Abbey Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:
  • making sure that leaders assess the quality of teaching and pupils’ work in books
  • more accurately identifying common strengths and weaknesses in teaching and feeding these back to staff to improve consistency in all classes
  • setting out clear measures of success in the school development plan to help leaders and governors gauge the impact of actions taken to sustain improvements to teaching and learning.
• Improve the quality of teaching and learning by:
  • making sure that teachers and support staff have consistently high expectations for the standard of work and progress expected of pupils in all classes
  • providing work in lessons that offers the right level of challenge for the most able pupils and for those who need to catch up and are capable of reaching age-related standards
  • making sure that teachers and support staff intervene more when pupils make mistakes, to help pupils address any misunderstandings and provide more opportunities for pupils to correct their writing and mathematics work
  • making sure that teachers and support staff ask more challenging questions rather than going over too much work already learned.
• Build on the good start made in the early years to sustain improvements to pupils’ attainment and progress in all key stage 1 and key stage 2 classes by:
  • closing still further the difference between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and others nationally who are not disadvantaged
  • providing more opportunities for pupils to read widely and often to broaden their vocabulary and ensuring that they experience a wide range of books, texts, authors and genres
  • maintaining current improvements to pupils’ achievement in mathematics by honing pupils’ reasoning and numeracy skills further so they can use the most efficient and effective methods of calculation when solving problems
  • helping pupils to identify and avoid repeating spelling and punctuation errors in their writing. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• Since the previous inspection, changes to staffing and weak teaching have hampered the school’s efforts to sustain improvements. This led to a decline in the school’s effectiveness. The headteacher and deputy headteacher started their roles in September 2014 and spent a great deal of time then dealing with inadequate teaching and appointing temporary teachers or permanent replacements. Parents have, understandably, expressed mixed views about the school with a balance of negative and positive comments about how well the school supports their children.
• National assessment results over the last three years show fluctuations in the standards pupils achieve in reading, writing and mathematics. These variations reflect teachers’ inconsistent expectations and leaders’ inaccurate assessments of the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning. Leaders’ and governors’ self-evaluations of teaching are, therefore, inaccurate.
• Monitoring of lessons and of the work in pupils’ books does not always assess with sufficient accuracy the strengths and weaknesses of teaching. The feedback given to staff has focused too much on what teachers are doing during lessons rather than how well pupils are learning and making progress.
• Despite these shortcomings leaders, staff and governors are starting to reverse a trend of decline and improve teaching in those classes where it requires most improvement. The senior leadership team and staff with management responsibilities work closely with staff so that teachers and support staff see and share best practice. This has eliminated all inadequate practice and leaders’ monitoring records show that all staff are improving their classroom practice. However, leaders have not yet identified ways to improve consistency in teaching.
• The headteacher and governors have appointed key staff who have the necessary skills to coach, mentor and influence the work of other teachers and support staff. The local authority has also played an important role in overseeing improvements, having started a review process by warning the school to raise standards, particularly in key stage 1.
• Leaders, including governors, have set out the right priorities for improvement in the school development plan. However, parts of the plan do not include clear enough measures of success to help gauge over time how much improvement is being made to teaching and learning. Arrangements for overseeing and managing key stages, phases of the school and subjects are starting to address the inconsistencies of teaching and reverse a decline in standards. There are enough strong leaders and effective teachers across the school to influence the work of other staff so that the school has the capacity for sustained improvement.
• Changes to the way pupils’ progress is being measured under new arrangements without national curriculum levels are now well established. However, teachers are not using assessments enough to plan work that offers the right level of challenge in some lessons. Targets in the development plan are mostly realistic and achievable, and have maintained previously good provision and outcomes in some areas of the school’s work. For example, leaders and governors have maintained good early years provision since the previous inspection, including the extended provision for two-year-olds; pupils continue to behave well and staff make a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development, welfare and safety.
• The curriculum includes a broad range of topics and subjects, including a modern foreign language (French), which is having a positive effect on pupils’ personal development, behaviour and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. British values of respect, democracy and tolerance are taught through special topics, thought-provoking and enjoyable school assemblies, religious education and the humanities.
• Records show that rare incidents of racism, intimidation and intolerance are tackled directly by leaders and staff. The schools’ curriculum provides broad and relevant experiences, such as the study of the world’s major religions or Black History month, to help pupils understand how to deal with the threats posed by intolerance, extremism or radicalisation.
• Additional funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium is now targeted effectively at those pupils who need to catch up. For example, there are signs of improvement in mathematics in key stage 2 particularly and, to some extent, in the quality and range of pupils’ writing across the school. There is still more to be done to narrow the differences between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and others who are not disadvantaged in key stage 1, in particular, and in pupils’ achievement in reading, in general, across the school.
• Pupil premium funding is being used very well to provide support for vulnerable families through close family liaison that is improving pupils’ attendance and reducing persistent absence. The school’s enrichment and engagement coordinator is particularly effective in building positive relationships with the most hard to reach and vulnerable pupils and their families.
• Funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is used very effectively to provide targeted support and the most effective interventions to support their learning. Support for these pupils is tailored well to meet their specific learning needs.
• Pupils enjoy school activities because leaders and staff plan and incorporate a good number of topics, visits and special events, including extra-curricular activities and after-school clubs. The primary school physical education and sports fund is used very well to hire specialist coaches who work alongside class teachers and bring suitable resources that enrich and deliver effective physical education and games lessons. Teachers and support staff benefit from this also as they see at first hand what constitutes the effective teaching of physical education. Pupils benefit from the many opportunities they have to be active participants in sports and team games, and also learn to adopt healthy lifestyles by learning to swim or when attending the many after-school clubs.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective because it is now overseeing and managing improvements to the school as it recovers from previous instability.
• The chair and vice-chair of the governing body keep in regular touch with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and staff with management responsibilities to hold leaders and staff to account for pupils’ achievement and staff performance. However, they do not always receive an accurate overview of the quality of teaching from leaders.
• Governors receive regular updates about pupils’ progress and have a good understanding of pupil performance data, enabling the governing body to challenge underperformance. This includes the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. Although there has been some improvement in the progress of this group of pupils, in some classes significant differences remain between their achievement and that of other pupils nationally who are not disadvantaged.
• The chair and vice-chair are recruiting and appointing more skilled governors who bring the necessary experience to ensure that the school improves. They have identified key governors with the necessary skills to work on relevant committees, such as standards, curriculum and safeguarding.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• All safeguarding arrangements are robust and fit for purpose. Staff recruitment and vetting procedures are rigorous. Leaders and governors have established a vigilant culture of safeguarding. Every member of staff, including supervisory staff at lunchtime, adults who manage the breakfast club and all early years staff understand their roles in relation to child protection procedures. Staff and governors know what to do and who to ask to seek advice about the safety and welfare of pupils.
• The parents that spoke to inspectors were positive about the school and are pleased with the way that leaders and staff are committed to pupils’ well-being and safety. The school provides early help for vulnerable families and works closely with outside agencies and support teams, including local authority child protection teams, to make sure that pupils are safe when not in school.
• The safety and well-being of children throughout the early years (pre-school provision for two-year-olds; the Nursery class for three-year-olds and the Reception class for four- and five-year-old children) is well managed. The early years welfare requirements are fully met and early years staff are trained in first aid, including the key workers for two-year-old children who are also trained in paediatric first aid intervention.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• The quality and consistency of teaching have declined since the school’s previous inspection. Teachers’ expectations and the learning targets set for pupils are not always ambitious enough. This affects the most able pupils, in particular, as too few exceed age-related standards or learn in greater depth in reading and writing.
• Teachers engage pupils during class discussions and maintain good behaviour as pupils try hard and listen to instructions. There is very little disruption to learning as pupils are usually attentive and willing to learn and do well in school. Teachers and support staff pose questions but these are not always sharp enough to help pupils think harder or deeply. Some of the questions posed do not extend pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Staff are not skilled enough in encouraging pupils to use spoken language well and to respond fully to questions.
• Leaders and staff use assessments to identify pupils who have the potential to reach age-related standards but have previously underachieved and are catching up on lost ground. In most classes, these pupils are starting to catch up. However, in pupils’ work in books and in some of the lessons observed, there is evidence to show that pupils do not always receive enough work that extends their learning to help them make more rapid progress.
• Workbooks show that time is sometimes wasted going over old ground. Pupils spend too long consolidating or repeating what they already know and can do, and this slows their progress. The most consistent and effective teaching enables pupils to move on to new learning and provides more varied and challenging extension tasks sooner during a lesson so that pupils have more time to learn new skills and knowledge.
• Repeated errors in spelling and punctuation in pupils’ work show that the teaching of spelling and punctuation is not yet fully effective. There are too few examples of good writing displayed in classrooms and around the school to help pupils aim for the best.
• Leaders have introduced more focused reading lessons that offer more regular opportunities for pupils to practise and improve their reading skills. This is to address some significant weaknesses in pupils’ achievement in reading and the fact that pupils do not have enough opportunities to read widely and often both in school and at home. This limits their development of language and vocabulary, as well as their confidence to read fluently and independently. Assessment information shows that there are signs of improvement in most classes since the new arrangements were put in place this school year, with increasing opportunities for pupils to practise reading independently.
• The teaching of phonics is effective in the early years and key stage 1 and this is reflected in national assessment results that are in line with national figures. However, the teaching of reading and writing is not yet consistent enough, particularly in key stage 1, to make sure that pupils learn to read with confidence and independence by the end of Year 2.
• Lesson observations, pupils’ work in books and assessment information show that teachers improve pupils’ achievement in writing and mathematics when they and the support staff check and intervene more during lessons to help pupils correct their mistakes. However, this is not always the case. Pupils’ workbooks show variations in the attention that staff give to helping pupils go over spelling and punctuation errors or mistakes in mathematics work.
• In some lessons pupils do not produce enough writing, and in others there is more effective use of time for pupils to write extensively. The teaching of mathematics in most classes is usually more focused and in some lessons, particularly in Year 6, pupils receive more challenging work and are helped to correct errors while they work. However, workbooks show that this is not always the case, reflecting inconsistencies in teachers’ expectations for work and progress.
• Assessment information about pupils’ learning and progress has improved since the previous inspection and provides an accurate analysis of standards and rates of progress for each pupil and for significant groups such as disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, teachers do not always use these assessments precisely or regularly enough to check if pupils are on course to reach their attainment targets. This is a significant weakness that has been identified, so leaders have stepped up the frequency with which such checks take place.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are taught and supported well. The pupils are provided with a good balance of close support and opportunities to work independently or with other pupils in a group. Assessments and plans for these pupils are well devised and appropriate for teachers to gauge how much progress pupils are making and how close they are to reaching their individual learning targets. The care and welfare of pupils with disabilities is a strength of the school as staff are very well trained and effective in providing the most appropriate resources, such as inclined work desks, or specially designed mobile chairs with access to resources for pupils with specific learning difficulties and/or physical disabilities.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are polite and show respect for others’ feelings and achievements. They are helpful and courteous to adults and visitors. They are respectful to pupils with disabilities and, like the adults who care for them, treat pupils with physical disabilities with respect and dignity.
• Pupils are pleased when others do well. For example, pupils were keen and applauded when their classmates received certificates and awards during the celebration assembly observed by inspectors.
• Leaders and staff provide good opportunities for pupils to learn about other faiths, customs and traditions through religious education, the arts, music, themed topics, projects and educational visits. The school is successful in promoting a strong emphasis on tolerance and equality that prepares pupils for life in a modern democratic Britain.
• The election of school councillors and opportunities to represent the views of other pupils as monitors and helpers provide pupils with direct experience of representative democracy and responsibility towards their school and wider community.
• Pupils are confident, mature and responsible young people who look out for each other and, as many told an inspector, it is easy to make and keep friendships. Pupils told inspectors that they are confident that teachers and support staff will deal with any form of bullying or intimidation. There are positive and warm relationships between adults and pupils and among pupils. The parents who spoke to inspectors are pleased with the way staff care for their children.
• There are good systems in place for staff to record concerns about an individual pupil or group. These are followed up by senior staff and pastoral support staff so that any pupil at risk of harm or who may be worried about something has an adult they know they can trust. The staff are vigilant and caring and are particularly knowledgeable and effective in helping pupils to use the internet safely and manage the risks associated with online messaging and mobile communication.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Leaders and staff set high expectations for pupils’ behaviour in and around the school. The staff are excellent role models and encourage pupils to behave well in lessons and at other times during the school day.
• Staff with responsibility for managing pupils’ behaviour and pastoral support, as well as class teachers and supervisory staff, keep diligent records and logs of incidents of poor behaviour, racism or bullying. These incidents are rare and are followed up well to avoid repetition.
• In a few lessons observed pupils strayed off task because the teaching was not challenging them enough. In these lessons, pupils were not expected to produce enough work because staff were less vigilant when pupils worked independently and expectations were not high enough. However, pupils do not usually disrupt others’ learning even when they are not challenged to do more work.
• Leaders and staff keep robust records and monitor patterns of absence well. Staff have worked well with parents to encourage pupils to attend regularly and to come to school on time. As a result, attendance is improving and is edging closer to the national average. The school’s enrichment and engagement coordinator uses effective measures by working with families to reduce persistent absence rates, as these are now close to the national average. The breakfast club is very popular and well attended. This also encourages pupils to attend school regularly and on time.

Outcomes for pupils Require improvement

• There is a mixed picture to report, reflecting inconsistencies in teaching and learning across the school. Although improving, pupils in some year groups are not making consistently good progress in literacy and mathematics over time. As a result, some pupils are not being prepared well enough for the next stage of their education.
• The most recent national test results, although yet to be fully validated, show that too few pupils reached age-related standards in reading at key stage 1 and key stage 2. Pupils in key stage 1 achieved well in phonics, yet too few reached age-related standards in reading and writing in Year 2 last year.
• Last year’s test results show that pupils in Year 6 made more progress in writing and mathematics compared with reading. Current pupils in key stage 2 make inconsistent rates of progress in writing, depending on the quality and consistency of the teaching.
• There are signs of improvement as pupils across the school are increasingly making more progress now than previously, particularly in phonics, writing and mathematics. This is being addressed through more focused reading lessons. Although it is too early to see the results of these changes, there are ‘green shoots’ as the evidence from the school’s assessment information shows that in most classes pupils are starting to read with more confidence and fluency. Inspectors heard some pupils read and discussed their reading habits and experiences and found that many pupils are not reading often or widely enough in school or at home to broaden their range of vocabulary and language.
• The teaching is starting to address differences between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and those who are not disadvantaged, but there is still more to be done. In key stage 2 particularly, the booster work and focus on pupils who need to catch up is working as most are starting to make up for lost ground. Although the differences in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and others were wider in key stage 1 last year, they are also starting to diminish in reading, writing and mathematics. However, there is still more to be done to close these differences in key stage 1 so that teachers and support staff build on the good start made in the early years.
• Assessments show that some of the most able pupils who have the potential to exceed age-related standards or learn in greater depth fall short of these targets, which was reflected in last year’s teacher assessments and test results for Year 2 and Year 6. Currently, more pupils are reaching or exceeding age-related expectations, particularly in writing and mathematics but to a lesser extent in reading. Pupils in some classes, for example in Years 5 and 6, make good progress in writing and mathematics because the teaching sets consistent expectations and adults help them to correct their mistakes while pupils are working during lessons.
• Pupils’ work in books across a range of subjects, such as science, religious education and geography and history topics, shows that they are given some good opportunities to write extensively and independently. However, in some classes they still make repeated spelling and punctuation errors. In mathematics, pupils can set out their addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems accurately when calculating answers using written methods. However, pupils’ mental arithmetic skills are not sharp enough and some use clumsy methods to calculate the answer to problems.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. These pupils receive effective support. The programmes and interventions prepared for them are very well coordinated so that teachers plan the right support, based on accurate assessments of their additional learning needs. The large majority of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities reach their individual learning targets and some reach age-related standards in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The small number of pupils learning English as an additional language or who join the school at different times soon settle into school and learn to integrate and converse with their classmates. Most of these pupils speak Polish or another Eastern European language in addition to learning to speak English and are making rapid progress with spoken English.

Early years provision Good

• Children’s work and progress show that early years provision is making a good contribution to their all-round development and children are well prepared for when they start Year 1. There is good teaching and leadership in the early years. The staff are vigilant, caring and effective in making sure that the children play and learn together safely and productively.
• Most children join the school in the Nursery and Reception class with skills and abilities that are well below those typical for their age. Assessments show that most children reach a good level of development and national data shows that this is edging closer to national figures. This represents a very positive picture as children make good all-round progress in all areas of learning.
• The additional pupil premium funding is put to good use as leaders deploy staff to teach small groups in focused phonics and reading sessions. The staff group the children to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make the same good progress as others who are not disadvantaged. Some of the Reception children are already working alongside Year 1 pupils when learning their phonics and early reading and writing skills.
• The pre-school extended provision for two-year-old children is well managed and effective in settling the youngest children into school. Both key workers have built warm, trusting and positive relationships with the children and their families. The children experience a very broad range of stimulating indoor and outdoor experiences in safe, clean and well-managed areas that are shared with the Nursery and Reception classes. Parents are very pleased with this provision and they are justified in this.
• Good teaching, combined with strong pastoral support for both children and families, both in the Nursery and Reception class, is getting the youngest children off to a good start. The staff have a good understanding of this phase of education and have built strong working relationships with families. Early help and home visits to support vulnerable families also make a significant contribution to children’s well-being and safety. This is very well coordinated by the deputy headteacher, who is also the school’s inclusion manager and early years leader. Strong working partnerships with external agencies such as social services and family support workers are well established through the effective use of the school’s enrichment and engagement coordinator, whose role is similar to that of a family support worker.
• All staff have a well-developed knowledge of the early years assessment requirements. There are good systems in place for staff to check on the progress made by children. Assessments are accurate so that teachers and support staff have a clear understanding of the needs of all children and a firm basis for planning children’s learning. The children’s learning journeys (pictorial and written records of their work and progress) are catalogued individually for each child and are very well presented, along with the children’s ‘best work’ books. These are made available for parents so they can see their children’s work and progress at first hand.
• Outcomes are good because the activities in both the Nursery and Reception class are linked to children’s own experiences and are usually stimulating and exciting for the children. Examples include role play shopping, cooking, sculpting or, as seen during the inspection, when children were energised by the task of looking for ‘invaders from outer space’ in the outdoor play area. This followed a video clip of an ‘alien spaceship’ landing in the school playground. One boy excitedly called out, ‘Look, there’s my house’, and was eager to look for any clues of the invasion by using ‘scientific equipment’ such as magnifying glasses to find samples of ‘alien presence’. ‘We’re going on an investigation’, said another child in the Reception class as they put on their boots and dressed for their exploration outdoors.
• The staff in both the Nursery and Reception classes plan together to make sure there is continuity to pupils’ learning and experiences. Children behave very well and are keen to persevere and try hard with problem solving when making patterns, mixing colours and textures or when pouring water into different receptacles. There are a small number of occasions, however, when the pace of learning slows and the children get fidgety if they are expected to listen for extended periods to adult instructions or have to wait too long before moving on to independent and self-chosen activities.
• The deputy headteacher provides good leadership, management and oversight of the early years. In addition to home visits and the effective use of the equivalent of a family support worker, the staff liaise with other early years settings within the school’s network of local schools to moderate and undertake accurate assessments of children’s needs and abilities. This good provision has been maintained since the school’s previous inspection. The additional pre-school provision for two-year-olds has further enhanced this and provided more pre-school choices for families in the local area.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 104168 Walsall 10025230 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 Maintained 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 250 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Malcolm Hinks Mark Gilbert 01922 710 753 http://www.abbey.walsall.sch.uk postbox@abbey.walsall.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 5–6 March 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• This is a small primary school. The vast majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. Other pupils come from a range of backgrounds representing minority ethnic groups. A very small number of pupils speak English as an additional language. There is a high turnover of pupils who join or leave the school at different times.
• The governing body extended early years provision since the previous inspection by admitting two-year-old children. The provision is staffed by two qualified adults who are key workers and manage no more than four children each. The early years now comprises pre-school provision for two-year-olds and three-year-old provision in the Nursery class. All the children in both of these pre-school settings attend part-time.
• There is also four-year-old provision in one Reception class and the children attend full-time.
• The percentage of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is similar to that of most schools.
• The percentage of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is high compared with most schools.
• The school met floor standards in 2015, which are the minimum requirements for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• Following the most recent unvalidated national assessment results in 2016, Walsall local authority implemented a school improvement review to support and challenge leaders, governors and staff to improve pupil outcomes in key stages 1 and 2.
• The school runs a morning breakfast club and after-school clubs for pupils.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors carried out lesson observations, some undertaken jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher. Inspectors spoke to pupils during lessons about their work and progress. Inspectors checked samples of pupils’ recorded work and met with groups of pupils to discuss their work, behaviour and safety, or to hear them read. Inspectors spoke to pupils informally during break and lunchtimes to ask them their views about the school. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour and safety in the playground and at other times. Two inspectors observed a school assembly.
• Inspectors looked at a range of documentation including: leaders’ and governors’ own evaluations of the school’s effectiveness; the school’s development plan; information about pupils’ achievement, progress and performance; and documents and information related to governance, teaching, behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.
• Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other members of teaching and support staff. The lead inspector met the chair and vice-chair of the governing body. He also met with a school improvement partner from Walsall local authority. The lead inspector also met with the school enrichment and enhancement coordinator, who works closely with families and monitors their welfare and attendance.
• Inspectors spoke to a number of parents and carers to seek their views about the school. Inspectors considered the 34 responses from parents to the online Ofsted questionnaire, Parent View, as well as the views of parents who sent their comments to the West Midlands Ofsted regional office by text or email. The inspectors also considered the views expressed by parents from the results of the school’s own surveys.
• Inspectors spoke to nearly all teaching staff to provide feedback on lessons observed. Inspectors also considered the views of nine members of staff who completed the online inspection questionnaire.

Inspection team

Charalambos Loizou, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Michael Onyon Ofsted Inspector Melanie Callaghan-Lewis Ofsted Inspector