Silloth Primary School

Silloth Primary School Liddel Street, Silloth, Wigton, CA7 4DR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Inadequate 4 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.  Leaders, managers and governors have very successfully tackled the weaknesses identified at the previous inspection when the school was given a notice to improve. Consequently, pupils’ achievement, leadership and management, and teaching are improving rapidly.  Expectations are high. The recently appointed headteacher has brought stability to the school. She has galvanised and empowered staff to develop their skills as teachers and their roles as leaders and managers.  Teaching is good. Classes are well managed and work is usually carefully set at the right level of difficulty for pupils. Teachers are knowledgeable and give clear explanations which develop pupils’ understanding and skills well.  Clear, consistent, whole-school systems for planning lessons, marking pupils’ work, assessing their progress and identifying when they need extra help are allowing all pupils to make faster progress.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Standards are rising. Results in Year 6 tests improved in 2012, particularly in English. Current pupils are making good progress and are on track to reach their challenging targets this year.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning and behave well. They feel safe in school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is good rather than outstanding. The sharing of teachers’ skills, by observing outstanding teaching from within Silloth Primary and from other schools, is not yet fully developed.  In a few classes pupils have limited opportunities in mathematics to take part in practical activities and apply their skills to real-life situations.  The way in which phonics (letters and sounds) is taught is not yet consistent across the school and staff expertise in delivering dynamic phonics lessons requires further development.  The school website, although under construction, is not up to date and does not contain the required information.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons and part-lessons which included two joint lesson observations with the headteacher. They also listened to pupils read and observed the teaching of literacy and numeracy to smaller groups of pupils.  Discussions were held with parents, pupils, staff, governors and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at pupils’ books, progress data, safeguarding information and other documentation.  Thirty-one responses to the online questionnaire ‘Parent View’ were considered as well as those from the school’s own parental survey and from school staff.

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Inspection team

Ann Ashdown, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Naomi Taylor Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 13 (5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

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Information about this school

 This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which in this school provides additional funding for children in the care of the local authority and for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is average.  There are very few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported at school action is above average while the proportion supported at school action plus and with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.  The school was judged to require significant improvement at its previous inspection in relation to leadership and management.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Sustain and further accelerate recent improvements in pupils’ achievement by:  building staff expertise in, and ensuring a consistent approach to, the teaching of phonics  allowing pupils more time in mathematics lessons to learn by taking part in practical activities and applying their mathematical skills to real-life situations.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve teaching so that it is always good, and more is outstanding, by:  ensuring that all lessons move at a consistently good pace so all pupils are fully challenged to achieve their best  giving pupils more opportunities to use their initiative, work on their own and solve problems  sharing even more fully the skills of teachers by giving them further opportunities to observe outstanding teaching both within and beyond the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure the school website is kept up to date and contains the required information.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Links between school and home are strong and this helps children settle quickly into school routines in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They enter the school with skills which are often below or well below those expected for their age, particularly in literacy and numeracy. From their individual starting points they make good progress and quickly become confident learners.  In Key Stage 1 the records of teachers’ assessments of pupils show that standards have been below average in the past. However, their progress is now speeding up and current pupil progress data show they are likely to reach average standards this year.  In Year 6 pupils’ test results improved in 2012 and overall attainment was much closer to average, particularly in English. The proportion of pupils making expected progress in English compared favourably with pupils nationally but was below average in mathematics.  Pupils’ achievement in Key Stage 2 is now accelerating rapidly. The school’s detailed recording of

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The achievement of pupils is good

the progress of current pupils, the work in their books and that displayed on walls all show that standards are rising. This was also confirmed by lesson observations. Pupils are on track to reach their targets this year and are making at least expected and often better than expected progress in both English and mathematics.  Pupils who are supported by extra funds (the pupil premium) are making similar progress to their classmates, although test results show that there remains a small gap in the standards they reach. Nevertheless, given their good progress these gaps are narrowing in both English and mathematics when compared to other groups nationally. Extra money has been spent wisely on providing small-group tuition which is sharply focused on improving standards in mathematics and English.  The school has yet to develop a fully consistent approach to the teaching of phonics and a priority for school improvement is to build staff expertise in teaching letters and sounds.

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The achievement of pupils is good

However, most pupils make good progress in reading. The school’s new reading schemes and detailed reading records help pupils to become confident readers.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, and those few pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress because they receive timely and sharply focused help from both teachers and teaching assistants.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The vast majority of teaching is at least good and a small amount is outstanding.  Teachers manage their classes well. They create a purposeful atmosphere in their classrooms so most pupils enjoy learning and do well. Lessons are well planned and there is a consistent, whole-school approach to making lesson objectives and the steps required to achieve success very clear to pupils.  Work is pitched at the right level for pupils so it is neither too easy nor too hard. Teachers use a variety of interesting resources including information and communication technology to help pupils learn. Children in the Reception class developed their speech, language and writing skills well as they organised shopping lists and bought goods from the fruit and vegetable shop.  In a fast-paced, challenging English lesson Year 4 pupils responded to outstanding teaching by making excellent progress as they found exciting descriptive words such as ‘towering’, ‘ancient’,

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The quality of teaching is good

‘lofty’ and ‘isolated’ to describe the setting of a castle.  This outstanding practice has yet to be fully shared across the school. In a few lessons pupils’ progress is slower when lessons are not as briskly paced and work is not quite as challenging. Sometimes pupils’ interest wanes slightly when they have too few opportunities to work on their own and use their initiative to solve interesting problems.  In a mathematics lesson pupils were seen making good progress as they confidently and accurately recited not just their six times table but also their 0.6 times table. In some mathematics lessons pupils make slower progress when they have few opportunities to use their skills to solve real-life problems and learn by taking part in practical activities.  Teachers and teaching assistants provide both sensitive and skilled support for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. As a result of this good teaching they achieve success

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The quality of teaching is good

and gain in confidence.  Teachers follow a clear, consistent, whole-school marking policy to ensure that pupils know exactly how well they are doing and also what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils’ books contain work which is well presented and reflects the pride they take in completing tasks to the best of their ability.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils treat each other, staff and visitors with kindness and respect. Records show that pupils typically behave well and incidents of poor behaviour are very rare. As a result, the school is a calm and harmonious community.  In lessons pupils have good attitudes to learning and work hard. They answer questions readily and were seen sharing information and ideas sensibly as they worked in pairs and groups.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. Year 6 pupils enjoy the opportunities they have to take responsibility and help others. They talked enthusiastically about their efforts to raise money for the Key Stage 1 playground and how they had then improved their writing skills by penning letters to thank the people who had contributed.  Both pupils and their parents feel that school is a safe place to be. Pupils are knowledgeable about different types of bullying but say that this is rare in school and is swiftly dealt with. Pupils

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

are clear about how to keep themselves safe and have a sensible attitude to risk taking. They are well aware of how to stay safe when using the internet.  The school has successfully reduced the numbers of pupils who are persistently absent and attendance is average.

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The leadership and management are good

 This is a rapidly improving school. The headteacher has high expectations of staff and pupils and has focused everybody’s attention on improving the school further. She is well supported by knowledgeable governors and committed and enthusiastic senior leaders.  Recently introduced, clear, whole-school approaches to lesson planning, the marking of pupils work and the use of pupil progress information to identify those who need extra help are all having a significant impact on raising pupils’ achievement.  The school’s work is carefully monitored so strengths are celebrated and weaknesses quickly tackled. Lessons are observed regularly and teachers are given constructive feedback on how to improve their skills. Good practice is being shared through the school’s link with a local outstanding school but the school recognises that teachers’ skills can be shared even further.  Teachers’ performance is well managed. Responses to staff questionnaires clearly indicate that

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The leadership and management are good

individuals feel valued and morale is high.  The school promotes equal opportunities well and discrimination is not tolerated. The good use of pupil premium money has ensured that pupils known to be eligible for free school meals now make the same good progress as their classmates.  Safeguarding policies and procedures meet requirements. Staff are well trained and knowledgeable about risk assessment and child protection issues.  The local authority provides good support for the school when this is requested and has provided, for example, training for staff and governors in the use and analysis of the school’s performance data.  The curriculum is broad, promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and meets pupils’ needs well. There is a strong focus on improving pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills but also a rich variety of other activities which pupils enjoy. These range from the

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The leadership and management are good

production of high-quality art work, often celebrating pictures displayed in the National Gallery, to residential trips to Whitby to follow the activities of characters in books the pupils have been reading.  The school website is under construction and currently does not contain the information that is required about, for example, how pupil premium money is spent or the results of recent tests.  The governance of the school:  Governors are suitably trained and are both challenging and supportive of the school. They are knowledgeable about the quality of teaching, how staff performance is managed and how staff are rewarded. They challenge the school about how pupil premium monies are spent and have a good understanding of school performance data.

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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 112235 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 399670

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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 185 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sharon Weightman Headteacher Rachel Ingrams Date of previous school inspection 12 Jan 2012 Telephone number 01697 331243 Fax number 01697 332740 Email address admin@silloth.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 .

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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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