Willenhall Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The senior leadership team and governors work together well. They have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and areas for an improvement.

The school has benefited from the support of the local authority, particularly over the last 12 months, in order to raise standards. Phonics teaching is effective. The proportion of pupils who achieve the expected standard in the national phonics screening check has been above those seen nationally for the last three years.

Leaders ensure that the curriculum is broad and balanced. Pupils develop subject-specific knowledge and skills and they enjoy a range of wider experiences. These inclu...de competing in sports competitions and a residential visit to France.

Teachers know the pupils very well. Teaching is good, and learning is interesting. However, in some subjects and year groups pupils are not provided with sufficient challenge.

This is especially the case for the most able pupils, and it limits the progress that this group of pupils makes. Leaders and teachers ensure that pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and their understanding of British values are good. Pupils are polite and well mannered.

They are considerate and show respect to one another and staff. Behaviour across the school is good. Pupils have a sound understanding of the school's rules and the consequences of following them.

Children in the early years make good progress. Teachers' work to develop children's confidence and communication skills is very effective. Children are safe and happy and they behave well.

Sometimes, the most able children do not reach the standards they are capable of because tasks are too easy. Leaders have made the necessary changes that were needed to stem the decline in the school's performance over the last two years. However, in some year groups and subjects pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.

Pastoral support for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities helps them to become confident in school. However, leaders do not identify some pupils' additional needs well enough to provide the support they need. Additionally, leaders do not check the progress of these pupils carefully enough.

As a result, they do not know whether they are making appropriate progress from their starting points.

information about the plans in place to support pupils. Records show how the school

works with support services to ensure that families get the help they need.

Pupils said that they feel safe in school. They said that there are always adults available to help them, for example, if they are feeling upset, worried or angry. Governors conduct checks of safeguarding procedures and are clear about their safeguarding responsibilities.

For example, they ensure that any governors who interview new staff have up-to-date safer recruitment training. Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good Following considerable changes in teaching staff, teaching and learning are now consistently good across the school. Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge and use this to plan interesting lessons.

They ensure that pupils acquire specific skills in a wide range of subjects. Leaders ensure that teachers are able to assess pupils' work accurately. Teachers use assessment information successfully to plan tasks that meet the needs of the majority of pupils in the class.

As a result, an increasing proportion of pupils are working at the standards expected for their age in each key stage. Teaching assistants provide effective support for pupils who are less able. They enable pupils to develop skills and knowledge based on prior assessment and have high expectations of what the pupils they are working with can achieve.

As a result, this group of pupils is now making stronger progress than in previous years, particularly in writing and mathematics. In some classes, teachers use questions to challenge pupils and to deepen their learning. Pupils enjoy sharing their ideas with their peers.

There are positive relationships between pupils and all staff. Pupils are confident and work hard to do their best. Pupils know how to improve their work because of the effective verbal and written feedback they receive.

For example, in writing pupils use the feedback to improve their spelling, punctuation and grammar. Teachers have the same high expectation for the standard of writing completed in English and in other subject areas. Reading, including the teaching of phonics, is taught effectively.

Teachers ensure that younger pupils apply their knowledge and skills when reading unfamiliar texts and when spelling. Older pupils enjoy reading, which they do widely and often. As a result, most pupils are now making strong progress in this subject.

Teachers ensure that pupils are able to apply calculation strategies confidently when solving mathematical problems. There is a focus on reasoning that encourages pupils to explain their thinking. However, teachers do not provide enough tasks in mathematics that provide challenge for the most able pupils.

Therefore, some pupils do not make as much progress as they should. Teachers have high expectations of the majority of pupils. As a result, more pupils than in previous years are working at the standards expected for their age in a wide range of subjects.

However, expectations of the most able pupils are not high enough. Often, these pupils are given tasks which they find easy to complete. This limits the progress that this group of pupils can make.

Teachers have high expectations of pupils' presentation. Pupils are proud of their work and take care to complete it well. Inspectors saw many examples of neat and fluent handwriting.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good Personal development and welfare The school's work to support pupils' personal development and welfare is good. Pupils spoken to during the inspection said that they feel safe in school. They have a clear understanding of what bullying is and said that it does not happen very often.

Pupils said that staff help them to resolve any problems and deal with any poor behaviour quickly and fairly. Leaders ensure that pupils' emotional well-being is a priority. They have a sound understanding of pupils' individual needs and provide the support they need, for example, through the employment of professional counsellors.

Additionally, the school curriculum develops pupils' understanding of how to stay safe. Pupils are knowledgeable about how to stay safe when using the internet and know what to do if they are worried about anything that they see online. Staff at the breakfast club provide good-quality care for pupils, who start the day in a safe, secure and welcoming environment.

Pupils said that they enjoy the activities and sharing breakfast with their friends. Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have to take on responsibilities such as being members of the school council. They said that this role is important because the school council is the 'ears of the school'.

The school council made a valuable contribution to the whole-school behaviour system. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy helping around the school and that they would like more opportunities to take on specific responsibilities. Behaviour The behaviour of pupils is good.

Pupils have a sound understanding of the behaviour system. They said that the rules and the consequences for not following them are very clear. Leaders provide additional support plans for pupils who have difficulty managing their behaviour.

Records show how the behaviour of individual pupils has improved over time. Pupils who have received additional support confirmed the positive impact on their behaviour in school. Pupils' conduct in classes and as they move around the school is excellent.

They focus on their learning and there are very few, if any, disruptions to lessons. Pupils have very good manners and they are respectful to one another and to staff. Pupils behave very well during break and lunchtimes.

They line up sensibly when asked to do so and wait patiently to collect their lunch. Pupils enjoy the range of activities on offer at lunchtime. They organise games, play together and tidy up when asked to do so.

Leaders track attendance carefully. They support the importance of good attendance and punctuality. Leaders celebrate good and improving attendance with certificates and rewards for pupils and their families.

Overall absence rates are in line with the national average. Over the last two years, there has been an increase in the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent. Leaders work with families and a range of external agencies when attendance issues arise.

Current records show that attendance rates are improving for the majority of identified pupils. Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement In 2016 and 2017, too few pupils made sufficient progress in mathematics and reading by the end of Year 6. However, the school's current assessment information shows that pupils in most year groups are now making better progress.

Historically, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities have made slow rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Leaders track the small steps of progress that this group of pupils makes against their individual targets. As a result, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are now catching up with expectations for their age.

However, leaders do not check progress from these pupils' starting points well enough. Attainment in reading and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 has been below national averages for two years. Assessment information about current pupils shows that in almost all year groups pupils are working at the standard expected for their age.

Additionally, a growing proportion of pupils are working above the expected standard particularly in reading and mathematics. In key stage 2, school assessment information and pupils' books show that progress in writing is variable in different year groups. Pupils' attainment in writing is typically lower than that expected for their age where progress has been slow.

Pupils develop skills and knowledge appropriate to their age in a range of subject areas. Assessment information shows that the proportion of pupils working at the age-related expectation in science is now closer to proportions nationally at the end of key stage 1 and 2. Leaders do not track the progress made by pupils in other subjects across the curriculum carefully enough and do not know whether pupils are making enough progress.

In history and geography, the most able pupils do not complete more challenging activities to deepen their learning. Disadvantaged pupils make similar rates of progress to those of other pupils. Differences in attainment between pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding and other pupils are reducing.

However, significant differences remain in some year groups. The proportions of pupils achieving the expected standard in the phonics screening check have been consistently in line with or above the national average for a sustained period of time. The proportion of pupils achieving the expected and greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 has improved steadily over the last three years, and this is now in line with the national average.

Early years provision Good The early years provision is well led and managed. The early years leader has a thorough understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement in the setting. She accurately understands what children need to make good progress across all areas of the curriculum.

For example, many children enter the setting with poor language and communication skills. Therefore, the leader ensures that all adults place a priority on developing children's vocabulary, speaking, listening, reading and writing skills. At the end of the Reception Year, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development has been consistently at or above the national average for a sustained period of time.

A high proportion of children enter the early years with skills and abilities which are below those expected for their age. Children make good progress across the early years. The early years leader ensures that additional funding is used effectively, for example, through the use of additional adults to keep adult-to-child ratios high and through the use of speech and language therapists to support children who have specific needs.

As a result, disadvantaged children make good progress in all areas of learning. The welcoming environment is carefully organised to support learning both indoors and outside. There are many opportunities for children to explore, investigate and play in an imaginative way.

Adults ensure that there is a balance of adult-led and independent activities. Children gain confidence to try things out for themselves. Adults provide positive role models for children, and relationships are strong.

Adults know the children they work with well and are aware of their academic, personal, social and emotional needs. Children develop positive attitudes to school life in the early years and are well prepared for moving into Year 1. Safeguarding arrangements in the early years are effective.

Staff are knowledgeable about how to keep children safe. Children are well cared for. All the welfare requirements of the early years foundation stage are met.

The teaching of phonics is a strength of the early years. There is a consistent approach that meets the needs of all children including the most able. Reading diaries show that children practise their reading skills regularly both in school and when they are at home.

Children behave well in the early years. This is because expectations and routines are clear and well understood. Children are highly engaged in their learning and they are able to concentrate for sustained periods of time.

Children show good levels of cooperation with one another. Staff communicate well with parents to ensure that they are involved with their child's learning. For example, they hold reading workshops to help parents to understand how to support their child at home.

Parents' contributions to children's learning journeys are valued. Learning opportunities are well planned to reflect all aspects of the early years curriculum. Sometimes, activities are so well planned and structured that the interests of children are not reflected in the topics and activities on offer well enough.

Leaders track children's progress carefully across all areas of the curriculum. Teachers ensure that they provide additional support for pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Occasionally, activities that teachers plan do not stretch the most able children.

As a result, this group of pupils does not reach the higher standards of which the pupils are capable. School details Unique reference number 134745 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 10053237 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 Community Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 461 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Deborah Austin Headteacher Ms Caroline Kiely Telephone number 02476 302004 Website www.willenhallprimary.org Email address admin@willenhallprimary.

org Date of previous inspection 7-8 November 2012