Lea Neeld's Endowed Church of England Primary School

Lea Neeld's Endowed Church of England Primary School Lea Road, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 0RA

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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.  ‘Let children shine’ is the school’s motto and pupils certainly thrive and achieve well in this good school.  Pupils reach standards that are well above average overall because the quality of teaching is good and some is outstanding.  Pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, make good progress from their generally expected starting points.  Children thrive in the Early Years Foundation Stage because they are looked after well and their curiosity for learning is stimulated by an exciting range of interesting activities.  The behaviour and safety of pupils are good. Work with the local parish encourages pupils’ thoughtfulness and their consideration of others as well as themselves. Pupils’ spiritual development is outstanding.  The good curriculum is broad and interesting. A love of reading is encouraged from Reception and pupils are enthusiastic, skilled readers.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leadership and management are good. The headteacher sets high expectations and ambition for pupils’ achievement and their personal development which are shared by all staff.  Leaders and governors have successfully improved the quality of teaching and raised pupils’ achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of pupils’ writing is lower than their standards of attainment in reading and mathematics.  Drafting and checking written work from the earliest age is not emphasised enough and there is not a sustained focus on improving pupils’ skills in spelling, punctuation and grammar.  Even good quality teaching does not clearly and systematically build up the craft of writing for different purposes such as diaries, factual reports or detailed and creative stories.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 10 lessons; eight of these were joint observations with the headteacher. The inspector listened to pupils reading.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, two members from the governing body, pupils and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of the 16 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and the school’s parental survey to consider parents’ views. The questionnaires completed by 12 members of staff were taken into account.  The inspector observed the work of the school and reviewed various documents including the school’s view of its effectiveness, tracking of pupils’ progress, pupils’ work, governing body records of meetings and performance management documents.

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Inspection team

Marie Cordey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average-sized school.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, is below average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after.)  Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds. A very small number are from ethnic minority backgrounds.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching to improve the quality of pupils’ writing further by:  emphasising the importance of drafting and checking written work from the earliest age  focusing more on improving spelling, punctuation and grammar  clearly and systematically building up the craft of writing for different purposes such as diaries, factual reports or detailed and creative stories.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress because they are well-known to all staff as individuals and their interests and capabilities are closely matched to a wide range of learning activities. Themes such as ‘The Jungle’ are represented in books, number games, role play and craft work, for instance. In this way, children learn to read, write and express themselves and develop a sense of joy in learning.  Children’s physical development is not as fast. The planned development of further outdoor learning to foster children’s physical development is a school priority.  Pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress in their learning in Years 1 to 6 to reach standards that are well above average. Pupils in Years 4 and 5, for example, make exceptional progress because they are encouraged to be independent and to take responsibility for planning and checking their work so that it is of the highest quality.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ work in reading and mathematics is well above average. They learn to use their basic skills in number in a systematic way to help them to work out and solve problems. As this approach is embedded from an early age, older pupils typically use their knowledge to help them solve increasingly sophisticated mathematical challenges. A significant and growing proportion of pupils reach high levels in these subjects.  Standards in reading are significantly above average and pupils often become so immersed in their reading that they do not want to finish. This love of books is encouraged by reading at home and is supported well by parents and grandparents.  Standards in writing are not quite as high as those in other subjects. The school has focused on improving writing quality and pupils now write at greater length and are enthusiastic writers. As yet, pupils do not draft, edit and check their spelling, punctuation and grammar, for example, in

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The achievement of pupils is good

the consistent way they do when they are reading or when investigating problems in mathematics.  Disabled pupils, those with special educational needs, the very small number of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds and those known to be eligible for free school meals all achieve well. Pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium achieve as well as other pupils. Good quality support from teachers and teaching assistants helps these pupils to gain confidence, improve their skills and raise their standards. Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals attain higher standards in English and mathematics than similar groups nationally and gaps in their attainment are consistently narrowing against those of other pupils in school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers in the Reception Year provide children with a good grounding in the basic skills of early reading, writing and number. They enthuse children to enjoy learning, to experiment sounding out letters and words in books and also in unexpected places such as the sand pit. Learning to use numbers and work out sums is eagerly practised in their work books as well as on the computer and in games.  Adults offer children plentiful, interesting activities which ensure that children are keen to discover and learn. It was delightful to see their wonderment when their teacher pretended to be a jungle explorer and displayed the contents of her suitcase to the children. They laughed out loud at some of the inappropriate articles that were packed, including a remote-control device. This helped children to feel more expert than their teacher and they set to work with relish to pack a suitcase that would be much more sensible for jungle exploration.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan indoor activities that develop children’s physical skills well. These are not as successfully developed during outdoor activities.  Teaching is consistently good and sometimes it is outstanding. Teachers help pupils to make faster rates of progress through the careful and systematic teaching of literacy and mathematical skills. This happens in outstanding lessons when high quality teaching ensures that pupils automatically think about, prepare and check their work. In their writing, for example, pupils in Years 4 and 5 carefully consider what type of writing they are completing and use the skills they have learned to refine it. For instance, they know the differences between writing a formal letter or an imaginative story.  Teaching does not consistently build in methods to help pupils draft and edit their work or to build up the craft of writing for a variety of purposes. Opportunities are missed to strengthen

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The quality of teaching is good

pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar.  Teaching assistants are used well to support pupils who need extra help. They carefully guide pupils’ work when necessary but also make sure pupils are given time to work things out for themselves.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and this helps pupils to improve their standards. Helpful guidance for improvement is, mostly, acted upon by pupils. Marking helps teachers to plan future work to match pupils’ understanding and achievement. Occasionally, marking lacks thoroughness and pupils are not as sure of what, precisely, they need to do in order to improve their work further.  Every classroom is vibrant and welcoming. Good quality display and guidance celebrate pupils’ work and provide helpful tips on how to gain the highest standards.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are keen to learn and to play because there are lots of interesting things to do and they feel secure. They become more confident because they are encouraged to speak to each other and to adults. Children share and ‘take turns’ because they understand about fairness and co-operation.  Pupils are polite to each other and to adults. They open doors, greet people cheerfully and also take time to pause and reflect at the many ‘pray anytime and anywhere’ corners in the school. Assemblies are spiritual and enjoyable. All pupils sing with great enthusiasm and clearly relish the opportunity to ‘raise the roof’ with their singing ability.  Pupils are eager to learn and behave well in lessons. Occasionally, they become restless when they are not sure what to do because instructions are unclear or not specifically matched to their level of ability.  Pupils say they feel safe and their parents agree. They know who to turn to if they are worried

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

and have a well-developed sense of justice and equality. They are aware of the different forms that bullying can take but are keen to state that this does not happen at their school.  Links with the local parish church help to teach pupils about Christianity. The study of different religions guides pupils in their understanding and knowledge of different views and faiths. All of this is centred on treating other people as you would want to be treated yourself. Consequently, pupils celebrate people from different backgrounds, race and religions and their spiritual development is outstanding.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and their attendance is above average. Parents play an active part in getting their children to school regularly and on time. Occasionally, pupils’ attendance dips especially when they take holiday breaks in term time.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils, parents and staff believe that this is a good school. It is also popular; the number of pupils joining the school has increased steadily over the last few years. Determined and aspirational leadership by the headteacher and the governing body is shared by staff who all want the best for pupils.  Improvements since the previous inspection have centred on the quality of teaching. Searching targets for performance management are rigorously monitored to ensure that the quality of teaching is at least good. This is matched by challenging targets for pupils’ performance which are regularly checked and reviewed. Staff are supported and challenged to do their jobs effectively. Professional training is linked to the individual requirements of staff and to the school’s priorities for improvement. As a result, weaknesses in teaching have been tackled successfully.  Leaders know their school well and have made improvements in pupils’ writing a priority. Raised

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The leadership and management are good

standards in mathematics and reading, improved teaching and faster rates of progress by pupils reflect the strengths of leadership and management as well as their capacity to improve further.  The Early Years Foundation Stage leader is ambitious for children to have a good start to their school life. She is also knowledgeable and committed to the achievement of pupils in Years 1 to 6. The newly appointed deputy headteacher is a very strong role model for the highest quality of teaching. Both these senior staff provide effective support for the headteacher’s high expectations for the care and achievement of pupils.  The school shows a strong and successful commitment to the promotion of equality of opportunity. Different groups of pupils in the school all achieve well. Pupils have a sense of ‘fair play’ and of justice because they are valued as individuals and taught to respect other people’s views and backgrounds. They are confident, sociable young people who are well-prepared for

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The leadership and management are good

their future. Their moral, social and cultural development is good and their spiritual development is outstanding.  The local authority has provided consistent, effective support to help improve this school.  Arrangements to safeguard pupils are appropriate and meet statutory requirements. Governors and staff undertake regular training to update their knowledge.  The governance of the school:  Governance is good and provides consistent support and challenge for school leaders. Governors take their roles seriously and their involvement in school life has increased in the past two years. They know what factors affect the performance and progress of pupils and have systematically set about improving the quality of teaching. They ask searching questions about the school’s performance and test this out by analysing school and external data about pupils’ standards and achievement. They manage the budget carefully and focus spending on

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The leadership and management are good

what will be most efficient in improving pupils’ achievement. Additional money, such as the pupil premium, is spent effectively to ensure good outcomes for pupils.

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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 119567 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 401853

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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 137 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andy Hird Headteacher Kathryn Middlemiss Date of previous school inspection 16 June 2010 Telephone number 01772 729880 Fax number 01772 733790 Email address head@leacofe.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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