Burnley Ightenhill Primary School

Burnley Ightenhill Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 5–11 Inspection date(s) 7–8 February 2012 Inspection number 379764 Unique Reference Number 119264 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 379764 Inspection dates 7–8 February 2012 Lead inspector Kevin Johnson

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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 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 285 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Terry Mullrooney Headteacher Kate Marney Date of previous school inspection 6 November 2008 School address Alder Street Burnley BB12 6ED Telephone number 01282 428246 Fax number 01282 839938 Email address office@ightenhill.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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Kevin Johnson Carol Machell Additional inspector Additional inspector David Halford Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out at two days’ notice. Inspectors observed 19 lessons or parts of lessons taught by 11 teachers, talked to pupils and reviewed some of their work. Meetings were held with staff and members of the governing body. In addition, inspectors took account of 123 questionnaires returned by parents and carers as well as those completed by staff members and pupils. There were no responses from parents and carers via the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) to aid in planning the inspection. Inspectors looked at a wide range of documentation which included that relating to safeguarding, the curriculum, the school’s self- evaluation, governing body meetings, national assessment data and the school’s assessments of pupils’ progress

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Information about the school

Almost all pupils are White British in this larger than average primary school. Approximately one third of the pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. The school includes a specially funded unit for up to ten pupils with speech and language difficulties. The proportion of pupils in the whole school with special educational needs is well above the national average. The school did not meet the floor standards in 2011, which set minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. There are a very small number of disabled pupils in the school. The school provides a breakfast club, and has achieved Healthy school status. Further awards include Activemark, Artsmark (gold) and the Eco-Schools (silver) award.

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Information about the school

Prior to the headteacher’s appointment in January 2011 the school experienced some uncertainty in leadership. There has also been considerable turnover of teaching staff over the past year. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate 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. Since her appointment, and with strong support from the deputy headteacher and senior leaders, the headteacher has introduced many positive changes and set the school on a clear path to improvement.

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Key Findings

 Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is improving due to decisive action taken by the school and is now broadly average.

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Key Findings

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage settle into school well. They enjoy their learning and make satisfactory progress. Progress for pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 is satisfactory and showing positive signs of improvement.

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Key Findings

 Pupils who attend the specially funded speech and language unit are supported well and quickly integrated into classes with pupils of similar age. Pupils behave well and feel safe in school. They are strongly opposed to bullying and racist behaviour. They say that ‘the school handles bullying really well.’

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Key Findings

 The quality of teaching is satisfactory. Teaching is good where there are high expectations but there are inconsistencies, for example, in the level of challenge for pupils and the pace of their learning.

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Key Findings

 The curriculum satisfactorily enables pupils to develop their literacy and numeracy skills and promotes their spiritual, moral social and cultural development. Pupils achieve well in sports and music.

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Key Findings

 A clear vision for improvement is shared by leaders and managers at all levels and there is strong determination to improve the learning and quality of provision in the school. Self-evaluation is accurate and effective strategies are moving the school on.  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?

 Raise attainment in writing throughout the school by: - consolidating the system for teaching the sounds that letters make (phonics) and basic reading and writing skills recently introduced in the school - ensuring that all pupils, and particularly the more able, are always sufficiently challenged by writing tasks.   Increase the proportion of good and better teaching by: - sharing the best classroom practice throughout the school - ensuring that high expectations and good pace are features of every lesson - marking pupils’ work, across all subjects and in all classes, to the same high standard found in literacy books - checking that written pointers to improvement are consistently followed up by pupils. 

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils are attentive in lessons and most are keen to work hard. They rise to challenges provided for them especially when it involves working with partners to test ideas and solve problems in a practical way. In a mathematics lesson, for example, the simple apparatus which enabled pupils to divide two digit numbers into smaller sets made learning easy and enjoyable. In some reflective writing, a pupil commented that among the most enjoyable things were the ‘explosive science lessons.’ Pupils have clear written guidance for reaching targets which enables them to measure their own progress and gives them an incentive to aim for the next levels of work. Pupils are confident, due to their positive relationships with teachers. They feel valued and are always willing to ‘have a go’.

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Achievement of pupils

Attainment at the end of Key stage 2 in 2011 was average in mathematics but below average in English. There has been decisive action to restore English standards. The grouping of every pupil in the school by ability for reading and writing skills is beginning to show impact. School assessments and pupils’ current work indicate that most are working at broadly expected levels in English. Attainment at Key Stage 1 is rising and standards in writing and mathematics currently seen in the school match national expectations. At the end of Key Stage 1 and by the time pupils leave the school they achieve broadly average standards in reading. The whole school system for teaching letters and the sounds that they make is boosting the confidence of pupils of all ages and having a noticeable influence on their willingness to tackle reading and writing independently. Nevertheless, despite the improving picture, too

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Achievement of pupils

few pupils are challenged sufficiently to attain higher levels in writing at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Progress faltered following the previous inspection due to a period of uncertainty in teaching and leadership. Again, the actions taken by the school over the past year to improve pupils’ behaviour and attitudes, hold teachers more accountable and use assessment data effectively have paid dividends. The vast majority of parents and carers justifiably express no concerns about the progress their children make and some comment positively. The large majority of pupils, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, make at least expected progress and achieve satisfactorily overall. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs benefit well from the ability grouping and additional help they receive. Gaps between their attainment and that of others nationally are closing. Assessments show that

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Achievement of pupils

some made better than expected progress from their starting points during the autumn term. Pupils who attend the specially funded unit are well provided for. Regular speech therapy backed up by sensitive support in mainstream classes when appropriate, ensures that they make satisfactory progress. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make satisfactory progress from below typically expected starting points. By the end of Reception, although still below expected levels of learning and development, most are working within their early learning goals.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching has improved over the past year. There is no inadequate teaching and the proportion of good teaching is increasing. Nevertheless, too much of the teaching is satisfactory. Teachers focus strongly on literacy and numeracy skills. They plan appropriate opportunities for pupils to develop writing but the application of mathematics across the curriculum is not as extensive.

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Quality of teaching

In the good lessons, teachers test pupils on their prior learning and quickly move on to new work. Clear and systematic methods, backed up by helpful resources prepare pupils well for practical work. All abilities are taken into account so that work is manageable yet challenging enough to give pupils a real sense of achievement. Teachers promote good personal qualities in their pupils by expecting them to persevere independently or work with others to improve their learning. In a lesson with a group of lower-attaining Year 6 pupils, the teacher set a relentless pace. No time was lost as the pupils were continually challenged to make the next step in improving their English skills. Pupils’ enthusiasm was ‘bubbling’ because of what they were achieving and they readily applauded any good work that others in the group produced. This enjoyment of learning and recognition of others’ achievement are examples of the positive contribution teaching makes to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social

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Quality of teaching

Such good practice is not shared throughout the school, however. Some lessons lack the pace and urgency that pupils need to make good progress. Practical work is not always challenging enough, particularly for the more-able pupils and at times there is too little independent practical work because teachers talk for too long. Teachers’ subject knowledge is sound and they generally make satisfactory use of technology to enliven pupils’ learning. Marking in literacy books is usually good but that quality is not seen consistently across other subjects even when writing is used. Where guidance is given, the impact is sometimes lost because it is not acted upon by pupils in order to improve their work. Pupils in the specially funded unit are taught satisfactorily. For much of their time in school they are supported in other classes while working alongside pupils of similar age or ability. Parents and carers hold

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Quality of teaching

positive views about teaching in the school generally and some comment favourably about the specific support given in the speech and language unit. Inspectors found teaching overall to be satisfactory rather than good.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils enjoy school and have good attitudes to learning. They are courteous and respectful towards adults, are considerate of one another and typically behave well around the school. Pupils have a strong sense of what is right and wrong and express their views clearly in their code of conduct. They contribute well to school life by their willingness to act as school council members, eco-warriors, or house captains. The school council has taken up a local initiative to create a ‘pop-up farm’ from which they hope they will develop a full-blown allotment. They have already made headway in eliminating dangerous parking outside the school. Pupils also channel their enthusiasm into enterprising ventures such as the sale of home-made cakes and wristbands in order to raise funds for charities. Attendance was average over the last academic year but so far in the current year it has improved. Punctuality is improving and persistent absence is decreasing.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils say that they feel safe in school and that they are well cared for. This view is endorsed overwhelmingly by parents and carers, the vast majority of whom consider behaviour to be good. Pupils are adamant that there is no bullying of any type including that related to racial differences; they say name-calling incidents are rare. They get on well with each other and the adults who work in the school; they have every confidence that any concerns they may have will be dealt with promptly. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe outside of school. They are aware of potentially dangerous situations and how to avoid them including internet use and cyber- bullying. Pupils generally have a good understanding of what is needed to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

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Leadership and management

The impact of the headteacher’s leadership since joining the school has been significant. She has revised leadership roles so that senior leaders are a unified driving force in school improvement. Support from the local authority has been fully embraced resulting in effective professional development and a strong focus on improving teaching and learning. Expectations have risen as a result of clear direction, a shared vision and collective will to achieve the school’s ambitious yet realistic targets. Together with pupils’ improved attitudes to learning and behaviour, rising attainment levels and increasing support from parents and carers, the school amply demonstrates capacity for further improvement. The governing body supports the school well and closely monitors its development. It fully shares the vision for success and works with determination to develop the skills needed to share more actively in evaluating progress and holding the school to account. The governing

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Leadership and management

body conscientiously ensures that safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. All personnel are properly checked as to their suitability to work in the school. Relevant training is kept up to date and regular assessments on the safety of the building are carried out. Leadership of the specially funded resource unit is satisfactory. Pupils are cared for well and benefit from the specific support they receive. The school provides a balanced curriculum which enables pupils to achieve satisfactorily. It is designed to raise attainment in reading, writing and mathematics for all groups of pupils, ensuring that they have equality of opportunity to achieve their best. The academic and pastoral needs of different groups of pupils are monitored rigorously and assessments are used well to ensure that pupils are supported and challenged according to their individual needs. Additional enrichment activities engage pupils well in clubs and visits out of school and contribute well to

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Leadership and management

pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development. A commendable project currently being developed is designed to raise awareness of cultural issues and help tackle discrimination. ‘Building Bridges’ will involve mutual visits and exchanges of information with a school where most of the pupils are from Asian backgrounds.

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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 Burnley Ightenhill Primary School, Burnley, BB12 6ED

 Thank you very much for making us feel welcome when we came to inspect your school recently. We were impressed by your good manners and behaviour. It was a pleasure to talk to you about your school. Well done for attending school more often. So far this year your attendance is above average so it is very important that you keep it up. We also heard some wonderful singing as we passed by the hall and during assembly, so well done for that too.

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Inspection of Burnley Ightenhill Primary School, Burnley, BB12 6ED

Your school is satisfactory because you make satisfactory progress and the standards you reach in English and mathematics are broadly average. Nevertheless, your progress is improving and the standards you reach are going up. Your teachers work hard to make your lessons fun and the staff take good care of you and help you to feel safe. Your parents and carers are very supportive of Ightenhill. They and your teachers and school governors would like to see your school improve further. They have some good ideas about how to make that happen and we have contributed some ways as well.

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Inspection of Burnley Ightenhill Primary School, Burnley, BB12 6ED

We have asked your teachers to help you achieve better standards in writing by making sure that the reading and writing scheme that you follow at the moment continues to work well. We have asked them to make sure that all of you are really challenged when you do your writing, especially those of you who are capable of higher levels. Also we have asked teachers to make every lesson as good as the very best by working together and sharing the best teaching methods. We have asked them to make sure that lessons are lively and that they always expect the most from you. We have also asked them to mark all your work as well as they mark your literacy books and to make sure that you take notice of what their marking tells you.

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Inspection of Burnley Ightenhill Primary School, Burnley, BB12 6ED

You all can help by continuing to come to school every day and taking on board the comments the teachers write in your books.

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Inspection of Burnley Ightenhill Primary School, Burnley, BB12 6ED

Kevin Johnson 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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