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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Mr M Joule Headteacher Winsford High Street Community Primary School High Street Winsford Cheshire CW7 2AU

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Street Community Primary School

Thank you for the help which you and your staff gave when I inspected your school on 31 March 2011, for the time you gave to our phone discussions and for the information which you provided before and during the inspection. Please pass on my thanks to the staff, pupils, governors and the School Improvement Partner who gave up time to talk to me.

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Street Community Primary School

Since the last inspection there have been significant changes to the leadership team. Due to retirement and promotion of staff, a new deputy headteacher and a new assistant headteacher were appointed in September 2010. New teaching staff have also been appointed.

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Street Community Primary School

As a result of the inspection on 30 September and 1 October 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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Street Community Primary School

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

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Street Community Primary School

Pupils’ attainment has improved at the end of both key stages. The 2010 teacher assessments at the end of Year 2 show that pupils’ attainment in reading and mathematics improved, with particular improvements in writing. These are the school’s best results for over five years. Attainment at the end of Year 6 also improved significantly on the 2009 results. There was also an improvement in the proportion of pupils gaining the higher Level 5 in English and mathematics. The progress made by pupils in English and mathematics was the best the school has achieved. Evidence obtained from lesson observations and from an analysis of the school’s data indicates that pupils’ achievement across the school, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage, continues to improve. January 2011

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Street Community Primary School

Page2 The quality of teaching is better and more consistent across the school. Pupils of all abilities are enthusiastic, well-behaved learners and enjoy lessons mainly featuring clear learning objectives, stimulating teaching and high expectations. The classrooms and communal areas contain splendid highly colourful and spectacular displays, often celebrating pupils’ work. There is a clear emphasis in lesson planning on matching tasks closely to the needs and abilities of individual pupils. Increasingly, the more-able pupils, in particular, are stretched and challenged and their progress improves as a result. All pupils benefit from this approach. This was demonstrated in Year 4 mathematics lessons where all pupils successfully worked independently or with support on interesting problems that extended their skills and knowledge. In many lessons good use is made of mixed-ability speaking and listening activities. These particularly benefit the understanding of less-able pupils. In some

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Street Community Primary School

lessons overuse of this strategy limited the opportunities for more-able pupils to improve their learning. In a small number of lessons observed, whole-class teaching went on for longer than necessary and hindered progress. The school has made exceptional progress in providing more guidance to pupils in teachers’ marking to show them how their work can be improved. Praise is combined with clear, practical advice about the next steps each pupil needs to take to achieve their clear targets and staff are careful to ensure that the advice given is understood and followed in future work. Pupils have opportunities to discuss their work and progress with staff and to assess their own and each other’s work. In an innovative move, the school’s leaders now regularly invite pupils to discuss their lessons and progress with them in a forum they call Pupil Voice. The outcomes of these often frank discussions are fed back to staff and have a direct impact on the planning and delivery of

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Street Community Primary School

their lessons. These arrangements have been a significant factor in the improving achievement of all pupils.

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Street Community Primary School

The headteacher has restructured the leadership team following the new appointments made since the last inspection. He is setting a clear direction for the school and has set the bar for improvement high. Staff have responded well and show impressive commitment to improving the school further. The school’s improvement planning is strongly focused on raising attainment and achievement while placing an equal value on further improving each pupil’s personal development. Action plans now have clear and measurable success criteria, to be achieved within set timescales. The role of the governing body in monitoring and evaluating the school’s performance has improved significantly. Its members are also now active and valued participants with staff in the newly formed curriculum and base teams that drive the school’s teaching, learning and curriculum. The school has received good support and advice from its School Improvement Partner and staff appreciate the assistance

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Street Community Primary School

they have received from other local authority specialists in improving their performance. The school’s tracking systems provide clear and practical information about the standards and progress of all pupil groups and individuals. Teachers have become more skilled and confident in assessing and moderating pupils’ progress. The targets pupils are set are challenging and all teachers undergo regular and rigorous management reviews of the progress made towards them. January 2011

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Street Community Primary School

Page3 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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Street Community Primary School

Mr Peter Jones Additional inspector January 2011

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30 September to 1 October 2009

 Ensure that throughout the school pupils’ progress is consistently good or better by:

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30 September to 1 October 2009

 ensuring that the quality of teaching is consistently good  planning lessons that are challenging, especially for the more-able pupils  giving more guidance to pupils in teachers’ marking to show them how they can improve their work.

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30 September to 1 October 2009

 Sharpen management systems for evaluating critically the impact on teaching and progress by:

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30 September to 1 October 2009

 improving the quality and impact of improvement planning so that measures of success are clear and underperforming aspects of the school are improved  simplifying and clarifying the school’s systems to track pupils’ progress  ensuring that all teachers are accountable for the standards attained and the progress of pupils in their care.

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