Hesketh-with-Becconsall All Saints CofE School

Hesketh-with-Becconsall All Saints CofE School Shore Road, Hesketh Bank, Preston, PR4 6RD

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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.  Achievement is good. Pupils make good progress in all classes, particularly in reading and writing.  Teaching is good. Some is outstanding. Classrooms are alive with the sound of happy pupils enjoying their lessons.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils are proud of their school and feel safe and well cared for.  The headteacher’s good leadership provides clear direction. He is supported well by the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders.  The highly committed governing body provides excellent support and challenge to the school.  Methods for checking on the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement are good. Further training for teachers helps them to improve their skills.  Since the last inspection, teaching has improved and achievement has risen strongly, particularly at Key Stage 2. Leadership and management have improved and are now good.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding. In some lessons, teachers’ questioning does not challenge pupils enough to think more deeply or to probe their understanding.  Progress in mathematics is not as strong as in English because some pupils are not given enough practice in solving problems.  Middle leaders need more experience to develop their skills in leading improvement.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in all classes and saw 15 lessons.  The inspectors looked at the work in pupils’ books to get a view of current achievement and progress over time. They did this jointly with the headteacher and senior leaders. The inspectors spoke to groups of pupils to get their views on, amongst other things, how teaching helps them to learn and what they think about behaviour and safety in the school.  The inspectors took account of 24 responses from parents to the online questionnaire (Parent View). The inspectors also talked with parents as they brought their children to school.  Meetings were held with the governing body, teaching and classroom support staff and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors looked at a number of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, records of the quality of teaching, the improvement plan, results in 2012 standardised assessment tasks,

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Information about this inspection

and the school’s tracking of pupils’ progress. They also looked at safeguarding documents and the school’s records of behaviour and bullying incidents.  The inspectors listened to pupils read and checked the school’s records of reading progress.

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Inspection team

David Law, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Marilyn Massey Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds although a small percentage comes from other backgrounds including other European heritages. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well below average.  A smaller than average proportion of pupils is supported through school action because they are disabled or have special educational needs.  An above average proportion of pupils have a statement of special educational needs or are supported at school action plus.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is much lower than average. The pupil premium is extra funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, or who are looked after by the local authority or are children of families in the armed services.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so more is outstanding by: - developing teachers’ use of questions to challenge pupils and check their understanding - devising further teaching strategies to help pupils to develop their mathematical skills so they become more confident and skilful in solving problems.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by developing the skills of middle leaders so they are able to contribute further to improving teaching methods.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills, knowledge and understanding that are typical for their age. They make good progress and enjoy everything provided for them. Children were thrilled, for example, when they went on a ‘bear hunt’ across make-believe rivers to find the bear hidden in his cardboard box cave.  Most pupils enter Year 1 above levels typical for this age and continue to make good progress throughout Key Stage 1, particularly in learning to read and write. By the end of Year 2, standards of attainment are above those seen nationally. Many reach the higher than expected level in writing. Pupils read frequently and many are keen to tackle a wide range of books.  Pupils generally make good progress in mathematics at Key Stage 1 and by the end of Year 2 standards of attainment are above average. In a Year 1 lesson, pupils gained a firm grasp of the properties of different shapes and were able to sort them into sets in a logical way. However,

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The achievement of pupils is good

some pupils at this stage are not confident in solving number problems, for example, because they do not recall key facts quickly enough.  Pupils make good progress across Key Stage 2. By the end of Year 6, standards of attainment in English are well above average and they are above average in mathematics. Standards have risen sharply in both English and mathematics over the last three years.  At Key Stage 2, pupils make strong progress in learning to read and most do so with fluency and expression. Pupils enjoy using the school library and read both fact and fiction books with enthusiasm.  Pupils make good progress in writing and by the end of Year 6 twice as many reach the higher level than is seen nationally. Pupils present their work well and are careful to write clearly and spell and punctuate accurately. Pupils enjoy writing in subjects other than English. For example, in Year 4, they sensitively wrote a plea from the jaguar to the woodsman not to cut down the

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The achievement of pupils is good

forest.  Pupils make good progress in mathematics at Key Stage 2 and in outstanding lessons it is particularly brisk, for example, in Year 5 where pupils gained a firm understanding of how to use decimals. Additional teaching in Year 6 has boosted the number reaching the very highest level by the end of the key stage. However, progress is not as strong as in English because some pupils are not yet confident and skilful in solving more complex problems.  There is equal opportunity to learn for all groups of pupils and this underpins the good achievement seen across the school.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because they receive timely support. Pupils who speak English as an additional language also make good progress, particularly in reading and writing.  Pupil premium funding provides extra teaching and support. This enables the few pupils who are currently eligible for free school meals to make the same good progress as others in the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

There is not enough data to draw meaningful conclusions about the attainment of such pupils over time: for example, at the end of Year 6 in both 2012 and 2011 only one pupil was eligible for a free school meal and there were none in 2010.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ good achievement is founded on consistently good teaching in all classes. In some lessons, teaching is outstanding and, when it is, classrooms buzz with excitement, pupils show high levels of interest and make rapid progress in their learning. Excellent relationships are fostered by all teachers and they manage pupils’ behaviour well. Consequently, pupils are attentive, try their very best and cooperate well with each other. This promotes pupils’ social and moral development very well.  Pupils describe their teachers as, ‘helpful, friendly and kind.’ One summed it up by saying, ‘They let us have fun but are serious as well.’ All teachers set pupils targets in reading, writing and mathematics and pupils are confident in saying what these are and what they have to do to reach them. Pupils get homework regularly.  All teachers expect the very best from their pupils and lessons frequently move at a brisk pace.

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The quality of teaching is good

Classrooms are organised well to make learning practical and interesting and teaching assistants are deployed to good effect. In the Reception class, excellent use is made of the outdoor space, for example, when children go hunting for ‘number bears’.  Lessons are thoughtfully planned to engage pupils and work is set at the right level. For example, in one outstanding Year 4 lesson, the children wrote imaginative and vibrant poetry about the rainforest and the teacher stimulated their thinking by providing plants they could touch and smell and sprayed the room with scents of the forest.  Teachers question pupils carefully and in the best lessons this is skilfully done. However, questions are not always used well enough to challenge pupils to think further or to probe pupils’ understanding.  Reading and writing are taught well. Pupils write for different purposes and are encouraged to read often and widely across a range of subjects. Teachers expect pupils to present their work

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The quality of teaching is good

carefully and, consequently, handwriting is good.  Overall, mathematics is taught well, and in some lessons it is taught to an outstanding level, but progress is not as strong as in English. Pupils are not given enough opportunities to solve number problems so that they are confident in doing so.  All teachers mark pupils’ work carefully and show them how they can improve. In Year 3, some excellent marking is seen. Pupils are encouraged to check their own work and this helps them to understand how well they are doing.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel entirely safe in school and all groups work and play well together. Pupils say school is a happy place and they enjoy taking responsibility, such as being members of the school council.  Behaviour in lessons is never less than good and frequently outstanding. Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning underpin their good progress. They invariably try their best, are keen to do well and are proud of their achievements. Around the school, pupils are thoughtful and respectful towards each other so a calm and positive ethos prevails.  School records show that there is very little bullying and pupils are confident that if there is anything, such as name calling, then adults can be relied upon to sort it out quickly. However, pupils are unsure about different types of bullying and not always clear about how to keep safe in various different circumstances, although they have a sound knowledge of road safety.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is above average. Pupils are keen to come to school and eager to get to lessons on time.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the last inspection, the headteacher, with excellent support from governors and the local authority, has been tenacious in striving for improvement by putting a firm emphasis on raising achievement. A strong and clear impact is seen: achievement is now good, standards of attainment having risen strongly.  Methods for checking on the quality of teaching are robust and systematic. Lessons are observed regularly and pupils’ progress is carefully monitored. The information gathered from this is evaluated and used well to plan and provide relevant training to improve teaching.  The appraisal of teachers’ performance is thorough and firmly established. Teachers are set relevant targets for improvement so practice is refreshed. Governors and school leaders ensure that progression up the pay scale is merited.  Because the performance of teachers is managed well, since the last inspection good or better

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The leadership and management are good

teaching has become the norm. Middle leaders do not have enough opportunity to check on teaching and contribute further to improving teaching methods, although the headteacher and governors recognise the need to achieve this.  Leaders and governors successfully make sure learning is exciting for pupils. There are strong links with schools in Sweden and Sri Lanka. Pupils participate in a range of sports and are enthusiastic about opportunities to play guitar or woodwind instruments. There are strong links with local churches. This supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  Governors and leaders make sure all pupils have equal opportunity to learn and that there is no discrimination and this is seen in the support given to pupils with special needs and disabilities, which results in their good progress. They make sure that funding from the pupil premium provides additional teaching and support for those pupils for whom it is intended and, as a

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The leadership and management are good

result, these pupils make good progress.  Governors and leaders value the help of the local authority, particularly the contribution of the school adviser.  The governance of the school:  Governors act strategically, are well informed and provide outstanding support to the school. They confidently challenge the headteacher. They visit classrooms, talk to school leaders, make sure there is a robust programme for checking on teaching and carefully analyse information about pupils’ progress. They support the headteacher exceptionally well in managing teacher pay and performance related issues. Governors ensure safeguarding requirements are met. They manage the budget successfully.

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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 119566 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 401852

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 191 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Gerallt Evans-Hughes Headteacher Lawrence Smye-Rumsby Date of previous school inspection 13 July 2010 Telephone number 01772 812630 Fax number 01772 814721 Email address bursar@hesketh-with-becconsall.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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