Dee Point Primary School

Dee Point Primary School Blacon Point Road, Blacon, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 5NF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Select 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Pupils’ achievement is outstanding. They make excellent progress in every year group, often from very low starting points on entry to school and often exceeding the expected rate of progress for primary school pupils. By the end of Year 6 most pupils reach the expected levels of attainment for their age in reading, writing and mathematics.  Because they are given excellent teaching and a lively and interesting curriculum, pupils are highly motivated to do well. They are often deeply absorbed in their activities in lessons and they enjoy many opportunities to experience successful learning. All of this is adding significantly to their confidence and helping them to achieve very well.  Pupils with special educational needs, including those in the extra places funded by the local authority, are extremely well provided for, take part fully in all aspects of school life and are enabled to achieve well.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils who join the school mid-year or mid- key stage are supported extremely well. This enables them to settle in quickly and to make good and sometimes very rapid progress.  The Early Years Foundation Stage gives children an excellent start and they quickly become enthusiastic learners.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They feel very safe and secure in school and so they are ready and able to learn. They contribute in many ways to making their school a happy place for everyone. For example, trained older pupils act as ‘mini-mentors’ who are very good at helping to resolve problems at playtime.  The headteacher is an inspirational leader. He is supported by talented senior staff and effective middle leaders. Governors are extremely knowledgeable and very well organised. They and all of the staff share a firm resolve to achieve the best possible outcomes for pupils.  The school has continued to improve since its

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

last inspection. Leaders keep all areas of the school’s effectiveness under constant review and are always seeking ways to make it even better. For example, the school is currently in the process of upgrading some of its information and communication technology (ICT) equipment. It has identified a need to broaden the range of technology in use in order further to enhance pupils’ learning experiences and enjoyment of the curriculum.  Parents are very pleased with their children’s achievement in school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons, including joint observations with the headteacher and with the deputy headteacher. They also carried out ‘learning walks’ which involved spending short periods of time in a number of lessons. They listened to pupils read in Years 1, 2 and 6 and held discussions with pupils about the books they have enjoyed and those they are currently reading.  Meetings were held with four members of the governing body, with senior staff and subject leaders, with a group of pupils and with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors reviewed 16 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View). They took into account the outcomes of a recent survey of parents’ views conducted by the school. An inspector also met with a group of parents to hear their views about the school.  Inspectors took into account the views that staff expressed in the questionnaires they completed.

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Information about this inspection

 They observed the school’s work. They inspected the written work in pupils’ books and also looked at a wide range of documentation, including safeguarding documents, records of pupils’ current attainment and progress, the school development plan and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Diane Auton, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Clare Nash Additional Inspector Jennifer Lawrence Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Numbers on roll have risen by around 25% since the time of the school’s last inspection. The school is now similar in size to most other primary schools.  Most pupils are White British, with English as their home language. A very small minority of pupils are from a range of other backgrounds and heritages.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is high and is well above that found in most primary schools.  The school is funded by its local authority to provide ten additional places for pupils with complex moderate learning difficulties.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is well above average. (This additional government funding is provided for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the

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Information about this school

local authority.)  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school at other times than the usual transfer points is well above average.  During the time since the school’s last inspection, the school went through a period of disruption in its leadership, with some long-term absences of leadership team members, including the headteacher. This period has now ended and all of the leadership team members are back in post. A new Early Years Foundation Stage leader joined the school and the leadership team at the start of the current school year.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to build on the school’s current effective use of ICT by developing the use of a wider range of technological resources to extend and further enrich pupils’ learning experiences.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils’ achievement is outstanding in relation to their starting points and abilities. They make outstanding progress across the school and attainment is rising, as a result.  Standards dipped slightly in the two years that followed the school’s last inspection, mainly because of turbulence in staffing and leadership. However, decisive actions by the school have now brought attainment levels back up. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 and 2 were in line with national expectations in 2012 and this is also the case in the current year. The proportion of pupils reaching level 5, the level above the minimum expectations for pupils in Year 6, increased significantly in 2012 and is continuing to increase in the current year.  Most children start in the Nursery class with very low levels of skill, especially in social and emotional development, communications and language. The school has taken effective action to

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

speed up the rate of children’s progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. In the current year, as a result, children have made rapid progress in all of the areas of learning. By the end of the Nursery and Reception years, they are now operating at levels that are closer to the usual expectations for their age. Children in the Nursery and the Reception classes all show extremely positive attitudes to learning.  Pupils make excellent progress in reading, writing and mathematics as they move up through Key Stages 1 and 2. Their progress rates often exceed that of other pupils across the country. In the current year, for example, pupils have made exceptionally rapid progress in all three subjects in Years 5 and 6; excellent teaching has successfully addressed some identified gaps in their learning and has enabled them to catch up with national expectations for their attainment.  In 2012, the proportion of pupils in Year 1 who met the required standard in the new national

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

check on phonic skills, which focused on their ability to identify letters and the sounds they make, was above average. The few pupils who did not meet the standard have been helped to catch up in Year 2. Attainment in reading in Key Stage 1 is in line with the national average and is continuing to improve.  Pupils’ reading skills are developing very well across the school. Systematic teaching of letters and sounds is giving pupils the tools they need to become proficient readers. From a young age, pupils read with interest and enjoyment. Attainment in reading is at nationally expected levels by the time pupils leave the school in Year 6.  The attainment of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is the same as that of the other pupils in the school in English and in mathematics. These pupils and those who are looked after by the local authority all achieve very well in relation to their individual starting points. This

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

is the result of the school’s careful targeting of pupil premium funding and the positive impact of measures to ensure equal opportunities for all pupils.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, including those in the extra places funded by the local authority, make excellent progress because of the extremely effective support they are given in school.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The quality of teaching is mostly outstanding and never less than good.  Lessons are planned extremely well; learning moves along briskly and pupils’ interest is sustained throughout. Learning is purposeful, with pupils given a clear understanding of what they are expected to do, of how the lesson links up to what they have already learned and of what they will be doing next. A high level of challenge in activities reflects teacher’s high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Marking by teachers gives pupils excellent guidance and helps them improve their work.  Effective teamwork between teachers and highly-skilled teaching assistants, ensures that learners of all abilities, including those with special educational needs, are given the support they need to achieve well in the lesson  Regular assessment and checks on pupils’ progress help to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and any pupils who may be underachieving are quickly identified and given

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

the help and support they need.  Pupils in the extra places funded by the local authority are provided with teaching and learning programmes that are tailored closely to their individual needs. A combination of small group teaching and individual support is enabling them to progress very well in both their academic and their personal development.  Outstanding teaching and a lively curriculum in the Early Years Foundation Stage are preparing children extremely well for the next stage in their education. Adults in the setting are especially skilful in questioning children to help them develop their ideas. For example, this enabled children in a discussion about sports day in the Reception class to think carefully about how they would feel if they won or lost in an event. The children were very interested in this. By the end of the discussion, they had made excellent progress in developing their speaking and listening

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

skills and also in developing their awareness of other children’s emotional needs. They had listened well to each other’s ideas and they had thought of sentences they could use to make children feel better if they were upset about not winning.  The school has developed a range of effective and well organised teaching strategies to provide the different levels of support and challenge that individuals or groups of pupils require. For example, basic skills teaching, including teaching about letters and sounds, is provided through daily sessions for mixed-age groups of similar ability. This enables teachers to match learning activities very precisely to pupils’ needs and to ensure an appropriate level of challenge. The strategy is contributing very effectively to accelerating pupils’ progress in establishing their basic skills, across the age ranges in school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to learning are exemplary. They feel very secure in school and are confident that adults are always on hand to help if they have a problem.  Parents’ comments and questionnaire responses show they highly value the level of care and safety the school provides for their children. They say they feel extremely well informed about how their children are doing and that they always feel welcomed in school.  Pupils show an impressive understanding of issues around different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying and prejudice-based bullying. They say that bullying in school is rare and staff always deal with it quickly.  Pupils’ excellent conduct in lessons is an important factor in their successful learning. They concentrate extremely well, work productively with a partner or in a group, organise themselves, share their ideas and follow instructions very well. Behaviour was outstanding in most of the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

lessons the inspectors visited and it was never less than good.  Pupils who are potentially vulnerable, those with additional learning, health, social or emotional needs and those who are new to the school are all supported extremely well. The school’s very effective special educational needs coordinator leads a highly-skilled team of professionals, including a pastoral care team, all of whom keep a sharp focus on removing barriers to learning. Their work is enabling pupils to do increasingly well in school. Support programmes are carefully matched to the needs of individual pupils who require extra help and are rigorously evaluated to ensure they are effective.  The school provides ongoing assessment for the pupils in the additional places provided by the local authority, so that their needs can be determined accurately and so that appropriate plans may be made for the next stages in their education.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attendance is in line with the national average and the school works effectively to support families at risk of poor attendance.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher and the senior team drive improvements forward with energy and great skill. The leadership team has been re-structured and further strengthened by the addition of a new and very effective Early Years Foundation Stage leader. Factors contributing to the dip in attainment in 2010 and 2011 have been identified and addressed decisively. This was seen clearly in greatly improved achievement by pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 in 2012. Inspection evidence confirms that the school has continued to build on this success; improved achievement has been sustained into the current year and attainment is continuing to rise.  Middle leaders and subject leaders make an extremely effective contribution, including assisting the senior team in making regular checks on the quality of teaching and its impact on the progress pupils make.  Staff are held to account through well established systems for checking how well they are

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The leadership and management are outstanding

performing. They are also very well supported by an extensive programme of professional training and development.  Systematic progress reviews each term give the school a clear and detailed picture of how well every pupil is doing and help to identify anyone who may need extra support.  Leaders’ strategic planning is outstanding. The school development plan is exceptionally well crafted. It sets out improvement aims and priorities and identifies well chosen actions to enable the school to continue improving. Plans are underpinned by detailed, rigorous and accurate analysis and self-evaluation.  The school’s rich and varied curriculum helps to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness extremely well. Subjects are brought together into topics that are interesting and relevant for pupils. The curriculum is enriched by specialist visitors and by visits to places of interest, including residential trips. There are frequent opportunities for pupils to develop

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The leadership and management are outstanding

sporting, artistic and musical skills and the many well attended after-school clubs provide further enhancement. The school is currently engaged in upgrading its resources for ICT, in order to build further on its current good provision in this subject.  The local authority provides light-touch support for this outstanding school.  The governance of the school:  Governors have an accurate and detailed overview of pupils’ achievement. They take regular opportunities through the year to examine data on how well pupils are doing. They have a clear picture of the quality of teaching in the school and its impact on pupils’ progress. Governors hold the school to account assiduously and ask searching questions from a well informed standpoint. They ensure that staff performance is managed very effectively. A full understanding of the link between pupil performance and salary progression informs all of their decisions about staff pay. The governing body ensures that the pupil premium is spent

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The leadership and management are outstanding

wisely, for example on providing additional individual or small group support. As a result, any barriers to learning are addressed successfully and pupils achieve increasingly well. Governors carry out their statutory safeguarding duties effectively. They ensure that equal opportunities are promoted vigorously and that discrimination is not tolerated in school.

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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 111218 Local authority Cheshire West and Chester Inspection number 412336

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 260 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jude Lyon Headteacher Dave Williams Date of previous school inspection 15 October 2009 Telephone number 01244 981130 Fax number 01244 372057 Email address head@deepointprimary.cheshire.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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