Coppull St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Coppull St John’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Preston Road, Coppull, Chorley, Lancashire, PR7 5DU

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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.  Pupils make good progress in all year groups. As a result, by the end of Year 6, the proportion of pupils attaining the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics is above average.  This represents good achievement from their starting points on entry, which are generally below those expected for their age.  Teaching is usually good with examples of outstanding practice. Teachers have good subject knowledge and manage classrooms well.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and their attendance is above average. They say they feel safe in school at all times.  The curriculum provides effective learning opportunities for all pupils.  The headteacher is ambitious for the school and leads by example.  Leaders and governors have worked well together to raise pupils’ achievement and improve the quality of teaching since the previous inspection.  There are effective procedures for checking the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school’s performance and for identifying areas for further development.  Staff show respect and courtesy for pupils and others.  The governing body is supportive of the school and is influential in moving it forward.  The school’s ability to carry on making improvements is good.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Not enough teaching is outstanding.  Teachers do not always give pupils enough opportunity to work things out for themselves.  Marking is good in English but not as effective in other subjects in helping pupils to improve.  Pupils do not have sufficient time to reflect upon their learning and to respond to teachers’ suggestions for improvement.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 10 lessons or parts of lessons taught by five teachers. All of these were joint observations with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the Chair of the Governing Body and other members, parents, staff, pupils and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector observed the school's work, and looked at school documentation, including that relating to safeguarding, records of meetings of the governing body, assessment information and curriculum planning. Work in pupils’ books and displays around the school were examined. The inspectors listened to groups of pupils read.  Account was taken of the 14 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in carrying out the inspection. Account was also taken of the responses to a recent school questionnaire sent to parents to gain their views about its performance.

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Inspection team

Melvyn Hemmings, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Coppull St John’s is smaller than the average-sized primary 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 above average.  There is a below-average proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium. (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.)  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  There is a privately managed pre-school club and playgroup on site which is inspected separately and the report is published on the Ofsted website, www.ofsted.gov.uk.  The school has gained a number of national awards, including the Basic Skills Mark, and holds

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What does the school need to do to improve further

 Improve the quality of teaching further by:  maximising the time that pupils have to work things out for themselves  extending the effective marking evident in English to other subjects  providing sufficient opportunities for pupils to reflect upon their learning and to respond to teachers’ suggestions for improvement.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils start school with skill levels which are generally below those expected for their age. From their different starting points, the proportion of pupils making expected progress is above the national figure. The proportion exceeding expected progress is close to the national figure. The proportion attaining the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 can vary because of the small number of pupils involved but is usually above average. This represents good achievement.  Attainment in reading is average at the end of Key Stage 1 and above average by the time pupils leave school. Pupils effectively build on their reading skills as they pass through the school because specific reading skills, such as the use of letters and the sounds they make to read unfamiliar words (phonics), are taught well.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children show enjoyment in their activities and grow in

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The achievement of pupils is good

confidence as they learn to make choices for themselves. In Years 1 to 6, pupils concentrate well and enjoy working collaboratively. They gain knowledge, develop understanding and learn and practise skills well.  Pupils write imaginatively, in a variety of styles, including poetry and narrative writing, to express their ideas. They use grammar, punctuation and spelling accurately and take care with their handwriting.  In mathematics, pupils have well-developed calculation skills and can use them successfully to solve problems in real-life situations.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress because their specific needs are identified early and well-targeted extra support provided to ensure that these are met.  The most-able pupils make good progress because the work they are given stretches them and enables them to achieve to their full capability.  The funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium has been used successfully to narrow the

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The achievement of pupils is good

gap in attainment between pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and other pupils in school. As a result, their attainment in English and mathematics matches that of other groups not supported by the pupil premium and they make similar good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the Early Years Foundation Stage, adults provide interesting and practical activities that effectively meet children’s needs. There is a good balance between activities led by adults and those chosen by children. Adults effectively show children how to improve their skills, such as when using paint to create self-portraits.  In Years 1 to 6, teachers have good subject knowledge and so are able to explain new ideas clearly and confidently. Teachers expect the best from their pupils who respond positively by getting on well with their work. Questioning is used effectively to find out what pupils know and to extend their knowledge and understanding.  Since the previous inspection, teachers have improved the way they ensure that pupils are clear about what they are to learn and to know what they need to do to be successful. Pupils say that ‘Teachers make lessons interesting and fun.’ This was evident, for example, in a science lesson

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The quality of teaching is good

for pupils in Years 3 and 4, in which they were excitedly investigating how shadows are formed.  Teachers use marking consistently well in English to guide pupils to improve. It is not always used as effectively in other subjects. There are not enough opportunities for pupils to reflect upon their learning and to respond to teachers’ suggestions for improvement. Teachers do not always provide sufficient time for pupils to work things out for themselves.  Teachers effectively use information about how well pupils of different ability have learned to Inspection report: Coppull St John’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 11–12 September 2013 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is good

help them plan future lessons. They manage classrooms well so that lessons run smoothly.  Outstanding teaching is characterised by pupils being given highly motivating activities that capture and maintain their interest and very effectively meet their individual needs. This was evident, for example, in a mathematics lesson for pupils in Year 5 in which they made excellent progress in their ability to order and subtract decimals.  Teachers promote pupils’ spiritual and moral development well by encouraging them to be curious about the world around them and by high expectations of their behaviour. They foster pupils’ social and cultural development by giving them opportunity to work collaboratively to complete tasks and to learn about cultures different from their own.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of most pupils in and around school is good. This plays an important role in their successful learning, ensuring that lessons run smoothly without interruption. Pupils are considerate and supportive of each other in lessons and there is a welcoming and friendly atmosphere throughout the school.  A few pupils with behavioural difficulties find it hard to act responsibly at times. However, they respond positively to the school’s consistently applied behaviour management procedures.  Pupils have a good understanding of the different kinds of bullying, such as physical, cyber and name calling. They say that such events seldom occur and are very confident that staff would deal with them quickly if they did. The views of parents, staff and pupils and a scrutiny of behaviour logs confirm that behaviour has been good over time.  Pupils know how to keep themselves and others safe. They have a thorough understanding of

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

issues relating to railway, road, water and Internet safety and what to do if approached by a stranger. Pupils say they feel safe and secure in school at all times.  Pupils attend regularly and come to school on time. They work hard to produce their best work and show interest and enthusiasm in their learning in different subjects.  By willingly taking on a variety of responsibilities, pupils effectively add to the life of the school. School councillors carry out their responsibilities diligently and, in so doing, they give pupils a voice in how the school develops.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has a clear view of how successful the school can be. Leaders and the governing body are ambitious for the school and show determination in driving forward improvements.  The role of middle leaders has been successfully developed since the previous inspection. They have a good understanding of the school’s performance and are confident in taking action to bring about further improvement.  The procedures for checking the quality of teaching are rigorous and have successfully brought about improvement since the previous inspection. The management of staff performance and training of teachers and other adults, successfully meets whole school and individual staff needs. There is a clear link between the performance of teachers and their salary progression.  The arrangements for checking how well the school is doing are good and correctly identify areas for development. Targets for improvement are challenging and measurable in terms of

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The leadership and management are good

how successfully they are being met.  The promotion of equality of opportunity and tackling of discrimination is good. Leaders check carefully the progress of different groups to identify if any of them require extra support. Consequently, there is no significant difference between the achievement of different groups.  The local authority provided good support after the previous inspection to help the school improve the quality of teaching and the role of middle leaders. It now provides light touch support as it rightly has confidence in the ability of the school’s leadership to continue making Inspection report: Coppull St John’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 11–12 September 2013 6 of 9

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The leadership and management are good

improvements.  The school is using the new primary sport funding effectively to improve the quality and breadth of physical education and sport provision. The range of after-school sports clubs has been extended and professional coaches employed to improve pupils’ expertise in different sporting activities. There has been increased participation in sporting activities.  The curriculum is planned well to interest pupils in learning and to promote effectively their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. It is enhanced by a variety of visits, such as to the beach in Formby to study an environment different from their own, as part of their studies in geography.  The governance of the school:  Governance is good. Governors know the school’s strengths and weaknesses and take part in regular training to maintain their effectiveness. They understand the data relating to the school’s performance and know how the management of performance is used to improve staff

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The leadership and management are good

expertise and reward good teaching. Governors have an accurate view of the quality of teaching and how leaders tackle any underperformance. The governing body ensures that safeguarding requirements are met. Governors manage the budget effectively and hold the school to account for the way the funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium is used to raise their achievement.

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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 119469 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 426151

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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 97 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Roy Coulson Headteacher Lorrainne Ellis Date of previous school inspection 7 November 2011 Telephone number 01257 791403 Fax number 01257 791403 Email address head@st-johns-coppull.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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