Brownhills West Primary told to improve 'weak' pupil standards

Inspectors from Ofsted highlighted poor grammar, spelling and a need to improve mathematics at Brownhills West Primary.

A report following the inspection just before the summer break has highlighted a need to make improvements in four of five areas.

These include management, quality of teaching, pupil achievement and early year provision. The only good rating was pupil behaviour and safety.

However, despite being told to improve there were some strengths identified such as having a clear direction to improve, better attendance and some education progress.

The school in Shannon Drive, which was rated as good in its previous inspection, has around 180 pupils aged from three to 11. It is now grade three rather than two.

Lead Ofsted inspector Heather Simpson said: "Teachers do not always check on the progress of all groups when they are working with a specific group and are therefore unsure how well pupils' are doing, or whether the work provided is too easy or too hard.

"For example, in a Year One reading lesson, the most-able pupils were reading a short non-fiction book which was too easy for them. They finished it quickly and had no further work to go on to, so time was wasted and their progress was limited.

"Pupils are now writing at greater length and the presentation of their work is improving. However, their use of grammar, punctuation and spelling is weak in most classes as teachers do not always focus closely enough on this aspect."

She added: "Pupils' achievement requires improvement because their progress has not been consistently good since the previous inspection and remains uneven across the school."

In 2014, standards fell to below average at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, especially in mathematics.

The proportions reaching the levels required in grammar, punctuation and spelling were also below average.

Current data show that writing levels remain below average in Key Stage 2 and too few pupils make good progress in this subject.

However Ms Simpson said good progress had been made by Year 6 pupils.

The inspector addedHowever, Ms Simpson said: "The school's own predictions for the end of Year Six in 2015 show that if achieved, attainment will be above average in reading, average in mathematics, but below average in writing.

"Pupils in current Year 6 have made good progress in all areas in the last year due to good teaching."

Walsall Council was unavailable for comment.