Little Heaton Church of England Primary School

Little Heaton Church of England Primary School Boardman Lane, Middleton, Manchester, M24 4PU

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Teaching varies across the school. Lessons are not always planned carefully enough to ensure pupils make good progress. Activities sometimes fail to excite pupils and marking does not tell them how to make their work better.  Pupils’ progress is not fast enough, particularly for boys and the more-able pupils.  Managers’ checks on teaching and pupils’ progress have not been successful in improving the school since the last inspection.  Attendance is below average.  Plans to make the school better do not make it clear how actions will improve pupils’ progress and standards.  Governors do not have enough information about pupils’ progress to ask senior leaders challenging questions about how well pupils are doing in the school.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress. Teaching is exciting and they enjoy school.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because the staff that help them are trained to meet their needs.  Behaviour is good and pupils know how to keep safe. This is a happy school which welcomes newcomers who may have struggled in other schools or who are new to the country.  Leaders and governors have achieved a smooth transfer to the new building after several months in temporary classrooms.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in all classes. They visited 12 lessons.  Meetings were held with staff, groups of pupils, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Pupils from different classes read to the inspectors.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including the school-improvement plan, the school’s evaluation of its performance, tracking information and documents about safeguarding.  The views of five parents were analysed through the online questionnaire (Parent View) website. Other parents shared their opinions about the school with inspectors at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Jennifer Platt, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Dave Blackburne Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is below average and few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  An above average proportion of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The school meets the government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations of learning and progress.  The school has had major rebuilding since the last inspection and was in temporary accommodation for nine months.  There have been several staffing changes since the last inspection. The school has a new deputy

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Information about this school

headteacher. During the inspection three classes had temporary teachers all new to the school during the week of the inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching by:  making more use of information about pupils’ progress to plan activities that are not too easy for pupils, especially the more-able pupils  giving pupils more advice about how to make their work better  always making lessons exciting, especially for boys.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve progress and attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by:  insisting pupils present their work neatly and apply their spelling and grammar skills in all of their writing  adjusting the teaching of letters and sounds (phonics) in Key Stage 1 so that pupils are taught in smaller groups with more practical activities and work that suits their needs  checking pupils fully understand what they are reading in Key Stage 2  providing even more opportunities for mental mathematics and problem solving.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attendance by:  stressing to parents that their children may fall behind in their work if they are absent  analysing closely information about attendance and taking prompt action where needed.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of school leaders by:  making it clearer to teachers what they need to do to make their teaching better  establishing fully the system that checks pupils’ progress and spotting quickly those pupils who are not doing as well as expected, especially the more-able pupils  checking that actions always lead to an improvement in pupils’ progress  providing governors with enough information so that they can ask leaders more-challenging questions about how well the school is doing.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Most children start school with skills that are below those typically expected for their age. Teaching is good and children do well, especially in linking letters to sounds. They enjoy doing the many actions that remind them of the letters and start to use them in their early writing and reading. They extend their understanding of the wider world in role-play activities and really enjoyed being fire-fighters outside, adding water to make it even more realistic.  When pupils leave at the end of Year 6 they usually reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This picture varies because of the small numbers in each year group but is more secure now that the school has settled after moving to the new building.  Pupils’ skills in writing are below average at the end of Key Stage 1 and although improving in Year 6, pupils do not always use their grammar and punctuation skills successfully and many do

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

not write neatly. Pupils who read to inspectors enjoyed their books and older pupils had favourite authors, although some do not always read with complete understanding. In Key Stage 1, some are unsure about how to blend sounds when trying to read unfamiliar words.  Mathematics is the strongest subject in school. Many pupils enjoy calculations, although some lack confidence working sums out in their head and trying to solve problems.  The amount of progress pupils make varies between classes. In Years 2 and 4 progress quickens as teaching is more stable and stronger. However, overall, progress requires improvement and too few pupils exceed the expected rate of progress. Boys do not always make the expected progress, although the school is trying to make work more inspiring, this is not yet successful.  Effective leadership of the provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

enables these pupils to make good progress. Their needs are identified quickly and extra support is made available to help them.  The school welcomes pupils who may have failed to do well in their learning in other schools. These pupils often have difficulties sustaining good behaviour. Caring staff and understanding from other pupils helps them to settle and become more receptive to learning.  The pupils supported by the pupil premium make the same progress as other pupils and, although improving, it is not yet good. The school uses the extra funding effectively to provide additional support staff to help these pupils in lessons. Recent changes to activities at lunch time are specifically aimed at helping to improve social skills through play for this group of pupils. These activities are raising their social skills and self-esteem.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching varies across year groups and not enough is good or outstanding. The school has had difficulties with staff changes and absences and a review of pupils’ books show that teaching has not been consistently good enough to enable pupils to make good progress.  In lessons that require improvement work is not always exciting enough, especially for boys. Worksheets do not extend writing. Teachers fail to exploit the many exciting events in school to help pupils extend their writing. Information about pupils’ progress is not used effectively; leading to work that is not always difficult enough, especially for the more-able pupils.  Sessions to teach letters and sounds in Key Stage 1 are not practical enough because pupils are taught in one large group. Teachers mark pupils work regularly but it is not often made clear what pupils need to do to improve. Some comments give too much praise when work is not well

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

presented.  In good lessons in Years 1 to 6 teaching is brisk and exciting. Tasks are set at just the correct level for pupils so they all achieve success. Staff tell pupils the amount of time they have to complete a task and pupils work hard to achieve this. In Year 6, learning was good because the teacher captured pupils’ imagination as they became journalists working on an explosion in the city. Effective use of text, e-mails and role play sustained pupils’ enthusiasm and understanding of how to extract the most important information and take notes.  Most teachers have good subject knowledge, especially in mathematics, which is showing more improvement than other subjects. Planning includes activities and organisation but some plans lack enough detail so that new temporary teachers are unclear about what pupils are expected to learn that day.  Teaching assistants are used effectively in most lessons, especially guiding the disabled pupils

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

and those with special educational needs. These staff also take full responsibility for extra support sessions that improve basic skills for many pupils.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage teaching is good. Staff understand the needs of these children and provide an imaginative range of activities that encourage learning through activity and enjoyment. Assessment of progress is detailed and provides a good picture of how well pupils are doing.  In most lessons throughout the school behaviour is managed well so pupils get on with their work with little disturbance from others. Pupils enjoy their learning logs and the work set for them to do at home.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Most pupils behave well in lessons. Those who have difficulty managing their behaviour for a length of time are managed successfully and any disruption is kept to a minimum. A few pupils lack concentration when lessons are uninspiring and do not produce work of the best quality.  Pupils say they feel safe. They enjoyed the Crucial Crew visit that taught them how to look after themselves. The school looks after pupils well especially the few newcomers who arrive from another country. They soon establish friends and are made to feel welcome.  There is no major harassment and no racist incidents. Pupils understand different types of bullying and say some pupils can be unkind and call each other names. This is usually resolved amicably by the pupils themselves or with the help of staff.  Pupils show respect for others and are polite and friendly to visitors. In assembly, behaviour observed was very good and pupils showed reverence when praying and reflecting on the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

meaning of Remembrance Day.  Although many attend school regularly, a core of pupils does not. Attendance is below average. The school is starting to analyse data more, resulting in a slight improvement, although actions are not yet fully effective. Parents take their children on holidays during term time and this leads to gaps in their learning and slows their progress.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher, leaders and governors have given much attention since the last inspection to reducing weaker teaching and returning to the refurbished building. These changes have been achieved successfully and the school has demonstrated the ability to improve, although other aspects of management have not received sufficient attention.  Not enough has been done to improve progress in writing and boys’ attainment. New procedures to check pupils’ progress are now in place. These are not sufficiently embedded to ensure staff are clear about the progress pupils make and spot any pupils who are falling behind, especially the more-able pupils. However, the needs of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are quickly identified and they are supported effectively.  Teaching still has weaker aspects because after leaders have observed lessons they do not spell it out clearly what teachers need to do to improve. The management of teachers’ performance

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The leadership and management requires improvement

and salary increases have not in the past been linked closely enough to the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. This is improving because staff are now held to account for the progress of pupils in their class.  Leaders at all levels are clear that more needs to be done to raise attainment. The school now has the correct priorities and success is evident, especially in mathematics. Plans for improvement include some useful actions although it is not fully clear how some of these will lead to better achievement for pupils.  The school promotes soundly equal opportunities. This is a happy community that promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils understand they have a part to play in helping others and are generous in their support for charities.  The curriculum enriches pupils’ experiences with visits and visitors. Pupils described these as a highlight of their school. They enjoy acting and the school provides well for music and art.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

Subjects link together well as in writing about the Fire of London in literacy.  Links with the local authority are strong. Teachers’ training is linked to the school’s needs and advice has been acted upon. Improvements can be seen, for example in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The governance of the school:  Governors are not asking sufficiently searching questions because they do not always have enough information about the school’s performance or the quality of teaching. Governors appreciate the advice and training provided by the local authority and are looking to set up a committee to become more active in evaluating the school’s actions. They keep a close eye on spending including the use of the pupil premium, which is now being used with a sharper eye on meeting the needs of these pupils. The governing body fulfils its statutory duties including ensuring safeguarding meets requirements.

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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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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 105812 Local authority Rochdale Inspection number 400802

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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 Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 5  11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 188 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Alison Burrows Headteacher Mrs Lindsay Addington Date of previous school inspection 15  16 March 2010 Telephone number 01706 927242 Fax number NA Email address office@littleheatonce.rochdale.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, please

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School details

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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