Charles Saer Community Primary School

P R O T E C T – I N S P E C T I O N School report

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Fleetwood Charles Saer Community Primary School Grange Road, Fleetwood, Lancashire, FY7 8DD

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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

 Although, overall, pupils make good progress in Key Stage 2, too few pupils are consistently making better than expected progress in Key Stage 1 and the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Teachers do not always plan lessons well enough to get the best out of all of the pupils. While there is some good marking in pupils’ books, there are inconsistencies across subjects.  Some middle leaders do not check rigorously enough on how well teachers are using information on pupils’ learning to plan lessons to meet the needs of all abilities.  The governing body is not yet checking well enough on the impact of new initiatives, although it has improved its role in supporting and challenging the school.

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The school has the following strengths

 This is an improving school. The inspirational headteacher has introduced many positive changes. The strong senior leadership team is driving change. All staff are dedicated to providing a caring environment in which pupils can learn.  Since the previous inspection, there has been a significant improvement in pupils’ writing. Overall, pupils make good progress in English and mathematics in Key Stage 2. Those supported by special educational needs make at least good progress.  Behaviour and safety are good. Pupils are respectful towards each other, the adults around them and visitors to the school. They enjoy coming to school, which is demonstrated in an improvement in attendance and they are keen to learn.  The headteacher has introduced many initiatives to ensure improvements to the quality of teaching. There are now examples of good and better teaching.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 11 teachers and visited 18 lessons of which one was a joint observation with the deputy headteacher. In addition, a number of short visits were made to lessons.  Discussions were held with school staff, groups of pupils, subject leaders, parents, a representative from the local authority, the deputy headteacher from a local special school and members of the governing body.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation including safeguarding documents, reports of the school’s checks on how well it is doing, development plans, local authority reports, records of pupils’ current attainment and progress, documents relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour and pupils’ work.  There were three responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) prior to the inspection and these were taken into account when planning the inspection. Another response was

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Information about this inspection

recorded during the inspection and inspectors also took into account pupil and parent views which the school collates annually.

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Inspection team

Naomi Taylor, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Gillian Burrows Additional Inspector Elaine Maloney Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Fleetwood Charles Saer is a slightly larger than the average-sized primary school.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is approximately two thirds of the school which is much higher than that found nationally.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is broadly average and the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is higher than average.  The Early Years Foundation Stage includes a Nursery.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 2, pupils are taught in age related classes. In Years 1 and 2, pupils are taught in three classes depending on their ability. There is a nurture room where, when appropriate, pupils are taught in a small group.  The school works with Redmarsh Special School which delivers alternative education for a very small minority.

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Information about this school

 The school provides a breakfast and after-school clubs.  Parents engage in taking nationally accredited qualifications provided by school staff.  The school holds Healthy Schools status and the International School award.  At the end of the week in which the inspection took place, the pupils and staff will vacate the school and move into brand new premises on the same site.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all pupils are learning quickly enough in mathematics and reading, particularly in Key Stage 1, through at least good or better teaching by: – planning lessons well enough to get the best out of all pupils, especially the middle and higher ability groups, remembering that some work more quickly than others – consistently providing more detailed marking so that pupils know precisiely how to improve their work.  Improve the pace at which children develop skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage by: – rigorously checking how accurately adults are measuring how quickly children are learning and ensuring this information is being used to plan appropriate learning opportunities – developing further the management skills of the Early Years Foundation Stage manager.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by: – developing the role of middle leaders so that they have the skills needed to improve teaching

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

in their areas of responsibility – building further the ability of all members of the governing body to measure the impact of new initiatives on improving the quality of teaching and learning.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage there are very effective links between school and home which help the children to settle quickly. Most children start school with skills that are well below those typically expected for their age. Children are encouraged to tell stories through role play and this is developing their communication skills but, overall, they do not make enough progress through this stage.  Pupils join Key Stage 1 with skills in numeracy and literacy which are below those expected for their age. Most pupils make expected progress but too few consistently do better than that, particularly in reading and mathematics. Occasionally, the work is either too easy or too hard and this slows their pace of learning.  Pupils join Year 3 with skills in reading and mathematics that are below those expected for their age but their writing is better than this. Throughout Key Stage 2, pupils make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

Pupils leave Year 6 with skills in mathematics and English that are broadly in line with national expectations.  Most of the pupils with special educational needs are also supported by the pupil premium as they are eligible for free school meals. Overall these pupils make good, and some, outstanding progress. The progress of pupils who are supported by school action is significantly better than the national average. A very small minority engage in effective learning at a special school to support their specific needs.  By the time they leave Year 6, pupils supported by free school meals and pupil premium funding reach standards in English and mathematics which are slightly higher than the national average. This demonstrates that the school promotes equality of opportunity well.  Overall, children’s abilities in speech and language when they join the Reception classes are lower than those expected for their age. Pupils learn letters and their sounds in Reception and

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

practise linking them to work out words. In Key Stage 1, the slower rate at which pupils learn to read means they reach standards lower than those typical for their age at the end of Year 2, but this is improving. Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 2 so that by the time they leave Year 6, pupils’ ability to read is generally typical for their age.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 While there is some good and better teaching, overall it needs to be improved, especially in developing numeracy and reading skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. This is why most pupils are not reaching average standards in reading and mathematics by the end of Year 2.  In some lessons, the tasks do not always get the best out of all pupils and the pace at which pupils are learning is not rapid enough. An example of this was seen in a mathematics lesson in Key Stage 1, when some pupils did not fully understand the activity and found the work too hard. Although the teacher adapted the lesson, too little progress was made by some pupils.  The most effective teaching captures the imagination of pupils and inspires them to investigate and find out things for themselves. For example, in a Year 6 mathematics lesson, pupils were developing their understanding in selecting, using and converting units of measure. Excellent

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

teacher planning ensured that pupils had to think hard and work out things for themselves. They were inspired by the countdown game at the start of the lesson and this reinforced the importance of pupils choosing their own choice of strategy to convert measurements. They clearly enjoyed the challenge and made outstanding progress.  Pupils’ writing in books provided clear evidence of the progress that has been made since the previous inspection. The older pupils have a good grasp on how to write in different genres such as biography, letter writing and newspaper articles.  Teaching assistants play an important role in supporting individuals and groups of pupils, giving much praise and using skilful questioning to encourage pupils to think for themselves.  Topic work has helped pupils to explore areas which are of particular interest to them. They particularly enjoy their dinosaur and pirate projects. Such work is helping to narrow the gap

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

between the performance of girls and boys.  Teachers check on pupils’ understanding of what they are learning during lessons and they regularly mark pupils’ work. However, teachers are not always precise enough about how pupils can improve and extend their work and this slows progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Fleetwood Charles Saer is a strong school community which is highly valued by pupils, their families, staff and visitors to the school. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school and show respect for each other and the adults around them.  Pupils say they feel safe in school and they learn how to stay safe in their own community and other environments. The older pupils were able to explain how to keep safe when using computers and the potential dangers of making friends through the internet. Parents and staff are confident that the school provides a safe and secure place where there is an holistic approach to both personal growth and academic development.  New appointments have been made to support pupils and their families and there is extensive work with external agencies to support individual pupils and their families. One parent commented that ‘the support (from school) has not just stopped with my child, but extended to

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

us (the family)’.  The new curriculum ensures pupils learn about different forms of bullying, pupils are adamant that bullying is now very rare at Fleetwood Charles Saer. They are also clear that they could turn to any adult if they had any concerns.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. This is due to the ethos in the school and the opportunities for personal development through the planned curriculum and a raft of extra-curricular activities. The darts club, for example, has discreetly helped the boys to improve their skills in numeracy. Pupils told the inspectors of how excited they were to be going on a trip to Paris later in the week and they also talked about their links to Gambia.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning and generally find lessons interesting. They particularly enjoy topic work. Many also attend after-school clubs with their parents and learn how to cook

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

healthy meals. Teachers also provide parents with courses on basic skills which lead to nationally accredited qualifications. This helps them to support their own children’s learning.  Attendance has improved significantly and is above average.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The strong headteacher has a very clear view of how successful the school can be. School leaders, including the governing body, are very committed and determined to drive forward improvements.  The local authority provides support in the Early Years Foundation Stage where the headteacher has identified that further improvements need to be made. Since the previous inspection there have been new appointments, including staff who provide support to pupils who need help managing their behaviour and who need wider family support. These are having a positive impact on pupils’ attitudes to learning.  Leaders and managers now regularly check the progress that pupils are making through the tracking system. There are procedures in place to check how well teaching is helping pupils to learn. However, there is not yet enough rigour from some middle leaders in seeing how well teachers use information on pupils’ progress to plan activities to ensure all individuals are

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The leadership and management requires improvement

learning quickly enough, particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.  A more creative curriculum is now being used and this gives pupils the opportunity to learn through topics which are appealing to boys and girls alike.  Those responsible for the quality of teaching are ensuring improvements are being made. The headteacher takes action to improve weaker teaching through appropriate support, management of performance and training.  The governance of the school: – The governors ensure that the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities; all staff have been vetted and trained appropriately to keep pupils safe and free from harm. They have an accurate overview of overall provision. However, governors are not yet challenging staff well enough on why progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 is not yet as strong as that in Key Stage 2, and they have not fully checked the link to new initiatives and

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The leadership and management requires improvement

the quality of teaching. Governors are now playing a more central role in shaping the long term plans for the school based on how well pupils are progressing compared to other schools. They have taken important spending decisions, including creating new roles and making new appointments. There is evidence of the governing body working closely with senior leaders to address weaker teaching. They have also agreed the use of pupil premium funding to ensure that all pupils at least make similar progress.

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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 119277 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 401827

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 279 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paula Atkinson Headteacher Carolyn Thackway Date of previous school inspection 13 July 2010 Telephone number 01253 874787 Fax number 01253 770311 Email address head@charlessaer.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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