Eldon Primary School

Eldon Primary School Eldon Street, Preston, Lancashire PR1 7YE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The school has improved rapidly since the previous inspection. All groups of pupils are now making good progress across the school in English and mathematics. Consequently, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 is now average.  As a result of strong leadership, teaching is now good and sometimes outstanding. Teachers have high expectations, make pupils think deeply and ensure that pupils are always working hard.  Behaviour and safety have improved since the previous inspection. Pupils say they enjoy school which is why they love attending. Over the last two years pupils’ attendance has risen so that it is now similar to the national average.  Pupils say they feel safe because adults always help them if they have a problem. It is clear in lessons that pupils are respectful to each other and their teachers.  Leaders and governors work extremely well as a team and know the school’s strengths

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and weaknesses. They keep a close eye on the changes put in place over the last two years to make sure these are working successfully.  The main reason that all aspects in the school have improved is the relentless drive of the headteacher, other leaders and the governing body. There is a shared determination that indicates that the school will continue to improve.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not have enough opportunities to use mathematics regularly in other subjects and do not get enough chances to solve real- life problems in mathematics lessons.  Teachers do not always get sufficient opportunities to share good practice.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly but their comments do not always help pupils to improve their work, especially in mathematics.  The outdoor area does not provide children in the Early Years Foundation Stage with a wide range of activities that help them to develop their early reading, writing and mathematical skills.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed eight teachers and visited eight lessons.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, members of the leadership team, English and mathematics subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, Educational Psychologists, pupils, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors look at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and looked at a wide range of documentation including the school’s self-evaluation, documents relating to monitoring and evaluation, systems for tracking pupils’ progress and documents regarding the safeguarding of pupils and key policies.  Inspectors took account of eight responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and the school’s most recent questionnaires for parents.

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Inspection team

Sue Sharkey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Gillian Burrow Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Eldon Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or who speak English as an additional language are above the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above the national average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above average. In this school these pupils are those known to be eligible for free school meals.  A high proportion of teachers have been appointed since the previous inspection. The acting deputy headteacher started 2 days before the inspection.  There is a nursery and breakfast club on the school site which are not managed by the governing body. These are subject to separate inspections. The latest reports are available on

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Information about this school

the Ofsted website.  The school meets the government’s floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school holds The Basic Skills Agency Quality Mark.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all teaching is as good as the best by:  making sure that the marking of pupils’ work always helps pupils to know how to improve their work, particularly in mathematics  ensuring that all teachers have regular opportunities to share ideas and try out new techniques.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate progress in mathematics by:  providing more opportunities for pupils to carry out real-life problem solving  making certain that pupils are able to develop their mathematical skills in subjects other than mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Widen the range of activities provided in the outdoor area for the Early Years Foundation Stage, and ensure that these activities help children make better progress in their early reading and writing skills and their understanding of numbers and shapes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children enjoy learning from the time they start school in the Early Years Foundation Stage where they are cared for in a safe environment. At this stage their skills and abilities are usually below what is expected for children of this age. Their skills in speaking and listening, reading and writing and numeracy are often especially low when they start school.  The exciting range of activities in the classroom helps children to talk, play and learn to share together. They can be often seen chatting away to each other and showing good social skills, including taking turns. Children behave well together and thoroughly enjoy the many opportunities they have to learn. The outdoor area is used regularly, but there is not the same wide range of activities, or equipment, that there is in the classroom to help them develop early reading, writing and mathematical skills.  The good progress that children make in the Early Years Foundation Stage continues through

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The achievement of pupils is good

Key Stages 1 and 2 so that by the end of Key Stage 2 pupils’ attainment is broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result of better teaching and a clear focus on improving the progress of all groups of pupils, including pupils from minority ethnic background and those who speak English as an additional language, attainment is rising. This demonstrates that the school values equality of opportunity for all pupils.  Pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium and those with special educational needs benefit from extra support or alterations to activities they are given. Their needs are well met and they make good progress. The pupil premium funding is used effectively to ensure that pupils who may find learning hard are taught in classes where everyone is in the same year group, and often in small groups where the work set is closely matched to their needs. Consequently the progress of this group of pupils has improved and is good.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Opportunities for pupils to use their speaking and listening skills are an important part of all lessons. Pupils use their writing skills in other subjects effectively but there are fewer occasions to use mathematical skills in other subjects, for example science and geography.  Pupils say they enjoy reading. Some pupils enjoy a particular author whilst others have a preference for animal books. The teaching of letters and sounds involves pupils from an early age. They begin to read successfully, and are enabled to enjoy books at school as well as at home. Pupils’ reading improves as they move through school so that by the end of Year 6 pupils’ attainment in reading is average.  In a Year 2 lesson, pupils were absorbed as they listened to the teacher reinforcing letter sounds. The teacher reminded the pupils that they had to listen carefully so that they could say the sounds accurately. Pupils repeated the sounds, included them in a word and later in the

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The achievement of pupils is good

lesson used the words in their own sentences. This helped to boost their progress in both reading and writing.  The school has recently invited an author to open the new library which has enabled the school to extend the range of books. For example, there are now more books for both boys and girls and this has contributed to the improvement in pupils’ reading skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Regular checking of lessons and teachers’ planning, as well as staff training, have helped to improve teaching so that it is now good and sometimes outstanding. This is reflected in the improvements to the quality of pupils’ learning since the previous inspection.  Teachers plan lessons well and match activities effectively to the different needs of pupils and to the age of pupils in the class. Teachers and teaching assistants are skilled in meeting the particular needs of different groups of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds including those who speak English as an additional language. This is why the achievement of pupils in all these groups is good.  Teachers have good knowledge of the subjects they are teaching which, along with the good use of a wide range of equipment, helps to bring learning to life. Pupils enjoy taking part in

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The quality of teaching is good

different activities during lessons.  For example, in a Year 6 mathematics lesson pupils worked in small groups. The ‘buzz’ in the classroom showed that pupils were working hard, enjoying the tasks because they were set at the correct level of difficulty, and were rapidly increasing their mathematical understanding.  Solving problems in mathematics is helping to improve pupils’ progress but this is not done often enough, particularly solving problems that are linked to real-life situations.  Teachers expect a lot from pupils because they want them to do their very best. Strong relationships between adults and pupils ensure that pupils complete plenty of work during lessons because they want to please their teachers. Teachers mark pupils’ books regularly and give lots of praise but written comments, particularly in mathematics books, do not always help pupils know what they have do to improve their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils understand their targets in English and mathematics. Key Stage 2, pupils say the system for checking whether targets are achieved works successfully and say targets are a good idea as it helps them to know how well they are doing in their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The vast majority of pupils behave well in lessons and in the playground. Pupils and parents agree that behaviour is good; pupils say it has improved over the last few years.  During lessons and around the school it is obvious that pupils enjoy school. Pupils are keen to learn and always try to do their best. They take great pride in the presentation of their work.  The school council is pleased with the part it played in improving punctuality. The council decided an award would be given for those who arrived at school on time and say that as a result punctuality has improved. The school works closely with parents to ensure that pupils attend school regularly, and give attendance awards to pupils. Hence attendance is now average having improved greatly since the previous inspection.  Pupils say that if there is bullying in school they are confident that adults will soon put a stop to this. Through the anti-bullying week and the curriculum pupils have developed an

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

understanding of what bullying is and how to deal with it.  Pupils also say that they feel safe in school because there are good systems in place that assure their safety, for example, there are regular fire and fire extinguisher practices. Not only do adults in school look after them well but pupils also look after each other, particularly at break and lunch times.

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The leadership and management are good

 Sharply focused and able leadership from the headteacher ensures that a close check is kept on how well pupils perform and on the quality of teaching. Rigorous monitoring of teaching, pupils’ attendance and behaviour means that leaders know the school’s strengths and weaknesses well. This reinforces the determination and ability that leaders and staff have to improve the school further.  The headteacher, leaders and managers have focused successfully on the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. A sharp focus on checking pupils’ progress and setting challenging targets has helped to make sure that all groups of pupils make good progress and the headteacher, staff and governors maintain a firm commitment to promoting equal opportunities.  Due to recent changes in staffing not all teachers have yet been involved in the school’s performance management. However, for teachers who have been involved clear targets have

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The leadership and management are good

been set and the focus on training and professional development of staff, as well as good support from the local authority, has improved the quality of teaching. This has raised achievement in English and mathematics and improved behaviour. Some teachers have been rewarded for their efforts and performance management is increasingly linked to progression in pay. There are not enough occasions though for teachers to share and explore ideas, or new skills, to ensure that teaching is always of the very best.  The lively curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. A good range of visits and visitors provide pupils with memorable experiences helping to develop their desire for learning. For example, pupils visit the city museum, library and art gallery regularly. They have opportunities to attend theatre productions and celebrate different cultures. The school has good links with the community including the local church and mosque.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are heavily involved in the school. They play a key role in helping the school to improve through regular monitoring, challenging the headteacher and talking to pupils, staff and parents.  Governors are well organised and have a wide range of skills which they use successfully to support the school. They carry out regular checks to make sure that all groups of pupils achieve well.  The governing body ensures that all safeguarding needs are met so that pupils are safe in school.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 119229 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 401823

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4-11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 168 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jackie Williams Headteacher Azra Butt Date of previous school inspection 15-16 June 2010 Telephone number 01772 253557 Fax number 01772 251693 Email address head@eldon-pri.lancs.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

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. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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School details

please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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