William Reynolds Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Develop further the varied and stimulating activities that teachers provide for pupils in subjects other than English and mathematics so that pupils acquire knowledge and skills specific to each subject in greater depth.
• Continue to focus on improving pupils’ progress and achievement by:
  • providing more opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding
  • moving the most able pupils more quickly on to activities that will challenge and extend their skills.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The headteacher is an excellent leader who is passionate in wanting the best for the pupils. The vast majority of parents and carers who spoke to inspectors were glowing in their praise for her, her ethos and her actions. Families acknowledged that the school offered an excellent education and that senior leaders were always approachable on the playground each day.
• Leaders demonstrate a clear warmth and passion for the care of the pupils as individuals. This has led to the warm and positive relationships between adults and pupils seen throughout the inspection. Pupils trust their leaders to do the best for them, and parents agree strongly that leaders care for the pupils and keep them safe.
• The school is highly inclusive and welcomes families who move into the immediate locality. There has been a sharp increase in pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities attending the school over the last twelve months. Leaders have ensured that these pupils are well supported as quickly as possible. Leaders’ proactive work with agencies and the local authority results in outstanding provision for the pupils. Leaders ensure effective spending of additional funding for the pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• All leaders have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching and learning through regular monitoring. Teachers use assessment to track progress meticulously, and the use of termly ‘raising attainment plans’ ensures that leaders drive the school forward with a sharp focus on the relevant areas. For example, leaders identified groups of pupils who were underachieving in writing at key stage 2. Leaders instigated focused support and, as a result, increased the number of pupils reaching the expected standard in their year group.
• School improvement plans are detailed, focused and include measurable outcomes. Leaders review school performance thoroughly against these outcomes. They are accurate in their self-evaluation.
• Advisers from a local teaching school alliance check on leaders’ judgements and challenge their thinking. Clearly focused reports identify improvements for which governors are quick to hold leaders to account.
• Governors and senior leaders use performance management to hold staff to account, while at the same time ensuring that all staff receive the appropriate support and training to undertake their roles effectively. Staff said: ‘This is a great place to work, we are always listened to and feel part of a family, with opportunities to develop new ideas.’ At all levels of leadership, the school demonstrates it has capacity to continue to improve.
• Leaders and staff provide a curriculum that is broad, balanced and interesting, and suited to the needs of the local community. Leaders’ meticulous planning of the curriculum also ensures that provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. Pupils are taught about a wide range of faiths and cultures and this helps them to develop a high level of acceptance and understanding about diversity within the community. Pupils learn about democracy and knew how this principle was involved in the election of their house captains. Pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Leaders ensure that pupils enjoy and experience a broad range of subjects that enhance their knowledge and skills. Art and music are strong features of the school, with specialist musicians providing opportunities in the clarinet, ukulele, brass, flute and choir. Visiting Roman ‘soldiers’ who spoke Latin, trips to the mosque and gurdwara, and the use of the forest school have all recently enriched pupils’ learning. Science has been developed effectively over the last year and books now show a higher level of understanding. Leaders have planned and implemented a very structured high-quality curriculum. Leaders now have the base of a very strong curriculum to build upon, in order to develop more challenging activities for pupils to achieve even higher standards in subjects other than English, mathematics and science.
• Reading has been a focal point of leaders’ drive to raise standards. Leaders and staff model comments in reading diaries and this leads to excellent communication between home and school. Leaders also use ‘World Book Day’ to promote the love of reading. This combination of initiatives has ensured that the school maintains its high standards in reading by the end of Year 6.
• Leaders and governors use pupil premium funding effectively to ensure that the achievement of disadvantaged pupils matches that of those who are not disadvantaged. Leaders use ‘raising attainment plans’ to pinpoint the progress of disadvantaged pupils and organise staff to deliver highly effective additional teaching sessions to ensure that no one falls behind.
• The primary school physical education (PE) and sport premium is spent effectively. Specialist sports coaches have helped pupils to remain fit and healthy, and leaders have ensured that less physically active pupils are given the opportunity to attend after-school clubs. Leaders measure impact effectively, using questionnaires at the beginning and end of clubs. Newly created clubs, such as hockey, dodgeball, basketball, indoor athletics, tag rugby and football, have increased pupils’ participation rates and 80% of pupils are identified as meeting national expectations for physical education.

Governance of the school

• Governance is highly effective. Governors are regular visitors to the school and, in her first year, the chair of governors is particularly prominent in supporting and challenging leaders.
• Governors know the school well and receive regular updates. They have a good understanding of achievement information and can identify the current priorities of school improvement. This knowledge and awareness enables governors to challenge the school about the performance of all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged.
• Members of the governing body are able to identify their part in school improvement. For example, working with leaders and pupils on the simplified school vision, governors helped reshape the vision to one that is easier for pupils to recall. Governors also have a clear awareness of the need to be able to compare their own school information to a national benchmark in order to challenge leaders effectively.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Safeguarding procedures are robust and fit for purpose. Leaders, staff and governors ensure that there is a culture that keeps children safe. Risk assessments are detailed and comprehensive. Leaders have also ensured that their pupils are safe through visiting the alternative providers that the school use.
• Pupils reported that they felt safe in school and they were clear about recent lockdown training and how to respond if this situation were to occur. They were clear on how to keep your image safe when using photographs on the internet. The vast majority of parents agreed that the school was committed to pupils’ well-being and safety.
• Staff vetting procedures are robust and meet statutory requirements.
• All staff have been trained how to keep children safe and there are clear chronological logs that demonstrate the thoroughness of procedures. The headteacher is a qualified trainer for staff on the prevention of extremism and all staff are vigilant in protecting pupils from radicalisation, extremism and child exploitation.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teachers use their very good knowledge of pupils’ skills to ensure that pupils have work that is well matched to their needs. Other adults are deployed strategically to work with specific pupils inside and outside the classrooms. Leaders ensure that all groups of pupils have time to work with teachers and support staff to very good effect.
• Teachers have exceptional subject knowledge and this enables them to expertly match work to the needs of the pupils. All staff use questioning skilfully to develop learning and support the deepening of ideas. Teachers’ clear and unambiguous expectations and constant encouragement ensure that the pupils always achieve their best. Teachers model skills very effectively to clarify their high expectations of learning outcomes.
• Teachers plan specific success criteria for each lesson that clearly enable the pupils to progress quickly, due to pupils working at exactly the correct expectation for their ability. Pupils are therefore very clear about what they are learning and what they have learned previously. English and mathematics books demonstrate excellent progress and illustrate wonderfully the high standards that are expected of pupils as a result of such strategies.
• Pupils have opportunities to derive their own success criteria and then highlight where they have met their own expectations. Pupils in key stage 2 were also very adept at using their own feedback to identify their next steps of learning. Such examples of reflection indicate that pupils are ready to pursue more regular tasks which require them to think deeply and apply their knowledge in new ways
• Teachers provide incisive feedback consistently across the school and succeed in moving learning forward rapidly. Teachers’ consistent management of behaviour is highly effective at ensuring excellent learning outcomes.
• The teaching of phonics in the early years and key stage 1 is highly effective. Teachers use their knowledge of pupils’ previous learning to ensure that pupils are constantly developing their knowledge and skills.
• Reading texts are incorporated carefully into medium-term plans, to ensure that pupils learn from a wide range of books. Higher-ability pupils read with interest and expression, although this was not as evident for pupils who found reading more difficult. Pupils demonstrated enjoyment and resilience when tackling more difficult texts and thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. Home reading records showed excellent communication between parents and school, enabling celebration and clear next steps of learning to be shared.
• Pupils make outstanding progress in English and mathematics, although there were occasions when some pupils’ progress was slowed slightly because they were not able to work more independently to move their own learning forward. Leaders’ excellent medium-term planning ensures that outcomes for pupils in English, mathematics and science are stronger than in other subjects, and there is now scope for leaders to develop more opportunities for pupils to work at more depth in subjects such as history and geography.
• Teachers successfully guide pupils to improve their knowledge of number through planning weekly arithmetic lessons. These lessons develop and reinforce basic skills, although sometimes teachers do not set the most able pupils work which allows them to move quickly on to more complex work. Overall, teachers provide very good opportunities for pupils of all abilities to apply their mathematical knowledge to reason and solve problems at greater depth.
• Teachers ensure that pupils regularly apply their grammar and spelling knowledge in real writing contexts. This ensures that pupils’ understanding of their writing skills is securely embedded. As a result, teachers deliver lessons that clearly meet the needs of the individual pupils.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• ‘This school is really good’ and ‘they make you welcome’ were comments made by pupils when describing why they were proud of the school. Pupils were enthused by the opportunities they have to influence the school’s future direction. For example, school councillors were proud to explain how pupils had helped shape the vision for the school and the resulting ‘five golden rules’.
• During the inspection, teaching staff were caring at all times and encouraged expectations of exemplary behaviour through humour, tact and clarity. This was particularly evident in intervention groups such as ‘sparklers’. Staff plan intervention groups carefully to ensure that the needs of all pupils are met. Pupils in an intervention group called ‘action fun club’ could explain how a daily 10-minute activity in this club had improved their handwriting skills.
• Pupils can discuss different types of bullying, and are positive in their view that leaders resolve any concerns that are raised. Incidents are extremely rare and leaders monitor concerns thoroughly.
• Pupils understand British values clearly, such as the respect of law and democracy. They could relate these ideals to real life and identify examples in the life of school, such as the way in which school councillors were elected. Pupils value respect for each other and they can explain about other faiths knowledgeably.
• Leaders ensure that pupils are taught how to keep safe in a wide range of situations. Pupils were also able to explain how school assembles help them to keep safe with regard to road safety, bikeability and internet safety. ‘Think before you click’ supports their safety in computing, and pupils were clear that you ‘do not show your face’ if sharing photographs online.
• Pupils understand how to keep themselves healthy through their choices of food and the importance of exercise. The use of the ‘cooking bus’ from the School Food Trust offered a valuable and enjoyable educational service for the ‘sparklers’ nurture group. This lesson reinforced healthy eating in a fun and different way.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils are polite and welcoming. They are courteous to their peers and adults. All classrooms and areas within the school are calm and orderly, and no time is wasted when pupils are moving around the school. Lunchtimes are well organised and effectively supervised. Staff ensure that the before-school club is calm and pupils enjoy being in this settled atmosphere with their friends.
• Pupils are proud of their school and their work. Their appearance is smart and they wear their 100% attendance badges with pride. Pupils take care of their work and presentation. Staff make the environment stimulating through inspiring displays of work that the pupils take care to look after. All parts of the school are well cared for by pupils and staff alike.
• Pupils value their learning, remain focused and engaged and there are very few instances of low-level disruption. Pupils stated that behaviour is very good all of the time, and any occasional disagreement on the playground is quickly resolved by staff. In assemblies, pupils are well behaved, and staff maintain high standards of attention and respect through calm and gentle reminders.
• Leaders have worked diligently to reduce the level of fixed-term exclusion following a sharp increase at the start of the academic year. They allocated staff strategically and worked with agencies proactively in order to address this concern and instigated effective responses to reduce incidents. Leaders ensured that pupils were well supported through the careful deployment of support staff and the effective use of learning mentors and the ‘nurture’ room.
• Leaders track behaviour carefully and work very hard with other agencies and the local authority to ensure that pupils get the best support. Leaders monitor pupils working in alternative provision and remain active in supporting these few pupils, to ensure that they make appropriate progress.
• The vast majority of parents who spoke to inspectors identified that pupils behaved well and that staff dealt with behaviour concerns quickly. Responses to Parent View also agreed that behaviour was excellent and was well dealt with.
• Leaders also work closely with families and external agencies to continually improve attendance rates. The school’s project to improve attendance in the early years has led to improved attendance rates that are now in line with national averages for all pupils and improving for vulnerable pupils. Leaders’ initiatives to reduce persistent absence has also been effective, so that the rate of persistent absence is now in line with the national average. The large majority of pupils are punctual and the school continues to work with families to reduce the number of late arrivals that persist.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Pupils in all year groups make excellent progress over time. In 2016, published outcomes for Year 2 and Year 6 continued a trend of long-term improvement. This has built upon the success of early years. In 2016, key stage 2 attainment was above the national figure, because pupils had made outstanding progress from their different starting points. Disadvantaged pupils also made outstanding progress.
• Current teacher assessments indicate that around 80% of Year 2 and 6 pupils are meeting expected levels of achievement for the end of the year. Leaders have monitored carefully the most able pupils to ensure that they have made good or outstanding progress from their different starting points. The standard of work in books verifies current assessment information showing that pupils continue to perform very strongly.
• High-quality teaching has ensured that the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard for the Year 1 phonics check has been maintained for all pupils and for disadvantaged pupils.
• The effective use of pupil premium funding enables disadvantaged pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, to make outstanding progress. This funding gives disadvantaged pupils access to highly effective interventions in additional reading to an adult and additional booster groups. Leaders use current assessment information to track and ensure that disadvantaged pupils, including the most able, make very strong progress across all year groups.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities made outstanding progress in 2016, especially in key stage 2. Currently, the vast majority of pupils in this group are making good or outstanding progress due to interventions tailored to meet their specific learning needs.
• Senior leaders use assessment information to identify year groups where a sharper focus is needed. As a result of this careful monitoring, there have been recent interventions in writing in Years 3, 4 and 5. These strategies have addressed successfully the comparative weaknesses. Consequently, all groups of pupils in current assessment information are either making very good or outstanding progress from their starting points.
• The most able pupils continue to perform very well due to the very strong teaching that consistently meets their needs. These pupils continue to achieve at greater depth, and current assessment information shows that the most able pupils are making good or outstanding progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Current assessment information demonstrates that pupils are achieving expected standards in the vast majority of subjects. There is now the scope for pupils to develop this knowledge to a greater depth in subjects such as history and geography.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The children in Nursery and Reception classes make outstanding progress from their starting points in early phonics, reading, writing and mathematics. Children who join the school in the Nursery Year make particularly strong progress. Their outstanding start in the early years prepares all children exceptionally well for Year 1.
• Most children start school in the Nursery or Reception Years with skills and abilities that are well below those typical for their age. Outstanding practice in Nursery ensures that they enter Reception having improved their skills significantly.
• Outcomes are improving well. Nearly three quarters of children reach a good level of development in early literacy and mathematics by the time they start Year 1. This is just above the national average and represents very good progress from the children’s low starting points. Leaders make very good use of additional funding for children from disadvantaged families to enable them to make outstanding progress.
• Leaders have implemented a number of successful initiatives to improve children’s outcomes. A focus on reading through the use of new online resources and a focus on attendance with weekly rewards have led to an increase in reading opportunities and attendance respectively.
• In all early years classes, children regularly produce pieces of written work and this enables them to develop their skills and improve standards in writing. They make outstanding progress in breaking down and blending sounds to read unfamiliar words. Teachers ensure that high levels of involvement and enjoyment contribute to children’s rapid progress, for example by involving the use of actions in the learning of phonics.
• The teaching and support provided for children in the Nursery classes are of a very high quality. Teachers in the forest school effectively create exciting opportunities for the children to discover and explore their area. During the inspection, learning was reinforced through the use of posters of life cycles and insects that children could refer to.
• Children communicate with each other with increasing confidence, skill and enjoyment. They are able to sit calmly and patiently, and listen to adults’ explanations. They are confident in approaching and wanting to share their knowledge with adults. Children behave well and are encouraged to develop their communication and social skills because staff are calm, warm and approachable.
• Teachers maintain the records of children’s work and assessments in detailed learning journeys, which provide a clear account of children’s progress and learning. Parents contribute to the records, using slips where questions guide their responses. Regular observations and detailed assessment records ensure that leaders can identify clearly how children are performing. Records clearly show how leaders are assessing and developing children’s progress in all areas, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.
• Leaders in the early years are very effective in providing children with an outstanding start to their schooling. They have a clear understanding of the children and staff, and are clear in the future direction of early years provision. Outdoor learning is used well, particularly by Nursery children where a wide range of activities are available to excite and engage them, supported by careful and precise guidance and questioning by adults. In addition to home visits, teachers liaise with other early years settings to undertake moderation exercises and establish accurate assessments of children’s learning and progress.

School details

Unique reference number 123433 Local authority Telford and Wrekin Inspection number 10032746 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 452 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mrs Jane Tranter Mrs Irene Baxter 01952 388280 www.williamreynoldsprimary.org H2158@telford.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 13–14 March 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The headteacher supports other schools in the local area and beyond.
• William Reynolds Primary School is a larger than average-sized primary school.
• The school provides a fee-paying before-school club.
• The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is well above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.
• A small number of pupils attend alternative provision within the local area.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors carried out lesson observations, some of which were undertaken jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also undertook learning walks, one of which was undertaken jointly. Inspectors observed two different school assemblies.
• Inspectors also checked samples of pupils’ recorded work and met with groups of pupils to discuss their work, behaviour and safety, and to hear them read. During observations and learning walks, inspectors looked at examples of pupils’ work in books and spoke with pupils about their learning.
• Inspectors spoke to pupils informally during breaktimes and lunchtimes to ask about their views of the school. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour and safety in the playground and at other times.
• The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other leaders and administrative staff. Other support staff and teachers were also spoken to informally during the inspection to gather staff views.
• The lead inspector met with two governors, including the chair of governors, and the school adviser from the teaching school alliance, who works in conjunction with the local authority.
• The opinions of parents were considered through 46 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and conversations with parents on both days of the inspection.
• Inspectors reviewed various school documents, including the school development plans, leaders’ and governors’ own evaluations of the school’s effectiveness, the school’s improvement plans, information about managing teachers’ performance, and minutes of the governing body. Information about pupils’ progress, behaviour, safeguarding, attendance and safety was also analysed.

Inspection team

Mark Cadwallader, lead inspector Mary Maybank Robert Roalfe Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Melanie Callaghan-Lewis Ofsted Inspector Patrick Amieli Ofsted Inspector