Setting

CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566932 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: hcarnall@cfbt.com

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Mrs D Liversidge Headteacher Earby Springfield Primary School Bailey Street Earby Barnoldswick Lancashire BB18 6SJ

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Earby Springfield Primary School

Following my visit to your school on 1 and 2 December 2011, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Earby Springfield Primary School

The inspection was the fourth monitoring inspection since the school became subject to special measures following the inspection which took place in March 2010. The full list of the areas for improvement which were identified during that inspection is set out in the annex to this letter. The monitoring inspection report is attached and the main judgements are set out below.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Earby Springfield Primary School

Progress since being subject to special measures – satisfactory

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Earby Springfield Primary School

Progress since previous monitoring inspection – satisfactory

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Earby Springfield Primary School

Newly-Qualified Teachers may not be appointed.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Earby Springfield Primary School

This letter and monitoring inspection report will be posted on the Ofsted website. I am copying this letter and the monitoring inspection report to the Secretary of State, the Chair of the Governing Body and the Executive Director for Children and Young People for Lancashire.

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Special measures: monitoring inspection of Earby Springfield Primary School

Jane Millward Her Majesty's Inspector September 2011

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March 2010

 Raise attainment to the national average by:  ensuring that all teachers have the highest expectations of pupils' abilities and that the targets for which pupils strive reflect this  planning and delivering lessons and activities which take into account the full range of pupils' needs, interests and abilities  developing teaching strategies that promote good achievement  developing effective strategies to identify and support pupils quickly if they begin to underachieve  developing the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage so it better reflects the full range of children's needs and interests.

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March 2010

 Ensure that leaders and managers at all levels have greater impact on the school's effectiveness by:  ensuring that the governing body understands and fulfils all statutory responsibilities, including those relating to the safeguarding of pupils' well-being and equalities  prioritising actions for school improvement and agreeing measurable success criteria  increasing the rigour of the systems that monitor and evaluate the impact of actions on provision and outcomes  making expectations clear and accountability rigorous  nurturing the potential of senior and middle leaders through well-targeted professional development  increasing the rigour with which the governing body holds the school to account for its performance.

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March 2010

 Strengthen other areas of provision by:  reversing the downward trend in attendance through carefully-targeted intervention involving pupils and their parents and carers  developing a clear communication and engagement strategy with parents and carers so they develop confidence in the work of the school  setting clear guidelines for all staff regarding safeguarding and the reporting of incidents. September 2011

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Evidence

The inspector observed the school's work, scrutinised documents and met with the headteacher, assistant headteacher, pupils and representatives from the governing body and the local authority.

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Context

Since the last monitoring inspection the school has reduced in size by one class due to a fall in pupil numbers. Two temporary teachers have left the school and a new member of staff has been appointed on a temporary basis. The senior leadership team has been restructured and now comprises the headteacher and assistant headteacher.

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

Results of the national assessments and tests in 2011 indicate that attainment at the end of Year 2 remains low, although pupils known to be eligible for free school meals attain well. Attainment at the end of Year 6 has improved in all areas, with girls performing better than the boys, and brings attainment in line with national expectations. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities attain well as do pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. Progress made by other pupils has improved and is significantly better than expected, given their starting points. At the end of Year 6 almost all pupils made the progress expected of them in English and mathematics. Current data held by the school show more pupils are on track to reach age-related expectations, although overall, too few pupils are predicted to reach the higher level of attainment. Most progress is currently made in Key Stage 1. The number of pupils on track to reach levels expected for their age still lags

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

behind in writing. The school is aware of this and has put strategies in place to redress this imbalance. A ‘weekly write’ has been implemented to ensure pupils have more opportunities to write for a range of purposes, including cross-curricular work. Pupils report that topic- based lessons are more interesting, where lessons are ‘more fun and we learn more!’ The way in which topic work is recorded remains underdeveloped, but the school has plans to move towards a more skills-based curriculum. At the present time focus remains, quite rightly, on improving the pupils’ basic skills. There is, however, further scope to improve pupils’ engagement in purposeful and relevant learning through a cross-curricular approach.

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  Raise attainment to the national average – satisfactory September 2011

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Other relevant pupil outcomes

Generally, the behaviour of pupils has improved and is now contributing to the learning environment more effectively. They continue to be polite and courteous and show respect for their school community. They increasingly take responsibility for their actions and incidents of poor behaviour are decreasing. Where teaching is stronger, pupils focus on their learning and behaviour improves. Where the pace of learning slows, behaviour sometimes slips. Incidents of poor behaviour are now routinely reported and monitored by the headteacher.

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Other relevant pupil outcomes

Attendance rates are improving and pupils are encouraged to attend school regularly. A system of rewards is regarded positively by pupils. The school now works closely with the parent support worker who monitors attendance. She meets with parents where absence is a concern. There are currently no pupils who are persistently absent. Pupils feel safer in school and know who to turn to if a problem arises.

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Other relevant pupil outcomes

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  Reverse the downward trend in attendance – satisfactory

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The effectiveness of provision

Focus has continued on improving teaching and learning. Monitoring the quality of provision is rigorous and teachers show a greater awareness of what pupils need to achieve next to move their learning on. Planning has developed to ensure activities better meet the needs of pupils. Pupils themselves report that teachers have higher expectations and that work better challenges their thinking. As one pupil stated, ‘teachers expect more of you now.’ Teaching assistants are now more effectively deployed in lessons and provide pupils with support when they require help. This has enabled pupils to make better progress. As assessments are more accurate, interventions are timelier and the school responds to pupils’ needs more quickly. While targeted support is effective in supporting pupils, the impact of this work has not been specifically evaluated as it remains in its early stages of development.

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The effectiveness of provision

Time in lessons is used more effectively and more engaging techniques are beginning to be used. New resources are beginning to have an impact on pupils’ learning, for example, new reading books are supporting the teaching of reading in Key Stage 1. Teachers have a greater awareness of how well pupils are doing and are beginning to provide clear steps for improvement through the marking of pupils’ work. This is most evident in literacy books. Pupils are now given time to reflect on teachers’ marking and respond to their comments. However, marking of pupils’ work remains inconsistent across subjects and classes. The school is beginning to develop its curriculum. Plans are in place to make the curriculum more cross-curricular, linking subjects together and focusing on the progress of skills.

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The effectiveness of provision

Teaching and learning continue to improve, as shown by the school and local authority monitoring records. In the best lessons seen during the inspection, pupils were encouraged to share their ideas, for example, as seen in a Years 3/4 lesson, where pupils discussed the September 2011

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The effectiveness of provision

Page5 use of adjectives and similes to improve their writing. Furthermore, teachers were developing ways to move pupils on in their learning quickly by using misconceptions to develop a deeper understanding of knowledge.

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The effectiveness of provision

The Early Years Foundation Stage provision is developing. Children are encouraged to learn using both the indoor and outdoor learning environments. More purposeful play is planned for and children are better encouraged to develop independence through an appropriate level of challenge. Learning opportunities in some instances are still missed, however, and some children are still not moved on quickly enough with their learning. Staffing instability remains in the Early Years Foundation Stage, but the governors and headteacher are working hard to provide the much-needed stability.

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The effectiveness of provision

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on the areas for improvement:  Improve the quality of teaching by raising teachers’ expectations of pupils and ensuring teaching is better matched to pupils’ needs, interests and abilities – satisfactory  Develop strategies to identify and support pupils who fall behind – satisfactory  Develop provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage – satisfactory

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Senior leaders have now taken greater ownership of leading school improvement. They are devising plans which accurately reflect strengths and areas to develop. The monitoring cycle has been refined to have greater impact on improving teaching and learning. Middle leaders are becoming increasingly involved in the monitoring of curriculum areas and the systems developed in school are now increasingly disseminated across all subjects. Plans to develop subjects are improving and providing a longer-term vision for the school. While these provide direction and focus, they do not always lead to needed change. There is scope for these to be more accurately applied to move the school forward. Evaluations of pupil attainment and progress continue to develop. Teachers summarise achievements of pupils, but do not fully evaluate next steps to ensure that all pupils and groups achieve their full potential. There is some analysis of the performance of groups, although this is not

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Governors continue to develop and are confident in the way they hold leaders to account for their actions. They show a greater awareness of what is needed for the school to improve and provide appropriate and well-targeted challenge. They pose pertinent questions and are reflective in their approach. They have received further training to ensure they are fully- informed about school improvement. Meetings are held by senior leaders, governors and the local authority to ensure the school remains on track to eradicate weaknesses.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The school continues to take safeguarding and welfare requirements seriously. Procedures to ensure the safety of pupils are in place, but there is scope to improve the evaluation of these systems further. September 2011

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Page6 Leaders in school are keen to improve links with parents and carers. A questionnaire has been recently issued with, unfortunately, limited response. The headteacher informed parents and carers of the findings and evidence shows she has responded to their suggestions. Plans are in place to develop links further.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

The headteacher continues to send her weekly newsletters to parents and carers and it is now accompanied by a pupil newspaper. This provides information of events in school and the local community. The inspector talked to parents and carers during the inspection and they spoke positively about the improvements in school. They felt their children’s progress was improving and that communication links were developing. Of the parents and carers spoken to, they felt confident that concerns would be listened to and acted upon.

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The effectiveness of leadership and management

Progress since the last monitoring inspection on areas for improvement:  Ensure that leaders and managers at all levels have greater impact on the school's effectiveness – satisfactory

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External support

The local authority continues to work closely with the school, although the school leaders are now able to provide much of the support needed in house. Training is still delivered on specific areas of focus and is well-received. The local authority continues to monitor and evaluate the progress made by the school and support the strategic direction for the longer- term future of the school. The local authority has provided satisfactory support.

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