Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School

Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School Mill Bank, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 4AR

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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’ achievement has improved rapidly since the last inspection, especially in Key Stage 2 where standards are improving.  All groups of pupils achieve well because of the school’s caring nature and inclusive approach.  Teaching is good and some is outstanding. Teachers use pupils’ assessment information well to plan lessons that cater for the different needs of all pupils.  Pupils are keen to learn. Activities are planned so that pupils are encouraged to work independently, with a partner or in groups.  Regular checking on the quality of teaching followed by good support and training for staff has helped to improve pupils’ learning.  Behaviour is good. Pupils say they feel safe and are well looked after in school. They are courteous and polite to each other as well as to adults. Relationships between adults and pupils are very good.  The curriculum provides pupils with rich experiences through educational visits,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

interesting topics and visitors to the school. These have helped to excite pupils’ interest, as well as contributing to improved achievement.  Senior leaders have been extremely effective in bringing about improvements in teaching, pupils’ achievement and behaviour.  The strong leadership of the headteacher and the full support of the governing body ensures that all are fully committed to continually raising standards.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The most-able pupils are not always given work that is challenging enough.  The teaching of letters and the sounds they make (phonics) is not yet outstanding and so does not provide a solid base to ensure that all pupils make the very best progress they can in reading.  Skills pupils learn in mathematics lessons are not fully developed in other subjects through practical problem-solving activities.  Sometimes the pace of learning in some lessons is not fast enough to ensure that all pupils complete their work.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed nine teachers and visited 12 lessons, including one observed jointly with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, members of the leadership team, English and mathematics subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinators, the Early Years Foundation Stage leader, the learning mentor, pupils, members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and parents.  The inspector observed pupils’ work and listened to pupils read.  A range of the school’s documentation was examined, including the school’s analysis of how well it is doing, documents relating to the procedures to check on the quality of teaching and how well pupils learn, systems for tracking pupils’ progress, and those regarding safeguarding and key policies.  The inspector was not able to take account of responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) because there were too few but took account of the school’s most recent questionnaire to

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Information about this inspection

parents.  The inspector analysed 12 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Sue Sharkey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Ormsgill Nursery and Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of children are of White British heritage. Very few children are from minority ethnic backgrounds and speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is above the national average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is well above average. The pupil premium is additional government funding provided for children in local authority care, for children from armed services families and for children known to be eligible for free school meals.  The headteacher joined the school in April 2012. The assistant headteacher and four teachers joined the school in September 2013.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school offers a breakfast club managed by the governing body.  There is also a breakfast, an after-school club, and a nursery on the school site which are not managed by the governing body. These are subject to separate inspections and reports of their quality are available on the Ofsted website.  The school has the Artsmark and Eco School awards.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards further by increasing the proportion of outstanding teaching by: - improving the quality of phonics teaching to give an even more secure base for pupils’ progress in Key Stages 1 and 2 - ensuring that skills pupils learn in mathematics are developed in other areas of the curriculum through practical problem-solving activities - making sure that more lessons move learning along at a faster pace to ensure pupils complete their work - increasing even further the level of challenge within all lessons for the most able pupils - giving teachers more opportunities to share ideas and expertise so that they can learn from each other about what works well in the classroom.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start school in the Nursery class with skills that are below and often well below those expected for their age, particularly in speech and language, letters and sounds and problem solving. Through the wide range of activities in the classroom and outdoors children make good progress.  Good progress continues through the school because pupils are enthusiastic, enjoy learning and work hard in lessons. As a result, when pupils leave at the end of Year 6 standards are broadly average when compared with the national picture.  Standards in English and mathematics have risen rapidly since the last inspection. In the 2012 national tests, standards in mathematics improved considerably. The 2013 unvalidated national test results indicate that standards in both English and mathematics have continued to improve, with many more pupils than previously achieving the higher levels. Since 2011, when very few

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils reached Level 5 in reading and mathematics, the 2013 tests indicate that the proportion of pupils now reaching these levels is closer to the national average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Throughout the school, more pupils in different groups have made expected or more than expected progress as well as those in different year groups. Teachers’ assessment information shows that 100% of pupils in Key Stage 1 made expected progress in reading and mathematics.  In Year 6, pupils making the expected progress and more than expected progress is rising year on year. In 2013, the unvalidated national test results indicate that 100% of pupils made the expected progress in English and mathematics. In reading and writing, pupils making more than expected progress is indicated to be above the national average, but average in mathematics.  Accurate assessments have helped to make sure that the progress of those pupils entitled to

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupil premium funding has improved quickly because the school has used the money effectively to provide two senior teaching assistants and a learning mentor. Pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals make good progress, particularly in mathematics. In 2012, the attainment for this group of pupils was average.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress thanks to the high-quality support they receive in classes as well as in very small groups with teaching assistants. Teachers and teaching assistants plan activities carefully so that pupils are able to make similar progress to other pupils.  Pupils say they enjoy reading. In the Reception class, children were keen to tell the inspector all the information they had found out from the front cover of their book. As pupils progress through the school, they have favourite authors and stories and are keen to read their books.

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The achievement of pupils is good

Boys perform slightly better than girls in reading but the school is closing this gap quickly.  The school has recently introduced the teaching of phonics to Nursery children. This has already had a good effect on those children who are now better prepared for reading when they join the Reception class. Phonics teaching continues through the school where it is effective, however, not all pupils are confident in sounding letters if they are stuck when reading a word.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is good with some examples of outstanding teaching. Teachers’ marking is thorough and provides pupils with good advice on what they have to do to improve their work. Pupils know their targets and teachers refer to them in lessons. Pupils say that targets are good and help them improve their work.  There has been a high turnover of teachers since the last inspection, but recently appointed teachers have brought new strengths that have added to the overall quality of teaching to ensure that standards will continue to improve.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage receive a good balance of activities. They are encouraged to be involved in their own learning and make choices for themselves. A group of children in the Nursery class were absorbed in how many bricks they should use to build a wall. The teacher prompted them to count the bricks as the wall grew taller. Children shared tools

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The quality of teaching is good

whilst finding the best way to hold and use them.  The determined drive for improvement by the headteacher has resulted in smaller classes. Pupils in all classes are now the same age. Parents are pleased with this. As a result, teachers plan well for the needs of individual pupils so that all pupils’ needs are catered for successfully. Classrooms are inviting and provide pupils with a calm environment in which to learn. During lessons, pupils maintain their concentration well, persevere at tasks and listen well to teachers and teaching assistants.  Teachers ask pupils questions constantly to involve them in conversation and to help increase their vocabulary in order to improve their writing skills. In a Year 2 lesson, pupils were writing the instructions for riding a scooter. When questioning pupils the teacher made excellent use of the scooter in the classroom to remind pupils of the actions needed to ride it. However, there

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The quality of teaching is good

are occasions when teachers do not challenge the most able pupils enough to help them think even harder.  There are good opportunities for pupils to develop their reading and writing skills in a range of subjects, but this is not the case in mathematics. The skills pupils learn in mathematics are not developed fully through solving problems in other areas of the curriculum.  The best lessons have brisk pace so that all pupils complete their work and are then challenged even further but there are occasions when lessons do not move along quickly enough for pupils to do this.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Teachers manage behaviour well and as result, pupils behave well in lessons. This good behaviour continues in the playground where pupils have plenty of space to let off steam and enjoy playing with their friends. Parents agree that behaviour has improved and it is now good.  Pupils have very good attitudes to school which adds to the quality of their learning. They say they feel safe in school, are well cared for and know how to keep themselves safe. Pupils understand what bullying is and talk about different kinds of bullying, for example, cyber bullying. The caring ethos means that bullying is rare. Pupils have confidence that any adult in school will listen and help them.  Attendance is average. The learning mentor has adopted a hands-on approach in working very closely with parents. She emphasises the importance of school and why children should attend. This has a positive impact on attendance for many pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are proud of their school saying that it has improved ‘miles’. They enjoy taking on responsibilities. The school council is pleased that the school listens to its views, for example, it suggested the provision of a climbing wall, which is now in place and is enjoyed by pupils in the playground.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has developed a strong team to lead teaching and learning and to develop the curriculum. Its swift actions have brought about considerable improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement since the last inspection.  A new team of senior leaders and managers all share the same ambition for the school to continue to improve. All are clear about what they have to do to make this happen. The headteacher and the assistant headteacher have an accurate view about teaching and the performance of pupils.  The headteacher checks on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. Pupils’ progress is checked thoroughly and following regular meetings with teachers, well-focused support is put in place, including opportunities for pupils to work in small groups or on a one-to-one basis. As a result, all groups of pupils make good progress indicating there is an effective focus on promoting equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination.

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The leadership and management are good

 The assistant headteacher has the skills and the level of responsibility to support the headteacher in checking on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress and take actions to ensure they continue to improve, particularly in mathematics.  Performance management arrangements have been carefully developed so that teachers know exactly what it is they need to develop further through regular whole-school training as well as individual training for new teachers. Although teachers have opportunities to watch high quality teaching, this is not frequent enough to share ideas and expertise fully. There is a strong link between the performance of teachers and the levels of pay.  The school has an accurate view of its performance and the school improvement plan identifies what needs to be improved. The headteacher communicates high expectations that are shared by all the staff. Consequently, there is a very strong sense of team work.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders’ success in bringing about improvement since the last inspection and the quality of on- going actions to make sure improvements continue, indicates that the school’s ability to sustain the drive to create an even better school is secure.  The local authority supported the new headteacher when he arrived and the school now receives ‘light touch’ support.  The curriculum has recently been reviewed and provides effective learning opportunities for all pupils. The school is using the new Primary School Sport funding effectively to provide a sports coach to train teachers. They are already feeling more confident than in the past in the teaching of higher elements of physical education and different sports skills.  An extensive range of enrichment activities provides pupils with many additional opportunities, including seeing premier league football games, visiting art galleries in London, playing musical

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The leadership and management are good

instruments, joining a local brass band or learning how to orienteer. This has a good impact on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as well as their enjoyment of all that the school provides.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is kept well informed through detailed reports from the headteacher about how the school is performing including its strengths and weaknesses. It informally checks on this through regular visits to the school, including attending lessons and talking with pupils. The governing body makes sure that all requirements for safeguarding are met so that pupils are safe in school. Governors maintain good control of the school budget. They fully understand the uses to which the pupil premium funding is put and ensure it is used to benefit the pupils for whom it is intended. Governors ensure that salary increases for teachers are linked to the progress made by pupils and the quality of teaching.

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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 131761 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 426167

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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 133 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Will McKewan Headteacher Paul Fussell Date of previous school inspection 19 January 2012 Telephone number 01229 830431 Fax number 01229 894653 Email address head@ormsgill.cumbria.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

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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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