St Luke's Primary School

St Luke's Primary School Grange Lane North, Scunthorpe, DN16 1BN

p.1

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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Since the previous inspection, the headteacher, other leaders and the governors have worked with determination and success to improve achievement, teaching and leadership.  The school is continuing to improve because leaders know exactly what is working well and what could be better still. They plan carefully to make any necessary changes and make sure that staff are just as keen to keep the school moving forward.  Pupils achieve well because they make good progress. They are often particularly successful in learning to communicate and to read.  Teaching is good and teachers plan lessons thoroughly. They pay close attention to pupils’ targets and chose activities that are interesting and enjoyable.  Teaching assistants make strong contributions to lessons. For example, they often teach small groups of pupils and they help to build up detailed records of how quickly each pupil is learning.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils behave well, value their friends and there is no evidence of bullying.  Pupils show clearly that they feel very safe in school. They are confident that staff would help them if they had any worries.  The school has many partnerships with other schools and with professionals such as therapists. These contribute strongly to pupils’ achievement and well-being.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching. Learning sometimes slows down at certain points in lessons and occasionally work is not quite hard enough for the more able pupils. Teachers are just starting to find ways for pupils to help to judge how well they are learning.  In English and mathematics, pupils tend to make slowest progress in learning to write and to solve mathematical problems. They do not have enough chances to talk about their ideas before they write them down or tackle their tasks.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 13 lessons each taught by a different teacher. Two of the lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  Discussions were held with groups of staff, governors and pupils and with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors looked at the online questionnaire (Parent View) but there had not been enough responses to enable the details to be displayed. The outcomes of the school’s own most recent questionnaires were examined.  A range of documents were looked at. These included records of pupils’ progress, behaviour and attendance, the school’s plans for its future development and information about the management of staff performance and use of the pupil premium funding.

p.2

Inspection team

Rosemary Eaton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Pauline Pitman Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This primary school caters for pupils with a range of learning difficulties. Currently, nearly half of the pupils have severe learning difficulties and the others have either moderate or profound and multiple learning difficulties. In addition to these needs, the majority of pupils have autistic spectrum disorders, physical disabilities or complex medical conditions.  All pupils have a statement in respect of their special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium funding is well above average.  Currently seven pupils attend their local mainstream school for part of each week. The schools concerned are: Berkeley Junior School, Lincoln Gardens Primary School, Holme Valley Primary School, St Augustine Webster Catholic Primary School, Grange Lane Infants School, Westcliffe Primary School, and Frodingham Infants School. All of the schools are in Scunthorpe.

p.3

Information about this school

 The headteacher is to retire at the end of the current term. The deputy headteacher has been appointed to the role of headteacher from the start of the summer term.  The school provides outreach support to mainstream primary schools in the local authority.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of teaching that is outstanding by:  maintaining a fast pace of learning throughout lessons  making sure that work is always hard enough for the more able pupils  developing ways of involving pupils in judging how well they have learned and what they need to learn next.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate pupils’ progress in writing and in using their mathematical skills by providing more opportunities for them to talk about their ideas for writing and for tackling mathematical problems.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils achieve well and often make better progress than expected. Progress is faster now than at the time of the previous inspection and is good in both English and mathematics.  Different groups make equally good progress because teaching and the curriculum are adapted carefully to enable them all to learn well. For example, some of the pupil premium funding is spent in ways that benefit all the eligible pupils and some is used to help particular pupils. As a result, pupils eligible for the additional money make progress that is at least as good as that of other pupils with similar starting points. Pupils often make particularly good progress in learning to communicate. Staff discover the methods that suit individual pupils, encourage them to practise their skills throughout each day, and make full use of expertise within the school and that of specialists such as the speech and language therapists.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Reading has improved because staff are well-trained in teaching pupils to use the sounds made by letters (phonics). More-able pupils confidently use their skills to read new words. Lessons to guide their reading are helping pupils to better understand the meaning of what they read. Pupils who are less able develop skills such as pointing with their eyes to make a choice between pictures.  Pupils increasingly use their reading skills to help them learn in other subjects. During a mathematics lesson, more-able pupils in Year 5 read sentences from laptop computers in order to follow instructions for placing shapes in particular positions.  More-able pupils learn to spell simple words, use punctuation and write legibly. Nevertheless, they find writing difficult and sometimes struggle, for example, to write interesting sentences with correct grammar. Less-able pupils, in the early stages of learning to write, make marks on

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

paper or by moving their fingers in materials such as paste.  In mathematics, more-able pupils typically make best progress in counting and calculating. They often find it hard to solve mathematical problems where they have to decide, for example, whether to subtract or add and how to set about the task. Less-able pupils successfully learn about shapes and colours, filling containers with objects or finding ones that have been hidden.  A number of more-able pupils make such good progress that they are able to attend lessons in mainstream schools. A few go on to transfer successfully to mainstream education.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage achieve well, making faster progress than previously. They now have the freedom to choose to learn outdoors which has helped to improve social and physical development in particular.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Lesson plans are based firmly on what each pupil has already learned and set out clearly what they are intended to learn during the lesson. All staff know their own roles in the lesson and as a result play a full part in teaching pupils and measuring and recording what has been achieved.  Just occasionally, insufficient heed is paid to what more-able pupils could achieve and their work is not quite hard enough. For example, they may repeat similar work when ready to move on to something more difficult.  During lessons, pupils spend much of the time working in small groups led by the teacher or teaching assistants. This means that they do not have to wait for attention and so they are learning throughout.  From time to time, learning slows down at certain points in a lesson. This is sometimes because staff have not noticed that pupils are finding a task repetitive and are ready for a change. At

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

other times, activities are moving along too rapidly and some pupils cannot keep up.  Teachers choose interesting activities that motivate pupils to try hard and to persevere. Materials and equipment are varied and often selected with particular pupils in mind. For example, more- able Year 6 pupils loved retelling a story by taking stick puppets on a journey through trays containing a variety of substances, such as mud.  Teachers use questions very well to steer pupils’ thinking and to prompt them to communicate. However, they do not always allow time for pupils to talk about their ideas before they write them down or tackle mathematical problems. When they do not put their thoughts into words, pupils are not as well prepared for their tasks.  Some teachers ask pupils to think about what they have learned, how successful they or other pupils have been and what they need to learn next or practise more. Overall, there are not

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

enough chances for pupils to be involved in measuring their own progress and setting themselves targets.  A minority of lessons are taught exceptionally well. In these, all staff are constantly on the alert for opportunities to move learning on. Not a moment is wasted and pupils learn remarkably quickly in these stimulating classrooms.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 These are friendly and inquisitive pupils who enjoy being at school. They say that they learn a lot and ‘do loads of hard work.’ Most are very keen to get involved in lessons and activities and try their best to do well.  Some of the less able pupils make enormous physical effort in order to learn. One pupil persevered for minutes in order to make a tiny hand movement and press a switch to control a computer programme.  During lessons, staff manage pupils’ behaviour skilfully. For example, a child in the Early Years Foundation Stage was finding it hard to control his emotions and follow instructions. A teaching assistant calmly showed him a symbol to represent ‘work’, patiently reminding him what he was expected to do. Shortly afterwards, the child was cooperating and getting on with the task.  Owing to pupils’ special educational needs, disruptions to lessons do occur. Detailed records are kept of such incidents and senior leaders check these regularly. Records show clearly that there

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

are marked improvements in the behaviour of individual pupils. These improvements result from careful plans, which set out agreed approaches to working with individual pupils, and which are followed by staff and pupils’ parents.  Pupils say that children are mostly kind to each other. They all have friends and value their friendships. They share and take turns and are patient when other pupils are trying to communicate. There is no evidence of bullying behaviour.  Children’s happy faces as they arrive at school and greet staff and other pupils show vividly that they feel very safe here. They say that there is nothing that frightens them. They begin to learn a little about how to stay safe, for example, by taking care near roads.  Pupils are seldom absent unless their health prevents them from attending.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher sets the tone for the school’s work by his informed and thoughtful leadership. He, other senior leaders and governors make their high expectations for the school very evident. They ensure that staff are equally committed and ambitious, for example, by involving them in making decisions about issues such as the curriculum.  Leaders use a range of systems to gain an accurate view of the quality of the school’s work. For example, lessons are observed by senior leaders and teachers are given detailed information about what worked well and where there is scope for improvement. Other leaders are starting to get more involved in checking on teaching, and the progress made by pupils, in the subjects for which they are responsible.  Information about pupils’ progress is examined meticulously by the deputy headteacher and helps leaders to decide on the school’s priorities. These are set out each year in plans for future

p.5

The leadership and management are good

developments which have resulted in achievement, teaching and leadership all improving since the previous inspection.  Teaching has been improved through training for staff, opportunities for them to learn from the most skilled teachers and by leaders insisting that teachers follow agreed approaches, for example, to planning lessons.  The curriculum is well organised so there are equally good opportunities for different groups of pupils to learn in the ways that suit them best. For example, less-able pupils benefit from following a course of lessons in movement that helps them become more aware of their own bodies and of people around them.  The local authority has provided valued support since the previous inspection, focused particularly on developing the skills of governors and senior leaders. This involvement is set to continue in order to help ensure that the school keeps moving forward.  There are close partnerships with parents, a host of professionals and with other schools. The

p.6

The leadership and management are good

support service provided by St Luke’s enables some pupils that are disabled or have special educational needs to remain in mainstream education. Regular checks are made on its own pupils who attend lessons in other schools, to make sure of their progress, behaviour and safety.  Safeguarding arrangements meet government requirements. Staff training is thorough and ensures that all are aware of issues that apply particularly to the care of pupils for whom the school caters.  The governance of the school:  Governance has improved well since the previous inspection. Key to this has been the creation of a ‘standards committee’ which keeps a particularly close eye on the school’s performance. Governors are well informed about the quality of teaching and how staff performance is managed in order to improve teaching. They know how good teaching is rewarded, for example through links to teachers’ pay awards and that support is provided when an aspect of

p.6

The leadership and management are good

a teacher’s work needs to improve. Governors are trained to examine the information about how well pupils are achieving and are aware that progress has accelerated since the previous inspection. They also find things out at first-hand and ask the school to make improvements where needed. For example, displays in classrooms and corridors have become more useful and interesting to pupils because of governors’ comments and ideas.

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 118147 Local authority North Lincolnshire Inspection number 405751

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 Special School category Community special Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 121 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Christine Stanley Headteacher Rob Ashdown Date of previous school inspection 6 October 2010 Telephone number 01724 844560 Fax number 01724 747740 Email address head.stlukes@northlincs.gov.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