Setting

Mr Peter Gerrish Headteacher Fleetwood Chaucer Community Primary School Chaucer Road Fleetwood Lancashire FY7 6QN

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Chaucer Community Primary School

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 13 January 2011, for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during the inspection. Please also pass on my thanks to the School Improvement Partner, the chair of the governing body, and the pupils and staff who met with me.

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Chaucer Community Primary School

As a result of the inspection on September 2009, the school was asked to address the most important areas for improvement which are set out in the annex to this letter.

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Chaucer Community Primary School

Having considered all the evidence I am of the opinion that at this time the school has made satisfactory progress in making improvements and satisfactory progress in demonstrating a better capacity for sustained improvement.

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Chaucer Community Primary School

School leaders are providing a clear steer to quicken the pace of pupils’ learning and raise standards. The school did not participate in the 2010 Year 6 standardised assessment tests but undertook a number of teacher assessments which were moderated with other schools. These indicate that attainment in English and mathematics was higher than it was in 2009 and close to the national average. The writing of the current Year 6 pupils is well presented and constructively marked, giving a clear indication of how improvements should be made. Approximately two- thirds of the cohort is firmly on track to achieve age related levels, with boys set to do equally as well as girls. This is an improvement since the last inspection but the percentage on track to achieve Level 4 is not as high as it was in 2009. Suite 22 West Lancashire Investment Centre Maple View White Moss Business Park Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231

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Chaucer Community Primary School

Text Phone: 0161 6188524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566934 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email :gtunnicliffe@cfbt.com September 2010 Page 2 Raising attainment at Key Stage 1 and in the Early Years Foundation Stage is identified as a priority for the coming year. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 fell in 2010. The low proportion of pupils attaining at Level 2B and above in reading, writing and mathematics is a particular concern. Attainment in the current Year 2 classes shows signs of improvement but is still below average.

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Chaucer Community Primary School

The improvements in writing follow a whole school focus on developing writing skills across the curriculum. Teachers are planning more writing opportunities that interest pupils and which enable them to extend their skills across a range of subjects. Pupils are finding learning more enjoyable. For example, pupils in the Year 5/6 class thoroughly enjoyed their project on the Second World War. They were keen to share their work and were proud of their achievements. Lesson observations indicate that pupils in all classes enjoy learning and the vast majority behave very well in lessons.

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Chaucer Community Primary School

Inspection evidence confirms the school’s evaluation that teaching is improving: it is increasingly well matched to the ability and interests of pupils. School leaders have reorganised teaching, moving teachers and teaching assistants between year groups to make best use of their expertise and revitalise teaching. Teachers have worked hard to develop a stimulating learning environment and plan interesting topics. They are making better use of assessment information to ensure that core skills are taught progressively. Planning has improved considerably, with a more consistent approach across the school; the attention given to assessment information in planning the next steps in pupils’ learning is also more consistent. Marking has improved but is not consistent across all classes.

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Chaucer Community Primary School

All staff have a very strong commitment to promoting pupils’ personal development and providing effective care and support for the most vulnerable pupils. Successful initiatives to improve attendance and develop relations with parents are based on a good understanding of the local community. Absence is followed up immediately and every support is given to help families ensure their children’s attendance. As a consequence, overall attendance is steadily improving. Pupils’ knowledge of different cultures is developing through links with a school in Sri Lanka and an increased focus on multicultural aspects within the curriculum.

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Chaucer Community Primary School

The improvements in achievement and provision have been underpinned by a strong steer from school leaders and governors, with effective support from the local authority. Professional development has supported teachers in developing their skills and roles. Systems to track pupils’ progress have been revised so that they now provide a clear and accessible overview of achievement in each class. As a result, teachers are able to identify any under-achievement early to ensure teaching matches the learning needs of all pupils.

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Chaucer Community Primary School

Governors have a clear understanding of immediate priorities and longer term aims and an increasingly active role in driving improvements forward. Subject and phase leaders have a sound understanding of strengths and relative weaknesses in their responsibility area. However, staff overall have limited understanding of whole September 2010 Page 3 school issues as monitoring information is not used fully to inform whole school discussion and development planning. School improvement plans are in the process of review. Leaders recognise that roles, responsibilities and accountabilities require further clarification to ensure that all staff contribute effectively to improvement processes. Leaders are rightly focused on developing the school as a learning community where best practice is shared and developed. Given the foundations that are in place to build on strengths and expertise, the school has increased its capacity

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Chaucer Community Primary School

I hope that you found the inspection helpful in promoting improvement in your school. This letter will be posted on the Ofsted website.

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place in September 2009

 Accelerate progress and raise attainment in writing for boys, especially by: - increasing the proportion of good or better lessons - providing more opportunities for pupils to work independently in lessons and be more active in their learning - supporting teachers in using information on pupils' progress to plan the next steps in learning for individuals more precisely - providing more opportunities for pupils to use and improve their writing skills when working in subjects across the curriculum.  Improve the rigour of monitoring and evaluation by leaders at all levels by: - ensuring that checks focus closely on the impact on outcomes for pupils, especially their learning, progress and safety.  Improve attendance further by: - extending support to more pupils and their families who find it difficult to attend school regularly.  Improve the provision for community cohesion by: - producing a comprehensive plan for the development of community

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place in September 2009

cohesion that takes into account the school's context - paying particular attention to developing pupils' awareness of life in modern-day multicultural Britain - ensuring that the actions taken are evaluated for their impact on outcomes for pupils, especially their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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