Old Heath Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Key findings

This is a good school.

It is good rather than outstanding because progress and attainment in mathematics are not as good as in English and teaching is not consistently good enough to be judged outstanding. The cornerstones of the school's good overall effectiveness are the strong leadership of the headteacher and a good curriculum that provides well for pupils' personal development and encourages high aspirations. Achievement is good because all groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, make good progress from their starting points.

Children make satisfactory and improving progress overall in the Early Years class with good progress in their pers...onal, social and emotional development and early literacy skills. Progress in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory and improving overall, with good progress made in reading. Progress in Years 3 to 6 is good and particularly so in Years 5 and 6.

Standards of attainment in national assessments at the end of Year 2 are broadly average and at the end of Year 6, above average. Pupils enjoy school, feel safe and behave well. Attendance is above average.

Pupils know they are part of caring community and are trusted within it. They appreciate all the opportunities the school provides for them to develop socially and academically. Teaching is good with the most effective practice in Years 5 and 6 where, as a result, pupils make rapid progress.

There are, however, a few inconsistencies, mostly in the younger classes. In mathematics, in a few of the 'set' groups, the number of methods taught for addition, subtraction and multiplication tends to confuse rather than aid those pupils who find mathematics difficult. Leadership and management are good with a strong capacity for further improvement.

The leadership of teaching and the management of teachers' performance are effective overall with good opportunities for all staff to extend their subject knowledge and develop their teaching methods. Monitoring lessons occasionally lacks rigour in unpicking exactly what needs to be improved to make learning more effective.

Information about the school

This is a smaller-than-average primary school.

The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is broadly average although there is a higher than average proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is just below average. The large majority of pupils are White British.

The proportion of pupils who have minority ethnic heritage is below average. The school has an above average proportion of pupils joining and leaving the school part-way through their education. There is one class for each year group.

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in the Early Years class. The school meets current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress. The school has achieved National Healthy School status, ActiveMark for high quality physical education, Foundation and Intermediate International Schools Award, Eco-Schools silver award and Diana Anti-bullying Award.

The school provides a breakfast club. There is a pre-school on the school site which is inspected separately. An inspection report for this provision can be found on the Ofsted website.