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May 1st 2024
Creating A New Education Future
This is the response by Councillor Dave Jones and Councillor Phil Bateman MBE to the Local Education Authority and their proposals 'Creating A New Future For Primary Education On Ashmore Park'.
Background
There are six schools on Ashmore Park including the Ashmore Park Nursery and Coppice High School.
The LEA has indicated that there are surplus places in the Primary Sector and that the number of surplus places are a cause for concern. There is also a falling roll and this appears not to be disputed. The four Primary Schools have a capacity for 1074 pupils across all year groups.There are around 880 pupils in all these schools.
By 2010 the LEA is stating that the number will again fall and they are predicting that this will result in just 758 pupils attending across all four schools.
There is currently 5 forms of entry in the four Ashmore Park Schools which gives an intake of 150 places ( plus 4 places for statement pupils) In the summer term 2006 there were 105 pupils in Reception Classes across the area .
This number of pupils we are informed could currently be accommodated in just four forms of entry.
Both Councillor Jones and Councillor Bateman both live within the Wednesfield North Ward and are part of this community
There is of course a real dilemma here as it is clear that the pupil numbers are being driven down by a low birth rate in the area. In the Wednesfield East sector the six schools in that cluster also are experiencing falling rolls. All around Wednesfield there are neighbourhoods experiencing the same dilema, in Walsall, Dudley and Wolverhampton.
As Local Councillors we have a fiduciary duty to all the electorate in Wednesfied North not just a part of the Electoral Division. As an elected Councillor we have to make decisions based on what is in the best overall interest of electors in Wednesfield North. In this case it is taking the evidence and ensuring that it is correct and fair and making a decision based on providing the best education for all the children in our community.
There is also a duty placed upon Councillors to ensure that scarce resources are best placed and used for the community as a whole. That of course means that elected members have a fiduciary duty to ensure that not only parents with children are considered . But that those City Counciltaxpayers interest who have no children are also are taken into account by making the best use of financial resources.
Therefore we have asked ourselves four key questions.
A What would happen if the schools remained in the same position as they were at the start of the summer term?
B Would this be a good decision in the light of all the information that has been since made available by Local Education Authority ?
C Would education attainment for pupils right across Ashmore Park be sustainable into the future, and if so how would that be best delivered?
D How are scarce financial and educational resources best delivered for our community?
Those are the key questions that we have posed ourselves in the light of the information that has been produced by the Education Authority.
Where are we now in the debate
These are the questions that we have taken on and that we feel hold the key to the future of education development within Wednesfield North.
Clearly if we campaigned for the 'Status Quo,' would we be enhancing the future development of young people on the estate now and into the near future? The answer has to be a 'no' it is clear from the evidence that falling rolls are having a dramatic affect on Primary Schools right across the City and in other Black Country towns.
The decline in the birth-rate is the major reason for this crisis and Wednesfield North appears not to have escaped from the demographics. Wolverhampton had a Primary school population of some 20 years ago of 48,000 pupils the fact is that Primary population is now down to 21,000! That is the dramatic figures that are driving the need to reduce surplus places in schools within our communities.By January 2007 there will be 220 surplus places 20% on the Ashmore Park Estate,this is the equivalent of a one form entry of a Primary School
The LEA has been in discussion with Head Teachers and School Governing Bodies for a long time, regarding the difficulties faced by schools on the Ashmore Park Estate. Indeed just before the schools closed for the summer holidays in July 2006, and after all the Head Teachers and Chairs of School Governing bodies were to a meeting at Oak Meadow School to hear of the crisis in falling rolls.
Councillor Phil Bateman wrote an article on his web site warning of the need to have a debate. Entitled 'Education Debate Starts' and was logged on the 2nd July 2005. In that article Councillor Bateman warned see Note 1
"Over the next few years there are likely to be a very significant number of surplus places on Ashmore Park. With around 800 surplus places predicted by the end of the decade, you can see the problem that is to be faced.All the schools in Ashmore Park and they are Corpus Christi, St Albans, Danesmore, Ashmore Park Nursery , Oak Meadow are all now in discussions with their Governors.
Parents have been informed via letters and I expect that through-out the summer individual Governing Bodies will be gauging what the parents and staff have to say about the looming problem.So the debate on our schools size and shape has started .....and residents and constituents living in and around Ashmore Park should be aware of that debate.It ought to be a healthy debate about what school provision we can expect to be able to deliver. It should also be held in sensible manner and not fuelled by fear of school closures. There are no plans, but there will likely be options that will develop during the debate about the future."
Following the Summer Holidays the LEA then approved proposals to commence 'informal consultations' on the following proposals;
1Closing the Danesmore Park facility in September 2007
2 Engage in full discussion with Church Diocesan Authorities, with a view to identifying a strategy to create improved education facilities for Ashmore Park in the longer term.
3 Seeking to identify opportunities for renewal at the remaining Oak Meadow site.
This course of action created an explosion of activity at Danesmore Park Primary School which has resulted in a number of public meetings where Staff Governors and Parents have strongly opposed the 'informal consultation' to close Danesmore Park. There have been questions about why Danesmore Park had been chosen to have been dealt with in this way, and none of the other schools on the estate had been required to go through the same process?
Indeed that has been one of the strongest issues that have been raised by parents. Councillor Bateman at the first public meeting held at the school in October tried to address the reason, but was not allowed to fully explain.
Ofsted have reported that "The school and the inspection team judge that standards are too low and achievement is inadequate.
The children’s attainment on entry to the school is below average. Given their starting point, children in the Foundation Stage make satisfactory progress, although the standards they reach at the end of the Reception Year are still below what is expected for their age.
In Key Stages 1 and 2, the school’s national test results for the last three years have generally remained well below the national figures."
We feel that the Ofsted Report is important .The fact of the matter is that Ofsted in their report on Danesmore Park Primary placed the school with a 'Notice to Improve', this documented that the school was in need of improvement see Note 2.
It is the combination of a poor Ofsted and a 29% statistic with regard to surplus places in the school by 2010 that clearly places Danesmore Park Primary apart from other schools on the Estate.
Are the parents right when they argue that the school is being harshly treated, and that they are satisfied with the levels of teaching and standards of education that their children are receiving? see Note 3
Ofsted also spoke of the success the school had with their relationship with parents. The parents of the children clearly have a rapport with staff. What Councillors have to consider is whether the professional advice that is being given is advice that is fair and accurate and will improve facilities for children and improve their education attainment.
Many parents have been questioning the documentation both the Ofsted report and the information produced by the LEA that has led the debate on 'Informal Closure'.
Councillors Bateman and Jones have also been closely questioning Officers about the detail of the education at Danesmore Park. Many of the questions put to Officials have been the result of questions made by parents and asked of Councillors. As Councillors we have not been convinced by parents arguments todate, that the schools education is superior to others on the estate. Indeed there is evidence in the LEA (see Note 5) that was made known to the Governing Body of Danesmore Park Primary that gave clear indication by use of the formula known as the 'Fishers Family Trust' that children are not fully attaining their education development at the school. This information weighs heavily upon us and is a key part of our decision making.
The Resource Base at Danesmore Park Primary School
The Resource Base at Danesmore Park attracts additional funding to Danesmore Park School to the tune of £113,900 in the current financial year, and is based on providing for up to 22 statement pupils. It currently has only 15 pupils in the Base (December) of whom only three live on Ashmore Park estate.There is a strong feeling amongst parents that the Resource Base at the school will be lost to Ashmore Park if Danesmore Park Primary closes.
A lot of concern about the future of the children in the Resource Base has been voiced, this concern has been articulated and attracted strong community support. Yet figures I have received from the LEA state that there are only three children from Ashmore Park that are in the Danesmore Park Resource Base. It is quite feasible that if Danesmore Park School should close, that a similar facility could be placed into one of the three remaining schools on the Estate, or another school in the North East of the City. Remembering that 12 children are already travelling from other parts of the City to Danesmore Park.
Councillors Jones and Bateman believe that it would be in the best interest of local children if a Resource Base was still provided here in Wednesfield North.We want the LEA to consider this point seriously.
One of the major concerns that both Councillor Jones and Bateman have is that if Danesmore Park Primary School were to close that there would be a number of children that would not find places in local Ashmore Park Schools due to the number of children going through currently(see Note4). There is a major issue here and it has been set out in a number of forums by parents. They have also set out their concerns to their local Councillors.
It is a valid argument that has been raised with the LEA, but as Local Councillors we are uncomfortable with suggestions about other schools on the estate requiring the use of demountable classrooms, to cater for the increased pupil numbers if Danesmore Park Primary closes in September 2007 as outlined.
Councillors Jones and Bateman want to engage further with Education Officials to see how 172 pupils can be accommodated within the schools on Ashmore Park Estate without using demountable classrooms.
School Buildings and Sites
None of the schools on Ashmore Park Estate are of new build, all were constructed in the 1950's and 60's, all the sites have strengths and weaknesses. Education Officials have in their reports spoken of poor quality and of not being designed for the 21st century. Danesmore Park Primary School was built in the late 50's and had extensions added in the 1960's and 1970's. It is located at the end of Russell Close. It is one of the few Primary Schools in the West Midlands to have a swimming pool. This was paid for in part by public subscription and is a huge link with the community at large.We would be reluctant to see such a facility lost. But we also note the poor use it has had this year.
School Budgets
As pupil numbers by and large determine the school budget the position of all the schools on the Estate is financially difficult.With falling rolls this situation will become even more strained.Some schools are already using 'balances' carried forward from previous years to support the budget proposals for this financial year.Officers warn of the potential for budget deficits in the forthcoming year.
The Local Authority is increasingly concerned about the number of schools in receipt of Small School Protection as it reduces the overall funding available to all schools across the City including other Wednesfield Schools. The two Church Schools are receiving small school protection for the second year.
Due to falling rolls there are 17 schools across the City that are receiving small school protection. In the current financial year the delegated budget per full time equivalent pupil at each of the four schools is as follows
Danesmore Park £3,101( £3,719 including funding for the Resource Base
Corpus Christi RC £3,018
St Albans CE £2,974
Oak Meadow £2,707
Councillor Jones and Bateman are very concerned as to the financial situation facing the schools. We believe that there needs to be concerted action taken because this situation is unsustainable in the medium to long term. It is clear that falling rolls will affect the education of all the pupils attending Estate Schools if the nettle is not grasped and action is not taken to reduce surplus places and reduce costs.
What Opportunities Exist that will strengthen Education and Attainment on the Estate?
There needs to be action taken that will lead to the learning opportunities for young people living on the Ashmore Park Estate this includes new investment in education facilities to build up our schools and modernise them and their facilities.
Conclusion
We started by asking ourselves four key questions
What would happen if the schools remained in the same position as they were at the start of the summer term?
Would this be a good decision in the light of all the information about individual child attainment and performance that has been since made available by the Local Education Authority ?
Would education attainment for pupils right across Ashmore Park be sustainable into the future, and if so how would that be best delivered?
How are scarce financial and educational resources best delivered for our community?
Those are the key questions that we have posed ourselves in the light of the information that has been produced by the Education Authority . They are central to the decisions that need to be made and we believe that if the schools remain in the same position that they are in currently then in less than three years we will be looking at losing two schools not just one. That the education of all the pupils attending schools on Ashmore Park will be jeopardised as the financial situation will weaken all the schools considerably making resources hard to deliver and putting at risk individual education for local families.
We believe that making no decision would be the worst decision of all the options that are open to the City Council.
It is almost inevitable that one school will close, so is the decision right to close Danesmore Park and not one of the other schools on the Estate, can we support the Save Danesmore Park Action Committee that has been fighting the Informal Consultation process? The answer has to be No.
One of the key questions we posed concerned individual child attainment. Ofsted state that "Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could be reasonably expected to perform." He went onto explain that "Significant improvement is required in relation to the pupils’ achievement and standards." He also spoke of the teaching, again stating that "Less impact has been evident in improving the skills of the middle managers and in using assessment information to plan for the individual needs of pupils, especially higher attaining pupils. The quality of teaching is satisfactory but good teaching is not widespread across the school. Marking is not used effectively to help pupils know what they have to do to improve their work."
There is also strong criticism in HM Inspectors Report concerning "pupils in Years 2 and 6 have not achieved well enough over time and standards are well below what could be expected for pupils of their age. Therefore the school’s overall effectiveness is inadequate and it gives unsatisfactory value for money."
We took those statements and recognised that the School had been working hard to overcome these piercing criticism's. We asked ourselves another question, with all the spare places on Ashmore Park and the choice that parents now have regarding schools . Would parents be looking to want to place their children in a school which has received such strong criticism from Her Majesty's Inspectors?
Our conclusion was that it was at best unlikely. Councillor Bateman was also concerned that the Governing Body had not made the results of the Fisher Family Trust widely known to parents (see Note 5). The Fisher Family Trust is a reliable formula that is used widely in Education to plot the progress of individual children's attainment.
How is Education to be delivered across the estate then? It is possible that a 'federation' may hold some possibility for the future of the pupils and staff at the school. We do not rule out support for this position. It is not entirely clear that this is the course of action that Danesmore Park School is pursuiting . At times it seems that this is a favoured approach and at times it looks like they are fighting a battle just against closure with no real thought of what the future may hold even past the next few years.
The future of schools on the Estate will be defined by the reputation and the pupils/parents who are willing to send to the schools of their choice.
Will the closure of one school guarantee in the long term the education benefits of the others on the Estate? There is obviously a case for closure of the Danesmore Park School, the school and the education community only role is deliver quality education to the communities children. Even though it is a much loved establishment the evidence suggests that this school above others has failed to deliver to established standards. If a federation was entered into, the new combined school could use this approach to reduce financial overheads and change the teaching and culture within the school. It would however still have to face the fact that falling rolls are affecting all the local communities. Would new investment be forthcoming in a federated system? The answer to that appears to be less sure, but it would give new leadership to the school through the new Governing Body, possibly buying time for the community the school buildings and the bulk of the staff jobs.
Would we support a 'federation' of the school.... possibly? But the nature of the school and the federation would need to be known before we would give full support for this proposal and of course we need to understand the essence of the federation that was being offered.
With no federation taking place would we support the retention of the school? The answer has to be a no. We cannot make a decision that potentially puts four schools at risk. But neither would we support the school closure in 2007. We believe that the school closure should be a longer phased one that is being envisaged. We do not like the idea of demountable classrooms being placed on sites. They tend to last longer than people plan. We believe that the school should be phased out slowly with the school closing in 2008 after the bulk of the children are through their education.
These have been very difficult months for everyone concerned with the community and the school. The decisions that are being made have to take the whole community into account. Those that pay Counciltax and have no children, to those who's children are taking their education in Danesmore Park. In taking our fiduciary duty seriously we request that the LEA take this submission and consider its content before making a decision on the school.
Yours Respectfully
Councillor Phil Bateman MBE Councillor Dave Jones
Notes
Note 1 Education Debate StartsPublished in 'Councillor Phil Bateman On Line' 2nd July 2006
A debate on the future of Primary Schools on Ashmore Park has started following the delivery of some stark information from Education Officials pointing to empty seats in class rooms and falling rolls right across all the schools on the estate.
Recently Chairs and Governors have met with officials, and the disappointing facts were given that indicated none of the schools on the estate will be full as we approach the end of this decade.
Over the next few years there are likely to be a very significant number of surplus places on Ashmore Park. With around 800 surplus places predicted by the end of the decade, you can see the problem that is to be faced.
All the schools in Ashmore Park and they are Corpus Christi, St Albans, Danesmore, Ashmore Park Nursery , Oak Meadow are all now in discussions with their Governors.
Parents have been informed via letters and I expect that through-out the summer individual Governing Bodies will be gauging what the parents and staff have to say about the looming problem.
So the debate on our schools size and shape has started .....and residents and constituents living in and around Ashmore Park should be aware of that debate.
It ought to be a healthy debate about what school provision we can expect to be able to deliver. It should also be held in sensible manner and not fuelled by fear of school closures. There are no plans, but there will likely be options that will develop during the debate about the future.
What is certain is that surplus school places, if not tackled will drain the finances from a school and help to reduce the sort of standards that we all want for our children. Each school governing body will I am sure engage with parents and staff and I expect to hear towards the end of summer some ideas coming out of school governing bodies about how we tackle the problem of falling rolls.
It is without doubt going to be a very interesting summer as we wait to hear what kind of developments are likely to start and take shape."
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Author: Phil Bateman
Article Date: 2nd July 2006
Note 2 Ofsted Inspection Report
Unique Reference Number 104340
LEA Wolverhampton
Inspection number 277135
Inspection dates 29 November 2005 to 30 November 2005
Reporting inspector Jacqueline WordsworthHMI
This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
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Type of school Primary
School category Community
Age range of pupils 3 to 11
Gender of pupils Mixed
Number on roll 192
Appropriate authority The governing body
Date of previous inspection 27 March 2000
School address Russell Close
Wednesfield
Wolverhampton, West Midlands
WV11 2LA
Telephone number 01902 558551
Fax number 01902 558554
Chair of governors Mr Mark Bibb
Headteacher Mr Norman Snell
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Introduction
The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and an Additional Inspector.
Description of the school
Danesmore Park Infant and Junior School is an average size primary school in Wednesfield, a suburb of Wolverhampton. It serves an area with broadly average social and economic characteristics and 93% of the pupils are from White British backgrounds. A resource base for 24 children who have moderate learning difficulties largely accounts for the very high proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs.
Key for inspection grades Grade 1 Outstanding
Grade 2 Good
Grade 3 Satisfactory
Grade 4 Inadequate
Overall effectiveness of the school
In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could be reasonably expected to perform. The school is therefore given a Notice to Improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to the pupils’ achievement and standards.
The school and the inspection team judge achievement and standards to be inadequate but also agree that this is an improving school where pupils behave well and enjoy their lessons. It has responded well to some of the key issues from its previous inspection report, such as monitoring attendance and improving the pupils’ cultural development. The accommodation and the curriculum for pupils in the Foundation Stage have significantly improved, allowing all six areas of learning to be well catered for so that the pupils make satisfactory progress. The school has made improvements in the provision for information technology and in enhancing enrichment activities for pupils. Less impact has been evident in improving the skills of the middle managers and in using assessment information to plan for the individual needs of pupils, especially higher attaining pupils. The quality of teaching is satisfactory but good teaching is not widespread across the school. Marking is not used effectively to help pupils know what they have to do to improve their work.
The headteacher has the necessary drive for raising standards and improving the quality of the teaching and learning, and communicates this vision effectively. He receives good support from the local authority and the governors. The school’s capacity to improve is demonstrated by the significant improvement in the pupils’ progress in English this year. However pupils in Years 2 and 6 have not achieved well enough over time and standards are well below what could be expected for pupils of their age. Therefore the school’s overall effectiveness is inadequate and it gives unsatisfactory value for money.
Grade: 4
Effectiveness and efficiency of boarding provision
What the school should do to improve further
•Ensure the pupils receive more teaching of good quality so they can make better progress, particularly in English, mathematics and science. •Improve the skills of the middle managers in the monitoring of teaching and learning and assessing the effectiveness of their actions on raising standards. •Improve the use of assessment information to match work more closely to the needs of individuals, especially higher attaining pupils. •Make more effective use of marking to enable pupils to know exactly what they have to do to improve their work.
Achievement and standards
The school and the inspection team judge that standards are too low and achievement is inadequate. The children’s attainment on entry to the school is below average. Given their starting point, children in the Foundation Stage make satisfactory progress, although the standards they reach at the end of the Reception Year are still below what is expected for their age. In Key Stages 1 and 2, the school’s national test results for the last three years have generally remained well below the national figures. This is due, in some part, to the turbulence the school has experienced. In 2005, the results achieved by pupils in Year 2 showed some improvement in writing, which was below average, but were well below average in reading and mathematics. The results for pupils in Year 6 were well below average in English and science and extremely low in mathematics. Pupils’ attainment in mathematics and science has shown a downward trend, whereas attainment in English has begun to improve. Even allowing for the pupils’ starting points, their rate of progress over time is too slow. Pupils in the resource base make satisfactory progress because the teachers understand the pupils’ needs and plan appropriately challenging activities.
The school is aware that standards remain too low and has engaged in a range of initiatives, such as the Primary Leadership Programme and the Intensifying Support Programme, to raise attainment. The school is now beginning to set more challenging targets.
Grade: 4
Personal development and well-being
The pupils enjoy coming to school and are well integrated into the school community. They report that the school is good because there are new things to do and their teachers are kind. Rates of attendance have improved and are now broadly in line with the national average. By Year 6, pupils have many opportunities to take responsibility for improving the school. One of their duties is to ensure that pupils move sensibly around the school. The pupils behave well, work hard and are courteous and polite to visitors.
Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The pupils’ awareness of cultural diversity has significantly improved since the last inspection. The school has developed an effective partnership with a local school with a more culturally diverse nature. Work with this school includes regular visits and numerous workshops, all of which help the pupils to understand the customs of many cultures throughout the world. One of the most popular workshops was the Asian cookery day. The pupils show great respect for each other, including those who have learning difficulties and disabilities.
The pupils willingly raise funds for those less fortunate than themselves, for instance through the recent coin trail for Children in Need. There is an active school council that helps pupils make a positive contribution to school life. Their suggestions have helped in several ways. A good example is helping to improve playtimes by introducing new games and equipment. The pupils are encouraged to walk to school each Wednesday and staff and pupils have recently participated in an active Freddy Fitness programme of dance and exercise. This has made pupils more aware of the need to lead healthy lifestyles. Appropriate actions are taken so the pupils know what they need to do to stay safe. The pupils’ good attitudes and positive social skills, including a keen awareness of others, stand them in good stead for their future economic well-being although their literacy and numeracy skills are not so well developed.
Grade: 2
Quality of provision
Teaching and learning
The teachers are responding to the challenge of raising standards. The teaching is now satisfactory across the school, after a period of turbulence, which caused the quality to dip. Where the teaching is good, teachers have detailed knowledge of what the pupils already know and higher attaining pupils are challenged well and make progress. This good practice is not consistent across the school. Pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities, including those who have moderate learning difficulties, are provided for satisfactorily. Work is matched to their abilities and effective support is given by well briefed support assistants.
The introduction of the Intensifying Support Programme has enabled the teachers to focus on key areas for improving the pupils’ attainment. The analysis of end-of-term attainment has enabled the school to identify groups of pupils at similar levels and to set realistic targets for individual year groups. However, the analysis of national assessment results is in its infancy and is relatively underused as a source of detailed information on the strengths and weaknesses of individual pupils. It has, nevertheless, raised the teachers’ awareness of the need for more rigorous assessment procedures that clearly identify the pupils’ knowledge and understanding and what they need to learn next.
Grade: 3
Curriculum and other activities
The school has improved the curriculum through enrichment activities but it does not cater as well as it might for the higher attaining pupils. Visits and visitors are used effectively to give pupils first-hand experiences whenever possible. A particularly good example is the forthcoming visit to a local theatre for the older pupils to see a play by Shakespeare. The curriculum is broad and includes opportunities to learn French and Spanish. The school has made significant improvements to its provision for information and communication technology (ICT). A new computer suite has been developed with each class having regular timetabled sessions. Year 5 pupils were set a homework project in science and many chose to use ICT to present their work. A particularly effective example was a well designed PowerPoint presentation. The teachers are beginning to make effective use of interactive whiteboards as a tool to improve pupils’ learning. A further strength of the curriculum is the extended range of school clubs offered to the pupils. These are popular and help motivate pupils to improve their skills in subjects such as games, art and music.
Grade: 3
Care, guidance and support
Throughout the school pupils are well cared for and regularly reminded about the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles and staying safe. As a result their self-esteem is high and they feel safe and have confidence in their teachers. Members of staff in the resource base have a good knowledge of the pupils’ academic, social and emotional needs and provide good support and guidance. However, in the main school information from assessments is not consistently used in all lessons to ensure that pupils make good progress from day to day. Child protection procedures are satisfactory and risks assessments are carried out prior to school visits. However these do not cover all aspects of the school’s work.
Grade: 3
Leadership and management
The headteacher provides a clear direction for the staff to follow and has an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Whilst the monitoring of teaching and learning has increased since the previous inspection and is satisfactory overall, almost all of it is carried out by the headteacher, both informally through working in the classroom and formally through focused lesson observations, most recently in literacy. The work of some middle managers is unsatisfactory as they do not monitor teaching and learning and are unable to give a systematic evaluation of its effectiveness in raising standards. The headteacher is aware of this and appropriate training through the Intensifying Support Programme is helping them develop their roles and skills. The school improvement plan demonstrates that the school is taking appropriate actions to remove the cause of its weaknesses. The impact has been shown in the last year in the improvement in English. The school recognises that it still has some way to go in improving standards further, especially in mathematics and science. Equality of opportunity is promoted well with inclusion being right at the heart of the school’s vision. This can be seen in the good leadership of the school’s unit for pupils who have moderate learning difficulties.
Governors are supportive and increasingly aware of the need for detailed information in order to fulfil their responsibility to provide challenge for the school. A good example of this is the recent Silver Award for school self-review.
Grade: 3
Annex A
Inspection judgements
Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate School Overall 16-19
Overall effectiveness
How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? 4 NA
How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 NA
The quality and standards in foundation stage 3 NA
The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 NA
The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes NA
Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection Yes NA
Achievement and standards
How well do learners achieve? 4 NA
The standards1 reached by learners 4 NA
How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 4 NA
How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress 3 NA
1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.
Personal development and well-being
How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? 2 NA
The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 NA
The behaviour of learners 2 NA
The attendance of learners 3 NA
How well learners enjoy their education 2 NA
The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 NA
The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 NA
The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community 3 NA
How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being 3 NA
The quality of provision
How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs? 3 NA
How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 3 NA
How well are learners cared for, guided and supported? 3 NA
Leadership and management
How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners? 3 NA
How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 3 NA
How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review 3 NA
How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can 3 NA
How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money 4 NA
The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities 3 NA
The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected Yes NA
The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy
Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes
Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes
Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes
Learners are educated about sexual health Yes
The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe
Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes
Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes
Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes
Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them Yes
The extent to which learners make a positive contribution
Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes
Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes
Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community Yes
The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being
There is provision to promote learners' basic skills Yes
Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams Yes
Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA
Education for all learners aged 14-19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy NA
Annex B
Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection
The Pupils Danesmore Park Infant and Junior School Russell Close Wednesfield Wolverhampton WV11 2LA
30 November 2005
Dear Pupils
Thank you for the very polite and friendly welcome you gave to the inspection team when we came to visit your school. We enjoyed meeting you and listening to what you had to say. It was very interesting to watch you work and talk with your teachers about how well you do. We thought you would like to know what we have said about your school.
You behave well and you are kind and considerate to each other. In lessons we think you listen carefully to what your teachers have to tell you and you try hard. You told us that there were now more things for you to do after school and that you enjoyed taking part in the extra activities. Your school council members told us how they have helped to improve your playtimes by asking for more playground equipment.
We think that your teachers look after you well and listen to what you have to say. They work hard to help you learn but we think that you would do even better if their marking gave you more precise information, and we have asked them to do this. We have also asked the teachers to look more closely at how they teach English, mathematics and science to make sure that everyone is given work of the right difficulty. We have said that the school should be inspected again next year to check that standards are rising.
Thank you for making us feel very welcome and we wish you well in the future.
Jacqueline Wordsworth HMI
© Crown copyright 2005
Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk
This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.
Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.
Note 3
parent2000
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 7:37 pm Post subject:
16 Oct 2006
I attended the meeting today and came away with nothing new to think about.
Yes we know we had a bad ofsted report but compared to what other school on the estate, as for the education needs of the children these are second to none I am my opinion, this school makes me feel very welcome and I feel very comfortable every time I visit I feel at home in fact.
I felt today that the decision was out of our hands and nothing was being done to fight this, come on this school has had enough ups and downs and we have got through them.
What didn't help was the fact of politicians running off scared to answer the questions of rightly so worried parents, dodging questions left right and centre oh and then there was the cocky one who lived on the estate all but repeated Phil Bateman, in the end no questions were answered.
The main question I think is what determined them to pick out Danesmore what had we done wrong, they wont tell us so we can't put it right.
instead of closing the school we should be looking to the government for help to improve it but seems this help is in the form of closure so where to now it seems we can only sit and wait. something needs to be done is there no other forms of help and advice open to us other than this?
Note 4 Posted by MCB on October 25th Discussion Page If Danesmore closes next September, how will 172 children be re-allocation not to mention the staff. We already know there are not enough spaces on the estate, so Parental choice is to move children off the estate? to where? where are the spaces? where are the school(s) for the Resource Base Children? Most of these children live on Ashmore Park!
Next September seems a long way off but it is not! So 172 children will be attending a different school next September?
172 children! so inflate intake of the schools on the estate? these childen live on the estate. There is already 1 school that cannot cope now (not Danesmore), so does that rule them out from taking any more children? so what does that mean, 45 plus children per class? and a couple of MLD children thrown in?!?! this is just madness.
Note 5 Correspondence from Mark Whyatt "The report simply states facts in respect of standards. The fact that the School is under a notice to improve is important but only one of a number of pointers indicating that Danesmore Park is an underperforming school. Fisher Family Trust information not included in the Report, but referred to at meetings, gives the clearest indication of the position.
There are six schools on Ashmore Park including the Ashmore Park Nursery and Coppice High School.
The LEA has indicated that there are surplus places in the Primary Sector and that the number of surplus places are a cause for concern. There is also a falling roll and this appears not to be disputed. The four Primary Schools have a capacity for 1074 pupils across all year groups.There are around 880 pupils in all these schools.
By 2010 the LEA is stating that the number will again fall and they are predicting that this will result in just 758 pupils attending across all four schools.
There is currently 5 forms of entry in the four Ashmore Park Schools which gives an intake of 150 places ( plus 4 places for statement pupils) In the summer term 2006 there were 105 pupils in Reception Classes across the area .
This number of pupils we are informed could currently be accommodated in just four forms of entry.
Both Councillor Jones and Councillor Bateman both live within the Wednesfield North Ward and are part of this community
There is of course a real dilemma here as it is clear that the pupil numbers are being driven down by a low birth rate in the area. In the Wednesfield East sector the six schools in that cluster also are experiencing falling rolls. All around Wednesfield there are neighbourhoods experiencing the same dilema, in Walsall, Dudley and Wolverhampton.
As Local Councillors we have a fiduciary duty to all the electorate in Wednesfied North not just a part of the Electoral Division. As an elected Councillor we have to make decisions based on what is in the best overall interest of electors in Wednesfield North. In this case it is taking the evidence and ensuring that it is correct and fair and making a decision based on providing the best education for all the children in our community.
There is also a duty placed upon Councillors to ensure that scarce resources are best placed and used for the community as a whole. That of course means that elected members have a fiduciary duty to ensure that not only parents with children are considered . But that those City Counciltaxpayers interest who have no children are also are taken into account by making the best use of financial resources.
Therefore we have asked ourselves four key questions.
A What would happen if the schools remained in the same position as they were at the start of the summer term?
B Would this be a good decision in the light of all the information that has been since made available by Local Education Authority ?
C Would education attainment for pupils right across Ashmore Park be sustainable into the future, and if so how would that be best delivered?
D How are scarce financial and educational resources best delivered for our community?
Those are the key questions that we have posed ourselves in the light of the information that has been produced by the Education Authority.
Where are we now in the debate
These are the questions that we have taken on and that we feel hold the key to the future of education development within Wednesfield North.
Clearly if we campaigned for the 'Status Quo,' would we be enhancing the future development of young people on the estate now and into the near future? The answer has to be a 'no' it is clear from the evidence that falling rolls are having a dramatic affect on Primary Schools right across the City and in other Black Country towns.
The decline in the birth-rate is the major reason for this crisis and Wednesfield North appears not to have escaped from the demographics. Wolverhampton had a Primary school population of some 20 years ago of 48,000 pupils the fact is that Primary population is now down to 21,000! That is the dramatic figures that are driving the need to reduce surplus places in schools within our communities.By January 2007 there will be 220 surplus places 20% on the Ashmore Park Estate,this is the equivalent of a one form entry of a Primary School
The LEA has been in discussion with Head Teachers and School Governing Bodies for a long time, regarding the difficulties faced by schools on the Ashmore Park Estate. Indeed just before the schools closed for the summer holidays in July 2006, and after all the Head Teachers and Chairs of School Governing bodies were to a meeting at Oak Meadow School to hear of the crisis in falling rolls.
Councillor Phil Bateman wrote an article on his web site warning of the need to have a debate. Entitled 'Education Debate Starts' and was logged on the 2nd July 2005. In that article Councillor Bateman warned see Note 1
"Over the next few years there are likely to be a very significant number of surplus places on Ashmore Park. With around 800 surplus places predicted by the end of the decade, you can see the problem that is to be faced.All the schools in Ashmore Park and they are Corpus Christi, St Albans, Danesmore, Ashmore Park Nursery , Oak Meadow are all now in discussions with their Governors.
Parents have been informed via letters and I expect that through-out the summer individual Governing Bodies will be gauging what the parents and staff have to say about the looming problem.So the debate on our schools size and shape has started .....and residents and constituents living in and around Ashmore Park should be aware of that debate.It ought to be a healthy debate about what school provision we can expect to be able to deliver. It should also be held in sensible manner and not fuelled by fear of school closures. There are no plans, but there will likely be options that will develop during the debate about the future."
Following the Summer Holidays the LEA then approved proposals to commence 'informal consultations' on the following proposals;
1Closing the Danesmore Park facility in September 2007
2 Engage in full discussion with Church Diocesan Authorities, with a view to identifying a strategy to create improved education facilities for Ashmore Park in the longer term.
3 Seeking to identify opportunities for renewal at the remaining Oak Meadow site.
This course of action created an explosion of activity at Danesmore Park Primary School which has resulted in a number of public meetings where Staff Governors and Parents have strongly opposed the 'informal consultation' to close Danesmore Park. There have been questions about why Danesmore Park had been chosen to have been dealt with in this way, and none of the other schools on the estate had been required to go through the same process?
Indeed that has been one of the strongest issues that have been raised by parents. Councillor Bateman at the first public meeting held at the school in October tried to address the reason, but was not allowed to fully explain.
Ofsted have reported that "The school and the inspection team judge that standards are too low and achievement is inadequate.
The children’s attainment on entry to the school is below average. Given their starting point, children in the Foundation Stage make satisfactory progress, although the standards they reach at the end of the Reception Year are still below what is expected for their age.
In Key Stages 1 and 2, the school’s national test results for the last three years have generally remained well below the national figures."
We feel that the Ofsted Report is important .The fact of the matter is that Ofsted in their report on Danesmore Park Primary placed the school with a 'Notice to Improve', this documented that the school was in need of improvement see Note 2.
It is the combination of a poor Ofsted and a 29% statistic with regard to surplus places in the school by 2010 that clearly places Danesmore Park Primary apart from other schools on the Estate.
Are the parents right when they argue that the school is being harshly treated, and that they are satisfied with the levels of teaching and standards of education that their children are receiving? see Note 3
Ofsted also spoke of the success the school had with their relationship with parents. The parents of the children clearly have a rapport with staff. What Councillors have to consider is whether the professional advice that is being given is advice that is fair and accurate and will improve facilities for children and improve their education attainment.
Many parents have been questioning the documentation both the Ofsted report and the information produced by the LEA that has led the debate on 'Informal Closure'.
Councillors Bateman and Jones have also been closely questioning Officers about the detail of the education at Danesmore Park. Many of the questions put to Officials have been the result of questions made by parents and asked of Councillors. As Councillors we have not been convinced by parents arguments todate, that the schools education is superior to others on the estate. Indeed there is evidence in the LEA (see Note 5) that was made known to the Governing Body of Danesmore Park Primary that gave clear indication by use of the formula known as the 'Fishers Family Trust' that children are not fully attaining their education development at the school. This information weighs heavily upon us and is a key part of our decision making.
The Resource Base at Danesmore Park Primary School
The Resource Base at Danesmore Park attracts additional funding to Danesmore Park School to the tune of £113,900 in the current financial year, and is based on providing for up to 22 statement pupils. It currently has only 15 pupils in the Base (December) of whom only three live on Ashmore Park estate.There is a strong feeling amongst parents that the Resource Base at the school will be lost to Ashmore Park if Danesmore Park Primary closes.
A lot of concern about the future of the children in the Resource Base has been voiced, this concern has been articulated and attracted strong community support. Yet figures I have received from the LEA state that there are only three children from Ashmore Park that are in the Danesmore Park Resource Base. It is quite feasible that if Danesmore Park School should close, that a similar facility could be placed into one of the three remaining schools on the Estate, or another school in the North East of the City. Remembering that 12 children are already travelling from other parts of the City to Danesmore Park.
Councillors Jones and Bateman believe that it would be in the best interest of local children if a Resource Base was still provided here in Wednesfield North.We want the LEA to consider this point seriously.
One of the major concerns that both Councillor Jones and Bateman have is that if Danesmore Park Primary School were to close that there would be a number of children that would not find places in local Ashmore Park Schools due to the number of children going through currently(see Note4). There is a major issue here and it has been set out in a number of forums by parents. They have also set out their concerns to their local Councillors.
It is a valid argument that has been raised with the LEA, but as Local Councillors we are uncomfortable with suggestions about other schools on the estate requiring the use of demountable classrooms, to cater for the increased pupil numbers if Danesmore Park Primary closes in September 2007 as outlined.
Councillors Jones and Bateman want to engage further with Education Officials to see how 172 pupils can be accommodated within the schools on Ashmore Park Estate without using demountable classrooms.
School Buildings and Sites
None of the schools on Ashmore Park Estate are of new build, all were constructed in the 1950's and 60's, all the sites have strengths and weaknesses. Education Officials have in their reports spoken of poor quality and of not being designed for the 21st century. Danesmore Park Primary School was built in the late 50's and had extensions added in the 1960's and 1970's. It is located at the end of Russell Close. It is one of the few Primary Schools in the West Midlands to have a swimming pool. This was paid for in part by public subscription and is a huge link with the community at large.We would be reluctant to see such a facility lost. But we also note the poor use it has had this year.
School Budgets
As pupil numbers by and large determine the school budget the position of all the schools on the Estate is financially difficult.With falling rolls this situation will become even more strained.Some schools are already using 'balances' carried forward from previous years to support the budget proposals for this financial year.Officers warn of the potential for budget deficits in the forthcoming year.
The Local Authority is increasingly concerned about the number of schools in receipt of Small School Protection as it reduces the overall funding available to all schools across the City including other Wednesfield Schools. The two Church Schools are receiving small school protection for the second year.
Due to falling rolls there are 17 schools across the City that are receiving small school protection. In the current financial year the delegated budget per full time equivalent pupil at each of the four schools is as follows
Danesmore Park £3,101( £3,719 including funding for the Resource Base
Corpus Christi RC £3,018
St Albans CE £2,974
Oak Meadow £2,707
Councillor Jones and Bateman are very concerned as to the financial situation facing the schools. We believe that there needs to be concerted action taken because this situation is unsustainable in the medium to long term. It is clear that falling rolls will affect the education of all the pupils attending Estate Schools if the nettle is not grasped and action is not taken to reduce surplus places and reduce costs.
What Opportunities Exist that will strengthen Education and Attainment on the Estate?
There needs to be action taken that will lead to the learning opportunities for young people living on the Ashmore Park Estate this includes new investment in education facilities to build up our schools and modernise them and their facilities.
Conclusion
We started by asking ourselves four key questions
What would happen if the schools remained in the same position as they were at the start of the summer term?
Would this be a good decision in the light of all the information about individual child attainment and performance that has been since made available by the Local Education Authority ?
Would education attainment for pupils right across Ashmore Park be sustainable into the future, and if so how would that be best delivered?
How are scarce financial and educational resources best delivered for our community?
Those are the key questions that we have posed ourselves in the light of the information that has been produced by the Education Authority . They are central to the decisions that need to be made and we believe that if the schools remain in the same position that they are in currently then in less than three years we will be looking at losing two schools not just one. That the education of all the pupils attending schools on Ashmore Park will be jeopardised as the financial situation will weaken all the schools considerably making resources hard to deliver and putting at risk individual education for local families.
We believe that making no decision would be the worst decision of all the options that are open to the City Council.
It is almost inevitable that one school will close, so is the decision right to close Danesmore Park and not one of the other schools on the Estate, can we support the Save Danesmore Park Action Committee that has been fighting the Informal Consultation process? The answer has to be No.
One of the key questions we posed concerned individual child attainment. Ofsted state that "Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could be reasonably expected to perform." He went onto explain that "Significant improvement is required in relation to the pupils’ achievement and standards." He also spoke of the teaching, again stating that "Less impact has been evident in improving the skills of the middle managers and in using assessment information to plan for the individual needs of pupils, especially higher attaining pupils. The quality of teaching is satisfactory but good teaching is not widespread across the school. Marking is not used effectively to help pupils know what they have to do to improve their work."
There is also strong criticism in HM Inspectors Report concerning "pupils in Years 2 and 6 have not achieved well enough over time and standards are well below what could be expected for pupils of their age. Therefore the school’s overall effectiveness is inadequate and it gives unsatisfactory value for money."
We took those statements and recognised that the School had been working hard to overcome these piercing criticism's. We asked ourselves another question, with all the spare places on Ashmore Park and the choice that parents now have regarding schools . Would parents be looking to want to place their children in a school which has received such strong criticism from Her Majesty's Inspectors?
Our conclusion was that it was at best unlikely. Councillor Bateman was also concerned that the Governing Body had not made the results of the Fisher Family Trust widely known to parents (see Note 5). The Fisher Family Trust is a reliable formula that is used widely in Education to plot the progress of individual children's attainment.
How is Education to be delivered across the estate then? It is possible that a 'federation' may hold some possibility for the future of the pupils and staff at the school. We do not rule out support for this position. It is not entirely clear that this is the course of action that Danesmore Park School is pursuiting . At times it seems that this is a favoured approach and at times it looks like they are fighting a battle just against closure with no real thought of what the future may hold even past the next few years.
The future of schools on the Estate will be defined by the reputation and the pupils/parents who are willing to send to the schools of their choice.
Will the closure of one school guarantee in the long term the education benefits of the others on the Estate? There is obviously a case for closure of the Danesmore Park School, the school and the education community only role is deliver quality education to the communities children. Even though it is a much loved establishment the evidence suggests that this school above others has failed to deliver to established standards. If a federation was entered into, the new combined school could use this approach to reduce financial overheads and change the teaching and culture within the school. It would however still have to face the fact that falling rolls are affecting all the local communities. Would new investment be forthcoming in a federated system? The answer to that appears to be less sure, but it would give new leadership to the school through the new Governing Body, possibly buying time for the community the school buildings and the bulk of the staff jobs.
Would we support a 'federation' of the school.... possibly? But the nature of the school and the federation would need to be known before we would give full support for this proposal and of course we need to understand the essence of the federation that was being offered.
With no federation taking place would we support the retention of the school? The answer has to be a no. We cannot make a decision that potentially puts four schools at risk. But neither would we support the school closure in 2007. We believe that the school closure should be a longer phased one that is being envisaged. We do not like the idea of demountable classrooms being placed on sites. They tend to last longer than people plan. We believe that the school should be phased out slowly with the school closing in 2008 after the bulk of the children are through their education.
These have been very difficult months for everyone concerned with the community and the school. The decisions that are being made have to take the whole community into account. Those that pay Counciltax and have no children, to those who's children are taking their education in Danesmore Park. In taking our fiduciary duty seriously we request that the LEA take this submission and consider its content before making a decision on the school.
Yours Respectfully
Councillor Phil Bateman MBE Councillor Dave Jones
Notes
Note 1 Education Debate StartsPublished in 'Councillor Phil Bateman On Line' 2nd July 2006
A debate on the future of Primary Schools on Ashmore Park has started following the delivery of some stark information from Education Officials pointing to empty seats in class rooms and falling rolls right across all the schools on the estate.
Recently Chairs and Governors have met with officials, and the disappointing facts were given that indicated none of the schools on the estate will be full as we approach the end of this decade.
Over the next few years there are likely to be a very significant number of surplus places on Ashmore Park. With around 800 surplus places predicted by the end of the decade, you can see the problem that is to be faced.
All the schools in Ashmore Park and they are Corpus Christi, St Albans, Danesmore, Ashmore Park Nursery , Oak Meadow are all now in discussions with their Governors.
Parents have been informed via letters and I expect that through-out the summer individual Governing Bodies will be gauging what the parents and staff have to say about the looming problem.
So the debate on our schools size and shape has started .....and residents and constituents living in and around Ashmore Park should be aware of that debate.
It ought to be a healthy debate about what school provision we can expect to be able to deliver. It should also be held in sensible manner and not fuelled by fear of school closures. There are no plans, but there will likely be options that will develop during the debate about the future.
What is certain is that surplus school places, if not tackled will drain the finances from a school and help to reduce the sort of standards that we all want for our children. Each school governing body will I am sure engage with parents and staff and I expect to hear towards the end of summer some ideas coming out of school governing bodies about how we tackle the problem of falling rolls.
It is without doubt going to be a very interesting summer as we wait to hear what kind of developments are likely to start and take shape."
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Author: Phil Bateman
Article Date: 2nd July 2006
Note 2 Ofsted Inspection Report
Unique Reference Number 104340
LEA Wolverhampton
Inspection number 277135
Inspection dates 29 November 2005 to 30 November 2005
Reporting inspector Jacqueline WordsworthHMI
This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
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Type of school Primary
School category Community
Age range of pupils 3 to 11
Gender of pupils Mixed
Number on roll 192
Appropriate authority The governing body
Date of previous inspection 27 March 2000
School address Russell Close
Wednesfield
Wolverhampton, West Midlands
WV11 2LA
Telephone number 01902 558551
Fax number 01902 558554
Chair of governors Mr Mark Bibb
Headteacher Mr Norman Snell
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Introduction
The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and an Additional Inspector.
Description of the school
Danesmore Park Infant and Junior School is an average size primary school in Wednesfield, a suburb of Wolverhampton. It serves an area with broadly average social and economic characteristics and 93% of the pupils are from White British backgrounds. A resource base for 24 children who have moderate learning difficulties largely accounts for the very high proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs.
Key for inspection grades Grade 1 Outstanding
Grade 2 Good
Grade 3 Satisfactory
Grade 4 Inadequate
Overall effectiveness of the school
In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could be reasonably expected to perform. The school is therefore given a Notice to Improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to the pupils’ achievement and standards.
The school and the inspection team judge achievement and standards to be inadequate but also agree that this is an improving school where pupils behave well and enjoy their lessons. It has responded well to some of the key issues from its previous inspection report, such as monitoring attendance and improving the pupils’ cultural development. The accommodation and the curriculum for pupils in the Foundation Stage have significantly improved, allowing all six areas of learning to be well catered for so that the pupils make satisfactory progress. The school has made improvements in the provision for information technology and in enhancing enrichment activities for pupils. Less impact has been evident in improving the skills of the middle managers and in using assessment information to plan for the individual needs of pupils, especially higher attaining pupils. The quality of teaching is satisfactory but good teaching is not widespread across the school. Marking is not used effectively to help pupils know what they have to do to improve their work.
The headteacher has the necessary drive for raising standards and improving the quality of the teaching and learning, and communicates this vision effectively. He receives good support from the local authority and the governors. The school’s capacity to improve is demonstrated by the significant improvement in the pupils’ progress in English this year. However pupils in Years 2 and 6 have not achieved well enough over time and standards are well below what could be expected for pupils of their age. Therefore the school’s overall effectiveness is inadequate and it gives unsatisfactory value for money.
Grade: 4
Effectiveness and efficiency of boarding provision
What the school should do to improve further
•Ensure the pupils receive more teaching of good quality so they can make better progress, particularly in English, mathematics and science. •Improve the skills of the middle managers in the monitoring of teaching and learning and assessing the effectiveness of their actions on raising standards. •Improve the use of assessment information to match work more closely to the needs of individuals, especially higher attaining pupils. •Make more effective use of marking to enable pupils to know exactly what they have to do to improve their work.
Achievement and standards
The school and the inspection team judge that standards are too low and achievement is inadequate. The children’s attainment on entry to the school is below average. Given their starting point, children in the Foundation Stage make satisfactory progress, although the standards they reach at the end of the Reception Year are still below what is expected for their age. In Key Stages 1 and 2, the school’s national test results for the last three years have generally remained well below the national figures. This is due, in some part, to the turbulence the school has experienced. In 2005, the results achieved by pupils in Year 2 showed some improvement in writing, which was below average, but were well below average in reading and mathematics. The results for pupils in Year 6 were well below average in English and science and extremely low in mathematics. Pupils’ attainment in mathematics and science has shown a downward trend, whereas attainment in English has begun to improve. Even allowing for the pupils’ starting points, their rate of progress over time is too slow. Pupils in the resource base make satisfactory progress because the teachers understand the pupils’ needs and plan appropriately challenging activities.
The school is aware that standards remain too low and has engaged in a range of initiatives, such as the Primary Leadership Programme and the Intensifying Support Programme, to raise attainment. The school is now beginning to set more challenging targets.
Grade: 4
Personal development and well-being
The pupils enjoy coming to school and are well integrated into the school community. They report that the school is good because there are new things to do and their teachers are kind. Rates of attendance have improved and are now broadly in line with the national average. By Year 6, pupils have many opportunities to take responsibility for improving the school. One of their duties is to ensure that pupils move sensibly around the school. The pupils behave well, work hard and are courteous and polite to visitors.
Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. The pupils’ awareness of cultural diversity has significantly improved since the last inspection. The school has developed an effective partnership with a local school with a more culturally diverse nature. Work with this school includes regular visits and numerous workshops, all of which help the pupils to understand the customs of many cultures throughout the world. One of the most popular workshops was the Asian cookery day. The pupils show great respect for each other, including those who have learning difficulties and disabilities.
The pupils willingly raise funds for those less fortunate than themselves, for instance through the recent coin trail for Children in Need. There is an active school council that helps pupils make a positive contribution to school life. Their suggestions have helped in several ways. A good example is helping to improve playtimes by introducing new games and equipment. The pupils are encouraged to walk to school each Wednesday and staff and pupils have recently participated in an active Freddy Fitness programme of dance and exercise. This has made pupils more aware of the need to lead healthy lifestyles. Appropriate actions are taken so the pupils know what they need to do to stay safe. The pupils’ good attitudes and positive social skills, including a keen awareness of others, stand them in good stead for their future economic well-being although their literacy and numeracy skills are not so well developed.
Grade: 2
Quality of provision
Teaching and learning
The teachers are responding to the challenge of raising standards. The teaching is now satisfactory across the school, after a period of turbulence, which caused the quality to dip. Where the teaching is good, teachers have detailed knowledge of what the pupils already know and higher attaining pupils are challenged well and make progress. This good practice is not consistent across the school. Pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities, including those who have moderate learning difficulties, are provided for satisfactorily. Work is matched to their abilities and effective support is given by well briefed support assistants.
The introduction of the Intensifying Support Programme has enabled the teachers to focus on key areas for improving the pupils’ attainment. The analysis of end-of-term attainment has enabled the school to identify groups of pupils at similar levels and to set realistic targets for individual year groups. However, the analysis of national assessment results is in its infancy and is relatively underused as a source of detailed information on the strengths and weaknesses of individual pupils. It has, nevertheless, raised the teachers’ awareness of the need for more rigorous assessment procedures that clearly identify the pupils’ knowledge and understanding and what they need to learn next.
Grade: 3
Curriculum and other activities
The school has improved the curriculum through enrichment activities but it does not cater as well as it might for the higher attaining pupils. Visits and visitors are used effectively to give pupils first-hand experiences whenever possible. A particularly good example is the forthcoming visit to a local theatre for the older pupils to see a play by Shakespeare. The curriculum is broad and includes opportunities to learn French and Spanish. The school has made significant improvements to its provision for information and communication technology (ICT). A new computer suite has been developed with each class having regular timetabled sessions. Year 5 pupils were set a homework project in science and many chose to use ICT to present their work. A particularly effective example was a well designed PowerPoint presentation. The teachers are beginning to make effective use of interactive whiteboards as a tool to improve pupils’ learning. A further strength of the curriculum is the extended range of school clubs offered to the pupils. These are popular and help motivate pupils to improve their skills in subjects such as games, art and music.
Grade: 3
Care, guidance and support
Throughout the school pupils are well cared for and regularly reminded about the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles and staying safe. As a result their self-esteem is high and they feel safe and have confidence in their teachers. Members of staff in the resource base have a good knowledge of the pupils’ academic, social and emotional needs and provide good support and guidance. However, in the main school information from assessments is not consistently used in all lessons to ensure that pupils make good progress from day to day. Child protection procedures are satisfactory and risks assessments are carried out prior to school visits. However these do not cover all aspects of the school’s work.
Grade: 3
Leadership and management
The headteacher provides a clear direction for the staff to follow and has an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Whilst the monitoring of teaching and learning has increased since the previous inspection and is satisfactory overall, almost all of it is carried out by the headteacher, both informally through working in the classroom and formally through focused lesson observations, most recently in literacy. The work of some middle managers is unsatisfactory as they do not monitor teaching and learning and are unable to give a systematic evaluation of its effectiveness in raising standards. The headteacher is aware of this and appropriate training through the Intensifying Support Programme is helping them develop their roles and skills. The school improvement plan demonstrates that the school is taking appropriate actions to remove the cause of its weaknesses. The impact has been shown in the last year in the improvement in English. The school recognises that it still has some way to go in improving standards further, especially in mathematics and science. Equality of opportunity is promoted well with inclusion being right at the heart of the school’s vision. This can be seen in the good leadership of the school’s unit for pupils who have moderate learning difficulties.
Governors are supportive and increasingly aware of the need for detailed information in order to fulfil their responsibility to provide challenge for the school. A good example of this is the recent Silver Award for school self-review.
Grade: 3
Annex A
Inspection judgements
Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate School Overall 16-19
Overall effectiveness
How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? 4 NA
How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 NA
The quality and standards in foundation stage 3 NA
The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 NA
The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes NA
Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection Yes NA
Achievement and standards
How well do learners achieve? 4 NA
The standards1 reached by learners 4 NA
How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 4 NA
How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress 3 NA
1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.
Personal development and well-being
How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? 2 NA
The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 NA
The behaviour of learners 2 NA
The attendance of learners 3 NA
How well learners enjoy their education 2 NA
The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 NA
The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 NA
The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community 3 NA
How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being 3 NA
The quality of provision
How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs? 3 NA
How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 3 NA
How well are learners cared for, guided and supported? 3 NA
Leadership and management
How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners? 3 NA
How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 3 NA
How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review 3 NA
How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can 3 NA
How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money 4 NA
The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities 3 NA
The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected Yes NA
The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy
Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes
Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes
Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes
Learners are educated about sexual health Yes
The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe
Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes
Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes
Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes
Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them Yes
The extent to which learners make a positive contribution
Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes
Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes
Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community Yes
The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being
There is provision to promote learners' basic skills Yes
Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams Yes
Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA
Education for all learners aged 14-19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy NA
Annex B
Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection
The Pupils Danesmore Park Infant and Junior School Russell Close Wednesfield Wolverhampton WV11 2LA
30 November 2005
Dear Pupils
Thank you for the very polite and friendly welcome you gave to the inspection team when we came to visit your school. We enjoyed meeting you and listening to what you had to say. It was very interesting to watch you work and talk with your teachers about how well you do. We thought you would like to know what we have said about your school.
You behave well and you are kind and considerate to each other. In lessons we think you listen carefully to what your teachers have to tell you and you try hard. You told us that there were now more things for you to do after school and that you enjoyed taking part in the extra activities. Your school council members told us how they have helped to improve your playtimes by asking for more playground equipment.
We think that your teachers look after you well and listen to what you have to say. They work hard to help you learn but we think that you would do even better if their marking gave you more precise information, and we have asked them to do this. We have also asked the teachers to look more closely at how they teach English, mathematics and science to make sure that everyone is given work of the right difficulty. We have said that the school should be inspected again next year to check that standards are rising.
Thank you for making us feel very welcome and we wish you well in the future.
Jacqueline Wordsworth HMI
© Crown copyright 2005
Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk
This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.
Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.
Note 3
parent2000
Posted: Thu Oct 19, 2006 7:37 pm Post subject:
16 Oct 2006
I attended the meeting today and came away with nothing new to think about.
Yes we know we had a bad ofsted report but compared to what other school on the estate, as for the education needs of the children these are second to none I am my opinion, this school makes me feel very welcome and I feel very comfortable every time I visit I feel at home in fact.
I felt today that the decision was out of our hands and nothing was being done to fight this, come on this school has had enough ups and downs and we have got through them.
What didn't help was the fact of politicians running off scared to answer the questions of rightly so worried parents, dodging questions left right and centre oh and then there was the cocky one who lived on the estate all but repeated Phil Bateman, in the end no questions were answered.
The main question I think is what determined them to pick out Danesmore what had we done wrong, they wont tell us so we can't put it right.
instead of closing the school we should be looking to the government for help to improve it but seems this help is in the form of closure so where to now it seems we can only sit and wait. something needs to be done is there no other forms of help and advice open to us other than this?
Note 4 Posted by MCB on October 25th Discussion Page If Danesmore closes next September, how will 172 children be re-allocation not to mention the staff. We already know there are not enough spaces on the estate, so Parental choice is to move children off the estate? to where? where are the spaces? where are the school(s) for the Resource Base Children? Most of these children live on Ashmore Park!
Next September seems a long way off but it is not! So 172 children will be attending a different school next September?
172 children! so inflate intake of the schools on the estate? these childen live on the estate. There is already 1 school that cannot cope now (not Danesmore), so does that rule them out from taking any more children? so what does that mean, 45 plus children per class? and a couple of MLD children thrown in?!?! this is just madness.
Note 5 Correspondence from Mark Whyatt "The report simply states facts in respect of standards. The fact that the School is under a notice to improve is important but only one of a number of pointers indicating that Danesmore Park is an underperforming school. Fisher Family Trust information not included in the Report, but referred to at meetings, gives the clearest indication of the position.
Author: Phil Bateman & Dave Jones
Article Date: 12th January 2007