Peel Hall Primary School

Peel Hall Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 12–13 July 2012 Inspection number 377320 Unique Reference Number 105913 Local authority Salford Inspection number 377320 Inspection dates 12–13 July 2012 Lead inspector Andrew Clark

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Educati on 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 248 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Cowpe Headteacher Gaynor Dunkley Date of previous school inspection 20 January 2009 School address Greencourt Drive Worsley Manchester M38 0BZ Telephone number 0161 7904641 Fax number 0161 7904643 Email address peelhall.primaryschool@salford.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

Andrew Clark Louise Murphy Additional inspector Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspectors observed 10 teachers teaching 16 lessons or parts of lessons. Meetings were held with a group of pupils, the Chair and other members of the governing body, school staff, including senior and middle leaders and the manager of the Education Improvement Partnership. The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school development plan, records of pupils' progress, safeguarding and behaviour policies, and minutes of the governing body’s meetings. Parents’ and carers’ questionnaires were analysed from 133 responses, together with those completed by pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

Peel Hall is an average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well above average. The large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. A small but increasing number of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average. The school meets the current floor standards, which set the government’s minimum expectations for attainment and progress. Among the school's awards are Investors in Families and Healthy Schools status. 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. It is not yet outstanding because the teaching, although good, occasionally misses opportunities to deepen pupils' learning and to accelerate pupils’ progress further. Parents and carers hold the school in high regard and value the care and quality of education that their children receive.

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Key Findings

 Pupils of all abilities make good progress to reach average standards in English and mathematics by Year 6. There is a good trend of improving achievement throughout the school. Pupils who have special educational needs also make good progress towards accurate and challenging targets.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is good. It is sometimes outstanding. Lessons are well-planned and work is closely matched to individual needs. Relationships are particularly good. Teachers make very good use of regular marking and assessment to guide pupils' learning. Very occasionally, teachers do not encourage pupils' self reliance in their learning nor ensure that pupils explain their thinking and reasoning fully.

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Key Findings

 Behaviour and safety are good. Pupils are well-mannered and courteous. They take good care of each other, and behaviour in lessons is often exemplary. They have a good understanding of different types of bullying and how to keep themselves safe from harm. Parents and carers feel warmly welcomed and pupils feel safe at school.

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Key Findings

 The school is led and managed well. The headteacher provides a focused, reflective vision for school improvement and is well-supported by senior and middle leaders. The governing body provides strategic and comprehensive support and challenge to the leadership. Self-evaluation is accurate and built upon high-quality monitoring procedures, which make effective use of performance management. This results in sustained and ambitious school improvement. The curriculum promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well but opportunities are missed for pupils to apply and extend their skills in information and communication technology (ICT).

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching in order to hasten pupils' progress further and deepen learning by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

- developing further opportunities and strategies for pupils to be more self-reliant in their learning

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

- improving pupils' ability to articulate their reasoning and understanding

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

- increasing the use of ICT as a tool for learning.

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Achievement of pupils

Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills which are generally well below those typical for their age, particularly in speech and language. Pupils of all abilities make good progress from their starting points. Parents and carers agree. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children develop social and learning skills, which prepare them well for their future learning. Their early communication skills, particularly speaking, are systematically developed and children increasingly apply them well. They are curious about the world around them. For example, they enjoyed 'packing' suitcases with the right clothes for an imaginary holiday on the beach. There is a good trend of improving achievement and a narrowing of any gap between the achievements of the least-able children and others.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils are positive learners throughout school. Teachers promote lifelong skills of, for example, resilience and reflection, and pupils respond well to this. Pupils develop skills to assess and improve their own work, especially in response to outstanding teaching. Occasionally, pupils are over-reliant on their teachers for guidance and this inhibits the best rates of progress. The large proportion of pupils who have special educational needs make good progress because they are taught the skills they most need to overcome barriers or to fill in gaps in their individual learning, such as communication or behavioural issues.

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Achievement of pupils

By the time pupils leave school in Year 6, standards are average and they are well-prepared for their future learning. Throughout school, pupils' progress in reading is good. Standards in reading are below average by the end of Year 2 and average by Year 6 and there is a trend of improving achievement for all groups of pupils. Pupils’ understanding of the link between letters and sounds, and how they are written, is often good and improving. As a result, all groups, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, use skills well in decoding new words and largely read fluently. Pupils choose books for themselves but cannot always explain their preferences or reasons for their decisions. Pupils develop their writing skills well. They often write for relevant and interesting reasons; this contributes to the quality and appropriateness of their work. For example, they wrote letters

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Achievement of pupils

to persuade their teacher to give them extra 'golden' time and compiled balanced accounts of the plights of individuals in the Second World War. Pupils take good care to present their work well with accurate spelling and handwriting. This is very evident across a range of subjects and reflects the teachers' high quality of marking and attention to detail. Pupils make good progress in mathematics because there is a good balance between learning new skills and applying them with increasing independence. Since the previous inspection, this has had a particularly good impact on the achievement of more-able pupils. Throughout school, good-quality work is evident in several subjects such as art, design and technology, history and religious education.

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Quality of teaching

Parents and carers appreciate the good quality of teaching their children receive. Relationships are excellent. As a result, lessons run smoothly and pupils enjoy their learning.

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Quality of teaching

Lessons are well-planned to ensure that the content builds systematically and thoroughly on pupils' skills, knowledge and understanding. Pupils feel that lessons are often exciting. This contributes to the good progress made by all groups of pupils. Teachers' subject knowledge is good, and evident in the sharply-focused and challenging questions asked. Teaching assistants are also well-informed and clear about their roles. As a result, all groups of pupils systematically acquire the building blocks to successful reading, writing and mathematics. For example, in a lesson in the Early Years Foundation Stage about the difference between stories and non-fiction using information leaflets, children were taught to 'Say it, read it, write it' to help them memorise and retain word and letter patterns. Very occasionally, pupils are not encouraged to expand on their thinking and understanding and articulate

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Quality of teaching

their ideas fully. Teachers use a wide range of strategies such as fast-paced talking partner activities and informative 'learning walls' to help pupils build on their knowledge and understanding, especially where teaching is outstanding. In a few lessons, however, pupils are too ready to turn to the teacher for help because they have not got the skills to work out what to do next or to check their own work. The school meets well the very diverse learning needs of the large proportion of pupils who have special educational needs. Staff are quick to identify accurately any barriers to successful learning and put in place effective interventions, including a close partnership with speech therapy services.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers make good use of targets for pupils to achieve in English, mathematics and other subjects based on regular and accurate assessments of progress. These contribute well to pupils' achievement in lessons. Pupils are eager to reach their targets and produce the best quality work they can. Marking is regular and purposeful because teachers give pupils time to respond to the guidance given. Teachers make good use of praise, rewards and friendly competitiveness to promote pupils' personal awareness and to raise pupils' aspirations. As a result, the teaching promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils' behaviour is good in and out of lessons. It is sometimes exemplary. Parents and carers endorse this positive view of behaviour. Pupils have a good understanding of the teachers' high expectations and consistently try to meet them. The overarching positive ethos and good team work between teachers, teaching assistants and specialist support ensures that pupils who have social and emotional difficulties learn to manage and improve their own behaviour well. Pupils are involved in establishing and supporting school rules through personal and social development lessons and their roles on the school council. The school makes good use of well-planned assemblies to develop personal qualities, which contribute to self-control and awareness. Playtimes are orderly and well-managed. There is a range of physical and sporting activities and areas for quiet reflection. Incidents of less acceptable behaviour are rare, well-managed and recorded. Lunchtime assistants and other

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

non-teaching staff are well-informed about how to manage pupils’ behaviour and this supports the positive ethos. Attendance is average.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils have a good understanding of the different types of bullying. They explain how staff guide them to make decisions for themselves about how to manage and respond to any concerns about safety. The school successfully ensures good behaviour when pupils are engaged in a wide range of social activities from singing at the local church to residential and other visits.

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Leadership and management

The calm and strategic leadership of the headteacher contributes significantly to an open and reflective school ethos. Staff morale is high and senior and middle leaders make a good contribution to school improvement through performance management and professional development. As a result, pupils' progress and attainment have continued to improve since the previous inspection. Procedures to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning are good and sometimes exemplary. For example, the very thorough planning, organisation and implementation of the monitoring of marking and use of assessment through a scrutiny of pupils’ books, lesson observations and discussions with pupils, ensure high levels of consistency and accuracy. Subject leaders are clear and proactive in their roles. The school makes good use of partnerships, with other schools and training providers, to meet its development needs. Staff are well-supported by an equally reflective and

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Leadership and management

rigorous governing body. The governing body's detailed and incisive regular reports on many aspects of school life contribute well to self-evaluation. Consequently, the school has accurately identified targets to improve teaching and learning further and has a good capacity to meet them. The school promotes equality and diversity well. This is helping to narrow any gap between the progress made by different groups of learners over time. Safeguarding procedures meet requirements and the school is vigilant in tackling rare examples of discrimination and in ensuring all aspects of pupils' safety.

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Leadership and management

The good curriculum is broad and balanced and promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. The school has well-planned activities for the teaching of literacy and numeracy skills and applying them across the curriculum. However, the school does not make full use of ICT to further improve rates of progress. Regular visitors and trips, including residential ones, bring learning to life and extend pupils' social and cultural awareness.

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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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Inspection of Peel Hall Primary School, Manchester, M38 0BZ

Thank you for making the inspectors feel warmly welcomed when we inspected your school recently. We enjoyed visiting you in your lessons, at playtimes and in assembly. You go to a good school. These are some of the best things we found out about it.

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Inspection of Peel Hall Primary School, Manchester, M38 0BZ

 The headteacher and all the teachers work hard with you and your parents and carers to make the school a great place to learn.  You all make good progress in English and mathematics. You use your skills well in lots of different subjects.  Teachers make lessons interesting and fun to take part in.  The school's good curriculum helps you become resilient and sociable young individuals and you are well-prepared for your future learning.  Your behaviour is good and sometimes excellent. You are keen and ready to learn.  Your teachers take good care of you and teach you how to stay safe from harm.

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Inspection of Peel Hall Primary School, Manchester, M38 0BZ

To help your school to improve further, we have asked your headteacher, staff and the governing body to make the teaching and learning even better by:

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Inspection of Peel Hall Primary School, Manchester, M38 0BZ

 making every lesson the best it can be by helping you become more self-reliant, able to explain your thinking and understanding well and helping you make good use of ICT in different subjects.

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Inspection of Peel Hall Primary School, Manchester, M38 0BZ

You can help by always trying hard and continuing to enjoy school.

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Inspection of Peel Hall Primary School, Manchester, M38 0BZ

Andrew Clark 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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