Peterbrook Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching, learning and assessment and thereby raise achievement and enable more pupils to work at greater depth by ensuring that:

teachers have higher expectations of what pupils can achieve and provide greater levels of challenge, especially for middle- and higher-ability pupils support staff are used more effectively during whole-class teaching input to maximise learning time for pupils who are struggling pupils’ reasoning skills are further developed in mathematics pupils present their work neatly in all subjects.

• Improve outcomes in writing, especially for disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities, by: developing pupils’ ability to plan, draft, edit and improve their work ensuring that teaching focuses on pupils’ use of spelling, grammar and punctuation across the curriculum

increasing pupils’ stamina and ability to write independently and at length.

• Improve the quality of leadership and management, by: ensuring that school action plans are time-framed, have measureable outcomes and are regularly evaluated and monitored by governors and leaders

supporting subject leaders in English and SEN and/or disabilities to extend their skills and knowledge so they can contribute more fully to raising achievement across the school reviewing and improving the quality of interventions and tailored support provided for disadvantaged pupils and those who have SEN and/or disabilities so that they make better progress ensuring that governors monitor the use of SEN and pupil premium funding so that it is used more effectively to improve outcomes for these pupils.

• Improve outcomes in the early years, especially for disadvantaged children, by: providing a clear focus for activities in order to extend children’s skills and abilities

sharpening teaching in phonics in Reception Year so children make stronger progress in reading and writing increasing opportunities for children to write simple words, sentences and numbers when they show they are ready. A review of governance and the school’s use of the pupil premium should be carried out to see how these aspects of leadership and management can be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Until recently, leaders and governors have not acted quickly enough to address the decline in pupils’ achievement across the school. However, the headteacher and governors have raised expectations and increased the capacity of the leadership team through new appointments and a redistribution of responsibilities. This drive for improvement is beginning to have an impact, for example in mathematics, and progress rates this year are better.
• Senior leaders’ evaluations of the quality of teaching and outcomes are overgenerous. Although leaders have identified where the main priorities for improvement lie, school improvement plans lack measureable and succinct criteria by which to evaluate whether actions taken are having a positive impact on pupils’ progress.
• Some subject leaders, for example the reading, writing and SEN and/or disabilities leaders, are new to post. They currently lack the expertise and skills needed to support colleagues and hold them to account. As a result, progress in these areas is not strong enough and inconsistencies remain in the quality of teaching and progress rates in different classes.
• Some elements of the pupil premium funding and that received for SEN and/or disabilities are used effectively. For example, that allocated for nurture and curriculum enrichment has a positive impact on pupils’ self-esteem and personal and social development. However, checks are not carried out by leaders to identify where weaknesses in adult support lie and whether the interventions and individual support provided are making a difference. As a result, disadvantaged and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities do not achieve as well as they should from their starting points.
• Sports funding to develop the teaching of physical education (PE) is used well. Skilled coaches provide specialised teaching which staff have observed. As a result, staff are more confident and more proficient in their own teaching of PE. Additional playground equipment purchased provides opportunities for pupils to practise games skills at breaktimes. The play leader successfully encourages high levels of participation in different activities and this contributes to good behaviour at breaktimes. There has been an increased uptake of pupils participating in sports competitions and tournaments, with a good deal of success for the school.
• The curriculum provides an interesting and well-balanced programme of subjects. Stimulating topics help promote pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. A wide range of before- and after-school clubs and lunchtime activities, such as ‘calm club’, street dance and karate, aid pupils’ social and physical development. Trips for all classes are routinely organised and together with residential visits provide memorable and worthwhile opportunities to promote pupils’ personal and cultural and development.
• Leaders’ promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength. The school’s core values are taught well in assemblies and lessons. Pupils’ musical and sporting talents are particularly well developed through additional teaching. For example, all pupils in Year 4 learn to play a stringed or brass instrument. French is taught in key stage 2 and pupils answer the register in French. They have a growing understanding about British values. Pupils hugely enjoyed the recent opportunity to celebrate the royal wedding with their own garden party. Pupils respect and have good levels of understanding about people from different cultures and those who hold different beliefs. As a result, they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Most parents have very positive views of the school, as evidenced by responses from parents who spoke to inspectors, Parent View, and the school’s own survey. They are very pleased with the school and say their children are happy and safe. Parents particularly value the approachability of staff, after-school and holiday clubs and the high levels of support and nurture that pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities receive.
• The local authority adviser has a good knowledge of the school through her termly visits. She rightly has confidence in the leadership team but acknowledges that previous achievement has been a concern. Teaching and achievement issues are now being addressed with greater success. Support provided by the local authority in mathematics has had a positive impact.

Governance of the school

• Governors accept that they have not reviewed and monitored some aspects of the school’s performance in enough depth; for example, the school’s website, use of pupil premium funding and the school’s action plans. However, they have now restructured the leadership team to add capacity and have created link governor roles to work in closer collaboration with subject leaders. They visit the school to gain first-hand evidence. They are keen and determined to support leaders to raise the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes.
• Governors have a realistic view of the school. They know where strengths and weaknesses exist and what additional funding is spent on. They have, however, been slow to commission external reviews or carry out their own audits to assess the effectiveness of leadership and teaching. They feel the school is now improving but accept that it is difficult to see the impact of actions taken yet.
• Recent changes of membership to the governing body have resulted in a number of vacancies; current governors are keen to recruit new members with a wider set of skills to increase their effectiveness.
• Governors have a good understanding of data and how well different groups and cohorts are performing. They receive regular information through the headteacher’s reports and presentations from subject leaders in meetings. Minutes of meetings show that governors ask challenging questions but also provide suitable levels of support.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The culture of keeping children safe is embedded and there is a clear understanding that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility.
• The school’s arrangements meet all statutory requirements. Policies are up to date and leaders carry out appropriate checks when appointing staff. Staff are trained to the appropriate level and are familiar with child protection guidance and preventing extremism and radicalisation.
• Where there are concerns, staff report these directly to any of the school’s five designated safeguarding leaders or complete an online proforma which immediately alerts a member of the senior leadership team. Leaders consider the case and, where needed, make timely referrals to appropriate agencies to access support. Records of concern are stored securely in well-organised and well-maintained files.
• The child and family support worker works well with parents and other agencies to help vulnerable pupils. Nurture and happiness clubs also provide effective support for pupils’ mental health and well-being.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching is variable in quality. This means that some pupils do not make the progress they are capable of.
• In some classes, teachers’ expectations are too low and the work they plan does not challenge pupils well enough, especially middle- and higher-ability pupils. Consequently, too few pupils acquire the higher order skills needed to work at greater depth. For example, work in Year 6 books showed that pupils were asked to ‘use full stops and capital letters to mark sentences’. Additionally, Year 1 pupils were required to cut and stick words onto a worksheet or write one word rather than attempt and practise constructing a sentence. This limits the progress pupils make and does not build on or develop age-appropriate skills.
• Teaching assistants work in close partnership with teachers and most make a good contribution to supporting individuals or groups of pupils during the main task in the lesson. However, sometimes adults are not used effectively during the introduction and end of the lesson. They passively observe the teacher and do not provide enough individual support for pupils who are struggling or still behind in their learning. As a result, disadvantaged and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities do not make good progress.
• Teachers too readily accept poorly presented work from pupils. Pupils do not use rulers to draw shapes or angles in mathematics and often scribble to cross out their mistakes in writing. This spoils the presentation of their work.
• Pupils’ skills in planning, drafting and editing their writing are underdeveloped. Work in books shows that pupils’ first draft is usually copied out at a later date with the same content and mistakes. There is therefore little improvement as pupils are not encouraged to correct their mistakes, use extended sentences or expand their subject vocabulary. Additionally, pupils have too few opportunities to write independently and at length to develop their writing stamina, and their knowledge and use of grammar, punctuation and spelling are not secure.
• There are encouraging signs of improvement in mathematics. Mental mathematics and problem-solving skills are promoted well. However, reasoning skills are less well developed and not as evident in pupils’ books. Training provided by the local authority, together with the use of different resources and support from the mathematics leader, has helped to improve teaching and raise standards.
• Phonics is taught well in Year 1, with the pace of learning matched well to pupils’ abilities. Pupils practise their phonics daily and learn to break down and sound out unfamiliar words. They read with increasing fluency and expression by Year 2. Reading is developed further in key stage 2 through guided reading sessions. Books are set at the right level and teachers question pupils to check and develop their levels of comprehension. Pupils spoken to have positive attitudes to reading and many read widely and regularly.
• Relationships in all classes are good and pupils work well in pairs or small groups. Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour effectively and consistently check on how well they are doing during lessons. Teachers set homework in line with the school’s policy and this helps pupils practise and further develop skills taught.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The child and family support worker provides good support to vulnerable pupils. A nurture group is available at lunchtime and staff play games with pupils such as ‘The big bad wolf’. This provision has helped develop pupils’ social and emotional skills and helped them to feel safe.
• Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay healthy. They bring healthy snacks to school and many come on scooters or bicycles. Pupils also enjoy the wide range of sporting opportunities offered through clubs and physical education lessons, such as dance and martial arts. Charity events such as ‘race for life’, held during the inspection, also help pupils build up their physical fitness while making a positive contribution to the lives of others.
• Pupils enjoy and readily take on additional responsibilities in school. For example, pupils act as peer mediators, school and eco councillors, travel ambassadors and reading buddies. Most pupils show appropriate levels of maturity and good levels of respect for one another. School council members are involved in decision-making, for example reviewing the lunch menu.
• Pupils feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe. They have a good understanding about road, rail and canal safety, as these are all within their immediate area. Internet safety is also taught well and pupils know the dangers involved. Pupils are aware of different forms of bullying but are confident that if they report incidents, they are quickly resolved.
• The breakfast club and before- and after-school clubs are a valuable resource for parents and an enjoyable opportunity for pupils to socialise and learn new skills. Those that attend breakfast club make healthy food choices, which prepare them well for the day ahead. Before- and after-school activities also help pupils to develop talents such as martial arts and dancing. Pupils are carefully supervised. They behave well and socialise freely with other age groups at these clubs.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Most pupils behave well in and around school. However, a small number of Year 6 pupils this year do not consistently demonstrate good behaviour and courtesy to others. Leaders are aware of this and deal with incidents appropriately. Fixed-term exclusions are issued for serious incidents, in line with the school’s policy. Behaviour in the rest of the school is consistently good.
• Pupils know and follow the behaviour code. Parents feel that behaviour is well managed and parents spoken to say that any issues that arise are dealt with quickly and effectively. Leaders monitor behaviour carefully and track repeat offenders and the types of incidents that occur to detect patterns and trends.
• Attendance overall is in line with the national average, including for those who are disadvantaged and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. Leaders track pupils’ attendance closely and take appropriate steps to follow up cases where pupils are persistently absent. First-day calling, notes home, home visits, contact and referrals to health professionals, together with fixed-term penalties, are used to ensure that pupils attend school regularly.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Since the previous inspection, outcomes have declined and too many pupils have not made good progress from their starting points.
• The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in phonics at the end of Year 1 fluctuates. It was above the national average in 2016 but below in 2017. This year, teachers’ assessments indicate that it is likely to be in line with last year’s national average. These fluctuations are due to inconsistencies in the teaching of phonics between early years and key stage 1. By the end of Year 2, most pupils reach the standard required.
• In reading and writing, the proportion of pupils who reached the expected standard at the end of key stage 1, and the proportion reaching greater depth, were broadly average in 2016 and 2017. They were slightly lower in mathematics. However, the school’s own assessments and current pupils’ books show that in both Year 1 and Year 2 pupils have not made good progress from the end of Reception Year.
• Attainment at the end of key stage 2 improved in 2017 compared to 2016 and was in line with the national average in all subjects. Progress also improved in reading and mathematics, but declined and was very low in writing. The school’s own assessments show that attainment is rising in key stage 2 in all subjects and is set to be at least in line with last year’s national average. However, attainment was average for this cohort at the end of Year 2 in reading and mathematics and above average in writing, so this does not represent good progress. Additionally, progress rates remain variable in different classes and too few pupils are working at greater depth.
• The most able pupils, together with middle-ability pupils, are not attaining the standards they are capable of. This is most notable in writing. This is because work provided is not challenging enough and there are weaknesses in how writing is taught.
• Published data and information provided by the school show that too few pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points, especially in writing. There is an increasing number of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities on roll and interventions and resources are not consistently well matched to pupils’ individual needs. This reduces the progress these pupils make.
• Disadvantaged pupils make less progress than their peers and do not achieve as well as other pupils nationally. This is because funding provided is not used effectively enough to provide tailored support and close gaps in their learning.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• There is a three-year declining trend for the proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception Year and results were below the national average in 2017. Disadvantaged children in particular do not achieve as well as their peers, so are not well prepared for life in Year 1. Funding provided for these children is not used effectively by leaders to close gaps in their learning and help them catch up.
• Children join either the Nursery or Reception Year with a mixed range of abilities. Approximately 50% of children are working at age-related levels on entry while 50% are below. They come into school with strengths in listening and attention and also in using technology. Areas which they struggle with are speaking and making relationships.
• Children make progress but are not sufficiently challenged or moved on quickly enough in their learning when they show they have mastered some of the basic skills. This slows the progress of some children considerably. For example, some children in Nursery continue to practise large scribing movements across a page when they have already shown that they can write their names. Additionally, some activities lack a focus and children do not know what to do when working independently.
• In the Reception Year, new sounds and letters are not introduced systematically enough. Children are moved too slowly through the programme and do not learn the sounds and letters needed to progress to the next phase soon enough. For example, children took almost 20 minutes to write one short sentence containing only four words.
• Teachers have introduced writing and mathematics books in Reception classes. However, children do not record numbers or letters in these books very often. This limits children’s progress and their ability to practise and develop their accuracy in using and scribing these essential elements.
• The early years leader has established a clear system to assess and track children’s progress. Electronic profiles contain photographs of children in different activities with annotated notes from adults. These observations are used effectively to assess where the children are in their learning in the different aspects. However, the action plan devised to pinpoint where further developments are needed has not been evaluated by the leader and too little attention is given to the progress and achievement of children, including those who have SEN and/or disabilities or who are disadvantaged.
• Reading is very well promoted and children take several books home to share with parents. Reading records show that children read regularly at home and school. Story time is also a feature during the day and adults share books with individual children during independent learning time.
• There is a balance of activities which children choose for themselves or which adults lead. Teachers make good use of the indoor and outdoor spaces. Resources are used well with children happily sharing equipment and taking turns.
• Evidence of children’s work, together with teachers’ planning, shows that there is good coverage of the different areas of learning.
• All adults ensure that children are kept safe and welfare requirements are met. Adults establish clear routines which children readily follow. Children behave well and enjoy the activities planned.

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School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 104075 Solihull 10008241 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 Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 466 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Andy Schneider Lindsey Thorne 0121 430 2545 www.peterbrookschool.com office@peterbrook.solihull.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 19 May 2009

Information about this school

• This school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The headteacher was appointed in January 2015, having previously been the deputy headteacher at the school.
• The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage and speak English as their first language.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is average.
• Breakfast club and before- and after-school clubs are managed by the school.
• The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• This inspection was carried out as a result of Ofsted’s risk assessment procedures for exempt schools. This process identified that standards since the previous inspection had declined.
• The inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. They saw 21 parts of lessons, eight of which were jointly observed with the headteacher or deputy headteacher. Observations of intervention groups and extra-curricular activities were also carried out.
• Meetings were held with pupils, the headteacher and deputy headteacher, other staff with leadership responsibilities and members of the governing body. Inspectors also spoke to a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors took account of the 34 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and comments made by parents as they brought their children to school. Pupils’ views were collected by talking to pupils both formally and informally during the school day. Inspectors also considered the school’s own survey responses from parents, pupils and staff.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read, talked to them about their learning and reviewed the work in their books.
• Inspectors reviewed a number of documents, including the school’s own evaluation on how well it is doing, school action plans, data on current achievement, leaders’ and local authority reports about the school, minutes of governors’ meetings and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector Juliette Westwood Rachel Davis Angela Kirk Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector