Heybrook Primary School

Heybrook Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 05–06 March 2012 Inspection number 377292 Unique Reference Number 105770 Local authority Rochdale Inspection number 377292 Inspection dates 5–6 March 2012 Lead inspector Christine Millett

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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 546 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Atiya Shamim Headteacher Kevan Crowther Date of previous school inspection 4 March 2009 School address Park Road Rochdale OL12 9BJ Telephone number 01706 647201 Fax number 01706 710305 Email address office@heybrook.rochdale.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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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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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

Christine Millett Gill Farnworth Additional inspector Additional inspector Terry Bond Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 21 lessons or parts of lessons given by 21 members of staff. They held meetings with groups of pupils, staff and members of the governing body. They observed the school's work, heard pupils read and looked at work in pupils’ books. School policies and plans, data tracking pupils’ progress and records on safeguarding, health and safety and attendance were also scrutinised. Inspectors looked at the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) but no responses were recorded. Inspectors considered the 142 questionnaires completed by parents and carers as well as those from pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

Heybrook is larger than the average-sized primary school. All pupils are from minority-ethnic groups. Almost all pupils speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is above average. The percentage of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is also above that usually seen. Current floor standards have not been met. A significant number of pupils arrive and leave school at different times.

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Information about the school

There have been a number of changes in staffing since the previous inspection. The school has achieved a number of awards, including Healthy School status, Basic Skills Award and I CAN accreditation. The school operates breakfast- and after-school clubs as well as a Saturday Club for its pupils. There is a Children’s Centre on the school site. This provision was inspected and reported upon separately. 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

 Heybrook is a good school. It is improving strongly under the perceptive and determined leadership of the headteacher. Pupils achieve well in a safe, nurturing environment where they feel safe and have confidence in adults to take care of them. The very large majority of parents and carers are supportive of the school describing it as caring, friendly and supportive.

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Key Findings

 Children are provided with a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and this is built on effectively throughout the rest of the school. The school has focused on raising attainment. This has been particularly successful as a result of now well-established whole-school approaches. However, a few inconsistencies remain in the quality of marking.

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Key Findings

 Attainment data are used well to monitor pupils’ progress and ensure teachers, parents and carers, and pupils know where there is underachievement. Intervention strategies enable disabled pupils and those with special educational needs to make similar levels of progress to their peers. Reading is taught well overall. However, the teaching of phonics (linking sounds and letters) is not as strong in Key Stage 2 as it is in Key Stage 1.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is good overall, with some outstanding elements such as innovative approaches to collaborative learning. Staff are committed to building on their success and accelerating achievement for all. Pupils behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They make good progress because teachers provide them with interesting opportunities to develop skills in reading, writing, communication and mathematics. However, pupils have fewer opportunities to improve their skills in information and communication technology.

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Key Findings

 Leaders and managers, including members of the governing body, have strong aspirations for pupils’ progress and personal development. They monitor rigorously the work of the school and plan effectively. School self-evaluation is accurate. As a result the priorities in the school development plan focus sharply on the most important areas for improvement. Since the previous inspection, robust leadership systems have resulted in weaknesses in teaching being addressed and significant improvements in attendance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of teaching that is outstanding by:  extending good practice in the teaching of phonics into Key Stage 2  ensuring consistency in the marking of pupils’ work so they know what their next steps are and have the opportunity to respond to teachers’ comments  incorporating greater use of information and communication technology in lessons as an aid to learning and in order to develop pupils’ skills further. 

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils achieve well. Historically, attainment has been low. On entering the Early Years Foundation Stage, children’s skills and knowledge are extremely low in relation to expectations for their age. In addition, there has been weak teaching, low attendance and a high number of pupils who leave and join the school at different times. Concerted efforts through strong leadership have brought about significant improvements in these areas, which have had a considerable impact upon achievement.

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Achievement of pupils

As a result of teaching that is predominantly good, pupils are now making good progress as they move thorough school. This begins in the Reception class. From very low starting points, children achieve well. Assessment shows year-on-year improvements in all areas, particularly communication, language and literacy. However, when they reach Year 1 pupils are still working at levels well below those expected. Pupils continue to do well in Key Stage 1, and by the end of Year 2, in 2011, attainment in writing was broadly average and that in reading and mathematics better than previous years. At Key Stage 2, in the same year, national data show attainment in mathematics was broadly average. That in English was not as high. This was because of unexpectedly low scores in writing.

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Achievement of pupils

The school’s rigorous tracking system shows that progress is accelerating rapidly across the school. Pupils in Year 2 are working at above-average levels in reading and writing. Similarly, pupils in Year 6 are on target to reach above-average levels in both subjects. Data, progress in lessons and the work seen in pupils’ books suggest that these trends are set to continue. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are making similar rates of progress as their peers and learn well. They are supported well by teaching assistants and the class teacher during lessons and benefit from small-group activities.

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Achievement of pupils

In lessons, pupils show positive attitudes to learning and have good levels of concentration. All pupils work well together and are clearly engaged and involved in their learning. In a Year 4 science lesson, for example, pupils collaborated well in groups to assemble models of skeletons. Good discussions and application of learning skills enabled pupils to work well together to identify bones in the body. Their effective use of scientific vocabulary enabled them to make good progress in their learning and enabled them to talk confidently to inspectors about their work. Parents and carers expressed very positive, and accurate, views on the levels of progress their children were making.

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Quality of teaching

Teaching is effective because of the positive, caring relationships between all adults and pupils. These also contribute to pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Teaching assistants form good relationships with teachers and their pupils. They ensure that disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are fully engaged. Teachers plan learning objectives and set out a list of criteria which pupils use to judge whether their learning has been successful in lessons. Teachers use assessment information well to plan lessons. There is a strong emphasis on reasoning and thinking which are developing well through Philosophy for Children and the cooperative approach to learning that has been introduced. This also has a positive impact upon pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Quality of teaching

Reading is taught well and pupils have many opportunities to practise their reading skills. From Reception to Year 3 pupils are developing their knowledge of phonics in a systematic way. This includes not only learning new sounds, but practising writing them. The school is aware that there are some gaps in the phonic knowledge of some pupils in Key Stage 2 and has plans in place to address this.

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Quality of teaching

Most work is marked regularly and there is evidence of good practice. This is especially the case in English, where pupils have a clear understanding of what they have achieved and are provided with effective guidance on how to improve their work. However, incorrect spellings are sometimes overlooked. Some inconsistencies were noted, particularly in mathematics. Next steps for pupils to work towards are not as comprehensively established in mathematics and pupils do not always have the opportunity to revisit inaccuracies. Pupils self-assess through the colour-coded system which is used consistently throughout the school. They take pride in their work which, in the main, is neatly written and presented.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers’ good subject knowledge underpins a good curriculum. In the best lessons, teachers use questioning skills effectively to develop pupils’ understanding. This was seen in a Year 1 lesson where pupils went outside to fly kites they had made. They were interested in investigating how kites flew. Discussions around the effects of the wind on the kites promoted answers such as, ‘When the wind blew it went higher. When the wind stopped it went down.’ Lessons such as these are planned to meet the interests of pupils and engage them in wider learning opportunities. However, the use of information and communication technology is sometimes limited to teachers using electronic whiteboards for display purposes. The very large majority of parents and carers feel their children are taught well.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are typically considerate towards each other and are polite and courteous to adults. Their behaviour and their attitudes and knowledge of safety are good. This is recognised and commented on by parents and carers. Pupils make a good contribution to their school community and their views are sought and listened to by staff. Pupils say that they feel very safe in school and they can identify many of the actions that the school takes to ensure their safety. Pupils have well-developed awareness of e-safety and how they should use the internet. They say that there is little, if any, bullying of any kind and that they know the actions to take if they have concerns. They are very aware of the need to respect others. Awards focus the pupils’ attention well on taking responsibility for their actions and working hard. They are given many opportunities to help the school community through, for example, the school choir and the school council. Older pupils lead exercise sessions for the

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

younger pupils at breaktime and help serve at lunchtime. They are good role models. The school’s very positive learning environment reinforces the value of good behaviour and all pupils happily conform to this expectation in lessons, around the school and over time. Attendance is above average and punctuality is good.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher leads by example and has developed an effective team of senior leaders who share his vision. Their well-communicated vision and ambition for the school and their persistent drive for improvement ensure that staff are well motivated, highly committed, and feel part of a good team. Middle managers are enthusiastic, thoughtful and well informed. They form part of a strong leadership group that has good capacity to sustain improvements. The high expectation of senior leaders and the governing body, and high- quality continuing professional development have been instrumental in improving the quality of teaching and accelerating progress across the school. Since the previous inspection, school leaders have been successful in developing tracking procedures and have introduced assertive mentoring. This has enabled them to keep a close check on the progress of all pupils and to implement interventions for those pupils at risk of underachieving. It has been

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Leadership and management

effective in improving pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills. These good developments show the school is well prepared to sustain further improvements. The governing body makes a strong and influential contribution to school improvement. Members are active, knowledgeable and hardworking. They support and hold school leaders to account for the quality of provision.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is good. It is well organised on a rolling programme, meeting the needs of all classes well. Themed events, such as ‘Fun Maths’ and ‘Links for Life’, add interest and variety to the curriculum. Excellent displays throughout the school, in corridors as well as classrooms, reflect the diversity of the topics being studied. A wide range of visits and visitors enrich pupils’ learning, and participation by many pupils in sporting activities supports their healthy lifestyles. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. Pupils are reflective and demonstrate a very strong social and moral awareness, supporting charities and showing a strong empathy for those less fortunate than themselves.

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Leadership and management

School leaders, including the governing body, ensure the safety of all pupils through regular checks, and staff training ensures all are kept fully up to date with best practice. The governing body is rigorous in ensuring that site safety and risk assessments for all activities are in place. Development planning is based well on accurate data, with strengths in provision being built on and weaknesses systematically and effectively tackled. The school ensures that discrimination in any form is not tolerated and promotes equality in pupils’ opportunities for success well. There are strong partnerships with neighbouring schools to drive improvement further. Parents and carers are extremely positive about the school. Good relationships with parents and carers are promoted through the regular newsletters and meetings. Members of the governing body have a high profile in and around school.

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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 Heybrook Primary School, Rochdale OL12 9BJ

 Thank you for the very warm welcome we received when we visited your school recently. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, particularly having the opportunity to talk to so many of you and to see you in lessons and at play. You and your parents and carers told us that Heybrook is a good school and we agree.

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Inspection of Heybrook Primary School, Rochdale OL12 9BJ

 Teaching is good and this helps you to make good progress.  You get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  You achieve well during your time in school and attainment has been low but is improving rapidly.  You told us that you enjoy school and feel safe and secure.  You think that behaviour is usually good, and we found that you behave well in lessons and around the school. You were extremely polite.  You have good relationships with your teachers and you get on well with each other.  The headteacher, other adults and the governing body are working hard to make the school as good as possible for you.

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Inspection of Heybrook Primary School, Rochdale OL12 9BJ

In order to help you do even better in your learning we have asked them to improve teaching so that more lessons are outstanding by:  teaching more phonics in Key Stage 2  making sure marking tells you what your next steps are and that you have time to respond to teachers’ comments  including more opportunities for you to use information and communication technology.

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Inspection of Heybrook Primary School, Rochdale OL12 9BJ

All of you can help the school by continuing to try your best in lessons, coming to school regularly and always behaving well. We wish you all the best in the future.

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Inspection of Heybrook Primary School, Rochdale OL12 9BJ

Christine Millett 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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