Dane Ghyll Community Primary School and Nursery

Dane Ghyll School Skelwith Drive, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 4PG

p.1

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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress in English and mathematics from their individual starting points when they enter school. Standards in both subjects are above and sometimes significantly above average by the end of Year 6.  Reading is a particular strength and pupils are very keen to talk about their favourite authors.  Teaching is consistently good across the school and sometimes outstanding. Teachers question pupils well helping them to extend their vocabulary or to check their learning.  The school has an exceedingly rich curriculum enabling pupils to enjoy a wide range of clubs, play musical instruments, and take part in sporting activities or gardening.  Pupils are proud of their school. This shows in their outstanding behaviour and in the excellent way they care for each other helping to make sure everyone is safe.  Pupils say they enjoy school and this is shown in their consistently high attendance.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Members of the staff work well together so that they make an effective team that is determined to improve the school.  The headteacher and senior leaders demonstrate high expectations for the school. They are well supported by the governing body who are actively involved in checking school activities regularly.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not get enough opportunities to develop their mathematical skills in different subjects nor do they get sufficient time to check their work and make a response after it has been marked.  The use of individual targets to help pupils to understand what they have to learn next is not fully developed across the school.  Teachers do not get enough opportunities to share things they do best when they are teaching.  The school has not checked if there is a good balance for pupils between English and mathematics lessons and extra-curricular activities.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed eight teachers and visited 15 lessons which included a joint lesson observation with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, members of the leadership team, English and mathematics subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinators, pupils, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector observed pupils’ work and listened to pupils read.  A range of the school’s documentation was examined, including the school’s analysis of how well it is doing, documents relating to monitoring and evaluation, systems for tracking pupils’ progress, documents regarding safeguarding and key policies.  The inspectors took account of responses of the school’s most recent questionnaire for parents and 32 responses from the on-line questionnaire (Parent View). Twenty-six questionnaires completed by staff were analysed.

p.2

Inspection team

Sue Sharkey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector John Ellwood Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Dane Ghyll Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils attending the school are from White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below the national average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below average.  The school meets the government floor standards, which sets the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school has International School status, Sportsmark, Eco-School Silver, Investors in People and Cumbria in Bloom awards.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching and learning to consistently outstanding across all year groups by:  including mathematics more often in different subjects through solving practical problems  ensuring that pupils have opportunities to check their own work after it has been marked as well as time to read and respond to comments made by the teacher  developing the use of individual targets in English and mathematics so that pupils understand clearly what they need to do to get better  ensuring that staff have opportunities to share good practice across the school.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Evaluate the curriculum in order to make sure there is a good balance between English & mathematics as well as additional curriculum activities for all pupils.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children learn to play and share well together. They are provided with a warm, friendly and welcoming environment which helps children to settle into school well. Children enter the school with skills and knowledge that are typical for their age but are often lower in letters, sounds and writing. Good support from the teacher and the teaching assistant, as well as a good range of activities both inside the classroom and outdoors, leads to children making good progress.  Pupils build on this good start and continue through Key Stages 1 and 2 making good progress. By the end of Year 6, attainment in English and mathematics is above average. There was a dip, however, in mathematics last year but as a result of the most recent assessment, the school is confident that plans put in place to improve mathematics should be successful.  The school has had a positive focus on improving pupils’ writing. Throughout English and other

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

subjects pupils’ work shows a good range of writing of different styles, for example, report writing and poetry. In mathematics, pupils learn a wide range of skills during lessons but there are not enough opportunities to use these mathematical skills throughout other subjects.  In Year 4, pupils had read a chapter from ‘The Iron Man’ story for homework and were using the information to retell and develop the story in their own words. Pupils used good vocabulary and punctuation while the teacher asked searching questions to explore pupils’ thinking to ensure that pupils made good progress in their writing.  All groups of pupils achieve well. The needs of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and the few who speak English as an additional language are well met so they make good progress. This demonstrates that the school values the equality of all pupils.  Teachers and teaching assistants are skilled in identifying and meeting the particular needs of

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

different groups of pupils. This ensures that pupils who are disabled and those with special educational needs also make good progress. Those eligible for pupil premium funding make good progress and their attainment is similar to other groups in the school.  Most parents who responded to Parent View agree that their children make good progress.  Pupils say they enjoy reading. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children have opportunities to look at books, enjoy the pictures and start to read the words. During a lesson, the teaching assistant explored the cover of a book with children to encourage them to find useful information about the story. Children learn letters and sounds building up their confidence to read. They start to learn good ‘reading habits’ so that as pupils progress through school their love of reading develops.  As pupils continue through school, good progress in reading is maintained. By the time pupils

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

reach Year 6 they can talk confidently about different authors and the books they enjoy the most. As they read, good use is made of punctuation and expression is added to bring the story to life not only for the reader but also the listener. Pupils make good progress because of good teaching and through the wide range of reading material available to them.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good and sometimes outstanding. Strong features of teaching in all lessons include the relationships pupils have with teachers as well as with each other. Teachers make sure that lessons move along swiftly so that pupils remain interested and fully involved helping them to enjoy lessons and make good progress.  In a Year 6 lesson, pupils were challenged to draw shapes from co-ordinates given by the teacher. Good use was made of individual whiteboards with marked out squares to help pupils create accurate shapes. The teacher asked probing questions throughout to check pupils’ understanding as well as extending their knowledge of the properties of shapes. Pupils’ enjoyment of the lesson could be seen in how well they were concentrating and responding swiftly to the teacher’s questions.  The school has good systems for marking pupils’ work in English and mathematics providing encouragement and valuable help. However, pupils do not get enough time to check their work

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

and respond to the marking in order to help them improve their work even more.  Staff create a very positive climate for learning across the school through high-quality classroom displays featuring examples of pupils’ work. Teachers use a wide range of lively and imaginative activities that capture pupils’ interests helping them to make good progress. They create opportunities to write for different situations which help to develop pupils’ interests as well as their stamina for writing.  Teachers provide targets for pupils to aim for in English and mathematics but these are not used consistently across the school and, as a result, pupils do not always know what they have to learn next in order to improve their work.  Skilled and well-trained teaching assistants support the work of teachers well. They work effectively with pupils in the class, during lessons, as well with small groups out of lessons. They

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

meet the needs of pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs because they work closely with teachers.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour and attitudes of pupils is exemplary and the vast majority of parents who responded to Parent View are extremely positive about pupils’ behaviour.  Pupils’ attendance is high and the atmosphere in school is calm and purposeful. The school is a harmonious community where adults and pupils get along with one another extremely well.  Pupils show a high regard for one another, respecting differences and working together readily both in the classroom and outdoors. They say that bullying is rare and it is quickly dealt with by staff if it does occur. Pupils are well aware of different kinds of bullying such as cyber-bulling or name-calling and how to deal with it should the need arise.  Pupils say they feel exceptionally safe in school because they all play well together; they are very well cared for by the adults and because of the school’s rules for behaviour.  The school council fully the supports the school. It represents the views of all pupils and is keen

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

to be involved with activities in school, such as the film nights and playground equipment. Pupils across the school have responsibilities, for example, Year 6 pupils help with playground ‘supervision’. Pupils say all responsibilities are taken very seriously.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is well supported by members of the leadership team as well as all members of staff. The staff questionnaire shows high morale as well as a strong team spirit. All staff are fully committed to their work as well as to improving the school.  Teaching is managed well and as a result, teaching is at least good with some outstanding. Staff benefit from leaders at different levels regularly checking how well pupils are progressing through observing lessons, checking pupils’ English and mathematics books and pupils’ regular assessments. All teachers work together closely providing support for each other but staff do not get enough opportunities to share good practice to ensure that specific skills are passed on.  Following the dip in mathematics at the end of Year 6 last year, leaders have made sure that support and challenge has been put in place for different groups of pupils in order to improve

p.5

The leadership and management are good

progress. All staff support pupils’ individual needs equally to eliminate discrimination making sure that all pupils achieve well.  Rigorous monitoring of the quality of teaching by leaders at all levels ensures that improvements in teaching are driven forward across all subjects. Performance management for teachers is equally robust and the school is careful to reward teachers who meet their targets.  In recent years, the local authority has recognised that the school has needed little support because it agrees with the school’s evaluation of good.  Pupils can enjoy an extensive range of curriculum activities both inside and outside school and pupils are able to take part in many clubs. For example, they can learn to play a musical instrument and play in the school band or sing in the choir. Pupils can take part in the wide range of sporting activities or join the Gardening Club. Each class takes a pride in growing their

p.5

The leadership and management are good

own vegetables outdoors with pupils using the greenhouse or recently purchased polytunnel.  Some of the activities take pupils out of English or mathematics lessons. However, the school has not yet checked the balance of time between these subjects and extra-curricular activities to make sure that pupils have sufficient time in English and mathematics lessons to make the best progress possible.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is encouraged well through the many activities which broaden their horizons encouraging pupils to learn well.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is effective in its leadership of the school. It is well led by the Chair of the Governing Body who works closely with the headteacher to ensure that the school continues to move forward. Governors hold the headteacher to account by setting performance targets that link to pupils’ progress and seek challenging performance targets for staff. The governing

p.6

The leadership and management are good

body makes sure that all safeguarding requirements are met. It has a good grasp of the school budget, including pupil premium funding, making sure that it is used to support and improve pupils’ progress.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 112213 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 403172

p.8

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.8

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 201 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Judith Reid Headteacher Garry Schofield Date of previous school inspection 20 September 2007 Telephone number 01229 894655 Fax number 01229 894675 Email address office@daneghyll.cumbria.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.9