Eagley Infant School

Eagley Infant School Stonesteads Drive, Bolton, Lancashire, BL7 9LN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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This is a good school

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage settle quickly and do well due to a caring environment and a varied range of exciting activities both indoors and outside.  All pupils make good progress overall because the quality of teaching has improved significantly. The enjoyment of reading is exceedingly well promoted.  School leaders show great determination and are highly effective in driving the school forward. They ensure that all staff have access to high quality professional development.  The curriculum is rich and widens the pupils’ knowledge and understanding of the world. It also contributes very well towards the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of all pupils, preparing them for the next stage in learning.  Behaviour is exemplary. Pupils demonstrate a good deal of respect and care for each other and the adults they work with. They approach their work with energy and enthusiasm.

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This is a good school

 Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Achievement is good overall rather than outstanding. While an increasing number of pupils make better than expected progress, the proportion doing so in mathematics is not yet high enough.  Teaching is not yet outstanding. This is mainly because in a small number of mathematics lessons, the work set by teachers does not provide the right levels of challenge for pupils’ different abilities and the pace of learning slows.  Pupils in Year 2 are not yet applying their joined up handwriting skills to all their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons, including one joint observation with the headteacher. In addition, the inspection team made a number of short visits to lessons.  Meetings were held with pupils, members of the governing body, the school improvement partner and members of the senior and middle management teams.  There were 31 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) to take into account in planning the inspection. Thirty staff questionnaires were also scrutinised.  The inspection team listened to pupils read, spoke to them about their learning and looked at work in their books. They looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own tracking data on pupils’ current progress, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Robert Pye, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sheila Kaye Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Eagley is an averaged sized infant school. The overwhelming majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  Eagley Infant School converted to become an academy school in April 2012. When the predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be satisfactory overall.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is well below the national average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also well below the national average.  The school runs its own before- and after-school provision. Pupils attending the local junior school also make use of this provision.  The school has been awarded the Royal Horticultural Society Level 5 award, the highest possible that can be awarded to a school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of the teaching in mathematics, so that learning is outstanding in more lessons by:  ensuring pupils are regularly provided with suitably challenging calculations during their independent learning, including those times when using computer programmes  ensuring at the start of lessons that questions and work are closely targeted to pupils’ different abilities.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment even higher in writing by ensuring that pupils in Year 2 apply their joined-up handwriting skills at all times.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement has improved rapidly.  Most children start school with skills that are in line with those typically expected for their age. Children do well in the Early Years Foundation Stage and so they join Year 1 with above average skills for their age.  The range of purposeful activities provided in the Early Years Foundation Stage gives children many opportunities to play a part in learning by themselves and taking responsibility for the equipment they use. This was well illustrated in the Reception class, where a group of children had created their own play classroom in the role play area. This enabled them to make excellent progress in developing their communication and social skills.  Progress is good overall in Years 1 and 2. Reading is a particular strength, with exceptional progress leading to high levels of attainment. This is because of the excellent teaching of phonics (the knowledge of letters and sounds to help read unfamiliar words) and the high

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The achievement of pupils is good

importance that the school places on reading at home.  By the end of Year 2, most pupils write lively sentences using varied punctuation and exciting words. They make good progress and by the end of Year 2 their attainment is above the national average. However, although many pupils have learnt to join up their writing, they are not expected to show this in their day-to-day written work. This reduces their ability to reach even higher levels in writing.  The school’s leaders have identified mathematics as a priority. They have already taken some decisive steps and rates of progress are improving rapidly within the current classes as a result. However, some teachers do not move on pupils’ learning in mathematics as quickly as they do in reading and writing. Pupils’ calculation skills, in particular, are not strong enough to help them achieve more highly.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs do as well as other pupils because of

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The achievement of pupils is good

the good support they are given in lessons.  The school provides effective support, through additional staffing and resources, for those known to be eligible for the pupil premium. This ensures that they also make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved significantly and this has raised pupils’ achievement. The impact of teaching assistants is exceptional and many lead aspects of group learning highly successfully.  Teachers and teaching assistants establish first-class relationships with pupils who know their efforts will be appreciated and praised. Consequently, pupils work with enthusiasm and confidence at all times.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, teachers plan well to ensure a balance of adult-led and child-chosen activities in a vibrant, stimulating setting. Learning takes place indoors and outdoors equally well. The use of the Forest school facility is a particular asset. For example, well-primed by adults, one group of Reception children were able to feel a sense of exploration as they dressed for a wet and windy day and then took turns pulling and pushing the activity trolley across the muddy field. Skilfully guided by adults’ questions, they worked as a team,

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The quality of teaching is good

identifying risks and reading picture maps in order to find the teaching area in the woods.  Teachers are skilled at using questions to encourage pupils to communicate and to put their ideas into words and interesting sentences. An example of this was seen in one Year 2 lesson, where the teacher’s gentle probing helped pupils to add more details to their composition of letters to a museum. In this activity, they were able to combine letter-writing skills with their knowledge of the local history of Bromley Cross.  Teachers mostly plan their lessons, particularly in reading and writing, so that all pupils are given work that gets the best out of them. In a minority of mathematics lessons, time is not used to best effect.  This can happen when all the pupils sit together on the carpet at the start of a lesson or when they work alone, including on a computer programme. In these situations, the questions asked

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The quality of teaching is good

are sometimes too hard for some pupils or too easy for others. At other times, teachers do not set more difficult tasks for pupils who have already mastered the use of numbers. As a result, the rate of learning slows.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ enjoyment of school is shown by their above average attendance and consistent punctuality. Relationships at all levels are excellent and play a key role in the welcoming and friendly atmosphere that exists within school.  Pupils behave exceptionally well. They respond to lessons with evident enjoyment and enthusiasm for learning.  The overwhelming majority of parents who expressed a view consider behaviour to be excellent and their children safe in school.  In lessons, pupils often discuss their work in pairs and learn from each other as well as listening attentively when required. At all times they show respect for each other’s opinions and offer thoughtful and supportive comments to each other.  Pupils say that bullying in any form is extremely rare. The school ensures that pupils have excellent knowledge and understanding of how to keep safe, including road and rail safety. Pupils benefit from many real life situations designed to teach them to identify and manage

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

risks. For example, pupils have used rail transport to travel to Manchester. Last year pupils visited a school in the Lake District National Park for a ‘sleep-over’ which further enhanced their understanding of the importance of looking after each other.  The ‘Children’s voice’ has a clear focus, asking questions about changes in the school and the impact they have on the school environment. Pupils say that staff listen to their opinions and often act upon them, thus making a difference to the school environment.  Many pupils join the school’s before- and after-school club. This provides a safe and secure environment for them to play happily alongside older pupils who attend the junior school.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The highly ambitious headteacher has established a quality leadership team that takes on challenges exceedingly well. Rigorous checking on the school’s performance, including teaching, gives leaders and the governing body a very clear picture of its strengths and weaknesses. Staff morale is high because they feel they have a voice in shaping school improvement with precise actions that are quickly and successfully put into place.  The exceptional programme of professional development for all staff has led to rapid school improvement. Lesson observations have accurately identified outstanding practice and leaders share this with other members of staff to develop their expertise. Consequently, standards in literacy are high and those in mathematics are rapidly improving.  Pupils are treated as unique individuals. Leaders regularly check on how well each pupil is doing and quickly take action when any is at risk of falling behind in their learning.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The curriculum has been successfully modified. It offers many enrichment activities for pupils and makes the best use of a wide range of activities to captivate the pupils’ interest. Examples include caring for chickens and the highly developed gardening club.  Opportunities for reflection and celebration exist throughout the school and are typified by high quality assemblies. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is particularly well promoted.  All elements of safeguarding pupils’ welfare and the safe recruitment of staff are in place. The school promotes equal opportunities for all its pupils and tackles discrimination well.  The governance of the school:  This is outstanding because members of the governing body are very well informed of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They challenge the headteacher to take quick action to maintain the relentless drive for improvement. As the school is an academy converter, the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

governors have sought independent monitoring visits from a school improvement partner and a separate audit to ensure that the information they have is accurate and covers all aspects of school. This has helped them provide strategic direction and secure financial management.

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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 138011 Local authority Not applicable Inspection number 406693

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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 Academy converter School category Non-maintained Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 217 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gail Flood Principal Cathryn Antwis Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01204 333650 Fax number 01204 333651 Email address office@eagley-infant.bolton.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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