Roughlee Church of England Primary School

Roughlee Church of England Primary School Blacko Bar Road, Roughlee, Nelson, Lancashire, BB9 6NX

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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 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 achieve well. All pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress throughout the school whatever their starting points.  Teaching is good across the school, with strengths in the teaching of reading in both classes. The teaching of writing has improved since the last inspection.  Pupils are well known as individuals and receive good intervention and support when needed.  Pupils behave well and are keen to learn. They take pride in their work which is neatly presented. They feel very safe in school and attend well.  The school makes a strong contribution to pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The headteacher, staff and governors are strongly committed to achieving the best for every pupil. They have a good idea of how well the school is doing and where it needs to do better and have secured good improvements

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

to teaching and achievement.  Parents are very supportive of the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is good rather than outstanding. Pupils are not always given clear enough guidance about what they need to do to improve their work, and teachers do not always check that this guidance is followed.  Occasionally more-able pupils are not given work which challenges them enough and enables them to reach the highest levels.  Pupils do not have enough opportunity to apply and use their mathematical knowledge and skills in real-life situations.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed eight lessons or part-lessons taught by three teachers. In addition they listened to pupils read and visited a school assembly.  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils, the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspection team observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including school improvement plans, data on pupils’ current progress, pupils’ written work, the governing body minutes and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors took account of 10 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View).

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Inspection team

Robert Birtwell, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Barbara Martin Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average sized primary school with 29 pupils coming from 18 families. There are currently no pupils in Year 5 pupils and one in Year 6.  Pupils are taught in two classes, one comprising of Reception and Key Stage 1 pupils and the other of Key Stage 2 pupils.  Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, looked-after children and children from service families) is very low.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported at school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school at other than normal times is above average.  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?

 Make sure that pupils are always given very clear guidance about what they need to do to improve their work and that teachers check that this advice is being followed.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that work is always closely matched to pupils’ needs, particularly for higher-ability pupils, and that they are given work that is challenging and enables them to achieve the highest levels.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide pupils with more opportunities to use and apply their mathematical knowledge and skills in real-life situations across the curriculum.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the school in Reception with skills and understanding that are broadly in line with those expected for their age, although because of the small number of pupils there can be a wide range of abilities within each year group and from year to year. From their different starting points all pupils go on to make good progress by the time they leave, including when they join the school other than at the normal times.  In comparison with national data in 2012 pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 was below average. However the number of pupils is very low and the individual abilities of the pupils can vary greatly from year to year. The school’s own data clearly show that pupils make good progress from their individual starting points and achieve well throughout the school. This is confirmed by inspection evidence from lesson observations and work in pupils’ books.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 From Reception to Year 6 pupils make good progress in reading. They read confidently and well, and show good comprehension skills. They say they enjoy reading and are encouraged to read at home. One pupil was proud to show that he had read 75 books since September 2012.  Writing has been an area of focus for the school since the last inspection and teaching and achievement have improved. More-able pupils write imaginatively and at length. Most pupils’ control of basic punctuation and grammar is sound. In one class, for example, pupils developed and accurately wrote out a conversation.  There is a good focus on the teaching of basic numeracy. Although pupils make good progress in mathematics, they do not have enough opportunity to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills in real-life situations both in mathematics lessons and across the curriculum.  The few disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because

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The achievement of pupils is good

their needs are accurately identified and they receive effective support from all staff.  Pupil premium funding is used successfully to support the few eligible pupils by providing extra teaching staff to support their progress and raise attainment. As a result, they make the same good progress as that of other pupils and there are no gaps between their attainment in English and mathematics and that of other pupils.  All parents who responded to the on-line Parent View survey said that their children were making good progress, and inspection evidence confirms this.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good across the school. Teachers know pupils well and relationships in the classroom are very productive. Questioning is often targeted at individuals and helps to extend pupils’ learning. Pupils’ books show that they produce a good quantity of work and take pride in presenting it neatly.  Teachers are skilled when teaching mixed year groups in the two classes. In one history class, for example, pupils greatly enjoyed finding out about Victorian inventions. Different pupils had different tasks depending on their needs and ability. As a result, they made very good progress.  Teachers and teaching assistants work effectively with pupils who need extra support, including those eligible for the pupil premium and those who are disabled or have special educational needs. This ensures that they make good progress and achieve as well as other pupils in the school.  Work is generally well matched to pupils’ needs and abilities, although occasionally more-able

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils are not always given work that is difficult enough and enables them to reach the highest levels.  In lessons pupils are usually told what they need to do in order to be successful learners. Teachers’ marking is complete and up to date and praise is used effectively. However, pupils are not always given clear enough information about what they need to do individually to improve their work, and teachers do not always make sure that pupils have responded to their comments.  Information and communication technology (ICT) is used effectively when appropriate to reinforce basic skills or to extend learning. For example pupils were observed practising and developing grammatical skills, as well as developing their research skills using ICT.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour in lessons and around the school is very good. Pupils are polite and considerate and have very good relationships with each other and with their teachers.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They say they enjoy coming to school and are keen to do well in lessons. As a result, attendance is above average.  Pupils say they feel very safe and are well looked after by all the adults in the school. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe in different situations, including when using the Internet.  Pupils have a good understanding of different kinds of bullying. They say that bullying is extremely rare, but are confident that staff would deal with it effectively if it occurred.  There have been no exclusions and no instances of racist or discriminatory behaviour for several years.  All parents who completed the on-line Parent View survey thought that their children were safe

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and staff work well together as an effective team. All staff and governors are committed to giving pupils the best education possible. They have ensured that the school has maintained the strengths identified at the last inspection and has also secured improvements to teaching and achievement. The staff questionnaire results show that morale is high.  The headteacher has a very good overview of how well the school is doing, and what needs to be improved. As a result, school self-evaluation is accurate and the school improvement plan correctly identifies the key development priorities and focuses on further improving teaching and raising pupils’ achievement. Staff training is closely linked to the areas identified in the school improvement plan and individual needs.  Staff are held to account for the progress their pupils make, and outcomes for pupils are carefully considered when making decisions about pay progression.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school knows all its pupils well as individuals. Effective systems track pupils’ progress at an individual level, and any underachievement is rapidly addressed by providing extra help when pupils need it. This means that the school is very good at ensuring equality of opportunity, and that discrimination of any form is not tolerated.  The curriculum is well organised to provide a good range of learning opportunities. Links with other schools in the local area add enrichment and mean that pupils have experience of a wider range of experiences and cultures. For example, the school regularly participates in the Pendle Schools Festival promoting art, drama and music, and has good PE and sporting links with a local secondary school.  Together with its Christian values, this ensures that the school makes a strong contribution to pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The local authority provides light touch but effective support. For example, it has contributed to

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The leadership and management are good

improving teaching by identifying training opportunities and arranging links and meetings with outstanding teachers in other schools.  The governance of the school:  The governing body ensures that the headteacher carries out her responsibilities to improve teaching and raise achievement effectively. Governors visit the school regularly and the Chair of the Governing Body has a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and areas that need improvement. Governors support the headteacher as well as challenging her positively in regular meetings. They ensure that pupils’ progress is taken into account when making decisions about teachers’ salary progression. They keep a tight rein on finances and understand how pupil premium funding is spent and its impact. They make sure that the school meets its statutory duties, including those related to safeguarding.

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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 119383 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 412078

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 29 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Geoffrey Cole Headteacher Carolyn Potts Date of previous school inspection 25 May 2010 Telephone number 01282 613613 Fax number - Email address head@roughlee.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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