Crawshawbooth Primary School

Crawshawbooth Primary School Burnley Road, Crawshawbooth, Rossendale, Lancashire,BB4 8AN

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Inspection dates 31 January–1 February 2013

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress and their attainment is above average when they leave Year 6. Reading is especially strong.  Teaching is good with examples of outstanding teaching. Pupils appreciate the richness of activities provided and are eager to learn.  Behaviour overall is exemplary. Pupils enjoy being together. The older pupils take great delight in looking after the younger ones during their first year in school.  Pupils take heed of all of the advice they are given about looking after themselves. They say they feel very safe.  The headteacher, leaders and governors all have the same desire to raise pupils’ attainment. Skills are shared especially in teaching. The school is getting better because when weaker aspects or a lack of progress are identified, swift action is taken. This improves pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not all lessons go at a brisk pace and some pupils start to lose interest. Occasionally, the work set for the more able pupils is not hard enough, especially in Key Stage 1.  Opportunities for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage to learn outdoors are not as stimulating as those indoors.  The information gained from tracking pupils’ progress is not always used effectively to gain a precise picture of pupils’ progress or to set priorities in subjects.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in classes and also observed small group sessions led by teaching assistants. They visited 22 lessons.  Meetings were held with staff, three groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority.  Pupils from different classes read to inspectors.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ books with a focus on writing and mathematics in Years 2 and 6.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including the school’s plan for future development, information about pupils’ progress and safeguarding.  The school’s website was reviewed, including information provided for parents.  The views of 45 parents were analysed through the on-line questionnaire (Parent View). Other parents shared their views about the school with inspectors at the start of the school day.  Inspectors analysed eight returns by staff to the inspection questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Jennifer Platt, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Lyn Field Additional Inspector Anthony Buckley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average sized primary school.  Very few pupils are from minority ethnic groups and the number of these who speak English as an additional language is low.  The proportion eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding provided for children in local authority care, those from service families and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school has achieved many awards, including the Race Equality Mark, Eco Schools, Learning Excellence (for assessment for learning and the creative curriculum) and the Good Practice

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Information about this school

Award for Coaching, which involves teachers sharing their skills with others.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and increase the rate of pupils’ progress to outstanding by:  improving pupils’ skills in solving problems in mathematics  ensuring that the outdoor activities for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are as rich and inspiring as those offered indoors  keeping the pace of lessons brisk and sustaining pupils’ interest  checking that activities are suitable for every pupils’ needs especially the more able pupils in Key Stage 1.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Refine the system used for tracking pupils’ progress so that it is easier to locate information about termly progress and check that subject leaders use this information to plan future actions.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school with skills and knowledge that are typical for their age. Staff in the Early Years Foundation Stage inspire the children and as a result, they make good progress. Progress is accelerating this year in response to some outstanding teaching and very effective use of checks made on children’s progress.  Letters and the sounds they make (phonics) are taught in an organised manner. Pupils are in small groups according to their needs and activities are practical and fun. Success is evident in the results of the national assessment in Year 1, which were above the national average.  Progress from Year 1 to Year 6 is good although varies between classes depending on the quality of teaching. Attainment at the end of Years 2 and 6 is above average overall. National test results were high in English in 2012 and pupils’ attainment continues to rise.  Pupils enjoy reading and Year 6 pupils know how characters and ‘cliff-hangers’ are developed.

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The achievement of pupils is good

The majority of pupils have neat handwriting, although letters are not always joined up. Older pupils produce text that is structured well and, for some, highly imaginative. Although mathematics is not as strong, attainment is slightly above average and pupils’ progress overall is good. Many have good basic skills but lack the ability to apply them to solving problems.  Currently, more pupils reach above the level expected for their age in Year 6. This has increased in mathematics because pupils are taught in groups closely matched to their ability. This increase is less evident in Key Stage 1 and currently, especially in mathematics, the more able pupils are not always making enough progress.  Staff are trained to lead small groups of pupils with specific needs and those who are in danger of falling behind others. This support enables disabled pupils and those with special educational needs to make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Additional help for those known to be eligible for the pupil premium includes one-to-one tuition and individual programmes. The small size of this group makes data insecure, but overall they reach the level expected for their age. This group includes those known to be eligible for free school meals and they do just as well as others in the school in English, but slightly lower in mathematics. Consequently, the attainment gap with other groups nationally is narrowing.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good, with examples of excellent teaching enabling pupils to make good progress.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage benefit from some exceptional teaching based on an in-depth understanding of the needs of these young children. The focus is firmly on investigation and discovery. Children are constantly prompted to draw their own conclusions, for example, when deciding how much flour to add to the dough to make gingerbread men. This richness of experience is not always evident in activities in the outside area.  In the rest of the school, similar strengths in adding interest to learning were observed. Older pupils watched a video clip which inspired them to write about the feelings of the characters. Others used information and communication technology well to research habitats when creating an imaginary creature.  Introduction to most lessons, especially mathematics, are brisk with quick-fire questions and

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The quality of teaching is good

mini-competitions. However, this pace is not always sustained and some pupils start to lose interest or do not give their full attention.  Teachers have a secure knowledge of the subjects they teach. Basic skills of literacy and numeracy are taught effectively. Teachers model good practice in spelling and punctuation, for example, how to use speech marks, and in Year 6 most pupils use these skills accurately. Methods of calculation are taught well and the school is establishing a system to ensure consistency in teaching pupils how to solve problems and apply this skill in other subjects.  Since the previous inspection, teachers have extended the involvement of pupils in assessing their own learning. The best lessons include checklists and pupils say this helps them to include all the features of a given text. Marking is effective and comments clarify how pupils’ work can improve.  The school’s system to check on the progress pupils make is very effective in identifying pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

who are falling behind. Some excellent teaching was seen in additional group activities to help these pupils to catch up with other pupils. Information about ongoing progress is less precise, however, and in some cases the work set for some pupils is too hard and for others it is too easy.  The management of pupils is strong and leads to pupils behaving extremely well and trying hard to produce their best work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 This is a school where pupils enjoy and make an exceptional contribution to their learning. It is not surprising that their attendance is above average and most arrive smiling and are punctual in the morning. They are welcoming to visitors and eager to offer help.  Most pupils behave impeccably. Outdoor play is calm and orderly and social chatter is enjoyed when eating lunch. Pupils value the rewards and sanctions given for their behaviour and feel this helps them to manage their own behaviour.  In assembly, pupils give their full attention and their spontaneous applause for the achievement of others shows the caring side of their nature. They are friendly to each other and Year 6 say this is one of the best features of the school.  Pupils say they feel very safe and appreciate the advice they receive in lessons and from visitors. They say that bullying is rare and have a good understanding of the different types of bullying.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

An Internet Safety week gave pupils greater insight into cyber-bullying and pupils and parents sign the Safe use of the Internet Code.  Pupils in Year 6 are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education. A small group collaborated over a quotation about their school. This is their end-product: ‘This is a good friendly school, we make lots of friends and if anyone looks lonely we help them. Teachers enable us to reach our targets.’

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher leads most effectively and shows a dogged determination to move the school forward. All staff work as a team and the school is in a good situation to improve.  The school’s evaluation of its performance is accurate and leads to the correct identification of priorities. The current school improvement plan shows clearly how these priorities are to be tackled. Success is clear in pupils’ rising attainment, especially in writing which was a weaker aspect at the previous inspection.  Action plans drawn up by subject leaders are not as effective because assessment information is not used precisely enough to link actions to raising pupils’ attainment.  The quality of teaching is closely monitored. Teachers know they have areas of their performance to improve and most are resolved, although variations remain in some classes. A key strength in the school is the sharing of expertise and coaching by other staff. This, plus

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The leadership and management are good

effective training, is resolving weaker aspects of teaching, especially in boys’ writing.  Pupils’ progress is tracked closely by regular assessments. The ensuing information is used well to identify any underachievement and extra help deployed to the needy areas. It is not always easy to identify progress in the short term and this leads to some teachers planning work that does not fails always get the best out of pupils. Nevertheless, there is no significant underachievement which shows the school’s strong promotion of equality of opportunity.  Teachers are set targets based on the school’s priorities and pupils’ progress. This has improved the quality of teaching because only those who meet their targets are considered for any increase in salary.  The curriculum is rich and includes many visitors and visits. Year 6 are looking forward to their residential visit and the chance to try out some exhilarating sports. The trophies on display show

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The leadership and management are good

success in many activities. These experiences promote successfully pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Their understanding of life in schools that are different to theirs is extended through links with a school in Southern Sudan.  Links with the local authority are effective. Reviews are provided and training made available especially for newly qualified teachers.  The governance of the school:  Governors are well-informed. They review data and know where progress is not as fast as other classes. They check that support is provided. Each class has a nominated governor and this, plus feedback from leaders, provides a good overview of the quality of teaching. They check that salary awards are earned. Governors use their expertise to good effect, for example, in financial management. They ensure the pupil premium funding supports the appropriate pupils and know this helps them to make good progress. The governing body

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The leadership and management are good

fulfils its statutory duties, particularly ensuring safeguarding procedures meet requirements. They attend training especially valuing help for new members.

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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 119313 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 403380

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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 310 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dr Steve Graham Headteacher Debbie Bonney Date of previous school inspection 15 November 2007 Telephone number 01706 228664 Fax number 01706 227339 Email address head@crawshawbooth.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, 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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