Goldsmith Primary Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve outcomes for all groups of pupils rapidly so that pupils are better prepared for the next stage of their education by ensuring that:
  • pupils’ basic skills in literacy and numeracy are secure and any remaining gaps in their learning are correctly identified and filled promptly
  • pupils are better supported to embed their knowledge and skills in mathematics by providing more opportunities for problem-solving.
• Improve the quality of teaching and learning by ensuring that:
  • all teachers assess pupils’ learning effectively, design tasks that are better matched to pupils’ needs and intervene quickly to address misconceptions
  • teachers are supported to develop their subject knowledge, particularly in mathematics and English.
• Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • subject and phase leaders develop in their roles so that they have a greater impact on improving teaching and outcomes
  • relationships with parents are improved
  • leaders evaluate more rigorously the impact of additional funding and support so that those responsible for governance are better able to hold them to account.
• 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 last inspection, the school has had numerous headteachers and changes to staffing. This has affected many aspects of the school’s work, including the quality of teaching, relationships with parents and outcomes for pupils. In many areas of the school, outcomes have declined since the last inspection but improvements are now starting to emerge.
• The current headteacher has brought stability and cohesion to the school in a relatively short space of time. Other leaders, many of whom are new to their posts, are working well with the headteacher to bring about the necessary improvements. Together, they have a realistic view of the quality of education being provided. They have identified the correct priorities for improvement and, together with leaders from the Windsor Academy Trust (WAT), they are ambitious for the school to improve so that pupils achieve to the best of their ability. Behaviour and attendance are two key aspects of school life where leaders have brought about improvements.
• Pupils’ attendance, which historically was well below that found nationally, has improved over the last term. This has been achieved through a combination of approaches, including working with families to overcome barriers, such as transport difficulties. Leaders have also focused on making school an exciting and fun place to be so that pupils want to come to school. Pupils are proud be part of the Goldsmith community; they are happy, confident and articulate.
• Some parents are very appreciative of the support they receive from the school. One parent said, ‘Goldsmith is a great place to be.’ However, a significant minority of parents do not share this view. They say that leaders do not communicate with them effectively about their children’s education and well-being. Leaders are working hard on forging more positive relationships with all parents, for example through the recently established parents’ forum. Despite this, relationships with some families are strained.
• Subject and phase leaders have detailed action plans in place for their areas of responsibility. Many initiatives have been introduced recently. However, it is too soon to see evidence of impact on pupils’ outcomes. Plans do not include success criteria that are specific or measurable enough to enable leaders to evaluate impact effectively.
• The trust provides a great deal of support to improve the quality of leadership and teaching. Lead practitioners for English and mathematics and other areas work closely with subject leaders and class teachers in the school to improve their skills. However, leaders do not evaluate the impact of their actions rigorously enough so the impact of this support on pupils’ achievement is not fully evident. Directors of the trust are therefore not able to hold leaders to account sufficiently rigorously to bring about the necessary improvements.
• Staff feel well-supported and most are proud to work at the school. They say that leaders consider their work–life balance when introducing new initiatives.
• The school receives a significant amount of pupil premium funding, which is used in a variety of ways to remove barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils. There is evidence that this is starting to make a real difference in terms of the attendance of disadvantaged pupils. However, the school’s assessment information and work in pupils’ books shows that gaps between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally are not closing, particularly in reading and mathematics.
• The physical education and sport premium for primary schools is used to provide opportunities for pupils to develop their confidence and achieve success in a range of sports and competitions. For example, pupils compete in the Windsor Academy Trust Olympics each year and many other inter-school competitions, including girls’ football. However, the impact of this additional funding on pupils’ outcomes is not evaluated effectively by leaders.
• The wider curriculum, which is a strength of the school, is designed to address the needs of the pupils and to raise their aspirations. To extend pupils’ vocabulary, there is a commitment to using high-quality texts which provide the stimulus for learning in the foundation subjects. Pupils’ creativity is developed through a wide range of art, music, dance and drama activities, which are an integral part of the curriculum. Leaders have focused on creating an environment which is rich in language. Corridors and classrooms have lively and stimulating displays. Pupils are very proud of the recently refurbished library. A recently introduced reading scheme is raising the profile of reading across the school. Pupils compete to read as many books as possible. Staff share the books they are reading with pupils too. As a result, there is a buzz about reading in the school.
• There is a strong commitment on the part of the trust to promote pupils’ social and cultural development. All pupils learn to play a musical instrument. A wide range of extra-curricular activities are offered to expose pupils to exciting opportunities beyond their immediate community. For example, pupils recently took part in the Young Voices concert at the NEC. The WAT pledge of ‘11 things to do before you are 11’ offers pupils the chance to have life experiences they may not otherwise have, including sleeping in a tent, visiting London or meeting a famous person. This reflects the commitment of leaders in the school and across the trust to enrich every pupil’s life.

Governance of the school

• The academy’s local advisory board (LAB) is chaired by a director of the trust. Clear lines of accountability exist between the trust and the LAB through the trust’s standards and performance committee.
• Members of the LAB are committed and ambitious for the school to improve. They acknowledge that standards have not been good enough at the end of key stage 1 and 2 in recent years. LAB members appreciate the high volume of support being provided to the school from the trust.
• However, directors and LAB members do not have a clear understanding of how additional funding and support affects pupils’ outcomes, because leaders do not evaluate the impact of support effectively.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have ensured that there is a culture of vigilance in terms of safeguarding. Staff know how to spot the signs that a child may be being abused or neglected and they know how to raise their concerns. Staff receive regular training to update their knowledge about safeguarding, including training relating to the ‘Prevent’ duty.
• Leaders are rigorous in following up referrals to external agencies. They make sure that no pupil is left vulnerable, even when the family has moved away from the area and the child has left the school. Leaders make sure they know pupils are safe, wherever they are, even if this is overseas.
• Pupils say they feel safe in school and that bullying rarely happens. If it does, they are confident that adults will sort it out quickly.
• A new online system helps pupils to recognise the signs of grooming or potential radicalisation. Pupils read a series of scenarios and choose how they would respond from a number of options. In this way, pupils are alerted to the dangers of talking to strangers online, even if they appear friendly. Pupils talk confidently about how this has helped them to better understand risks.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Although the trust is providing comprehensive support, the quality of teaching is not yet consistently good across the school. Despite early signs of improvement, the impact of the support on pupils’ outcomes is not yet fully evident. Nevertheless, positive relationships exist between staff and pupils. Together with well-established routines and consistent expectations, this ensures that pupils behave very well in lessons.
• There is now a consistent approach to planning lessons across the school, based on the trust’s model lesson approach. Lessons start with a ‘smart start’, which builds on the previous lesson. Teachers are expected to review pupils’ learning before moving on to next steps, adapting their teaching approaches based on pupils’ understanding. Where teachers are applying this model well, particularly when reviewing pupils’ learning, teaching is effective.
• However, teachers do not assess pupils’ learning consistently well in lessons to inform the next steps to be taken. This results in learning activities that are not well matched to pupils’ needs. When pupils are struggling to understand, teachers do not spot this and address their difficulties promptly. As a result, teaching is less effective and pupils do not make as much progress as they should in their learning.
• Teachers are using high-quality texts as class reading books, which challenge pupils and help to extend their vocabulary. However, the tasks set following the sharing of these texts are not always well matched to pupils’ needs. As a result, some pupils struggle to complete their work. Middle-ability pupils, in particular, need more support to complete tasks step by step in order to succeed. Inspection evidence, including work in pupils’ books, shows that this is often the case.
• In mathematics, leaders have recently introduced initiatives to increase the level of challenge in lessons. Pupils can choose from three levels of challenge: basic, advanced and depth (BAD). Most pupils were able to explain to inspectors what the challenge was asking them to do and why they chose it. However, some of the most able pupils were not sufficiently challenged, even when they had chosen the most difficult ‘depth’ challenge. Some pupils agree that, although mathematics lessons are harder recently, they would like to have even more challenging work.
• Where teachers’ subject knowledge is strong, teaching is more effective. However, where teachers’ subject knowledge is weaker, they do not always spot when pupils misunderstand or where gaps in pupils’ knowledge and skills need to be filled before they can proceed. In addition, where teachers do not model the use of mathematical language correctly pupils become confused, which hampers their progress.
• Work in pupils’ books shows that in mathematics pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise problem-solving. As a result, when pupils are faced with unfamiliar mathematical problems, they do not know how to tackle them confidently.
• Leaders have recently introduced a new approach to the teaching of phonics. Teachers have received training and further training is planned. This is leading to improvements in the impact of teaching over time. Pupils are taught in carefully targeted groups and established routines support pupils’ learning. Leaders have a good understanding of each pupils’ stage of development. Where teaching is most effective, teachers are quick to pick up and correct pupils’ errors. However, this is not yet consistently done well. The pupils who need the most help to catch up are not currently benefiting from the most expert teaching. Where phonics teaching is less effective, teachers are not responding to pupils’ errors quickly enough. They are not picking up misconceptions as the lesson progresses, which means that pupils’ misunderstandings persist, and this slows their progress.
• Work in pupils’ books shows that basic errors in grammar, punctuation and spelling are not being addressed over time. For younger pupils, incorrect letter formation is not addressed consistently. For older pupils, over time, basic errors in sentence construction are not picked up effectively enough. Teachers do not have high enough expectations in terms of the quantity and quality of writing across different subjects of the curriculum.
• Learning support from adults other than teachers is not consistently used effectively in lessons. In some classes, pupils are well supported because tasks are well matched to their needs and learning support assistants are able to help them make progress. However, in some classes support is less effective because tasks are not well matched to pupils’ needs, particularly for the least able and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Learning support assistants are not able to support pupils effectively as a result.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school’s strong commitment to pupils’ physical and emotional well-being underpins all aspects of school life. The ASPIRE curriculum is underpinned by this commitment, as well as principles of equality and social mobility. Learning is brought to life through trips and external visitors who provide positive role models for pupils to aspire to. Recent visitors have included engineers from Jaguar Land Rover and representatives from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Residential trips, for example to an outdoor education centre in Wales, help pupils to develop independence, confidence and resilience.
• Pupils’ emotional welfare is a high priority. Pupils post a note about any concerns they have in the ‘worry box’. Staff check the box every day and follow up on concerns.
• Pupils say that bullying doesn’t really happen. A recent workshop helped pupils to understand that bullying is something that happens ‘several times on purpose’ (STOP) and how they can help to tackle it if it does happen.
• A wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities take place for pupils to enjoy, including sports, singing and crafts. A group of pupils told inspectors excitedly that, the evening before the inspection, they had taken part in the Young Voices concert at the NEC. This exciting and unforgettable experience is one example of the school’s work to raise pupils’ aspirations and broaden their horizons.
• Pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong. They learn to respect each other and tolerate different cultures and faiths. One pupil’s comment summarised the views of many: ‘We respect everyone no matter what, even if we don’t agree with them.’

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are polite and respectful towards each other and towards adults. Leaders have focused on ensuring that all staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils understand why this is important. They know that they have a right to learn and to be safe in school. They also understand that it is their responsibility to behave well, too. This helps to promote self-discipline.
• The school is calm and orderly. Well-established routines ensure that pupils enjoy breaks and lunchtimes happily with their friends.
• Positive relationships between pupils and between staff and pupils help to ensure that children enjoy coming to school and are keen to learn. Disruption to learning through poor behaviour rarely happens.
• Attendance, which has previously been well below that seen nationally, has improved significantly over recent months as a result of leaders’ actions. Support is provided for parents who struggle to get their children to school, whatever the reason. For example, the breakfast club, which is free and open to all pupils to attend, makes children want to come to school and helps to promote good attendance. Staff create a caring atmosphere which promotes a positive start to the day. Pupils enjoy a range of activities such as board games, table football and ‘wake up, shake up’. These activities help pupils to develop social skills, confidence, healthy eating and active lifestyles.
• The school’s family support team works closely with parents to find solutions to any difficulties they have getting children to school. They meet with parents and visit families at home, when appropriate, to provide support.
• The school works closely with the local authority attendance officers, who will issue fines to parents who do not ensure that their children attend school regularly.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Since the last inspection, improvements to standards across the school have been variable. While there have been some improvements in early years and phonics, outcomes at the end of key stages 1 and 2 in 2018 remained weak in many areas.
• Outcomes in early years have improved over the last three years. In 2018, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development for their age increased to be in line with the national average. This represents good progress, as a significant proportion of children joined the school with skills below those that are typical for their age, particularly in language and communication. Current children’s work suggests that there is a similar picture of strong progress this year. Teachers in early years use assessment information well to design activities to address next steps in children’s development.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the phonics screening check has also improved year on year over the last three years, and in 2018 was in line with the national average. As a result of recent staff training and the new approach to the teaching of phonics, current assessment information and inspection evidence show that this improving trend is continuing.
• In 2018, at key stage 1, there were slight improvements in the proportions of pupils achieving the expected standard for their age in reading, writing and mathematics compared to the very low proportions in 2017. However, attainment remained below the national averages in all three areas in 2018.
• At the end of key stage 2 in 2018, the proportion of pupils achieving at the expected standard for their age in the combined measure of reading, writing and mathematics was well below the national average. Pupils’ attainment at the expected standard for their age in reading and mathematics has been well below the national averages at key stage 2 for the last three years. No pupils have achieved at the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined for the last three years.
• However, in 2018 pupils made better progress in mathematics by the end of key stage 2 compared with 2017. Pupils’ progress in writing was in line with that seen nationally in 2018.
• The school’s assessment information for current pupils suggests that, for upper key stage 2 classes, a higher proportion of pupils are achieving at the standard expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics than was the case in previous years. However, from their starting points, this still does not represent strong enough progress.
• Pupils currently in lower key stage 2 classes are not making sufficient progress to close the gaps in their learning. This is because the teaching they are receiving is not sharply enough focused on addressing their needs. This is particularly the case for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND.

Early years provision Good

• Children in the early years have a very positive introduction to school. Staff are caring and children are well looked after. In the Nursery and Reception classes there is a vibrant atmosphere where children are engaged in purposeful activities that support learning effectively. Children are well behaved. They listen attentively to teachers and other adults and join in enthusiastically with songs and stories.
• Teachers and other adults know the children well and use assessment information effectively to target the next steps in children’s learning. Children make good progress from their starting points.
• Children’s language skills develop quickly because they are encouraged to speak as often as possible by adults who prompt them to use and extend their vocabulary in songs, stories and role play. As a result, children are confident to express their thinking and ideas.
• The curriculum is used well to inspire and extend children’s curiosity and learning. For example, at the time of the inspection children were very excited by the recent snowfall. Adults used this as an opportunity to extend children’s vocabulary by encouraging pupils to feel and describe the snow. One child brought a snowball into school and the teacher asked her to describe what was happening and why, as the snow melted in her hands.
• Leaders have focused on developing an environment rich in language and communication opportunities, to address children’s needs. Teachers and other adults model the good use of language well, in the main. Children listen to teachers reading high-quality texts which excite and engage children, as well as providing good language models.
• Children’s early literacy skills are developed well through effective phonics teaching. Teachers make the link between reading and writing explicit from the start. Letter formation is modelled well by teachers and adults. Children have plenty of opportunities for mark-making independently, including using IT and a range of other resources. Children quickly move on to writing whole words and sentences. Children’s work on display and in their learning journeys shows they make good progress in writing by the end of Reception. As a result, they are well prepared for Year 1.
• Leadership in the early years is effective. Leaders set ambitious targets for all children and identify needs quickly. They have a good understanding of the strengths of the provision and have put in place effective systems to drive improvement. All children, including disadvantaged children and those with SEND, make good progress because activities are well matched to their needs and adult support is effective.
• Two-year-old children are well cared for in separate areas from the rest of the school. There is a calm and purposeful learning atmosphere here. Children are engaged in a range of activities appropriate to their age to develop their social skills. The outdoor area is used effectively to develop children’s skills, such as balance and coordination.
• Safeguarding and statutory welfare requirements are met. Staff and parents enjoy positive relationships which support children’s learning and keep them safe. Parents say their children are happy in the early years and staff communicate well with them. There is much good practice in early years that is worthy of sharing more widely across the school.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 138591 Walsall 10058545 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy sponsor-led 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 460 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Andrew Middleton Zoey Lowe 01922 710182 www.goldsmith.walsall.sch.uk postbox@goldsmith.windsoracademytrust.org.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 June 2014

Information about this school

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• Goldsmith Primary Academy joined the WAT in September 2012. The school works closely with other schools in the trust. Some members of staff work across WAT to provide support and training for staff.
• The academy’s LAB is chaired by a director of WAT.
• The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is increasing but is still below that which is typical nationally.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below average.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is far higher than the national average.
• The school has a Nursery class which children attend on a part-time basis. There are a small number of places for two-year-old children.
• The school runs a breakfast club each morning, which all pupils are welcome to attend.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed lessons in all classes across the school. Many of the observations were carried out jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors and leaders discussed their observations and feedback was provided to teachers.
• The lead inspector analysed published data and looked at policies and documents on the school’s website prior to the inspection, as well as the school’s self-evaluation and development plan. Meetings were held with leaders to discuss these and other documents, including safeguarding and assessment information.
• Inspectors met with a small group of pupils and talked to pupils at breaktimes and in lessons.
• The lead inspector met with the chair of the LAB of the academy and the chair of the WAT performance and standards committee, both of whom are also directors of the trust.
• The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer and the deputy chief executive officer of the trust. Meetings were also held with subject and phase leaders in the academy, along with specialist lead teachers from the trust.
• Inspectors looked at work in pupils’ books and other documents such as the single central record of recruitment and vetting checks, safeguarding files, monitoring records, current assessment information and minutes of meetings, including the LAB and the trust performance and standards committee.
• Inspectors spoke to parents at the start of the school day, and took account of 51 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online parent questionnaire. Eleven free-text comments from parents were also considered. Inspectors met with a small number of parents individually, at their request.
• The lead inspector considered a number of complaints which had been submitted to Ofsted since the last inspection.
• Inspectors also considered 74 responses to the staff questionnaire. There were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

Jane Spilsbury, lead inspector Marilyn Mottram Benjamin Taylor

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector