Lutley Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • leaders evaluate the impact of improvement actions and teaching on pupils’ learning
  • governors and the trust hold leaders to account thoroughly for the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes across the school
  • governors and the trust make regular checks on the use of the pupil premium and primary physical education (PE) and sports premium funding.
• Improve pupils’ progress in reading, mathematics and the wider curriculum by ensuring that teaching:
  • deepens and extends pupils’ reading skills and promotes a love of reading
  • builds pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills across a wide range of subjects, particularly history and geography
  • consistently challenges the most able pupils.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and her team of senior leaders have drive and determination. They promote a strong sense of purpose across the staff team. There is a culture of high expectations for staff and pupils. Everyone shares the school’s vision of ‘Learning, caring, aiming high – together.’
• Leaders have created a supportive culture in which there is a continuous focus on professional development to develop teaching and leadership skills. Staff value the high-quality training and support they receive. They are reflective and are committed to improving their practice. Leaders are skilled at helping teachers new to the profession to become effective teachers.
• Strong partnership with schools across the trust means that teachers and leaders benefit from the opportunity to share best practice and to learn from good practice elsewhere. To improve teaching in reading and mathematics, leaders have looked at what is working well in other schools and have carefully selected approaches to improve pupils’ progress in key stage 2.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They devise plans that focus on the right areas for improvement. However, leaders do not evaluate the impact of their work sharply enough. This has prevented them from securing greater improvements in the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress, particularly in reading in key stage 2 and across the wider curriculum.
• Thorough systems are in place to check on pupils’ progress. Senior leaders meet fortnightly with teachers to discuss pupils’ progress and to identify pupils who are not making the progress they should or are at risk of falling behind. Teachers provide additional support for these pupils. Leaders review the impact of this support to ensure that it is making a positive difference.
• Leaders use coaching, including video technology, to support staff in developing their teaching skills. This brings a consistency of approach to teaching and learning across the school. However, leaders do not evaluate the quality of teaching precisely enough. Feedback to teachers does not focus sufficiently on the impact that teaching is having on pupils’ learning.
• Leadership of English and mathematics is effective. Leaders have strong subject knowledge and clear expectations of how English and mathematics should be taught. Actions to improve teaching in mathematics in key stage 2 are beginning to have a good impact. A greater focus on reasoning and problem-solving is helping to deepen pupils’ understanding. In reading, leaders have responded to pupils’ poor progress at the end of key stage 2 by introducing a new approach to the teaching of comprehension. However, further improvements to the teaching of reading are still needed.
• Effective use is made of the pupil premium funding to support disadvantaged pupils. The support these pupils receive is tailored to meet their individual needs. Leaders know these pupils well and make sure that any barriers to learning are successfully overcome.
• The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils have a strong understanding of their rights and responsibilities. They learn about different faiths and cultures and show respect for the views and beliefs of others. Pupils understand the importance of everyone being able to express their views freely. They demonstrate a good understanding of democracy and have opportunities to experience this for themselves, for example through ‘Parliament week’ and by voting on issues that are important to them, such as school uniform. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders use the primary physical education (PE) and sports premium to increase the opportunities pupils have to enjoy physical activity, and to develop the skills of staff in teaching PE. Pupils have access to a range of sports clubs including netball, football, karate and multi-sports. Participation in these clubs is high.
• In some year groups, pupils study a breadth of subjects and make secure progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of different topics. However, in Year 2 and Year 6, coverage of the wider curriculum is limited, which means that pupils do not make the progress they should in subjects such as history and geography. Across the school, pupils do not study subjects across the wider curriculum in enough depth.

Governance of the school

• The board of trustees and the local governing committee have an accurate understanding of pupils’ achievement at the end of each key stage. However, until recently, they have not made best use of this information to hold leaders to account for weaknesses in pupils’ progress in reading and mathematics at the end of key stage 2.
• Trustees and governors recognise that until recently they have not done enough to support and challenge the school to improve. As a result, they have reorganised the structure of the local governing committee to enable governors to gain a deeper understanding of the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress across the school. Early signs are that this is helping governors to hold leaders to account more robustly.
• Governors are increasingly well informed about the work of the school. They receive detailed reports about the actions that leaders are taking to address improvement priorities. Governors rightly recognise that they need to do more to check that leaders’ actions are making a difference. They have put systems in place to achieve this. For example, governors have started to make regular visits to meet with leaders and to see the school’s work at first hand.
• Although the school makes good use of funds such as the pupil premium and the primary PE and sports funding, governors do not check regularly how the spending of these funds impacts on pupils’ well-being and progress.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have created a culture of safeguarding that takes account of current issues and risks posed to pupils. They are responsive to emerging issues within the school and local community and adapt curriculum provision to take account of pupils’ needs.
• Staff receive regular training on a range of safeguarding topics, including extremism and radicalisation. They can explain their duties and responsibilities for keeping pupils safe. Staff know the process to follow should they have a concern about a pupil’s safety or welfare. They report concerns in a timely manner and record-keeping is thorough.
• Leaders take the right actions to keep pupils safe. Where necessary, they work closely with other agencies to support pupils and their families. Safeguarding practices are enhanced by comprehensive programmes to support vulnerable pupils’ social and emotional well-being. This helps pupils to understand their feelings and manage their behaviour.
• Arrangements for recruiting staff are thorough. Leaders carry out the required checks on all adults who work in the school. Visitors to the school receive clear guidance about what they should do if they have a safeguarding concern.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is consistently good over time. Leaders have got a good track record of supporting teachers who are new to the profession and those who are recently qualified to reflect on and improve their skills.
• The learning environment is well organised and provides pupils with learning prompts and resources to support their progress. Pupils use the environment independently to help them with their work.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge in English and mathematics is strong. They use this to accurately model learning and provide clear explanations for pupils. As a result, pupils quickly develop a secure understanding of new concepts, which supports them to make good progress.
• In lessons, teachers recognise when pupils have a misunderstanding. They reshape their explanations and provide pupils with the support they need to ensure that gaps in learning do not appear.
• Teachers make good use of questioning to check pupils’ understanding and to promote deeper thinking. They use and explain subject-specific vocabulary, which means that pupils use this confidently in their learning.
• Teaching assistants support pupils’ learning well. They have a good understanding of pupils’ individual needs and work closely with teachers to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make the progress they should.
• Relationships are positive. Teachers listen carefully to pupils’ ideas and give them time to explain their answers. They value pupils’ responses. As a result, pupils are willing to ‘have a go’ and are not worried about making a mistake. This supports pupils to become motivated and confident learners.
• Effective use is made of assessment information to plan learning that matches the needs of most pupils. In writing and mathematics, teaching builds on what pupils already know, understand and can do. However, teaching does not consistently deepen the learning of the most able pupils. Sometimes, activities lack challenge for these pupils.
• Teaching in mathematics ensures that pupils develop fluency and reasoning skills. Teachers plan activities that routinely require pupils to use their calculation skills to solve problems. Pupils are encouraged to reason and explain their thinking. As a result, teaching is having a positive impact on improving pupils’ progress, particularly in key stage 2.
• The teaching of writing ensures that pupils make good progress in their use of vocabulary and punctuation. Pupils write in sentences of increasing complexity and learn how to edit their work to improve their language choice. Teachers provide purposeful opportunities for pupils to write at length, which develop pupils’ writing stamina. Pupils’ spelling is less strong. Sometimes teachers do not address this swiftly enough.
• Pupils get off to a strong start in reading in key stage 1. However, pupils’ good progress is not sustained across key stage 2. Leaders have responded to this by introducing a new approach to the teaching of reading. As a result, pupils’ ability to infer meaning from texts and answer comprehension questions is improving. However, not enough is done to deepen pupils’ independent reading skills. There is too much emphasis on preparing pupils for reading tests rather than on promoting reading for enjoyment and giving pupils the opportunity to study high-quality texts in depth.
• The quality of teaching in subjects other than English and mathematics varies across the school. Work in books shows that teachers develop pupils’ scientific knowledge, understanding and skills effectively. However, in history and geography, learning does not build progressively within each unit of work, which limits pupils’ progress.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils speak with great pride about their school and have very positive attitudes to learning. Staff successfully help pupils to develop the skills of effective learners. In lessons, pupils listen attentively and apply themselves conscientiously to tasks. They are confident to share their ideas and explain their thoughts clearly. Pupils take care with their work and present it well.
• The school is a caring community. Staff know individual pupils well and provide additional support when it is needed. They provide highly effective support for the emotional well-being of vulnerable pupils so that they can access learning and achieve well.
• Pupils develop strong moral values. They show great respect and tolerance for difference and value learning about the customs and cultures of others, for example, the ways in which different faiths celebrate Christmas. Pupils understand the importance of having their own opinion and not being influenced by others. One pupil captured this when they explained that ‘everyone has the right to an opinion’.
• Pupils feel safe at school. They know that there is a trusted adult they can turn to if they feel worried or upset. Pupils do not see bullying as a problem because they are confident that when it occurs, they can tell an anti-bullying ambassador, or an adult who will deal with it swiftly. Leaders’ records show that they take any incidents seriously and respond to these thoroughly so that they are not repeated.
• Opportunities for pupils to take responsibility and make a positive contribution to the life of the school abound. For example, digital leaders support e-safety, play leaders ensure that breaktimes run smoothly and the trust council provides opportunities for pupils to collaborate with those from other schools. All pupils can hold a position of responsibility and leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are included. Through these roles, pupils grow in confidence and learn how to work together successfully.
• Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy. They know how to stay safe online and understand the importance of eating a balanced diet and taking regular exercise.
• Pupils take care of the school environment, for example picking up litter when they see it lying around. Through the eco-council, pupils develop an understanding of issues that affect the wider world. They debate important topics such as plastics in our environment and the use of ‘fair trade’ goods.
• The before- and after-school club provides pupils with a calm and positive start and end to the school day. Pupils engage happily and enthusiastically in a range of interesting activities, and adults care for them well. Safeguarding procedures are robust.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good because of the high expectations of leaders and staff. Pupils say that the school’s behaviour charter helps everyone to know the expectations. Pupils respond well to these. As a result, there is a calm, orderly and purposeful atmosphere throughout the school.
• Pupils socialise and play well together at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Some pupils choose to play energetically with the range of sports equipment on offer, while others prefer to sit quietly and talk to their friends.
• Pupils are friendly, polite and courteous. They show respect for adults and for one another. Pupils move quietly and sensibly around the school building.
• Leaders monitor behaviour carefully. They provide strong support for pupils who need extra help in managing their own behaviour. Leaders’ strategies have been effective in improving the behaviour of individual pupils with high-level needs. Although the number of fixed-term exclusions remains above national averages, leaders’ records show that they use exclusion proportionately and only as a last resort.
• Leaders use a range of effective strategies to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. Pupils receive rewards for good attendance and staff work closely with families to provide support where it is needed. As a result, absence is consistently below national averages and the number of pupils who are frequently absent from school is low.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1 is high. The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard and working at greater depth has been above national averages for the past two years. Work in books shows that current pupils are making good progress.
• Pupils make good progress in phonics in the early years and key stage 1 because phonics is taught well. As a result, the proportion of pupils who meet the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check is consistently above national averages.
• The proportions of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 are high. In 2017 and 2018, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was above national averages. The proportions of pupils attaining the higher standard were in line with those seen nationally in reading and mathematics, and above in writing.
• Pupils’ progress in writing at the end of key stage 2 has been strong for the past two years. However, progress in reading and mathematics has been consistently below national averages. Work in books shows that current pupils in key stage 2 are making good progress in writing and mathematics. In reading, pupils’ progress is improving.
• In 2018, disadvantaged pupils’ progress in reading and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 was poor. Inspection evidence shows that current disadvantaged pupils are making similar progress to their peers.
• Pupils with SEND achieve well in relation to their starting points because of the carefully targeted support they receive.
• Some of the most able pupils are not making as much progress as they are capable of because work is not sufficiently challenging.
• Outcomes in subjects other than English and mathematics vary across the school. There is evidence to show that pupils are taught a range of history and geography topics. However, in Year 2 and Year 6, pupils’ work in these subjects is limited. Across the school, pupils do not develop a deep enough understanding of the topics they study.

Early years provision Good

• Most children start school with knowledge and skills that are typical for their age. Some children have starting points that are above those seen nationally. Effective teaching enables children to make good progress. As a result, the proportion of children attaining a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year has been above national averages for the past three years.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths in early years provision, as well as the areas that need further development. The new early years leader has taken on the role with enthusiasm and has begun to take steps to secure improvements in how effectively children learn, for example motivating boys to write.
• Support from the trust and wider training opportunities enable leaders and teachers in the early years to develop their skills. Teachers from the schools within the trust work together to check that assessments of children’s learning are accurate.
• Adults plan interesting activities that meet children’s needs well. As a result, children are engaged in their learning and concentrate for sustained periods of time. Activities promote children’s curiosity and develop their problem-solving skills. For example, during the inspection, children were engrossed in exploring how long it would take for plastic ducks to travel down a drainpipe filled with water.
• Good use is made of the outdoor area to help children to develop their gross motor skills. Adults carefully design activities to develop a range of skills. For example, children were observed working collaboratively and showing perseverance when building structures using wooden planks and crates.
• Effective phonics teaching provides children with a good start in the development of their reading and writing skills. Adults ensure that children have opportunities to practise and apply their phonics’ knowledge in independent writing activities. Similarly, children’s mathematical development has high priority. Activities such as using coins in the role-play area develop children’s counting skills effectively.
• Adults provide good support for children’s learning. They ask effective questions and model learning clearly. Adults promote children’s language development successfully by talking with them as they play.
• Children are keen to talk about their learning and are proud of what they know and can do. For example, children were keen to show inspectors that they know the value of the different coins up to 50p.
• Clear routines and high expectations ensure that children behave well. Relationships are positive and nurturing, which means that children quickly develop into confident learners who are willing to take risks. Children develop their social skills effectively. They play together happily, share equipment readily and take turns, explaining to one another that ‘sharing is caring’.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Leaders plan regular opportunities for parents to come into school and work with their children. These events are very popular, and attendance is high. For example, during the inspection, parents and grandparents attended a workshop and enthusiastically made finger drums and shakers with their children. Parents can readily access information about their children’s learning and progress online.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 143783 Dudley 10058663 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 5 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 627 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address George Craig Rebecca Cox 01384 818220 www.lutley.dudley.sch.uk info@lutley.dudley.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Lutley Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The school is part of the Hales Valley Trust, which comprises five primary schools. The school is governed by the board of trustees. There is a local governing committee that has delegated responsibility for aspects of the school’s work, for example the curriculum.
• When Ofsted last inspected the predecessor school, it judged it as ‘outstanding’.
• A high proportion of pupils are from White British backgrounds.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average. The number of pupils with education, health and care plans is also below the national average.
• There are three classes in each year group from the Reception Year to Year 6.
• The school runs a before- and after-school club.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in parts of 46 lessons. Almost all observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors visited the before- and after-school club.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school and at breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors spoke formally with two groups of pupils as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around the school.
• An inspector listened to a group of pupils read and talked to them about their reading.
• Inspectors examined the quality of work in pupils’ English, mathematics and topic books jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also reviewed work in pupils’ science books and children’s learning journals.
• Discussions were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other school leaders. One inspector met with a group of school staff to gather their views on safeguarding, professional development and pupils’ learning.
• The lead inspector met with the chair and vice-chair of the local governing committee. She also met with the chief executive officer of the Hales Valley Trust.
• Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, information about current pupils’ progress, records of checks made on the quality of teaching, records relating to safeguarding, information on the school’s website and minutes of meetings of the trustees and local governing committee.
• Inspectors took into consideration the 166 responses to Parent View, and a letter from a parent. Two inspectors spoke to parents at the beginning of the school day.

Inspection team

Claire Jones, lead inspector Jayne Thorpe Chris Ogden Susan Blackburn

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector