Morecambe and Heysham Westgate Primary School

Westgate Primary School Langridge Way, Westgate, Morecambe, Lancashire, LA4 4XF

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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.  Pupils enjoy their time at school and are well prepared for the next stage in their education and future lives.  Achievement is good and pupils make good progress through the school. As a result, they reach broadly average standards in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Teaching is consistently good and sometimes outstanding. Teachers prepare interesting materials that help pupils learn well. Teaching assistants provide good support to pupils who need extra help with their work. Classrooms are managed well so that lessons run smoothly and little time is wasted.  Pupils’ good behaviour in lessons helps them to make good progress. They are eager to learn and try their very best to succeed. Around the school pupils are considerate and polite. They feel safe and secure and take pride in their school.  The astute leadership of the headteacher has been central to the school’s good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

improvement since the previous inspection. Both teaching and achievement have improved.  The governing body and staff work well as a team and morale is high.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not yet enough outstanding teaching and learning across the school.  Teachers plan activities that do not always get the best out of the pupils. This sometimes results in work that is too easy for more-able pupils, particularly in reading and writing.  In less effective lessons there is too little time for pupils to be independent and extend their thinking.  Pupils do not have enough opportunity to develop their understanding and use their reading and writing skills in a range of different subjects, including information and communication technology.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 24 lessons. In addition, they observed the teaching of small groups of pupils receiving extra support for English and mathematics.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils and to parents as they brought their children to school in the morning. They took account of 16 responses from parents to the on-line (Parent View) survey.  Meetings were held with the governing body, staff and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a number of documents, including child protection and safety, the school’s monitoring of teaching and the school improvement plan.  Inspectors heard four groups of pupils read and checked the school’s assessments of pupils’ progress in reading. They also looked at the school’s tracking system showing pupils’ progress in mathematics and English.

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Inspection team

Andrew Morley Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sheila Mawer Additional Inspector John Ellwood Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Westgate is bigger than the average primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The majority of pupils are White British.  The school meets the government floor standards.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality and consistency of teaching from good to outstanding by: - ensuring teachers plan activities that are not too hard or too easy, particularly for higher attainers in reading and writing - providing more opportunities for pupils to be independent and investigate so that they take more responsibility for their own learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide more opportunities for pupils to develop their skills in a wider range of subjects, and by using information and communication technology (ICT) more effectively to support their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with skills and knowledge that are generally below those typically expected for their age. They start with communication and language skills that are well below those typical for their age. Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They are eager to explore the exciting activities available and enjoy learning. They make particularly strong progress in their personal development and settle into Year 1 confidently.  At Key Stage 1 pupils show very positive attitudes in lessons. They are eager to learn and keen to cooperate and make good progress in mathematics and reading by the end of Year 2. The school’s focus on writing has paid off and pupils are making better progress and producing writing of good quality.  Achievement by the end of Key Stage 2 has improved significantly since the previous inspection and is now good. Most pupils make good progress across Key Stage 2 because the quality of

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The achievement of pupils is good

English and mathematics teaching is good. The school has improved strategies for teaching mathematics and this has resulted in improved attainment. Although more pupils attain above the expected level, not all more able pupils make as much progress as possible.  Most pupils make good progress in their reading and writing at Key Stage 2. However, there is the opportunity to increase activities to develop reading and writing further in different styles across the curriculum.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because of the well-targeted extra support they receive. Their individual needs are identified early and a variety of extra activities put into place to help them to catch up.  Pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium also receive additional support if it is needed. This effective support helps these pupils to do as well as others in the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most pupils have a good knowledge of the sounds that letters make (phonics) and know how to ‘break words down’ when they are unsure about new vocabulary. Teachers work well in partnership with parents and the ‘better reading partners’ to improve further the quality of pupils’ reading. The best readers are fluent and read with expression.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A strength of the teaching in many lessons is the organisation of lively and practical activities that enthuse pupils. In one Year 6 class, for example, pupils were asked to explore area and perimeter in a very hands on way. This excited and motivated the pupils to achieve a very high standard of work.  Assessment is accurate, particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage where staff observe children’s progress very closely. However, in Years 1 to 6, while lessons in reading and writing are planned in detail, they do not consistently ensure that work is hard enough for more-able pupils.  Teachers have good subject knowledge and explain ideas clearly and confidently. This was evident in an English lesson for pupils in Year 5 in which they were learning how to use semicolons in a piece of writing. The pupils were very appreciative of the support the teacher provided in understanding this challenging concept.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A strong feature in many lessons is the high-quality of resources that meet the needs of all pupils. In a Year 2 science lesson, for example, pupils had a range of physical resources that helped them understand what different materials can do. Pupils were excited, worked hard with their group and showed determination as they tested out a variety of approaches to solve the problems successfully. Relationships are good and pupils work well with each other.  Marking is consistently good and used well to show what pupils need to do to improve their work. However, teachers need to give pupils more chances to decide for themselves how they might improve.  Teachers question pupils well to check their understanding. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Nevertheless, such questioning is not always sharp enough in order to extend the thinking skills of different groups, particularly more able pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 When teaching is less effective pupils spend too long listening to teachers and not enough time actively involved in learning without adult support or direction.  Teaching assistants are deployed well and teachers involve them in planning the curriculum, so that they are well informed about the needs of particular pupils, especially the disabled and those who have special educational needs. Consequently, when working with such pupils they intervene well to support learning.  Across the school, pupils are keen to learn and are interested in what they do. ‘Teachers are fun and lessons are interesting,’ was a typical comment from pupils. Teaching has improved significantly since the last inspection and, consequently, so has pupils’ achievement.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 In lessons and around the school, pupils are considerate, polite and friendly. In lessons, they show positive attitudes to the teacher, their learning and each other. This makes a strong contribution to the friendly and welcoming atmosphere that pervades the school. Many pupils talked about how well they get on together and one typical comment was: ‘we like helping each other’.  At lunchtimes, pupils are well-mannered and most chat sensibly at the dining tables or help to clear away. At playtimes, they behave well and line up in an orderly fashion to come back into school.  Pupils are eager to take on responsibility at playtimes and lunchtimes. For example, older pupils look after younger ones as playground buddies and they control movement around school as the ‘Westgate Movement Police’. The older pupils are well placed to take more responsibility and leadership of behaviour in the school. Pupils know how to keep safe and they

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

say they feel very safe in school. The older children show good knowledge about safety when using the internet. They are very appreciative of the support they receive from the learning mentors.  Pupils consider behaviour to be good and are confident that any rare instances of bullying are dealt with effectively by adults. Pupils know what constitutes bullying, including cyber-bullying. There are no recorded racist incidents and there have been no exclusions. Name-calling is rare and pupils confidently say that it does not happen because of someone’s race, disability or religion.  Parents are supportive of the school. The majority of parents who responded to Parent View indicated that the school makes sure children are well behaved and deals with bullying effectively.  The pupils are happy, confident and secure in school and this is reflected in their good attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff at Westgate work as a well-motivated team. They have been led effectively by senior leaders to move the school from satisfactory to good. Expectations are high and the clear vision shown by the headteacher is shared by all.  There is a strong sense of purpose within the school which is driving sustained improvement in teaching and pupils’ achievement. These school priorities are underpinned by an accurate view of what is happening in school.  Gaps in achievement are picked up early through the school tracking system, so it is rare for pupils to fall behind. Leaders and managers are aware of the need to ensure that more-able pupils achieve at the highest levels and are taking effective steps to make up the difference. Pupils’ progress is reviewed systematically and teachers have to account for the achievement of the pupils in their class.  Professional development is linked to performance management and the school priorities. The

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The leadership and management are good

performance of staff is rigorously managed to improve the quality of teaching. Strategies to monitor and evaluate the performance of the school, such as the frequent observation of lessons, are fully embedded. This has improved teaching and achievement since the previous inspection.  The curriculum is good. The leadership team has rightly focused on raising achievement in reading, writing and mathematics. While the school provides a broad range of experiences, the leadership team understands and is committed to ensuring that there are more opportunities to apply their skills, including ICT, in other subjects. Pupils are very appreciative of the enrichment activities the school provides. Year 6 pupils were very excited and spoke with great appreciation about their Isle of Man residential week.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted effectively. International links extend pupils’ horizons and their appreciation of other cultures. All staff promote equal

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The leadership and management are good

opportunity well as can be seen in equal access to the rich extra-curricular activities.  Safeguarding arrangements meet requirements.  The local authority provides light touch support and the school values this.  The governance of the school:  The governors are ambitious for the achievement of all pupils. They are well informed about teaching and challenge senior leaders to move the school forward and so become outstanding. Governors meet all statutory duties and ensure that safeguarding requirements are met. They are keen to involve parents and take account of their views.

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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 119347 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 401834

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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 491 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Martyn Jowett Headteacher Stephen Robinson Date of previous school inspection 26 January 2010 Telephone number 01524 832747 Fax number 01524 400498 Email address head@westgate.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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