Carleton Green Community Primary School

Carleton Green Community Primary School Arundel Drive, Carleton, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 7TF

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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.  Actions put in place since the last inspection have led to improved teaching and achievement, and particularly in reading during the last year.  Standards have risen in writing and mathematics during the last three years, and recently in reading. This trend is confirmed by the current data at every key stage, including the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  In Key Stage 1, pupils continue to make good progress and more reach standards that are slightly above those expected for their age.  In Key Stage 2, during the past year, pupils have made better progress in reading, writing and mathematics and current data show that more are now attaining standards that are above average.  There is no gap in standards between pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and non-eligible pupils.  Pupils feel safe; the school environment is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pleasing and supportive of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The relatively recently appointed acting headteacher and deputy headteacher have continued to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The school is well supported and held rigorously to account by an effective governing body.  Parents agree that the school provides a good education for their children.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A small amount of teaching requires improvement.  Marking and feedback are not always good enough to support pupils in improving their work.  Middle managers are not equally effective in tackling the few examples of unacceptable behaviour in Key Stage 1 as well as inconsistencies in teaching and marking across the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 17 lessons, two of which were observed jointly with the acting headteacher. In addition, a number of other lessons were visited to look at the quality of marking and pupils’ skills across the curriculum.  Meetings were held with three groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, senior and middle leaders, groups of staff and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of 32 responses from parents to the online questionnaire (Parent View), as well as the results from the school’s own survey of parents’ views. One written communication and two telephone calls from parents were also considered.  Twenty-five staff questionnaires were returned and considered by the inspection team.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation including examples of pupils’ work, national data and the school’s information on pupils’ attainment and progress, records of attendance and

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Information about this inspection

behaviour, and information about safeguarding, school planning and performance management.

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Inspection team

Prydwen Elfed-Owens, Lead Inspector Additional Inspector Sheila O'Keefe Additional Inspector Anthony Buckley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Carleton Green Community Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is well below average. The pupil premium is additional government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children with a parent in the armed forces and children looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action or school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is below the national average.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils who are from minority ethnic backgrounds and the proportion who speak English as an additional language are low.  The number of pupils joining and leaving the school partway through their education is below average.  There is a breakfast club and an after-school club, both of which are run by the school.

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Information about this school

 An acting headteacher took up post in January 2014. The governing body has appointed a permanent headteacher to take up post at the end of April 2014.  In 2013, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of all teaching to at least good so that pupils of all ability achieve higher standards, by ensuring that: - all teachers place sufficient emphasis on providing all groups of pupils with specific next steps in their learning and make sure that pupils use the feedback provided to improve their work - the behaviour of a small minority of pupils in Key Stage 1 improves.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve the quality of leadership and management, by: - ensuring middle managers are equally effective in tackling the few examples of unacceptable behaviour in Key Stage 1 as well as inconsistencies in teaching and marking across the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards in writing and mathematics have risen since the last inspection, and considerably in reading during the past year. This trend is confirmed by current data at every key stage.  Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Teachers place a strong emphasis on phonics (letters and the sounds they make) within well-planned and purposeful activities; consequently, children are confident and well prepared, particularly to read and write, when they join Year 1.  In Key Stage 1, pupils continue to make good progress and consistently reach standards that are slightly above average in writing and mathematics. More recently, their attainment in reading has also risen to above average. Consequently, they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  In Key Stage 2 during the past year, pupils have made better progress and the proportion of pupils who reach above average standards in English and mathematics has increased and is now

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The achievement of pupils is good

good.  Boys do better in mathematics and girls do better in reading; however, leaders are working successfully to close these gender gaps.  Pupils’ progress in writing throughout the school is good, as displayed in their ‘Big Write Books’. Parents are proud of the work that is celebrated in pupils’ Shooting Stars home/school writing books. One parent wrote, ‘We are very proud of your hard work and loved reading through your Shooting Stars book. Your information page on Owls is amazing.’  Pupils’ attainment in reading has risen noticeably over the last year due to the school’s new strategy for improvement. In the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Key Stage 1, pupils’ understanding of phonics has improved significantly. In Key Stage 2, pupils often read on their own and with fluency, as a result of the school’s specific strategies to ensure pupils’ enjoyment of reading and the purchase of a wide range of appealing fiction and non-fiction books.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ numerical and mental arithmetic skills are well developed due to new resources and a new emphasis on interesting and involving activities online to be used in class and at home. This is a particular strength in Year 5, where pupils develop into very enthusiastic and able mathematicians through regular sessions in which they apply their skills to problem solving.  Pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, also make good progress across the school. There is no gap between their attainment in English and mathematics and that of other pupils in the school. Leaders ably ensure equality of opportunity for all groups of pupils.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress, similar to that of their peers. In the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 national assessments and tests in 2013, these pupils made, on average, better progress than their peers nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils reaching Level 3 in Key Stage 1, and Level 5 in Key Stage 2 in 2013, has increased.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved considerably since the last inspection. Work in pupils’ books, the outcomes of the school’s checks and the lessons observed during the inspection confirm that the impact of teaching over time is good overall.  Most teachers have high expectations of their pupils, this was particularly the case in a mixed Year5/6 class. This spurs pupils on to reach higher-than-expected standards for their age, especially in mathematics and, more recently, in reading.  Most teachers consistently build on pupils’ prior learning. An example of this was seen in Year 6 where pupils wrote criteria for either a debate, a balanced argument or an information leaflet for parents. They were encouraged to think of a variety of reasons from their prior learning to ‘showcase’ their knowledge, which was then well linked with prior learning in word processing and word art to create individualised, colourful information leaflets.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There is a key focus on making sure that children in the Early Years Foundation Stage accurately recognise or sound out new vocabulary and so develop into confident and enthusiastic readers and writers.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and they use a wide range of resources, including displays, books, interesting artefacts and interactive technology to make learning absorbing for pupils.  Most teachers promote a positive attitude to work through imaginative and well-planned lessons. This means that pupils are fully involved and make good progress. They are encouraged to support one another and one pupil was heard to whisper to his working partner, ‘If you are stuck, remember to ask me, and I’ll help you.’  Effective questioning helps pupils to prepare for tasks and to develop ideas. Pupils respond very well to timed challenges, for example, to note different words to describe the adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing rules of number before they tackle word number problems.

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The quality of teaching is good

This aids pupils’ understanding and enjoyment of tasks.  Learning support assistants are much better deployed to support pupils’ learning needs than at the time of the last inspection. Those pupils whose specific needs have been clearly identified through the school’s half-termly progress meetings are supported well.  A few teachers do not place sufficient emphasis on providing all groups of pupils with specific next steps in learning. Consequently, marking and feedback are not always good enough to support pupils in improving their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Relationships between pupils and adults are good. Older pupils are polite, well mannered and very welcoming to visitors. This was not always the case with a few Key Stage 1 pupils when engaged in conversation over lunch and in a group discussing their views.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and they say that good behaviour is typical of their school. This is confirmed by their good attendance, by school records and parents’ views in response to the on- line questionnaire.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils have a good awareness of how to keep safe, for example, in relation to e-safety, road and water safety. They say that they feel very safe and happy in school. Parents’ views confirm this and pupils’ good attendance is further testament to this.  Pupils feel well cared for and respected by all the adults, and know they can go to anyone

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

should they need help.  Pupils’ attitude to learning is good overall. They are attentive and well behaved in most lessons. For most of the time, they are enthusiastic learners and bring effort to their work.  During the past year, the most able pupils have shown a considerable increase in the enjoyment of reading and in mathematics.  Pupils listen well to each other. Most are well involved in their tasks and enthusiastic in their learning.  The school is nurturing and supportive of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school’s active partnership with a number of schools in Europe enhances pupils’ understanding and respect for cultural similarities and differences. As a consequence, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding develops well.

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The leadership and management are good

 The acting headteacher, senior leaders and governing body have ensured that the school continues to move forward as the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement improve.  Senior leaders and the governing body share high expectations and are dedicated to accelerating the learning of pupils of all abilities still further. Consequently, the school has improved its overall effectiveness to ‘good’, rather than ‘satisfactory’, as judged at the time of the previous inspection.  Staff are supportive of leaders’ aims and they work together effectively as a team. As a result, standards continue to rise throughout the school.  The outcomes of the school’s checks on the quality of teaching and on pupils’ achievement are used effectively to shape the school’s improvement. This includes in identifying the most and less-able pupils in aspects of reading, writing and mathematics and providing well-matched additional challenge or support sessions for them to enable them to reach their potential. For

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The leadership and management are good

example, the most able in mathematics attend some lessons in the high school to aid them to reach the highest level of which they are capable and to prepare them well for secondary education.  Through half-termly progress meetings, senior leaders work together effectively to support pupils to reach their potential.  The proportion of good teaching has increased considerably since the last inspection. This has been due to clear communication from senior leaders about having higher expectations and clear feedback given to teachers following lesson observations.  Performance management is tightly linked to the school’s priorities, such as higher standards in reading and an increase in the proportion of the most able pupils achieving the highest possible standards.  Middle managers are not all equally effective in tackling the few examples of unacceptable behaviour in Key Stage 1 as well as inconsistencies in teaching and marking across the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The training, development and deployment of all teachers and learning support assistants are linked to these priorities and better quality resources have been provided to support learning, especially in reading.  Consequently, most teachers have higher expectations of pupils, especially in Year 5/6, and set them challenging tasks. This is accelerating pupils’ learning well.  The broad and rich curriculum ensures that pupils enjoy a variety of first-hand experiences, which effectively stimulate their enjoyment of learning, such as out-of-school visits and visitors into the school.  The primary school sport funding to promote pupils’ greater participation in sport is used well to enhance pupils’ physical health and well-being, including healthy eating. To this end, the school has provided a mix of well-attended extra-curricular activities on orienteering, mini games, gymnastics, netball and boys’ and girls’ football.

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The leadership and management are good

 The breakfast club, open to all pupils, provides pupils with a free breakfast and an opportunity to develop their social skills by joining with other pupils to play a variety of games.  The local authority knows the school well and provides appropriate challenge and support.  The governance of the school: - The governing body is effective and committed to the school. Governors contribute to the life and work of the school and have a very good understanding of pupils’ progress. They provide robust challenge to leaders and methodically hold the school to account. There are a number of examples where this has influenced pupils’ achievement very positively, for instance, in reading, in supervising the financing of a new classroom and ensuring appealing resources for pupils to use at playtime. - Governors participate fully in checks on the school’s performance, including reviewing the school’s and national data.

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The leadership and management are good

- Due to a number of relatively new staff appointments and the one-term gap between a retiring headteacher leaving her post and a newly appointed headteacher taking up her post, a number of staff have taken on temporary responsibilities. The governing body has recognised this and has plans in place to rectify the situation when the new headteacher is in post at the beginning of next term. - The governing body is fully aware of the impact of the pupil premium funding on the progress of pupils who are eligible for support. Governors are well aware that pupils’ participation and enjoyment in sporting activities are increasing, as a result of the opportunities provided by the primary school sport funding. - Governors ensure that safeguarding procedures meet 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 119316 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 430974

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 307 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Martin Ball Acting headteacher Neil Vaughan Date of previous school inspection 20 June 2012 Telephone number 01253 891228 Fax number 01253 896227 Email address head@carletongreen.lancs.sch.uk the 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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