Setting

CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 1231231 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566934 Direct F 01695 729320 gtunnicliffe@cfbt.com www.cfbt-inspections.com

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Miss J Mason Headteacher Thornton Cleveleys Manor Beach Primary School Manor Drive Thornton-Cleveleys Lancashire FY5 1EU

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Cleveleys Manor Beach Primary School

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave me when I inspected your school on 10 March 2011, for the time you gave to our planning meeting and for the information which you provided during the inspection. Please could you pass on my thanks to the Chair of the Governing Body, the representative of the local authority and the group of pupils who took time to speak with me.

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Cleveleys Manor Beach Primary School

As a result of the inspection on 21 May 2009, the school was asked to address the most important areas for improvement which are set out in the annex to this letter. Since the inspection two teachers left the school and the number of pupils in the school has decreased significantly.

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Cleveleys Manor Beach 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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Cleveleys Manor Beach Primary School

The school has taken action to halt the declining standards at the end of Key Stage 2. Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 indicates that initiatives to improve writing are working. The content and structure of pupils’ work reflects a greater ability to write for different purposes, draw on a widening vocabulary and use helpful information to assess their own work. Pupils’ written work and the school’s data show that overall attainment and the quality of pupils’ writing are improving across the school and the majority of pupils are now making better progress. However, they also indicate there is still some way to go to ensure all pupils in each year groups reach the level expected for their age.

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Cleveleys Manor Beach Primary School

Observations of teaching conducted with the headteacher during the monitoring inspection, together with observations from the local authority adviser and the schools own records, show there has been improvement in the overall quality of teaching since the last inspection. Where teaching is stronger it gives pupils clear guidance about how to succeed and improve and allows adequate time for pupils to complete sufficient work. In less January 2011

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Cleveleys Manor Beach Primary School

Page2 successful lessons, pupils spend too much time listening to the teacher and consequently too little time is spent securing and demonstrating their understanding of the intended learning point. The school is aware of strengths and weaknesses in teaching, including the continued variability of challenge for more-able pupils.

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Cleveleys Manor Beach Primary School

Subject leaders have received training and as a result, they have developed clear expectations of their roles and responsibilities. They report regularly to the governing body who have established a standards and effectiveness committee to ensure there is appropriate accountability in all curriculum areas. Assessments in all subjects at the end of each key stage are now in place for most subjects and are developing satisfactorily in others. Systems for subject leaders to plan, monitor and review progress are now in place. However, the extent to which evaluations focus on the impact of improvements on pupils’ achievement is an area for further development.

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Cleveleys Manor Beach Primary School

The headteacher has an honest and accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of teaching and learning across the school. Together with the staff and governing body she has established and is further developing, structures and systems to increase the school’s capacity to improve. These include an improved system to track pupils’ attainment and progress; closer monitoring of progress in writing and systems to ensure accountability of all staff for the progress of pupils.

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Cleveleys Manor Beach Primary School

The local authority has provided helpful guidance and support. The headteacher has made good use of help from the School Improvement Partner and experts within the local authority to establish systems of monitoring the quality of the school’s work. This has been particularly useful in enabling school leaders to secure satisfactory progress in relation to the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection.

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Cleveleys Manor Beach Primary School

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

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve writing across the school so that pupils reach higher standards and make better progress. ■ Improve the quality of teaching and learning consistently across the school so that all pupils, particularly higher attaining pupils, make good progress and achieve higher standards. ■ Develop the role and understanding of subject leaders to raise standards and achievement in all subjects.

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