Shadsworth Infant School

Shadsworth Infant School Inspection report

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Age group 3–7 Inspection date(s) 09–10 July 2012 Inspection number 395611 Unique Reference Number 119220 Local authority Blackburn with Darwen Inspection number 395611 Inspection dates 9–10 July 2012 Lead inspector Pritiben Patel

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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 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 223 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Christiana Barnes Headteacher Barbara Booth Date of previous school inspection 11 September 2008 School address Rothesay Road Blackburn BB1 2EL Telephone number 01254 698002 Fax number 01254 279294 Email address shadsworth.infant@blackburn.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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Pritiben Patel Elaine Maloney Additional inspector Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors observed seven lessons taught by seven teachers. Inspectors checked pupils’ work, made short visits to lessons, observed pupils’ work displayed around the school and investigated other activities. They scrutinised documents including the school development plan, monitoring reports, minutes from governing body meetings, information about pupils’ progress and attendance as well as arrangements for safeguarding. Meetings were held with staff, groups of pupils and the Chair of the Governing Body. Responses to questionnaires returned by pupils and staff and the 129 returned by parents and carers were analysed.

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Information about the school

This is a smaller than average-sized infant school. Most pupils are of White British heritage with a small number from other White, mixed and Romany Gypsy backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic heritages and those who speak English as an additional language is below average. The percentage of pupils supported at school action plus and those with a statement of special educational needs is significantly above average. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is three times higher than the national average. The school holds Healthy Schools status and accreditation for the ‘Every Child a Reader’ initiative which provides additional support in reading for those pupils that require it. 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, carers and pupils agree. The school is not outstanding because the quality of teaching is good rather than outstanding and the progress that some more-able pupils make is not as rapid as that of other groups of pupils .

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Key Findings

 Pupils’ achievement is good. Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 is average. Owing to strong provision, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs reach a standard that generally exceeds that of similar pupils nationally. Overall, pupils make good progress from starting points that are well-below expectations.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is good overall. The relationships between staff and pupils are strong and make a significant contribution to the development of pupils’ self-esteem and confidence. The school environment is engaging and stimulating for the pupils. Lessons begin with clear learning objectives, providing effective direction and focus for learning. However, some more-able pupils in Years 1 and 2 are not reaching their full potential because they are not always challenged consistently in all lessons.

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Key Findings

 Behaviour is good. The school motto, ‘Caring and Sharing’ is truly practised by both pupils and staff alike. Pupils enjoy school, speak highly of their teachers and have positive attitudes to their learning.

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Key Findings

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher work together effectively to continuously improve outcomes for all pupils. Expectations are high and teachers are accountable for the progress that pupils make. The leadership and management of teaching and learning are good. Teachers’ professional development is linked effectively to the school development plan. The system used to track the progress that pupils make has improved since the previous inspection, but it does not enable staff to easily analyse the progress of groups, such as the more able. While the quality of middle leadership has improved, monitoring activities are not always rigorous enough to maximise outcomes for pupils in the areas they lead. 

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

■ Raise attainment for more-able pupils in Years 1 and 2 by:  ensuring the system used to track pupils’ progress allows staff at all levels to more easily analyse information, and check the rate of progress for the most able pupils  ensuring that tasks are more closely matched to their specific needs in order to move their learning on at a faster rate.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that subject leaders improve further their monitoring roles and formalise their findings to maximise learning outcomes for pupils in the areas they lead.

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Achievement

Children enter the Nursery with levels of attainment well-below expectations. They make good progress and are working just below age-related expectations by the time they enter Year 1. Children’s progress in linking sounds and letters, and language for communication and thinking is particularly strong. Their good progress is due to the highly supportive and encouraging environment that is created by all adults. Curriculum activities are engaging and there is a good balance between child- initiated and teacher-led activities. Leaders have correctly identified that the outdoor provision requires improvement so that it mirrors the good quality indoors.

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Achievement

Teachers ensure that the more-able children in the Early Years Foundation Stage receive challenging activities of which they are capable. For example, in a Reception class, children were learning to spell and read words with an, ‘ar’ sound. The more- able pupils were able to use their knowledge to extend their list of words beyond the words the teacher was asking the rest of the class to focus on.

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Achievement

There has been a steady trend of improvement over time and standards of attainment at the end of Year 2 are now average. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs attained higher standards than their peers in national assessments in 2011. This is because of the carefully-tailored support they receive which meets their needs very well. While the school has put in place some effective strategies to improve the rate of progress for more-able pupils, it is too soon for the impact to be judged.

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Achievement

Inspection findings endorse parents’ and carers’ views that pupils make good progress. Pupils achieve well from their starting points. This includes all groups such as pupils from other White, mixed and Gypsy Romany backgrounds, as well as pupils who speak English as an additional language. Inspection evidence found no significant difference in the progress made by girls and boys. One of the key reasons for pupils’ good achievement is the regular pupil progress meetings that take place where those not making the expected progress are identified and support is provided to ensure they catch up quickly.

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Achievement

Standards in reading at the end of Year 2 are average. The excellent one-to-one support that pupils receive is enabling them to become confident readers with a developing passion for reading. In addition, structured teaching across the school of the sounds that letters make is providing pupils with the necessarily skills to read well.

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Quality of teaching

Inspectors agree with pupils and their parents and carers that teaching is good. Relationships are strong and adults support and encourage pupils very well. As a result, there is no fear of failure on the part of pupils. Even when they are a little unsure about their answers they are more than willing to have a go. This was well illustrated in a Year 2 literacy lesson where pupils were very eager to answer the questions posed by their teacher about the meaning of new words they were learning. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to take ownership of their learning and pupils respond well. In a Year 1 literacy lesson, pupils were working in groups discussing the features of a recount text, writing their ideas on post-it notes and sticking them to a large sheet of paper, ready to present to the rest of the class. Both teachers and adults alike are enthusiastic and this ensures that pupils enjoy their learning.

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Quality of teaching

The high number of support staff are proactive, well trained and make a good contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly to disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.

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Quality of teaching

The topic-based curriculum is planned so that pupils learn from first-hand experiences. For example, in a Year 1 literacy lesson pupils were asked to write about their recent visit to the farm and because they had just had this experience they were able to relay information with enthusiasm. Teachers have high expectations of presentation and, as a result, work in books is well presented. Teachers’ marking is thoughtful and informs pupils about their next steps for improvement.

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Quality of teaching

Staff often adapt their teaching and learning so that it meets the different abilities of pupils. They do this particularly well for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. However, too often, more-able pupils tackle the same work as others before going on to more challenging tasks. This was evident in pupils’ books where the more-able completed the same work as other pupils in their class .

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Behaviour and safety

Inspection findings endorse the views of parents and carers that behaviour is good. Pupils behave well in and around school. They are polite, joyful and know the difference between right and wrong. The caring ethos created by staff at all levels is very much appreciated and practised by pupils. This was illustrated well when a pupil said that he would sit next to an inspector during lunchtime so, ‘You do not feel alone’. This caring attitude was observed throughout the inspection. Pupils get along with each other well and there have been no racist incidents. They have a good understanding of the various forms of bullying, such as name-calling. Pupils say that bullying incidences are rare and effectively dealt with when they occur.

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Behaviour and safety

Parents and carers appreciate and recognise the caring ethos of the school fully. This was exemplified when one parent wrote representing the views of many, ‘This school is wonderful. My son has learnt a lot and feels safe and is really happy’. Similarly, another parent wrote, ‘The care and devotion shown by the team has helped my daughter come on in leaps and bounds’.

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Behaviour and safety

Parents and carers believe that pupils are happy and that they feel safe at school. Pupils have a good understanding about what constitutes unsafe situations and the steps to take in relation to fire, road and e-safety.

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Behaviour and safety

Pupils have a range of opportunities to demonstrate responsibility, for example, as play leaders who organise equipment at break times as well as the many fruit and milk monitors who help in classrooms. Assemblies make a good contribution to developing pupils’ sense of self and, ‘Being Your Best’.

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Behaviour and safety

Attendance has improved significantly and is now in line with the national average. This is due to the effective work of staff including the Well-being Coordinator who has employed a range of strategies to bring about improvement, including working closely with parents and carers.

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Leadership and management

Pupils achieve well because leadership and management are good. Parents and carers also believe that the school is led well. The headteacher very much values the staff, and as a result, staff work together well as a coherent team and share the same vision. Leaders have a strong commitment to tackle discrimination.

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Leadership and management

School leaders reach out to the community and have developed very good partnerships; for example, with parents and carers by providing support for them through family learning opportunities. Strong partnerships with a wide range of health agencies help to ensure that the individual needs of pupils are well met. A lively and well-planned curriculum provides well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Leadership and management

The management of staff performance and the leadership of teaching and learning are good. Lessons are systematically observed and strengths and weaknesses are shared with teachers. A strong programme of continuous professional development ensures all staff are skilled and equipped well to carry out their roles. Subject leaders have developed their roles since the previous inspection. However, the monitoring of the subjects they lead is still not rigorous enough to ensure their findings are formally recorded and the information used to further improve outcomes for pupils.

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Leadership and management

The system to track the progress of pupils has improved since the previous inspection, too. However, it cannot be used easily to analyse the progress of groups, including the more able. As a result, information is not always used effectively enough to deliver lessons that consistently challenge pupils in Years 1 and 2. Although the school aims to fully ensure that all pupils have the same opportunities, and in general they do, their efforts have not fully secured this aim.

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Leadership and management

The school has demonstrated a good capacity to sustain improvement. The school development plan identifies the correct priorities to move the school forward. The governing body has a good understanding of the school’s work and is proactive in its support for the school. Members of the governing body contribute to school evaluation as well as fulfil their roles as critical friends. Safeguarding arrangements meet requirements.

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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 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 Shadsworth Infant School, Blackburn BB1 2EL

I am writing to thank you for making us feel so welcome when we visited your school. You had so much to tell us! I have to say that you are ‘Caring and Sharing’ pupils! You have positive attitudes to school and your learning. You behave well and get along with each other. Yours is a good and happy school. All the adults work hard and support you well including those of you who need extra help.

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Inspection of Shadsworth Infant School, Blackburn BB1 2EL

We found that you make good progress and reach average standards by the time you leave your school in Year 2. Those of you who have specific needs and require extra help do really well at school. Children in both the Nursery and Reception classes make good progress, too. Most of the teaching in your school is good. You like to take part in lessons and have lots of ideas to share with all the adults who work with you. We really enjoyed listening to some of you read because you are so enthusiastic and that is good to see! Please continue with this because you are becoming independent readers. You enjoy your visits to the farm and zoo as well as your responsibilities as play leaders and monitors. You feel safe in school and told inspectors that bullying and racism are not problems for you. You know what to do if a fire was to occur and how to cross the road safely.

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Inspection of Shadsworth Infant School, Blackburn BB1 2EL

There are some things that we have asked the school to do to ensure that you make even better progress. We have asked teachers to make sure that those of you who are capable, get harder work in Years 1 and 2. We have also asked your subject managers to keep an even closer eye on the areas they lead. Finally, we have asked that the way that your progress is tracked is improved.

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Inspection of Shadsworth Infant School, Blackburn BB1 2EL

I wish you and all your teachers my very best for the future!

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Inspection of Shadsworth Infant School, Blackburn BB1 2EL

Pritiben Patel 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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