Bewsey Lodge Primary School

Bewsey Lodge Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 20–21 June 2012 Inspection number 378208 Unique Reference Number 110971 Local authority Warrington Inspection number 378208 Inspection dates 20–21 June 2012 Lead inspector Frank Carruthers

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 227 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mike Organ Headteacher Emma Wright Date of previous school inspection 17 June 2010 School address Lodge Lane Bewsey Warrington WA5 0AG Telephone number 01925 632730 Fax number 01925 444351 Email address BewseyLodge_Primary_Head@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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Introduction

Frank Carruthers Elaine Maloney Additional Inspector Additional Inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 19 lessons or parts of lessons taught by nine teachers as well as by teaching assistants. The inspectors listened to pupils read in Year 2 and talked with pupils in Year 6 about their reading. They observed teaching sessions of letters and sounds in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. Pupils’ work was inspected and observations were made of pupils’ behaviour at play and around school. The inspectors held meetings with staff, a group of pupils and the Chair of the Governing Body. They observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documentation including the school’s self-evaluation document, the school improvement plan, records of monitoring teaching and learning, and attendance and behavioural records. Inspectors analysed 88 questionnaires returned by parents and carers as well as those returned by pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

This is an average-sized primary school. Half of the pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals, which is well above average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is half the average of all primary schools. Very few of these are at the early stages of learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. There is a specialist unit in school, catering for up to eight pupils who come from other schools in the local authority. The pupils are aged four to eight and have speech, language and cognition difficulties or are on the autistic disorder spectrum. The headteacher was appointed in October 2011. The school did not meet current floor standards in 2011, which are minimum standards expected by the government. The school has achieved several awards for environmental and ecological projects including the Green Flag Award and the

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Information about the school

Active School Award, Healthy School status and the Artsmark. 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. It is improving rapidly and securely but is not yet good because the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement are not yet securely good. 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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Key Findings

 Pupils achieve satisfactorily. Since the time of the last inspection, pupils’ attainment and achievement have been variable. Some year groups underperformed in the past and last year standards in Year 6 were well below average. Current classes are now all achieving at least satisfactorily and some, for example Year 6, are achieving well. Attainment at the end of Year 6 is broadly average in both English and mathematics.

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Key Findings

 The majority of teaching observed during the inspection was good but this has not been consistent in the past. Better teaching is leading to much better pupil progress. Previously, pupils’ progress was not as rapid as it is currently and there are gaps in their knowledge and skills which are still being addressed. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning over time is satisfactory and improving.

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Key Findings

 The behaviour of the great majority of pupils is good. Some pupils display challenging behaviour and the school manages this well. Clear evidence of this is seen in the mature attitudes of older pupils, some of whom had behavioural problems in the past. All pupils feel safe and have a good understanding of personal safety, a view endorsed by almost all parents and carers.

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Key Findings

 After a period of significant change, leadership and management are now secure. The incoming headteacher has set about raising expectations and improving pupils’ achievement with determination and success. Ably supported by the assistant headteacher, she has had a very positive impact on the performance of all staff and achievement is rising securely.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching further so that it is consistently good or better and thus accelerate progress and achievement by: - further enhancing the monitoring of teaching and learning to make sure it is fully robust - continuing to model good teaching, coaching staff in the best elements of effective teaching and sharing best practice - ensuring the pace of pupils’ learning in lessons is consistently good - widening the range of pupils’ reading to encourage greater enjoyment for pupils - promoting pupils’ independent learning, research and thinking skills in order to raise their attainment in all subjects.

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Achievement of pupils

Most children start in the Nursery classes with skills that are low for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children in the Nursery, for example, were well behaved and well mannered, chatty and confident when they were picnicking outside. They have learned all routines and expectations about sharing. At the same time their speech and language were promoted well by timely, well-pitched questions from the staff. By the time they enter Year 1 most children have skill levels still below those expected, although some are in line, especially in aspects of number.

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Achievement of pupils

Progress in reading, writing and mathematics is satisfactory overall. By the end of Year 2, attainment in reading is broadly average. However, in some years an above average proportion of pupils with special educational needs depresses reading standards overall. The impact of the teaching of phonics (letters and sounds) is evident in the confidence many pupils display in tackling unfamiliar words. Nevertheless, a number of lower-attaining pupils have gaps in their knowledge of sounds. By the end of Key Stage 2, attainment in reading is average. In the current Year 6, almost all pupils are reading at the level expected or better for their age. Their ability to make deductions from text and consider the intentions of the author is improving as a result of better teaching of comprehension skills this year. However, pupils’ familiarity with popular authors and their awareness of how to work independently and efficiently from information books are less well developed. This limits the

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Achievement of pupils

effectiveness of pupils’ learning skills and progress. Attainment in English and mathematics is broadly average at the end of Key Stage 2 and the gap between the performance of different groups of pupils, such as those who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are not, is not significant.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ ability to concentrate in lessons, to remain focused on tasks and respond to teachers’ questioning improves as they move up through the school because the quality of teaching is improving securely. Pupils in Year 2 were keen, for example, to come up with good ideas for writing dialogue and worked well with one another. Pupils in Year 4 used information and communication technology very effectively to create short videos promoting one country’s bid to host the Olympic Games. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make satisfactory and improving progress as a result of the school’s good provision in both the designated unit and mainstream classes. For example, pupils attending the unit become well focused on learning. Some pupils who have significant behavioural problems now control their frustration very well and can work in a small group successfully for long periods thanks to

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Achievement of pupils

the effective support of staff. The unit has been successful in re-integrating individual pupils into mainstream classes. Almost all parents and carers who responded to the inspection questionnaire are pleased with their children’s progress.

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Quality of teaching

In the year following the previous inspection, staff absence and turnover led to inconsistency in pupils’ learning. Some disruption has continued in the current school year and a few parents and carers commented on the disruption. Nevertheless, this year has seen clear improvements to teaching. These have been the result of the concerted effort of the headteacher and senior leaders to raise the expectations of all staff. Success is being achieved by providing good role models for teachers to emulate, regular monitoring of teaching and the scrutiny of lesson planning and pupils’ work. Some good lessons now have outstanding features, such as the high quality of interactions between staff and pupils. The curriculum has also been re-modelled to provide better opportunities for reading, comprehension and writing. As a result, Year 5 pupils, studying ‘The Lady of Shalott’, composed very thoughtful questions about the intentions of the poet, such as, ‘Why does

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Quality of teaching

the poet compare the shadows to people?’

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Quality of teaching

Teaching assistants contribute very well to the rapidly improved quality of teaching. They are involved closely in planning; they know the pupils well and several have high levels of skill in elements such as speech and language, and reading. They also have important roles in assessing pupils’ progress. They are very effective in teaching disabled pupils and those with special educational needs and leading successful intervention programmes. The tracking system which was refined effectively this year means that all staff have a clear understanding of how well pupils are performing and there is a clear expectation of what pupils should be achieving in each year group. This is now effectively relayed to the pupils through better marking, especially in English, and pupil interviews. Older pupils now know what level they are at in reading, writing and mathematics and what their targets are.

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Quality of teaching

This good improvement to teaching is on-going and is having a significant impact on raising attainment and accelerating progress across all year groups. Although some teaching is still satisfactory, monitoring records indicate that over the course of the current year the proportion of satisfactory teaching has reduced significantly and securely. Occasionally the pace of learning slows when staff deal with the challenging behaviour of an individual pupil. This is why, overall, teaching is judged to be satisfactory and not yet good.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils have good attitudes to school. They report that they enjoy lessons and are proud of their achievements, such as trophies they have won and improvements to the school environment with its gardens and play areas they have helped to create. Levels of attendance are in line with the national average and have continued to improve since the time of the previous inspection. Older pupils, especially, feel they are making a real contribution to the harmonious atmosphere in school by being play leaders, called ‘Bewsey Busy Bees’, who have had training in defusing potential conflict between children. Behaviour records show clearly that incidents of poor behaviour have reduced in the current year and are now rare. Pupils respond well to the behaviour code and understand what is acceptable and unacceptable. Anti-bullying has a high profile in school. Pupils report that they know exactly what to do if they are anxious. Pupils have a song on the subject of bullying that

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

they all sing. Racist incidents are rare and the pupils recognise different types of bullying, such as homophobic bullying, and understood how wrong they are. Parents and carers report that, whereas they have had concerns about bullying in the past, the determined approach taken by the school has given them renewed confidence. Almost all consider that their child is safe in school and this view is endorsed by pupils themselves and the inspection findings. The school is successful in addressing the needs of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties, including the few who have joined the school on a managed transfer from other schools where they had been in danger of exclusion. Pupils in the designated unit are made to feel fully part of the school when they play with everyone and are supported by ‘Bewsey Busy Bees’.

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Leadership and management

The performance of staff has benefited significantly from the dynamic leadership of the headteacher. A clear, shared vision for the school underpins the drive to raise standards and improve achievement. The governing body provides effective support in the drive for improvement. For example, it has established a ‘Looking Forward Committee’, which is providing a sharp strategic focus for future developments and raising achievement. Expectations are now high. Stronger links with parents and carers have been forged and accountability established. Leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage and provision for pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs are effective. Much of the senior leaders’ monitoring of provision is still at a relatively early stage so its full impact has yet to be felt. Appropriate plans to widen the scope of monitoring are being implemented and are starting to have impact. It is for these reasons that, whereas leadership and

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Leadership and management

management are satisfactory overall, the capacity to improve further is good.

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Leadership and management

Arrangements for the safeguarding of pupils’ welfare and the safe recruitment of staff are all secure and staff training is up to date. The school promotes equality of opportunity through careful monitoring and tackles discrimination effectively. The curriculum contains much to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, for example through the International School programme. Pupils take a strong lead in charity collection, healthy eating and environmental projects in school. Staff are currently undertaking a review of the whole curriculum to confirm how well it enriches pupils’ experiences and promotes pupils’ independent learning.

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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 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 standard: 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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Inspection of Bewsey Lodge Primary School, Warrington, WA5 0AG

Thank you for welcoming the inspectors to your school recently. You were all friendly and helpful and we enjoyed finding out from you how you are getting on. On behalf of the inspection team, I would like to tell you what we found.

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Inspection of Bewsey Lodge Primary School, Warrington, WA5 0AG

Bewsey Lodge is providing you with a satisfactory and improving education. This means that some of its work is good but other things need to be improved. For example, the children get off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes. Also, pupils who find school difficult, perhaps because they find it hard to behave themselves or because they find speaking or reading difficult, get good support from staff. You reported to us that behaviour in school is good and we agree. You know how to keep safe.

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Inspection of Bewsey Lodge Primary School, Warrington, WA5 0AG

However, although you make satisfactory progress in school subjects, we want the school to help you to do even better. We want the teaching you receive to be always good or outstanding. Your headteacher and assistant headteacher have already begun this task and more of your lessons are good now. For example, your teachers are making sure that they give you all challenging work, that teaching assistants are doing a good job and that marking your work helps you to know the next steps you need to take. Your headteacher is very good at showing teachers what good teaching is so that all staff understand how they can help you all to improve.

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Inspection of Bewsey Lodge Primary School, Warrington, WA5 0AG

We are pleased you are all looking forward to the new buildings your school is soon to get and the woodland areas that promise to be even better than those you already have on the site. Keep trying your best. I send you all my best wishes for the future.

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Inspection of Bewsey Lodge Primary School, Warrington, WA5 0AG

Frank Carruthers 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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