Treales Church of England Primary School

Treales Church of England Primary School Church Road, Treales, Preston, Lancashire, PR4 3SH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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.  The school is led well by the new headteacher. He has created an effective and cohesive staff team which is dedicated to ensuring continued improvements in the quality of teaching and achievement.  The quality of teaching is typically good. As a result pupils achieve well. Lessons are planned carefully and pupils respond well, showing interest and enthusiasm for learning.  Attendance is above average and the school promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well.  Pupils behave well and feel very safe. They thoroughly enjoy school and are keen to do their best. Pupils in Year 6 are well-prepared for the next stage in their education.  Governors understand the important role they play in school improvement and provide a good balance of support and challenge for the school.  Parents express confidence in the school. All those who completed Parent View would recommend this school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Some inconsistencies remain in the quality of teaching and not enough is outstanding in order to secure pupils’ outstanding achievement.  When marking pupils’ books teachers do not always give clear enough ‘next steps’ in learning, or time to respond to their guidance.  Occasionally, lessons do not move on quickly enough and some pupils do not know exactly what is expected of them.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed all teachers, visiting eight lessons including one which was a joint observation with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, pupils and members of the Governing Body. A telephone call was held with the school’s adviser from the local authority.  The inspectors observed the school’s work. They examined the school’s improvement plans, self- evaluation, safeguarding arrangements, health and safety and behaviour logs, school policies, governing body minutes, headteacher reports to governors and a wide range of pupils’ work.  The inspectors took account of 21 responses to the Ofsted on-line (Parent View) survey.  The inspectors also examined questionnaire responses from 9 members of staff.

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Inspection team

Adrian Francis, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Christine Potter Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The overwhelming majority of pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average. (Pupil premium is additional funding provided by the government to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children who are looked after by the local authority and the children of service families).  The proportion of pupils supported through school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  Pupils are taught in mixed-age classes, with children in the Early Years Foundation Stage being taught alongside Year 1 pupils. All other pupils are taught in two classes.  The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which sets the minimum

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Information about this school

expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been a number of changes of staff, including a new headteacher in September 2012, since the last inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching so that pupils’ achievement is outstanding by ensuring that:  all lessons move on quickly enough to keep all pupils interested and fully aware of exactly what they are expected to achieve by the end  suitable activities which are hard enough are provided for each individual pupil so that all make the maximum possible progress  pupils are provided with clear ‘next steps’ guidance as to how to improve their work and are given sufficient time to respond to teachers’ comments  teaching assistants are provided with suitable training and development in order to build their confidence and subject knowledge.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children’s knowledge and skills when they join the Reception year are generally in line with or sometimes a little below those expected for their age. The older Year 1 pupils in the mixed-age class provide very good role models for the younger children, who are keen to emulate their peers. Children make good progress, particularly in the development of reading, writing and communication skills, so that attainment by the end of the Reception year is broadly average or sometimes a little above.  Pupils continue to make good progress across Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 in English and mathematics, with accelerated progress in Years 5 and 6. Although there are often striking differences between the attainment of the very small groups of pupils, as a result of consistently strong teaching, achievement has improved overall over the past year. For example, in a literacy lesson pupils in Years 5 and 6 effectively focused on the ways in which a writer uses imaginative

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The achievement of pupils is good

language to create dramatic effect by in-depth study of the poem ‘The Highwayman’.  Reading, including the linking of letters to the sounds they make, is taught well. Both younger and older readers have a love of reading and were able to talk enthusiastically to inspectors about their favourite books.  Mutual respect between adults and pupils and a set of shared values ensure that pupils of all abilities feel cared for. The small number of disabled pupils and pupils with special educational needs are keen to do well and the work set is appropriate for their needs. As a result, their progress is in line with that of other pupils in the school and is typically good.  Raised expectations of the most-able pupils since the last inspection have led to increased standards, with a greater proportion of pupils attaining at the higher level in 2012 at the end of Key Stage 2 in both English and mathematics. School records indicate that these increased

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The achievement of pupils is good

proportions are continuing over the course of the current school year.  In 2012, very few Year 6 pupils were eligible to benefit from pupil premium funding or were known to be eligible for free school meals. Their attainment in English and mathematics was one and a half National Curriculum levels behind the attainment of other pupils in the school. School information and current data indicates that the gap in attainment for this small group of pupils is closing as a result of the school’s effective strategies. Such strategies include high quality feedback to individual pupils and targeted additional support.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Children in Reception and Year 1 make good progress because teaching in this mixed-age class is of good quality and relationships are strong. The learning environment is vibrant and staff take every opportunity to provide stimuli for the children’s imaginations. The children enjoy learning because activities are planned with care and imagination to be interesting and to build on prior learning. For example, during the inspection children responded extremely well to the use of ‘stepping stone words’ which they had to jump on and read in order to cross the river.  Where teaching is best, the time available during lessons is used very well and pupils work hard on activities that meet their needs. Occasionally, where time is not used so well or where the work set is not hard enough, the pace of learning slows. In these lessons, some pupils become unclear as to exactly what they are expected to achieve by the end of the lesson.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching engages and motivates pupils because teachers make the learning exciting. This is particularly the case when information and communication technology (ICT) is incorporated into lessons, an aspect which is a developing strength across the school.  Class teachers and teaching assistants work well together so that there is a shared understanding of the aims of lessons. On some occasions, teaching assistants’ lack of confidence and subject knowledge hampered their ability to move pupils on in their learning to ensure maximum progress.  Reading and writing skills are taught effectively throughout the school. Regular lessons teach pupils the link between letters and the sounds they make (phonics) and regular small-group support provides targeted extra help where it is needed. Pupils are given many opportunities to write for different purposes so that they are able to use and apply literacy skills. There is an

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The quality of teaching is good

effective focus on developing pupils’ ability to edit and improve their written work.  Teaching promotes spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. For example, displays around the school which stimulate interest and inspire pupils to learn also show how different aspects of the curriculum are linked together. All classrooms have learning displays that support the development of key vocabulary and numeracy skills.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly and assessments are generally accurate. While the majority of work is corrected, often giving pupils praise and a comment for them to think about, the advice given is not always precise enough to show pupils the next steps in their learning. Additionally, pupils are not typically given the opportunity to respond to their teachers’ written comments. This is a key reason why the impact of teaching on pupil achievement is not yet outstanding.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 From the first days in the Early Years Foundation Stage children learn the rules of good behaviour quickly, choose activities sensibly and persevere with their tasks. This is built on well in Key Stages 1 and 2 where pupils are purposeful and work hard. However, very occasionally, pupils lose concentration in lessons when work is not fully matched to their needs.  Pupils’ good behaviour is an important aspect of their good achievement and personal success. They show high levels of courtesy towards adults and one another, enjoy each other’s company and develop good social skills. This helps to maintain very positive relationships throughout the school.  Pupils feel safe and secure in school and say that adults look after them very well. The way older pupils play and behave, including the way that some of them help to care for the younger pupils in the school, provides a good example for the younger ones. All parents who completed Parent

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

View feel that their children are safe and happy. Pupils’ enjoyment of school is reflected in above average attendance levels.  Pupils show a very good awareness of different forms of bullying and are adamant it rarely happens. They say that any incidents that do occur are dealt with quickly and effectively, most often by the headteacher himself.  The school is committed to ensuring equal opportunities for all, and discrimination of any form is not tolerated. There have been no racist incidents reported over the past year.  Pupils who attend the breakfast club get off to a good start in a safe environment. Pupils enjoy coming and there are lots of activities for them to be involved in once they have finished their breakfast.

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The leadership and management are good

 The new headteacher, ably supported by governors, has successfully led improvements in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement over the past year. In this small school, effective and committed teamwork has been central to the whole-school development and each member of staff has played an important role in moving the school forward.  Robust procedures for checking the quality of teaching and learning, including lesson observations and scrutinising pupils’ work, means that leaders have an accurate picture of the school’s strengths and what needs to be done to improve pupils’ achievements even further.  Teachers’ commitment to developing their practice has been central to the improvements made. Well-judged staff training continues to contribute well to this. Systems to review teachers’ performance are established, with a clear focus on raising the quality of teaching from good to outstanding, including challenging targets to support individual development.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ positive attitudes to learning are due, in part, to the broad and interesting curriculum, with many opportunities to enrich their learning through events, visits (including residential visits) and clubs. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very successfully nurtured.  The local authority knows the school well and provides appropriate support. The headteacher, who was appointed in September 2012, has received regular visits and contact from the local authority representative who has worked with the headteacher on specific aspects of school improvement; for example, observing lessons with the headteacher and agreeing ways of improving teaching further.  The governance of the school:  The governing body provides an effective balance of support and challenge for the school and understands the nature of variable achievement given such small cohorts of pupils. Governors

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The leadership and management are good

have a secure grasp of how well pupils are achieving, including comparisons with other schools nationally, because they are involved in analysing and discussing achievement information. Governors are well-informed by the headteacher’s comprehensive reports about how well groups of pupils are performing, including those who are eligible to benefit from pupil premium funding, and ask searching questions about the school’s performance. For example, they know about the quality of teaching and how systems for managing teachers’ performance are used to recognise and develop strengths in teachers’ practice. Safeguarding procedures are rigorous and meet statutory requirements.

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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 119701 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 413252

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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 46 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Janet Roberts Headteacher Jonathon Weeden Date of previous school inspection 21 September 2009 Telephone number 01772 684678 Fax number 01772 672765 Email address head@treales.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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