Preston Grange Primary School

Preston Grange Primary School Grange Avenue, Ribbleton, Preston, Lancashire , PR2 6PS

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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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This is a good school

 It is improving because teaching is getting better and pupils are making increasingly rapid progress.  Pupils achieve well. From frequently low starting points, more and more pupils are exceeding expectations.  Teaching is nearly always good. The basic skills of reading, writing, communication and mathematics are being promoted well.  Pupils behave well and are kept safe. Lessons are rarely interrupted by bad behaviour. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is particularly good.  Leadership, management and governance are good. They are helping to improve teaching through a good programme of professional development. All staff have targets for improvement and their progress towards these targets is carefully monitored.  Governors are increasingly involved in evaluating the effectiveness of the school and the performance of the headteacher.  The good curriculum includes many activities

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This is a good school

that broaden pupils’ horizons by giving them opportunities to go to places and do things that they would otherwise probably not do.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding. The main issue is that too often teachers are not making it clear enough to pupils what they need to do to make even faster progress.  Leaders and managers are not consistent in feeding back weaknesses in teaching after they have observed lessons.  Not enough pupils exceed expectations in writing.

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Information about this inspection

 Seven lessons were observed, two of them jointly with the headteacher. All teachers were observed at least once.  On-going discussions were held with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector talked informally with many pupils.  There were insufficient responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) for the views to be considered representative.  The inspector scrutinised samples of pupils’ work and looked at documentation, including that relating to pupils’ progress, their safeguarding and school improvement.

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Inspection team

Alastair Younger, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average sized primary school.  Headship of the school has changed since the last inspection. All governors are new to the school since the last inspection. Over the past year, there has been some significant long-term absence among teaching staff.  Nearly all pupils are White British. There are very few looked-after children. The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is very much higher than 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.) The school provides a free breakfast-club which is usually attended by about one third of all pupils.  There is an above average proportion of pupils with special educational needs. The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well above average. The proportion of pupils supported

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Information about this school

at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school has been extensively refurbished since the last inspection and has recently been awarded a substantial grant from Sport England to refurbish its playing field for school and community use.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that more of it is outstanding by making sure that: - when teachers have been observed in class the observer always feeds back clearly the weaknesses as well as the strengths of the teaching and records these as a starting point for subsequent monitoring - all pupils know how their own work compares with work at a higher level and what they need to do to get to that level.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ attainment and progress in writing by: - making it very clear to pupils how simple mistakes can cost them points in assessments and that a single point can make the difference between attaining a higher or lower level - making it very clear that there are certain ‘non-negotiables’ in writing, such as the correct use of punctuation and capital letters, and making sure that teachers always mark work consistently to reflect this.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Starting points are usually very low. Children often join the school in the Reception class with skills that are well below age-related expectations. Fewer than one third are able to work at a level matched to their age. Many children have little knowledge and understanding of the world. At the end of Year 6, standards of attainment are broadly average, reflecting the good, steady progress pupils have made.  Children make good progress in the Reception class and this progress is accelerating. Nevertheless, many still join Year 1 at a below average stage of learning and development.  In Years 1 and 2, pupils continue to make good progress. Last year, fewer than average Year 1 pupils met the level expected in a national check of their understanding of how letters combine to form different sounds. This year, many more are on track to do so. Pupils who did not meet expectations in Year 1 have been given good support in Year 2 to help them catch up.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 By the end of Key Stage 1, standards in English and mathematics are very nearly in line with national expectations. Not enough pupils attain the higher level 3 to set them up for an expectation of above average results at the end of Key Stage 2.  Results in Key Stage 2 are very variable. Results in 2012 were disappointing but the year before they were good. Issues over the validity of Key Stage 1 results in years gone by have been well recorded. This has impacted adversely on current measures of progress.  Most pupils meet national expectations by the end of Year 6 but in 2012 not enough exceeded them. A few did so in reading and mathematics but none did so in writing. This year, school data and the work in pupils’ books suggest that results are going to be the best for a long time. Many pupils are set to exceed national expectations in mathematics and reading but fewer so in writing. Good use of the pupil premium is being made to resolve this issue by using some of the

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The achievement of pupils is good

additional funding to help pupils to gain more experiences about which they can write imaginatively. However, too many pupils fail to adhere to the basic rules of grammar and punctuation, and not enough understand the requirements of different levels of work.  The progress of different groups is checked very carefully. There are variations because ‘groups’ are frequently small and the performance of a single pupil can sway results enormously. Overall there is very little difference. Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and the pupil premium tend to have lower attainment than that of other pupils but their progress and achievement equals those of all others. Pupils with special educational needs are given good support and access to aids that can help them to achieve equally with other pupils. This demonstrates the school’s successful promotion of equality of opportunity.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers take pride in the quality of their work and are keen to keep improving it. The long-term absences of a few teachers over the past year do not appear to have had any major impact on pupils’ learning because cover for those absences has been at least good.  Consistently good teaching is helping pupils to achieve well in many subjects, including English and mathematics. Teachers are particularly aware of the extra barriers to learning that some pupils, such as those with special educational needs or those supported through the pupil premium, face. They make sure that teaching assistants are deployed effectively to support higher-attaining pupils in order to allow themselves to give the additional support that the more vulnerable pupils need to ensure that they achieve well over time.  Expectations are usually ambitious but realistic. Occasionally a few higher-attaining pupils are insufficiently challenged while a few lower-attaining ones struggle with the work they are set.

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The quality of teaching is good

Sometimes, simple mistakes made by higher-attaining pupils are not chased up sufficiently. This is reflected in those cases where pupils who were expected to gain a higher grade in the 2012 assessments missed doing so by a single point.  Classrooms are bright, well organised and full of displays that inform pupils and also celebrate their achievement through prominent displays of pupils’ best work.  Through perceptive questioning and dialogue, teachers gain a good understanding of how well pupils are learning and how they should adapt future lessons to help pupils make faster progress. Where teaching is not so good it is because pupils are insufficiently involved in the process. Pupils are encouraged to respond to written comments teachers make about their work, but few do. Too many comments congratulate pupils about the quality of their work and what they have achieved but do not include enough information about what they need to do to

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The quality of teaching is good

achieve even more.  Teachers very successfully promote good behaviour and help pupils to become more sociable. They help pupils to feel good about themselves and to understand that a whole new world exists beyond the confines of the very small area of Preston that they live in. This lies at the heart of the school’s success.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well. Lessons are rarely disrupted. Staff express very few concerns about misbehaviour, while recognising that certain pupils have more difficulty moderating their own behaviour than others do. Exclusions are rare.  Pupils, and the community they come from, are showing increasing pride in the school. Extensive refurbishment of the premises has helped to demonstrate that the school cares and that the pupils are worthy of the best. Families have embraced the introduction of the smart new uniform. Visitors enjoy coming to the school and find the pupils welcoming and inquisitive.  Attendance is broadly average. The persistent absence of a very small minority of pupils has a big impact on overall figures in such a small school. Leaders and managers are working well to tackle this issue.  Lessons start and finish on time. Once in the school, pupils are punctual and move quickly and smoothly between activities to make sure that little time is lost. They show a good sense of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

purpose.  Attitudes to learning are mainly positive. A few higher-attaining pupils keep quiet when work is too easy while a few lower-attaining ones remain oblivious to the fact that they are getting things wrong because they do not have the confidence to admit it.  Behaviour is managed well because staff recognise the effectiveness of ‘catching the child being good’. In the Reception class, for instance, at the end of the school day the teacher drew everyone together calmly by naming those children who were getting it right; the rest quickly complied.  Pupils feel safe. Leaders and managers make sure that this trust is not misplaced. Pupils are helped to understand what they need to do to keep themselves safe without becoming fearful of the world at large.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders, managers and governors share a keen interest in improving the school and making sure that it performs a role that puts it increasingly at the centre of the community. Improving the quality of teaching and learning is seen as a central role for leaders, managers and governors. The overarching needs of the community are taken into good account while doing so.  Improved teaching and raised standards bear testament to the effectiveness of leaders, managers and governors. There is a good programme of continuing professional development in place for staff, supported by well directed training and careful monitoring and evaluation of teachers’ performance. Occasionally, after observing lessons, leaders and managers are not clear enough about stating what teachers need to do to get even better, then using this statement as the starting point for assessing future performance.  Opportunities for training are matched well to issues identified in the school’s improvement plan.

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The leadership and management are good

Individual targets for improving teaching are suitably challenging and progress towards them is monitored carefully.  The headteacher and senior staff monitor and evaluate the performance of pupils carefully and accurately. Governors are increasingly being involved. Leaders and managers have a good idea of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They know how to build upon the former and how to eliminate the latter.  Pupils are making good progress in improving their literacy skills. Reading is promoted well and good inroads are currently being made into improving their writing.  Leaders and managers make every effort to equalise opportunities for all pupils. There is a good curriculum. Extra funding made available through the pupil premium is being used well to add considerable enrichment to the curriculum. Pupils are visiting museums and experiencing cultural events they would be highly unlikely to access other than through school. They are meeting

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The leadership and management are good

regularly with artists, authors and performers that they never previously understood the point of.  Many parents attend social events and increasing numbers of them are being drawn in to contributing to their children’s education. More and more of them are joining in with celebration assemblies and talking to teachers about their children’s progress. Every week, every class sends out an easily understood newsletter to parents.  The governance of the school:  There have been a great many positive changes in the governance of the school since the last inspection. The governing body is increasingly representative of the local community and the parents of children who attend. The governing body shows a good awareness of the issues that the school faces in terms of matching the education the school provides to the needs of the community. Governors make sure that the headteacher is meeting the targets they set for

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The leadership and management are good

her performance. Finances are managed well and good attention is paid to checking up on how pupil premium funding is used and to what effect. Keen attention is paid to making sure that all safeguarding procedures are carefully observed and that equal opportunities are maintained.

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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 119232 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 412011

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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 112 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Doris Headteacher Cheryl Nelson Date of previous school inspection 6 July 2010 Telephone number 01772 792573 Fax number 01772 702426 Email address head@grange.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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