West End Primary School

West End Primary School Chatsworth Road, Morecambe, Lancashire, LA3 1BW

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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.  From extremely low starting points in the Early Years Foundation Stage children learn well and make good progress in English and mathematics.  Teaching and learning are good across the school. Lessons are well planned so that activities successfully match the needs of different groups of pupils.  Good quality support from teaching assistants and the learning mentors ensures that pupils, including those who join the school throughout the year in different year groups, all make good progress in their learning.  The many exciting clubs, trips and activities capture pupils’ imaginations and extend their horizons.  The Early Years Foundation Stage ensures that children are introduced to learning in a happy, friendly environment. The classroom and outdoors is full of lively activities that grab children’s attention and make them learn effectively.  Pupils feel safe and well cared for at school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

They are polite, courteous and behave well. Attendance is gradually rising and is now average.  The headteacher is well supported by other leaders, making an effective team. Along with the governing body they have improved teaching and achievement. They have a clear understanding of what the school does well and what it needs to do next to improve further.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The targets that pupils are given to help them improve their work are not precise enough.  The presentation of pupils work in Key Stage 2 in English and topic books can be untidy.  Occasionally teachers do not keep lessons moving along quickly enough so that pupils are involved fully in their work throughout the whole lesson.  Skills pupils learn in English and mathematics lessons are not practiced often enough in other subjects and too many work sheets are used in English and mathematics lessons.  There are still some pupils who do not attend school as often as they should.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed seven teachers and visited 13 lessons, which included a joint lesson observation with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, English and mathematics subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinators, pupils, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector observed pupils’ work and listened to pupils read.  A range of the school’s documentation was examined, including the school’s analysis of how well it is doing, documents relating to monitoring and evaluation, systems for tracking pupils’ progress, documents regarding safeguarding and key policies.  The inspector took account of responses of the school’s most recent questionnaire for parents. There were a few responses for the online questionnaire (Parent View) but not enough to show the results. Thirteen questionnaires completed by staff were analysed.

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Inspection team

Sue Sharkey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sheila O'Keeffe Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 West End Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  A large majority of pupils attending the school are from White British heritage with a small minority of pupils from Eastern European heritage, mainly from Poland, most of whom speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above the national average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also above the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is much higher than the national average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding provided for children in local authority care, for children from armed service families, and for children known to be eligible for free school meals.)  The school meets the government floor standards, which sets the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The proportion of pupils entering and leaving the school each year is extremely high.  The school offers a breakfast club managed by the governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the proportion of good or better teaching by:  ensuring that pupils targets are very specific and reviewed regularly  encouraging teachers to always move lessons along at a fast pace so that pupils are always busy with their work  providing more opportunities for pupils to develop their writing and mathematical skills in different subjects  improving the quality of presentation of pupils’ work particularly in English across Key Stage 2  reducing the use of worksheets in both English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attendance and punctuality even further by continuing to work closely with parents so that pupils do not miss out on school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children settle quickly into the Reception class because of the high quality support and care they receive. When they start school their skills are exceptionally low, particularly in communication and language and their emotional and social skills.  The exciting range of activities available helps children to talk, play and learn to share together. For example, when working outdoors children were finding different ways to transport water to their dinosaur. They took turns using different containers to part fill the wheel barrows, pushing them to where the dinosaur was lying. Some children explored pouring water down a drainpipe, chatting to each other as they worked. At the same time two girls sat quietly enjoying a book together.  The good progress children make in the Early Years Foundation Stage continues through Key Stages 1 and 2. Good provision, including small group support for pupils who are disabled and

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The achievement of pupils is good

those with special educational needs, ensures that their progress is in line with other pupils.  All parents who responded to the school’s most recent questionnaire agree that their children make good progress.  Pupil premium funding is used to ensure that there are high quality, well trained teaching assistants and effective learning mentor support. Pupils who are known to be eligible for free schools meals make good progress because of the extra support provided by effective booster groups or one-to-one teaching. However, in 2012, this group of pupils were about a term behind other pupils in the school in their reading but not in their writing, where their attainment was similar to other pupils. They made particularly good progress in mathematics.  Effective support is provided for pupils whose first language is Polish. This ensures that these pupils also make good progress. The high proportion of teaching assistants also ensures that the

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The achievement of pupils is good

many pupils who join different classes at the beginning or during the school year receive appropriate support and make good progress from their individual starting points.  Pupils enjoy writing in different styles, for example, stories or reports. More pupils are now making better progress in writing, and recent assessments indicate this is helping to ensure that attainment in writing is broadly average.  In a Year 1 lesson pupils had been finding facts about dinosaurs. They enjoyed using actions to show how dinosaurs ate or how they moved about in groups. Some pupils then worked with a teaching assistant or the teacher to write words or sentences. They talked about the words, sounding out the letters carefully and making sure they left spaces between the words. Pupils concentrated well, were proud of their writing and keen to show it to other adults.  Pupils enjoy mathematics, they focus well in lessons and there are some good examples of

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils using their mathematical skills in science in Key Stage 1. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to practice their mathematical or writing skills in a range of different subjects in Key Stage 2.  A scrutiny of pupils’ English books show that handwriting is neat and well developed but pupils’ work across Key Stage 2 is not consistently well presented.  The school library is well stocked with a wide range of books for pupils, supporting their love of reading. The teaching of letters and sounds is good. Teachers and teaching assistants use accurate letter sounds expecting pupils to do the same. Pupils in Year 2 say they enjoy books about princesses or football. They read sentences confidently and use punctuation such as full stops to pause, sometimes adding emphasis to words. By the time pupils reach Year 6 they have favourite authors and enjoy reading a range of different styles of books.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Almost all parents who responded to the school’s questionnaire believe that teaching is good. Observing lessons, pupils’ progress and their books confirm this view. Pupils told inspectors, ‘Teachers help us and make lessons fun.’  Teachers give pupils good opportunities to enhance their learning by sharing ideas in pairs and small groups and sometimes by making suggestions to help improve a partner’s work. In a Year 6 lesson there was a quiet ‘buzz’ as pupils quickly worked out subtraction and addition problems at the beginning of the lesson. One group was solving decimal problems and used their individual whiteboards to work out answers as well as share their work. They checked how each other had worked out the problem making positive comments before they shared the answer.  Practical activities are often a feature of lessons although pupils’ books show that there can be an overuse of worksheets. Teachers know each pupil very well. This helps to ensure that the

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The quality of teaching is good

tasks they set are always at the right level for each pupil. However, the pace of lessons is not always brisk enough and this slows down the learning for some pupils.  Teachers and teaching assistants ask pupils questions skilfully, exploring their ideas and checking their understanding. Adults have high expectations of pupils’ achievement and behaviour. Strong relationships help to create a very positive atmosphere encouraging pupils to learn well.  Pupils have targets in reading, writing and mathematics to help them see what they have to achieve in their work. These targets are often for individual pupils but they are not precise enough or reviewed often enough for pupils to see the success of their learning regularly.  Marking of pupils’ work by teachers and teaching assistants is good. Pupils are fully involved and have opportunities to check the marking of their work. They understand the colour coding

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The quality of teaching is good

system and respond well to the teachers’ comments.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and are keen to take part in lessons. They say they enjoy school, and parents agree. Pupils’ behaviour in and around school is good. However, behaviour and attendance are not outstanding because attendance requires improvement.  Pupils say they feel safe because adults in school help them when needed and their friends are kind. They say bullying is rare but is dealt with by adults in school quickly. They understand different forms of bullying such as cyber-bullying and appreciate the way the school teaches them about safety in lessons, such as during special themed weeks.  The school encourages pupils to take on responsibilities. For example ‘Playground Pals’ help at lunch and break times. They take out play equipment and help to make sure that everyone is joining in and is happy.  The school council takes its role very seriously, as it represents each year group. It puts ideas

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

forward on a range of issues. For example, at its last meeting suggestions were put forward regarding ways of improving the community, using funding that has been made available. Members supported the campaign to reduce the driving speed outside school and have written an article in the school newsletter to try and cut down the amount of lost property in school.  Attendance has improved gradually over the last few years as a result of the learning mentors working closely with parents. However, there are still pupils who do not always arrive on time or attend as often as they should.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher keep every aspect of the school’s work under constant review and know there is more to do to secure outstanding teaching and achievement. Along with other leaders, managers and teachers they use their knowledge and expertise well to make sure that all pupils, including the high proportion of pupils who enter different year groups during the year make good progress. All pupils have equal opportunities to learn and develop well. No pupil is prevented from enjoying the full range of learning opportunities provided.  Good leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage has supported improvements since the previous inspection to both the indoor and outdoor areas. As a result the progress of children has improved.  The regular tracking of progress made by the pupils is rigorous ensuring that any pupils needing extra support receive it quickly. Learning mentors provide an excellent nurturing environment

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The leadership and management are good

not only to support vulnerable pupils but also to work closely with parents. There is a strong partnership with parents, who appreciate the school’s provision of a well-run breakfast club.  Leaders and managers are firmly focused on securing outstanding teaching and achievement. Staff share the ambition of continuous improvement expressed by leaders. Good quality professional development is linked closely to teachers’ performance management, which in turn is linked well to salary progression. This is helping to improve the quality of teaching. For example, last year the English subject leader led training for staff in the teaching of letters and sounds. Adults now use this successfully to help improve reading and writing. The school was pleased that in the most recent Year 1 national phonics tests pupils achieved above the national average.  The commitment of the staff is high. Staff questionnaires indicate high morale and a strong

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The leadership and management are good

team spirit.  The local authority has a good relationship with the school and has been involved in assisting the headteacher to check the work of the school, particularly teaching.  The school cares for pupils particularly well. Pupils feel welcomed and accepted knowing that they can ask for support and guidance when needed. The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well through a wide variety of clubs such as drama or football as well as membership of the school choir. Residential visits are a feature of Key Stage 2 giving pupils the opportunity to enjoy and explore outdoor activities with their friends. These activities help to raise pupils’ awareness of different peoples’ needs and experiences helping to equip them well for their future life.  The governance of the school:  The governing body plays an active and important part in the life of the school. It checks the

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The leadership and management are good

work of the school thoroughly through regular visits, observing teaching and working closely with staff. It is well aware of the quality of teaching and understands data, including how pupils are achieving in relation to other schools. It makes careful financial decisions, ensuring that pupil premium funding is used well to support those pupils who need additional support. Governors play an effective role in appointing staff and using performance management to help make decisions on teachers’ salaries to secure effective teaching. They make sure that safeguarding meets requirements and that appropriate staff and governor training is up-to- date.

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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 119139 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 412016

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 160 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Marie Hunter Headteacher Steve Wetherill Date of previous school inspection 8 October 2009 Telephone number 01524 411227 Fax number 01524 400643 Email address head@westend.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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