Cawthorne's Endowed School

Knuzden St Oswald’s CE (VA) Primary School Mount St James, Stanhill Road, Knuzden, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB1 2DR

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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.  Knuzden St Oswald’s is at the heart of the local community and highly valued by pupils, their parents and staff.  Since the previous inspection, leaders, managers and governors have successfully tackled any weaknesses. As a result, pupils’ achievement, leadership and management, and teaching have improved.  Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and from generally low starting points they make good progress during their time at school.  Results have improved since the previous inspection. By the time pupils leave school at the end of Year 6 almost all reach standards in English and mathematics that are similar to what is expected nationally for their age. A small minority of pupils reach higher standards than this.  Teaching is good and some is outstanding. Pupils are keen to learn and enjoy the wide range of activities in lessons. Teachers provide good guidance and advice to help pupils with

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

ways to improve their learning.  During the inspection, pupils’ behaviour in and around the school was good and school records show that this is typical. Pupils are respectful towards each other, the adults around them and visitors. Pupils feel happy, safe and secure.  The school is well led by the headteacher and senior leadership team. Leaders and managers have secure systems which enhance the quality of teaching and ensure continual improvement of pupils’ achievement.  The governing body provides a good balance of support and challenge. Together with senior leaders it is concentrating on raising the quality of teaching even further to drive whole school improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

There is not yet enough outstanding teaching. Occasionally, there is not enough challenge in lessons, particularly for the most able. There is not always time for pupils to find things out for themselves and deepen their learning.  The opportunities for staff to observe outstanding practice in other schools is not yet fully developed.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed seven teachers and visited 15 lessons, two of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. In addition, the inspectors made a number of short visits to lessons and listened to pupils read.  Discussions were held with: school staff; groups of pupils; senior staff and leaders with responsibility for a specific subject; members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. A telephone conversation was held with the headteacher of The Sunnyhurst Centre Pupil Referral Unit.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation including safeguarding documents, the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its own performance, its development plans, records of pupils’ standards and progress, documents relating to attendance and behaviour, and pupils’ work in their books.  There were not enough responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) to generate a

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Information about this inspection

report. The inspectors took account of the results of the school’s most recent survey of parent views and talked to parents. The 15 responses to the inspection questionnaire for staff were also taken into account.

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Inspection team

Naomi Taylor, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Maria McGarry Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Knuzden St Oswald’s is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is below that found nationally. (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 by the local authority.)  The number of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below the national average as are those who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is below average and those supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The number of pupils joining the school during Key Stage 2 is increasing.  The school works in partnership with The Sunnyhurst Centre Pupil Referral Unit to provide for the needs of pupils with a range of vulnerabilities.

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Information about this school

 In September 2012, the headteacher returned from a period of secondment at another school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the amount of outstanding teaching, and in so doing accelerate progress and raise standards even further in English and mathematics by:  consistently providing challenge throughout the whole lesson in every lesson, particularly for the more-able pupils  increasing the opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding of what they are doing, challenge ideas and find things out for themselves to further develop their learning  providing more opportunities for teachers to observe outstanding practice in other schools.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Links between school and home are good and this helps children settle quickly into school routines in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Children build good relationships with each other, the adults around them and the older children. The range of activities in the classroom and outdoors encourages pupils to explore and find out things for themselves.  Children enter school with skills that are below those expected for their age, particularly in personal and communication skills. From their individual starting points they make good progress and quickly become confident learners.  In the past, records show that standards in English and mathematics have been below average. However, there is now a whole-school systematic approach to teaching reading, writing and mathematics. As a result, pupils’ progress is now speeding up and pupils are reaching standards in English and mathematics which are close to the national average by the end of Year 2.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Since the previous inspection, the progress made throughout each year group in Key Stage 2 has improved. In 2012, Year 6 pupils’ test results improved and this has been sustained in 2013. Overall, attainment in English and mathematics is in line with other pupils nationally. Pupils’ achievement by the time they leave school is now consistently good. Almost all pupils make the progress expected of them from their individual starting points in English and mathematics and the proportion making better than expected progress is similar to the national average and improving. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Most pupils eligible for pupil premium funding, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, now make the same good progress as their classmates because of timely and sharply focused help from teachers, teaching assistants and external agencies. The school works

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The achievement of pupils is good

effectively with The Sunnyhurst Centre to support a small minority of pupils who are potentially vulnerable and this is ensuring good progress. Girls and boys alike and those who join the school other than at the usual times are now making equally good progress. Pupils whose first language is not English also make good progress.  The most-able pupils are provided with the right level of challenge to help them make good progress with, for example, some Year 6 pupils being taught by a teacher from a local secondary school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Due to the senior leadership team prioritising improvements in teaching and learning through training opportunities for staff, teaching is good throughout the school and some teaching is outstanding.  In the best lessons, teachers and teaching assistants plan activities very well together to ensure pupils are given work that matches their ability and enables them to find things out for themselves. Consequently, pupils learn rapidly.  An example of this was seen in a Year 5 mathematics lesson. Following a swift starter activity which demonstrated pupils’ secure knowledge of their times tables, the teacher gave a clear introduction on how these mathematical skills could be used to solve number problems. Pupils were able to use their literacy skills to highlight key words in problems and were fascinated by sharing their ideas and realising there are many different ways to reach the same answer. Pupils

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The quality of teaching is good

then worked independently on problems which were precisely matched to challenge their individual abilities and learning was made real and enjoyable as tasks were linked to real-life situations. All pupils made outstanding progress during this lesson.  Similarly, in a Key Stage 1 lesson, pupils were encouraged to act out a story which they already knew, then work in small groups to analyse a scene from the story. Adults in the class skilfully questioned the pupils to prompt them in building up a bank of vocabulary to describe their scene. Good progress was made as pupils developed their speaking and listening in preparation for their writing task later in the week.  Occasionally, there are missed opportunities for pupils to deepen their understanding of what they are doing, challenge ideas and find out things for themselves. Although teachers plan work to suit the range of pupils’ abilities, tasks are not always matched precisely enough for pupils to

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The quality of teaching is good

reach their full potential, particularly the more-able.  Teachers and teaching assistants are well trained to provide support for the individual learning needs of those pupils with special educational needs and pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding.  There is consistently good quality marking of pupils’ work and pupils have time in lessons to correct and improve their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 When children join Knuzden St Oswald’s, they learn from an early age how to value each other, the adults around them and their school community. There is a strong atmosphere of mutual respect starting in Reception and continuing throughout the school which leads to pupils feeling happy, safe and secure. This is reflected in their above average attendance.  Pupils behave well both in class and around the school and this results in their keenness to learn and their care towards each other. This was reflected in conversations with pupils and their families, and from all the views expressed in the school’s most recent parent survey.  One parent expressed how much they like the school saying ‘I feel that the school is fantastic…my children love coming here’. Another told an inspector of how quickly her children have progressed since moving them here from another school. This is because of its growing

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

reputation for promoting good personal development alongside encouraging children to reach their full potential academically. The inspectors support this view.  Staff ensure that pupils feel safe and learn how to keep themselves safe, including when they are using computers at home and in school. Pupils say that bullying is not an issue at this school and school records and the views of parents reflect this. Pupils learn about different types of bullying. They are adamant that they could turn to any adult in the school if they felt unsafe and that there are clear procedures that would deal with issues should they arise.  The School Council organises fundraising activities and contributes to school improvement. Celebrations such as Eid and Chinese New Year are held in the local community and pupils particularly enjoy eating traditional foods from other countries. This all contributes well to pupils’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Lessons in physical education and activities after school are enjoyed by pupils and this encourages them to pursue sports which in turn helps them to stay healthy and promotes their well-being. Plans are under way to use additional funding to develop teachers’ skills, particularly in dance and gymnastics, in order to broaden and sustain the sports curriculum available to pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and senior leaders have a good understanding of how to drive whole-school improvement. Effective new policies and procedures have strengthened the school’s focus on both encouraging pupils’ personal development and enabling them to reach their full potential academically.  The headteacher has considerably strengthened the way in which teachers are accountable for their performance and does not allow staff to be rewarded unless they are successful in helping pupils to make at least good progress. The quality of teaching and the progress of pupils are regularly and accurately checked by leaders and managers so that things can be put in place promptly to address any concerns.  Staff are well supported through training opportunities both within the school and beyond. Improvements to the quality of teaching since the previous inspection are clearly evident. As yet, staff have not had enough opportunities to help improve their teaching from observing

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The leadership and management are good

outstanding practice beyond school.  The local authority now provides effective ‘light touch’ support for the school.  Across the school, a more creative curriculum has been developed. Topic work encourages pupils to find out things for themselves and is linked to understanding the diverse cultures within Britain and overseas. Pupils have the opportunity to learn to play musical instruments and together with the ‘Singing Squad’ have many opportunities to perform within and beyond the school. This all plays a part in pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The governance of the school:  All members of the governing body are committed to continually improving this school. Governors ensure that the school fulfils its statutory responsibilities; all staff have been checked for their suitability to work with children and trained appropriately to keep pupils safe. They have an accurate overview of what the school does. Governors are familiar with

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The leadership and management are good

performance data and they know what the quality of teaching in the school is like. They ensure that teachers’ appraisal and salary progression is linked to and dependent upon them meeting their targets. They check that staff make effective use of pupil premium funding and ensure all pupils have an equal opportunity to reach the standards of which they are capable.

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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 119540 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 426149

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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 205 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sean Holliday Headteacher Andrea Gray Date of previous school inspection 28 February 2012 Telephone number 01254 667222 Fax number 01254 699992 Email address head@st-oswaldscofe.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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