Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School

Penwortham Broad Oak Primary School Pope Lane, Penwortham, Preston, PR1 9DE

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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’ achievement has improved since the previous inspection and most pupils make good progress.  In the past two years, attainment in mathematics has been well above the national average.  Most teaching is good and some is outstanding. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and they use probing questions to gauge pupils’ understanding.  Children make a good start in the Reception class. Adults work well together to offer skilled support.  The large numbers of pupils who have recently started school in various classes mid- year very quickly settle and make good progress.  Pupils’ behaviour in class is good and they are keen to get on with their work. Pupils are very polite, feel safe and the school is a happy and caring place.  The leadership team are thorough in checking teaching and learning and this has brought about a significant improvement in standards.  The governing body has a clear understanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Governors make every effort to be fully informed in order to make effective decisions.  The school’s new creative curriculum provides many exciting learning opportunities for pupils throughout the school.  The Extended Learning Centre offers high quality out of school provision.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching.  Marking is not used consistently throughout the school and it does not make clear what the pupils have to do to improve their work.  Teachers are not providing enough opportunities for pupils to use the skills they have acquired in real-life problem solving situations.  Pupils are not given enough opportunities to work on their own.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 13 lessons or parts of lessons taught by seven teachers. A joint observation was undertaken with the headteacher.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and looked at pupils’ exercise books.  Discussions were held with members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority, senior leaders, the learning mentor and other staff and pupils.  Inspectors looked at the school’s documentation to gain an accurate view of its performance, safeguarding information, the school development plan, minutes of governing body meetings, behaviour records and displays around the school.  Inspectors looked at the ways in which the school checks the progress of pupils.  The inspectors spoke to parents informally. Parent View (the online questionnaire) had insufficient responses to register. The inspectors evaluated the questionnaire sent out to parents this term and the questionnaires returned by staff.

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Inspection team

Desmond Stubbs, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Steve Rigby Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average sized primary school.  Pupils are predominantly White British.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is similar to the average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional funding applied to the school) is above the national average.  There are currently 22% of pupils who have entered various classes mid-year.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school has an Extended Learning Centre which offers breakfast club, after-school club and a holiday club.  The school has recently been awarded ‘Step into Quality’, Quality Mark and the ECO silver award.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that a greater proportion is outstanding by:  ensuring all teachers use the school’s marking policy in all subjects and that it is made clear to the pupils what they must do to improve their work.  providing pupils with more opportunities to apply the skills they have acquired in real-life problem solving situations.  organising lessons so that pupils are working on their own at the earliest opportunity.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement has improved since the previous inspection. By the time pupils go onto the next stage of education they have acquired a secure understanding of the basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children join the school with skills in communication, language and literacy that are below those expected for their age. As a result of the good quality provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage, the children make good progress.  In Year 1, pupils are still below the national average in certain areas such as reading and writing. This is reflected in the results of the national reading test for Year 1 pupils, which were well below that expected for pupils of this age.  By the end of Year 2, pupils are working above the levels expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics.  Throughout Key Stage 2, pupils make good progress, especially in mathematics which is well

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The achievement of pupils is good

above the national average.  The school allocates the pupil premium funding effectively, in particular by providing small group support at the earliest opportunity. This enables those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals to achieve well and there is no difference in their attainment to that of other pupils.  The achievement of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is good. These pupils are well managed by the special educational needs coordinator and their attainment is above that of similar pupils nationally.  The achievement observed in lessons was good. Pupils work at levels expected for their age and generally make good progress.  Pupils speak positively about reading. They feel that they are improving. Younger readers understanding of linking letters to sounds helps them read unfamiliar words.  The large numbers of pupils who did not start school in the Reception class but joined mid-year

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The achievement of pupils is good

settle very quickly and make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection and now most is good and some is outstanding.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children develop their confidence and language skills both inside and outside the classroom. They are presented with lots of interesting opportunities to learn through play, resources are appropriate and accessible to the children and the adults work effectively together to offer skilful support.  The teaching of early reading is highly effective. In a Year 2 lesson where pupils were linking letters to sounds, the teacher’s use at all times of the correct technical vocabulary was wholly appropriate and this developed pupils’ vocabulary and their learning. A Year 1 guided reading lesson was extremely well organised with a range of interesting activities for developing early reading skills.  Teachers are highly skilled in asking pupils probing open-ended questions, which not only makes

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The quality of teaching is good

the pupils think deeply about their learning but also helps the teacher understand clearly what each pupil knows and what they need to learn next.  Time in lessons is generally well used although inspectors did observe occasions where teachers talked too much and pupils did not have enough opportunities to learn on their own. This was frustrating for some pupils who were ready to start the activity but instead had to work at the pace of the rest of the class.  Teaching assistants give good support and work very effectively with small groups. They fully understand the needs of the pupils and this helps them to make good progress.  All work is marked regularly but there is not a consistent approach throughout the school and it does not inform the pupils precisely what needs to be done to improve their work and how to make the next step in their learning.  Teachers plan interesting activities which pupils thoroughly enjoy. However, there are too many

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The quality of teaching is good

missed opportunities when pupils could be using the skills they have acquired in a real-life problem solving context.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 This is a happy and caring school where pupils feel safe and there are very few examples of bullying. They appreciate their teachers and feel confident that they will sort out any problems they might have.  Pupils concentrate well and work hard in lessons. Pupils are very polite and this was observed both in and out of lessons. Pupils will go out of their way to open a door for an adult or be helpful.  Pupils cooperate well with each other. This begins in the Reception class where children are encouraged to discuss learning with a partner as well as work and play together.  Pupils enjoy taking on responsibility and members of the school council are rightly proud of their efforts in raising money for charities such as ‘Children in Need’.  The results of the most recent parent questionnaire sent out by the school shows that parents are very positive about the behaviour of pupils.  In class, pupils’ behaviour is generally very good but on the playground the school records show

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

that the behaviour of a very small number of pupils needs improving. The school manage these incidents extremely well and the Learning Mentor works tirelessly to support these pupils both with their learning and behaviour.  There were some gaps in the pupils’ understanding of different types of bullying and safety- related issues due to changes in the design of the curriculum and these are now being addressed. The pupils are very clear about what acceptable behaviour is and how to keep safe.  Pupils’ attendance is average.  The Extended Learning Centre is a well organised and valuable resource for the school. The breakfast club provides an excellent start to the day for pupils and the after-school club also offers high quality care. The atmosphere is calm and both parents and pupils value the opportunities it provides.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, who is very well supported by other school leaders, has a very clear view of how successful the school can be. Staff, managers and the governing body are all ambitious for the pupils.  The headteacher uses excellent systems for checking teaching and learning and this has brought about significant improvements in all aspects of school life since the last inspection. Teaching in particular has improved as a result of carefully planned support.  The attainment and progress of all pupils is recorded in great detail and this information is used by the staff to ensure all possible action is taken at the earliest opportunity if a pupil falls behind.  The school’s system for managing the performance of teachers is very good. The new Teachers’ Standards are used to identify strengths and weaknesses in performance. Teachers’ performance is checked against how much progress their pupils make and how well they fulfil their duties.

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The leadership and management are good

The outcomes of this affect how the teacher progresses up the pay scale.  The school has revised its curriculum and this has been effectively managed by the deputy headteacher. Teachers have designed a curriculum which is exciting and gives a multitude of writing opportunities. In addition to this, pupils have a wide range of extra-curricular activities from which to choose.  Parents are very positive about the school and would recommend it to other parents.  Pupils have a clear idea of what is wrong and right. Different cultures and faiths are explored and pupils have a positive attitude towards diversity.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements.  Equality of opportunity is promoted effectively so that the school meets the needs of all its pupils.  Support from the local authority has been important in assisting the school’s improvements since the last inspection. A local authority representative now visits each term to work with the school

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The leadership and management are good

leadership team.  The governance of the school:  Governors understand the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They are clear about how well the pupils are achieving in comparison to other schools. They are very active in gaining as much knowledge as they can in order to understand their work. They are well trained for their roles in school. Each governor is linked to a class and they have used staff expertise to gain an understanding of the curriculum and the Early Years Foundation Stage. Governors are very rigorous in their monitoring of the budget. This is an area in which they are particularly skilled. They are aware of how the pupil premium funding is allocated and how the performance of teachers is managed and are making every effort to become better informed in order to make the best decisions for pupils.

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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 119337 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 401832

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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 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 183 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Susan Naylor Headteacher Stephen Smith Date of previous school inspection 19 October 2009 Telephone number 01772 749511 Fax number 01772 751755 Email address office@broadoak.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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