is up to date and includes protecting pupils from radicalisation and exploitation. All staff know how to apply child protection procedures and relevant updates are provided in regular staff briefings.
• The school’s family worker and the staff responsible for safeguarding are vigilant about pupils’ welfare. Good relationships with parents mean that staff have a good knowledge of individual pupils and families. They use this to identify quickly when changes in a pupil’s circumstances or behaviour should be reported to senior leaders. This ensures that pupils and their families receive timely and effective support.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching is not yet good enough across early years and key stage 1. Teaching across key stage 2 is more stable. However, there is not enough good teaching to ensure that pupils reach their full potential. This is because teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can achieve. Teachers do not extend pupils’ existing skills quickly enough. As a result, too few pupils deepen their understanding and reach the higher standards at the end of key stage 2.
• Teachers do not use the assessment information they gather during lessons to identify accurately pupils’ misconceptions. In a number of classes, some pupils’ errors go undetected and they do not make the progress they are capable of.
• In lessons teachers do not use questioning carefully enough to check pupils’ learning or to find out if the work is challenging enough. Often pupils spend too much time waiting for the teacher or completing tasks they can already do before moving on to work that is at the right level.
• In mathematics lessons pupils work on problem-solving tasks. However, teachers do not teach pupils how to develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills. Therefore, pupils struggle to complete these problems successfully when working independently.
• The English curriculum ensures that pupils are taught how to write in a range of different styles using a variety of texts. Pupils also practise their writing skills in a range of other subjects. However, on occasions, adults do not support pupils well enough in improving their use of language. This prevents them from making better vocabulary choices.
• The teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling has been further developed since the last inspection. Pupils are taught a range of grammar skills and confidently correct spelling mistakes in their books. As a result, more pupils are reaching the standard expected of them in writing at the end of key stage 2.
• The teaching of phonics across Year 1 is effective because of the structured approach implemented by the school. As a result, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 is in line with the national average.
• Year 2 pupils who read to inspectors said they enjoyed reading. They demonstrated that they understood phonic sounds and used these to help them read words they found difficult. Year 6 pupils also said they enjoy reading and using the school library. They know how to use dictionaries to look up words they are not sure about.
• Pupils with SEND are supported well in most lessons. They benefit from working in small groups and with an additional adult when necessary. There are occasions when pupils do not work as independently as they are able and this limits their progress.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils’ emotional and social development is well supported. Good relationships exist between pupils and staff. As a result, pupils are keen to do their best and to be successful.
• Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school and they were able to describe the risks involved with internet use and social media.
• A pupil survey carried out by the school in the summer term 2018 identified a number of pupils who were being bullied. Leaders took positive action and supported pupils with their concerns. Pupils spoken to during the inspection knew what bullying was and how to share any concerns they may have with staff. They felt confident that these concerns would be dealt with.
• Pupils talked to inspectors about their well-developed understanding of how to keep healthy. Year 6 pupils talked confidently about devising a health plan in order to look after their physical and emotional well-being. They told inspectors this would include eating healthy food and taking regular exercise.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• There have been a high number of fixed-term exclusions over the past three years. Although there has been a slight reduction in the autumn term 2018, the number remains too high over time.
• Staff do not follow and apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently across the school. Consequently, on occasions pupils’ behaviour is not dealt with and they behave inappropriately. Pupils spoken to during the inspection also felt that behaviour at times was not good enough.
• Where teaching is not well directed, pupils lose focus or become distracted. Where this is the case, pupils do not demonstrate the necessary independence in their learning to take the initiative or be self-reliant.
• The school’s strong challenge and support for families ensures that attendance levels are above the national average.
• Pupils behave sensibly and follow instructions in the breakfast club and derive benefit from this enjoyable start to the day.
• Parents’ views about behaviour are mixed. A number of the parents who completed Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, did not feel that the school makes sure that its pupils are well behaved. However, in a parental survey carried out by the school last year, the majority of parents felt that the school did ensure that pupils behaved well.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The proportion of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, achieving the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 are below the national average. As a result, too few pupils are well prepared for the next year group or stage in their education.
• In the 2017 and 2018 national assessments too few pupils reached greater depth at the end of key stage 1 or the higher standards at the end of key stage 2. Currently, the school’s assessment information indicates that too few pupils are working at the higher standard across most year groups.
• Pupils’ progress at the end of Year 6 is in line with the national average. Current pupils across the school are now making better rates of progress. However, this is not sufficient to ensure that enough pupils are achieving at the standards expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics in most year groups.
• Interventions that have been put in place are beginning to have an impact on pupils’ achievement, particularly for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. As a result, these pupils are making better rates of progress.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check in 2018 was in line with the national average. This has been the case for the past two years.

Early years provision

Requires improvement

• The majority of children come to school with skills that are below those typical for their age. Many of these children are catching up. However, the proportion of children meeting the good level of development, the standard expected at the end of early years, is below the national average. There is more to do to ensure that a greater proportion of children make better progress and are ready for learning in Year 1.
• Children make slower progress in the Reception class than in the Nursery because teaching does not meet their differing needs well enough. In the Reception class, adults do not use assessment information well enough to capture what children are achieving and, as a result, interactions do not help to consolidate or deepen their learning. This means that the improvement in their skills is not good enough. In contrast, adult interventions in the Nursery are timely and helpful. Adults question children skilfully to check their understanding and use this information well to plan a wide range of interesting and purposeful activities that motivate and engage children well.
• The teaching of phonics across the Reception class requires improvement. Teachers do not teach phonics strongly enough to develop the children’s speaking skills and they struggle to sound out words correctly. As a result, this limits the pupils’ language acquisition and development.
• Children behave well in the Nursery. There are well-established routines. They cooperate well with adults and each other and listen carefully to instructions. They are confident and enjoy their learning. However, behaviour across the Reception class, at times, is too boisterous and is not challenged quickly enough by staff.
• Staff have developed positive partnerships with parents. Parents are welcomed and encouraged to share their children’s learning, for example taking part in the ‘Teddy Bears’ Picnic’ organised by the staff.
• Leaders allocate additional funding to support those children who need it with their emotional and language development. This helps children who receive targeted support to settle into school routines well.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 140389 Coventry 10058487 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 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 224 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher John Brodie Lucie Buran Telephone number 02476 597234 Website Email address www.radfordprimaryacademy.org.uk school@radford.coventry.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 18–19 October 2016

Information about this school

• This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is above the national average.
• The school runs a breakfast club.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed lessons across a range of subjects and age groups and scrutinised pupils’ written work. Some of the lesson observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and multi-academy staff.
• Inspectors held discussions with groups of pupils. Inspectors also spoke informally to pupils in lessons, during breaks and at lunchtimes.
• Several documents were considered, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans. Inspectors also considered information about pupils’ progress, behaviour, attendance and safety.
• Inspectors listened to a small number of pupils read and talked to them about their reading.
• The lead inspector met with two members of the governing body and spoke to representatives from the multi academy trust and the local authority.
• Inspectors evaluated 11 responses from Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also considered five free-text responses from parents and the 23 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. No responses were received from Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

Kerry Rochester, lead inspector Diana Pearce

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector