Warrington St Ann's CofE Primary School

Warrington St Ann's CofE Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 29–30 May 2012 Inspection number 395358 Unique Reference Number 111298 Local authority Warrington Inspection number 395358 Inspection dates 29–30 May 2012 Lead inspector Marie Cordey

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 233 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Steve Parish Headteacher Kathryn Keen Date of previous school inspection 13 May 2009 School address Lathom Avenue Orford Warrington WA2 8AL Telephone number 01925 632210 Fax number 01925 637846 Email address stanns_primary@warrington.gov.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

Marie Cordey Elaine Maloney Additional inspector Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspectors observed eight teachers and visited 15 lessons, three of which were joint observations with the headteacher. In addition the inspectors made other more brief visits to lessons and also heard pupils reading. Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body, a parent governor, a representative from the local authority, members of staff and groups of pupils. The inspectors observed the school's work, and looked at the school’s self-evaluation evidence, school improvement plans, safeguarding documentation, and records of internal and external monitoring of the school. The inspectors also analysed questionnaires completed by 38 parents and carers and those completed by pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

Warrington St Ann’s is an average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is high. The proportion of pupils supported by School Action Plus or with a statement of special educational needs is high. The vast majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. The headteacher and deputy headteacher took up post in September 2011. The school has gained the Quality Mark for its work in improving pupils’ basic skills in literacy and numeracy. 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 good school. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school’s effectiveness and comment about its excellent spiritual character. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. The school is not yet outstanding because attainment in mathematics and writing requires improvement and the quality of teaching is good overall.

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Key Findings

 Achievement is good. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress from their low starting points and are curious, enthusiastic learners. By the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment is below average, although this is rapidly improving, especially in reading. A school focus on improving pupils’ basic skills is effective in raising their attainment by the end of Year 6. Nevertheless, their skills in mental mathematics and in spelling lag behind their attainment in reading and other subjects. Pupils who are disabled and those with special educational needs make good progress in their learning.

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Key Findings

 The quality of teaching is good and includes some teaching that is outstanding. High expectations, consistent challenge and the engagement of pupils in their learning characterise the most effective lessons. This is not consistent; there are some weaknesses in the assessment of pupils’ work and in matching activities to the abilities and interests of individual pupils.

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Key Findings

 Pupils and their parents and carers believe that behaviour is good and inspection evidence confirms this. Pupils are unfailingly courteous and polite. They relish learning in most lessons and are respectful of others. They are confident and self-assured because they are known as individuals by all staff. They feel safe in this nurturing environment.

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Key Findings

 Leadership is a driving force for improvement. Senior leaders and the governing body are ambitious and unequivocal in their commitment to raise attainment and to ensure that the school is a happy place in which to learn.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in all subjects, particularly in mathematics and writing by:  putting more emphasis on pupils’ acquisition of basic skills in spelling and mental mathematics  ensuring that pupils practise and apply basic skills in all subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Remove inconsistencies in teaching by ensuring that in all lessons:  teachers set the same high expectations for what pupils can achieve  teachers carefully check pupils' understanding of what they are doing before moving on  pupils receive good guidance about how well they are doing and precisely what they need to do to improve their work.

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Achievement of pupils

Children join the Nursery class with skills that are below those expected for their age. They experience a broad and varied curriculum because of a deliberate concentration on ensuring that children achieve in all areas of learning. For instance, during the inspection they were developing their knowledge and understanding of the world around them as well as grasping skills in emerging writing when they chronicled the lives and habitats of worms. Children make good progress in their learning in the Early Years Foundation stage and their skills improve by the end of their time in the Reception class. However, their skills in writing and counting are not quite as assured as those in other areas of learning.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress from their below average starting points in Year 1. This is because targets are challenging, pupils’ performance is regularly monitored and reviewed and teaching is good. In 2011, overall attainment at the end of Year 6 dipped considerably, nonetheless most pupils made satisfactory progress. Successful action by leaders and good teaching has ensured that current Year 6 pupils have made good progress through Key Stage 2 and are attaining at broadly expected levels with stronger attainment in reading than writing and mathematics.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils learn best when challenge is tailored to their individual needs. They relish learning when it engages their interests and is linked to real life. Pupils in Key Stage 1 rose to the challenge of organising and preparing food for a Jubilee tea party. They worked happily and productively to solve problems, organise budgets and apportion individual responsibilities. They were also very proud because they reached their ‘teddy’ targets. These targets are much prized, because, if ‘teddy’, the teddy bear, is pleased, then pupils have done very well. A clear focus on improving pupils’ basic skills in mathematics in a Key Stage 2 lesson was effective because pupils linked their learning to personal budgeting. Pupils’ achievement is lessened when basic skills, especially in writing and in mathematics, are not reinforced in subjects across the curriculum and when expectations of pupils’ achievement are not high

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Achievement of pupils

enough. Pupils are avid readers because books are carefully chosen to match their abilities as well as their interests and a wide range of adults listens to them read. They become fluent readers because they practise reading aloud and learn to correct themselves whenever they falter.

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Quality of teaching

Most teaching is good and better and pupils thrive when they are challenged to achieve their best. However, while there is much good practice on a few occasions teachers’ explanations are not clear and pupils are not sure about what is required of them. The inspection confirms that pupils and their parents and carers are correct in saying that teaching is good. In an action-packed, exciting lesson in Key Stage 1, pupils chose an animal picture and competed to find the best, most effective verbs and adjectives, to describe what was happening. New technology was used exceptionally well to create animations and diagrams as well as digital photographs to represent the precision of their descriptions. Similarly, in a lesson in Key Stage 2, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs used computers to create an animation of the ‘rabbit and tortoise’ story. They skilfully using technology to make figures move and were stimulated to match this with

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Quality of teaching

powerful description. Their spiritual, social, moral and cultural development was enhanced as they considered how ‘slow and steady wins the race’. The planned curriculum is broad and increasingly focused on improving pupils’ basic skills in literacy and numeracy. Teaching assistants are used effectively to challenge and support disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. These pupils make good progress because they are rapidly identified and provided with a variety of tailored, group and class support. The assessment of pupils’ work is usually thorough and helpful. Most pupils act on advice about how to improve their work further and are very clear about their attainment. Again, this is not consistent and some pupils’ work is either not marked frequently enough or does not include helpful comments. In these cases, pupils are not clear about what, precisely, they need to do in order to take the next steps in their learning.

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Quality of teaching

Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage thrive because they are excited and stimulated by a vast range of activities from speaking through tubes to measuring, estimating and predicting the power and impact of water passing through plastic gulleys. They thoroughly enjoy playing and learning indoors and outside because there is much to engage their attention. As a result they become more independent and confident. Just occasionally, staff interrupt children’s learning and speak for too long; this reduces children’s opportunities to try out activities for themselves.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are confident, charming young people. They enjoy coming to school each day and their attendance is above average. Pupils are proud of their involvement in school life especially in the ‘parliament’ consisting of the elected ‘Prime Minister’, ‘cabinet’ ministers and school representatives. Prefects help to look after younger pupils and take part in many activities to help in the day-to-day running of the school. They are efficient corridor, classroom and playground monitors and their views are acted upon. Organised activities at lunch and break times take place because of their considered representations to senior leaders. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage play and learn happily together. They look up to older pupils because they are role models of good behaviour. There is a palpable sense of a community where pupils and staff respect and value each other. A spiritual ethos reflects the school’s special character and the value it places on understanding and

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

respecting people from different walks of life. Assemblies and acts of collective worship are inspiring, and reflective. Pupils are eager to sing and pray together as well as to celebrate each other’s achievements. Parish links are strong and help to create a strong sense of community and belonging. Parents and carers believe that behaviour is typically good and inspection evidence confirms this. Pupils feel safe and they say that bullying is extremely rare. They are knowledgeable about different types of bullying because school systems ensure that it is an integral part of the curriculum. They are confident about the school’s actions to deal with any instances of bullying. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are eager to discover new skills and acquire knowledge. Occasionally, pupils become restless and distracted when teachers speak for too long in lessons or when they are not sure precisely what is expected of them.

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Leadership and management

The new headteacher and deputy headteacher have made their mark on this good school. Performance management is closely linked to raising pupils’ attainment and professional development has been effective in raising pupils’ attainment, particularly in reading. Leaders and managers at all levels have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths as well as areas requiring improvement. Good achievement, improving teaching and behaviour and rising attainment in mathematics and writing demonstrate the impact of leaders’ actions and reflect good capacity to sustain improvement. This is supported by the responses to questionnaires by parents and carers, pupils and staff who believe that leadership and management are good. The curriculum is well-planned to ensure that pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress in their learning. It is particularly effective in its planning to enhance pupils’ spiritual, social, cultural

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Leadership and management

and moral development. Effective partnerships with the local authority have helped to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ reading skills. Leaders are continuing to focus on ensuring that all teaching is good and better. Leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage are good and staff are proud to work as a team. Leaders and the governing body are committed to tackling discrimination and ensuring equality of opportunity. The governing body is effective and very involved in the everyday life of the school, from listening to pupils read to conducting assemblies. They are well-trained in monitoring pupils’ achievement as well as ensuring their safety. Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements. Shrewd financial management enables resources to be matched clearly to school priorities. The school is at the heart of the community and promotes cohesion well.

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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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 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 to 31 December 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 up 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

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school's efforts to encourage good attendance.

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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

Floor standards the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures

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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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8AL

 Thank you for making us so welcome when we inspected your school recently. We would especially like to thank the pupils who met with us and those who gave us such a pleasant tour of the school. You were polite and thoughtful and we enjoyed reading your questionnaires. You told us you feel safe in school and you enjoy your lessons. Your attendance is good because you enjoy coming to school. We were particularly charmed by your ‘parliament’ and enjoyed talking to your ‘prime minister’, ‘cabinet ministers’ and the many prefects and monitors. You really do make a difference to your school. Well done! Children in the Nursery and Reception classes are welcomed into school and looked after well by all of you.

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8AL

Warrington St Ann’s is a good school. Your behaviour is good and you are enthusiastic learners. You do your best work in reading and we would like you to improve your work in writing and mental mathematics. We want all your lessons to be good and better because we know that you can reach higher standards in your work. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress and enjoy the many opportunities available to them to play and learn.

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8AL

You can play a part in improving your school by continuing to work hard. We know how much you enjoy achieving well and your standards in reading show that. We have asked the teachers to give you clearer guidance about what you need to do in lessons and how to improve your work.

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8AL

We take away many happy memories of our time with you and wish each one of you the very best for your future.

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8AL

Marie Cordey 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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