Ingol Community Primary School

Ingol Community Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 23–24 January 2012 Inspection number 379761 Unique Reference Number 119239 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 379761 Inspection dates 23–24 January 2012 Lead inspector Jennifer Platt

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 57 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Bill Shannon Headteacher Mary Doran Date of previous school inspection 3 March 2009 School address Whitby Avenue Ingol Preston PR2 3YP Telephone number 01772 727383 Fax number 01772 760886 Email address bursar@ingol.lancs.sch.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspector visited nine lessons taught by teachers and groups led by teaching assistants. The inspector met with three groups of pupils from different years to hear them read. Another meeting with Year 6 pupils focused on their views of the school. The inspector scrutinised the work of pupils in their books with a focus on writing. Meetings were held with governors and senior leaders. The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school development plan, records on safeguarding, attendance and pupils’ progress data. It was not possible to take account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection as insufficient responses have been registered. The inspector met a few parents and carers informally and examined questionnaire responses from pupils and staff as well as 20 completed by parents and carers.

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Information about the school

This is a much smaller than average-sized primary school. Pupils are taught in mixed- age classes. The Early Years Foundation Stage provides for children in a Reception class who work alongside children from Years 1 and 2. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible to free school meals is well above average. The great majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils assessed as having special educational needs is above average. No pupils with disabilities are identified. The government’s floor targets have been met during the past three years. Awards include Basic Skills Awards, Lancashire Physical Education Award and a merit award for Britain in Bloom. The school offers breakfast and after-school clubs managed by the governing body. A new headteacher and deputy headteacher have been appointed since the previous inspection. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate

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Information about the school

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key Findings

■ This is a satisfactory school. Under the determined leadership of the new management team improvements are very evident, especially in rising attainment. Parents, carers, staff and pupils agree this is a happy community.

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Key Findings

■ Achievement is satisfactory. With such small numbers attainment varies considerably, as do children’s starting points. Overall, many children start school with skills that are below those expected for their age. They make steady progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and start in Year 1 with many approaching the level expected for their age. Progress in Key Stages 1 and 2 is variable but satisfactory overall. It accelerates in Year 6 to ensure attainment is average. Reading has improved more than other subjects and pupils now enjoy reading. Writing is not as strong. More-able pupils in all subjects do not always make enough progress.

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Key Findings

■ Teaching is satisfactory. Some good teaching was observed especially in Years 2, 5 and 6. In these lessons pupils are eager to learn because tasks are challenging and the pace is brisk. However, this is not always the case and pupils identify some examples when work could be harder. Assessment provides an accurate indication of progress. Pupils’ targets tell them how to improve but these are not updated enough to challenge pupils.

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Key Findings

■ Behaviour is good. Pupils whose circumstances make them vulnerable are welcomed and flourish in the happy environment. Pupils feel safe in school and say that bullying does not happen.

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Key Findings

■ Senior leaders played a large part in improving pupils’ personal and academic behaviour. The school’s self-evaluation is too positive because it is based on the rising trends in the school rather than current attainment and progress. Nonetheless, the school is clear about the future. Plans identify practical actions to improve subjects, although not all of these focus enough on outcomes. ■ Governors check on progress but are not fully involved in deciding the school’s priorities.

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Key Findings

Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

■ Improve pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics by:  improving the level of challenge for more-able pupils in lessons  following more closely the school’s guidance to improve handwriting and spelling  setting individual targets that are sufficiently high for all pupils, referring to them regularly in lessons and adjusting them as soon as they are achieved.  ■ Improve the quality of teaching by:  making all lessons exciting and challenging to stimulate pupils’ learning  including more variety and a brisk pace  ensuring tasks always closely match pupils’ abilities. ■ Improve future planning for the school by:  ensuring actions and procedures to measure success are more closely linked to outcomes  involving governors more closely in early decisions about school priorities.

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Achievement of pupils

Learning in lessons is satisfactory but improves greatly when teaching inspires pupils. Sometimes pupils have a tendency to become passive learners with little response to questions unless they are thoroughly motivated by the activities. For example, when younger pupils were learning letters and sounds they became restless when too much time was spent on listening and not enough on a variety of activities. On the other hand, pupils in Years 5 and 6 made good progress in making their writing more imaginative as they reviewed images on the screen and compared examples of texts before coming up with their amazing list of descriptive words.

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Achievement of pupils

The vast majority of parents and carers who returned questionnaires identified that their children make good progress. Inspections evidence agrees that progress is improving but, as yet, it is satisfactory. Pupils enjoy learning and have the required basic skills to enable them to progress well to the next stage in their learning. Children make satisfactory progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and many are getting close to the level expected for their age when they start in Year 1 but this varies considerably with the small numbers involved. Attainment at the end of Years 2 and 6 is average and there is a rising trend in the results of national tests. Attainment in mathematics, which was below average at the previous inspection, is now in line with the national average. The response to changes in the way writing is taught has been slower with gaps, especially in spelling skills, proving harder to

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Achievement of pupils

close. Pupils’ attainment in reading by the end of Year 2 is broadly average although dipping in the current year which has 50% of pupils identified as having special educational needs. By the end of Year 6 reading is average and rising in response to structured reading sessions. The recent topic based on books about ‘spooks’ has engendered a real enthusiasm for reading. The proportion of pupils working above age-related expectations at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 is below national expectations, but increasing. Lower-attaining pupils and those with special educational needs make satisfactory progress. The school exploits the small numbers in school effectively to move pupils to groups that more closely meet their needs. With the help of support staff this generally works well, although on occasions, teachers do not focus on pupils’ needs throughout the lesson and sometimes additional resources are not readily available. Test data suggest that boys do not do

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Achievement of pupils

as well as girls and the school is adjusting the curriculum to stimulate their interest. However, any variation in attainment between groups must be viewed in the context of the small numbers of pupils in the school.

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Quality of teaching

The vast majority of parents and carers agree that children enjoy school and are well taught. Inspection evidence found that teaching is satisfactory overall with examples of good teaching that contribute strongly to the rising trend in attainment. Pupils say that teaching has improved over time, especially for the older pupils who have had their learning disturbed by numerous staffing changes. Throughout the school teachers organise lessons well. In Years 2, 5 and 6 teaching is good because activities are varied and pupils are thoroughly engaged in their learning. For example, in Year 2, pupils received individual letters which they could not wait to open and read. Their imagination was fired up as they sat quietly reflecting on their feelings about the dark. Effective questions led to pupils organising their thoughts before putting pen to paper. Pace is brisk and expectations high in the best lessons

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Quality of teaching

but these strengths in teaching are not yet consistent. In the Early Years Foundation Stage staff provide a wide range of opportunities for children to learn independently and work with an adult. However, with the small numbers involved, children tend to gravitate more towards adult-led activities which are often more stimulating. Outdoors provision is used effectively. Children thoroughly enjoyed building a pirate ship and taking on the role of pirates, for example.

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Quality of teaching

Although some lessons lack the necessary spark to make learning special, spirituality is developed well when pupils are excited by the topics being promoted. This is evident in Key Stage 2 when curriculum topics capture pupils’ interest and create a fascination for learning. A weaker element in the curriculum is planning to use skills across all subjects. The school is tackling this through an increasingly sharp focus on developing further the use of information and communication technology.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers mark books diligently and often include comments on how to improve work. Occasionally, these comments are too positive when a review of work shows pupils have previously produced better work. Teachers are beginning to involve pupils more in assessment. All pupils have targets. However, these are not referred to enough in marking and lessons to ensure pupils give them the necessary attention so that they improve their work.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Year 6 pupils spoke maturely about the improvement in behaviour over recent years. They comment that it is much better and they see their role as ‘setting an example to others’. They seek out ways to be helpful. Pupils recognise what is right and wrong and know how their behaviour can hurt others. Throughout the school pupils work hard to earn rewards and eagerly look forwards to Golden Time when they can choose their favourite activities. Around school, behaviour is also good. Even on a very wet day when pupils had to stay indoors at playtime, they acted responsibly needing limited adult intervention. Behaviour in Year 2 was impeccable as the pupils crept passed other classrooms to visit the school ‘cave’ at the start of their lesson.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The majority of parents and carers express their confidence in the way that the school cares for their children and promotes their good behaviour. Inspection evidence endorses these views and supports the view of one pupil who said, ‘We are a big happy family and all like each other’. Pupils say they feel safe and the school identifies no cases of significant harassment or exclusions over the last two years under the current leadership. Clear systems are in place to deal with any type of bullying and pupils say this is not a problem in their school. Pupils’ appreciation of the changes in school is evident in their enjoyment and rising attendance which is currently above average. Several pupils attend the breakfast club which ensures a good start to the day. Most pupils arrive at school on time but a few are late for the start of lessons.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher and deputy headteacher work together extremely well as a team. Their enthusiasm and determination to improve the school is infectious and appreciated by parents and carers. An initial audit identified a concern in behaviour which has been tackled doggedly so that a calm platform for learning is in place throughout the school. More rigorous tracking of pupils’ progress has led to staff being held more accountable for the progress of pupils in their class. This is leading to improved attainment, although there is still a way to go. Teaching is monitored and records show that weaker teaching has been eradicated. Professional development is targeted to specific weaknesses. This includes support staff who are now more confident in managing behaviour. Nevertheless, a few relative shortcomings continue to require attention to ensure the quality of teaching is consistently good. Although the school is clear about what needs attention, actions

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Leadership and management

and a specific focus on their impact on outcomes are not yet fully embedded. As a result, some recommendations from the previous inspection, especially writing, continue to require attention. As a result, although intentions are high, overall capacity to improve is satisfactory.

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Leadership and management

The governing body provides satisfactory levels of support, although it has not always been sufficiently involved in school to challenge and share in identifying the school’s priorities. Governors and senior leaders check closely on security and ensure all required safeguarding measures are in place.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is satisfactory. It includes a good balance of activities and visits and the more imaginative topics are effectively changing the tenor and culture of the school. A more structured approach to teaching letters and their sounds is in place. This is leading to rising attainment although, as yet, more swiftly in reading than in writing. Overall, the promotion of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. While the curriculum underpins pupils’ social and moral development well, the opportunities for spiritual and cultural development are less well developed. The newly created wildlife garden is increasing pupils’ appreciation of the natural world and the school is seeking to strengthen links with other schools to further promote pupils’ understanding of life in multicultural Britain. Overall, the curriculum satisfactorily meets the needs of pupils. Overall, leaders and managers, including the

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Leadership and management

governing body, are becoming more effective in meeting the needs of the more-able pupils and, therefore, the impact of the school’s promotion of equality of opportunity is satisfactory and improving securely.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Ingol Community Primary School, Preston – PR2 3YP

Thank you for the friendly welcome you gave me when I recently visited your school. I appreciated the way you helped me by opening the doors and answering my questions, as well as the way you were eager to smile and chat with me.

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Inspection of Ingol Community Primary School, Preston – PR2 3YP

You go to a satisfactory school and make the expected progress. I agree with you that it is improving and I am delighted that you now feel safe because behaviour is better. That is down to the way you act in lessons. It was lovely to watch how well you get on with each other and the staff. Teaching is satisfactory overall, although I observed some lessons which were very exciting and really made you concentrate and work hard. School leaders and managers have put in place several changes and it is clear your progress is rising. Attendance is above average. Well done!

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Inspection of Ingol Community Primary School, Preston – PR2 3YP

I think there are still some things that the school needs to improve and these are: ■ make sure that you all make enough progress especially in writing ■ make sure that the work you are set is just at the right level so that all of you, especially those who find learning easy, are challenged to do your very best ■ make sure that you check your targets more regularly so that you know how to improve ■ make sure all of your lessons are exciting and go at a fast pace ■ ensure that all the people who help to manage your school play a full part in deciding what is best to make your school even better.

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Inspection of Ingol Community Primary School, Preston – PR2 3YP

You have played an important part in the improvements so far and I am confident that you will continue to do so. I wish you all the very best for the future.

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Inspection of Ingol Community Primary School, Preston – PR2 3YP

Jennifer Platt Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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