Ireleth St Peter's CofE Primary School

Ireleth St Peter's CofE Primary School Kirkby Road, Ireleth, Askam-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA16 7EY

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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 from their starting points in reading, writing and mathematics. As a result of good and sometimes outstanding teaching the achievement of all groups of pupils is good.  Pupils enjoy writing and their very neat, well presented work is celebrated throughout the school.  Learning is stimulating and excellent use is made of the environmental outdoor area and technology.  Challenging questioning really deepens pupils’ thinking and extends their learning.  Additional support in the classroom for small groups or individuals helps pupils to achieve well.  The curriculum is rich and broad. Pupils have access to a wide range of additional activities which extends and supports their learning.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. They are keen to learn and participate enthusiastically. Attendance has risen and is now above average.  The school provides a caring and supportive

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

environment and pupils say that they feel secure and very safe.  The best is expected from all pupils, and staff have built good partnerships with parents and other schools as well as the local community.  The headteacher, staff and governors work closely together. They make an effective team that is committed to, and successful in, improving teaching and pupils’ achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The Early Years Foundation Stage outdoor area does not provide the same high quality learning opportunities as the classroom.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to use their mathematical skills in a range of other subjects.  Pupils do not always have enough time to extend their skills especially reading and writing. For some pupils, including the most able, the work is not hard enough and progress slows.  Teachers do not get sufficient opportunities to observe outstanding teaching.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed four teachers and a higher-level teaching assistant and visited 10 lessons, which included a lesson observation carried out jointly with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, staff, pupils, parents, governors and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector observed break time and talked regularly with pupils as they moved around school.  The inspector scrutinised 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 monitoring and evaluation, systems for tracking pupils’ progress, documents regarding safeguarding, key policies and pupils’ work in their books.  The inspector took account of responses of the school’s most recent questionnaire for parents alongside 37 responses from the online questionnaire (Parent View) and responses to the

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Information about this inspection

school’s pupils’ questionnaire.  Nine questionnaires completed by staff were also considered.

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Inspection team

Sue Sharkey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Ireleth St Peter’s Church of England Primary School is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  All pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is well above the national average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is below the national average. (The pupil premium is additional government 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.)  Pupils are taught in three classes: Reception with Year 1 pupils; Year 2 with Year 3; and Years 4, 5 and 6 together. The number in each year group can be less than four.  The school has an above-average proportion of pupils who enter and leave the school part way

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Information about this school

through their primary education.  The school offers a breakfast club and after-school club managed by the governing body.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which is the minimum expectation for attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school has achieved the Artsmark Gold, International School and Woodland Trust Green Tree Awards.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching even further to raise achievement for all groups of pupils by:  ensuring that pupils always have enough time to extend their skills, for example, to develop their reading and writing skills further  making sure that work is always hard enough to fully challenge pupils to make the best possible progress, including for the most able  ensuring pupils have opportunities to use and develop their mathematical skills in a wide range of subjects  giving teachers opportunities to observe outstanding teaching to help them to improve their own practice.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the Early Years Foundation Stage outdoor area so that children can enjoy using it regularly and learn, for example, through play and exploration activities.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children who join the school in the Reception class have varying levels of individual skills. Overall they are usually below those typical for their age in speaking and listening, reading, writing, and social and emotional skills. Children make good progress in reading and writing and use phonics (linking letters and the sounds they make) with confidence. They achieve well during their Reception Year and join Year 1 well prepared for the National Curriculum.  Children in the Reception class learn well by working together, discussing their ideas and having access to stimulating areas in the classroom. The rich learning environment provided indoors is not mirrored outdoors so that children are not able to enjoy a wide range of physical activities or play and share activities with friends outdoors regularly during the day.  Good progress continues through the school because pupils are keen to learn and the choice of

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The achievement of pupils is good

work fully involves them. The number of pupils making the progress expected of them in the 2013 Year 6 national tests was 100% in reading, writing and mathematics.  The most able pupils also make good progress. Teacher assessment at the end of Year 2 shows that in 2013 a more-than-average number of pupils achieved the higher Level 3 in writing whilst the number of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 in the 2013 Year 6 national tests was above- average in reading, writing and mathematics. There are occasions however when pupils across the school, including the most able, are not given hard enough work to challenge them throughout the whole lesson and so they do not achieve as much as they could.  The focus the school has had on reading and the teaching of phonics is showing success. Results in the national phonics screening test in both 2012 and 2013 show that a high proportion of children met the expected standards.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils love reading. Children in the Reception class read confidently and are beginning to recognise humour not only through the pictures but also the words. By the time pupils reach Year 6 they have favourite authors and use punctuation well to add expression in their voice when reading aloud. In both 2012 and 2013 Year 6 national tests, the proportion of pupils achieving more than the progress expected of them in reading was above average.  The good quality of pupils’ writing is evident throughout the school. Right from the Reception Year pupils are expected to write neatly and present their work well. Over the last three years standards in writing by the end of Year 6 have been above the national average and sometimes well above.  The robust system for checking pupils’ progress throughout the year ensures that any pupil who may fall behind is identified quickly and support is put in place immediately. Disabled pupils and

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The achievement of pupils is good

those who have special educational needs are well supported and make good progress in line with other pupils.  Pupils who join the school part way through their primary education have a wide range of abilities. The school meets their differing needs quickly and, if needed, support is put in place swiftly to ensure they make good progress similar to other pupils.  All groups of pupils make good progress including pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding. The school uses this funding effectively to ensure that these pupils are included fully in the range of school activities. However, there are too few pupils in each year group to make a judgement on the attainment of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals compared to other pupils but the progress they make in English and mathematics is good. This reflects the school’s commitment to ensuring every pupil is given an equal opportunity to

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils enjoy learning. Across the school staff create extremely attractive and welcoming areas and classrooms through high-quality displays celebrating pupils’ work, especially in writing and art. Each classroom features a wide range of equipment and materials to support learning.  Very good relationships between staff and pupils are characterised by respect for each other. Attitudes to learning and towards each other are good and pupils are eager to do their best. Teaching assistants work closely with teachers to support pupils’ learning well and they make a strong contribution during lessons. Specific, targeted support is precise and of high quality.  Pupils’ work is marked carefully and regularly, giving good guidance on how pupils can improve their work and helping them to understand what they have to learn next. This helps them to make good progress.  Teaching in mathematics is enthusiastic and based on secure subject knowledge so pupils learn

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The quality of teaching is good

well. During a Year 2 and 3 mathematics lesson pupils worked well together to program the computerised ‘bee’ to travel around a map to find treasure. Pupils were excited as they used their mathematical skills as well as recording the instructions. However, pupils do not get sufficient opportunities to develop their mathematical skills through different subjects.  A wide range of stimulating activities and resources are provided and grab pupils’ attention well. However, time is not always used productively to extend pupils’ skills even further. Tasks usually move learning on well although occasionally work is not always hard enough for some pupils including the most able.  The rich outdoor environment, including the recently built outdoor classroom, is used frequently to develop learning in various subjects including science, information and communication technology and art. Pupils enjoy their forest-school activities thoroughly and talk confidently

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The quality of teaching is good

about recycling activities and exploring the outdoors.  During a Years 4, 5 and 6 lesson pupils were observing wild flowers and plants in the school grounds. After talking about the properties and parts of plants, they used this knowledge confidently to identify plants whilst using iPads to photograph and record what they saw. In the outdoor classroom pupils in small groups then talked about how they would use the photographs to create a collage. As a result, these pupils made very good progress across the range of subjects.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say they enjoy coming to school, which is reflected in their above-average attendance.  The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils agree and this was evident not only in classes but also around the school and at break times. Pupils cooperate well with staff and work sensibly with each other in pairs and in groups sharing ideas or discussing their findings. However, there are a few pupils who fidget during lessons and can be restless, but their behaviour is managed successfully through quiet comments.  Work in pupils’ books as well as that displayed around school shows that pupils throughout the school take care to present their work neatly. Pupils are keen to learn and are proud of their achievements.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils agree, as do all parents who responded to Parent View. In classrooms and around school pupils are polite and courteous, behaving in a safe way showing consideration for the well-being of others.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils say there is no bullying in school. They have a clear understanding of how to keep themselves safe and are aware of different kinds of bullying such as name calling. Pupils say, ‘All teachers and adults keep us safe in school.’  Pupils take on roles of responsibilities such as play leaders at break time for younger children, emptying recycling bins or milk duty. The school council is pleased to be able to help organise events to raise funds for national and international charities.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is well led by the headteacher. He is supported effectively by all the staff. Together they have maintained the school’s position as a good school and this indicates that the current leaders have a good ability to bring about further improvement to the school.  The most important priorities for development have been correctly identified through the school’s accurate view of its own performance. Progress against priorities is regularly checked to ensure continual improvement.  The roles of the English, mathematics and science leaders are understood clearly and carried out well. They check the quality of teaching in all three subjects regularly and rigorously and take any action necessary to address any shortfalls. For example, further training last year in teaching phonics and recently in writing has resulted in improvements to the standards pupils reach.  Teachers do not have many opportunities to observe outstanding teaching and so improve their

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The leadership and management are good

own practice.  Training for staff is closely linked to the targets set for them. Staff morale is high and all those who responded to the staff questionnaire were pleased about all aspects of the school’s work.  The school works in close partnership with the local authority, which provides this good school with ‘light touch’ support. It has worked well with the headteacher in carrying out checks on the quality of teaching.  The school seeks every opportunity to make the pupils’ experiences as rich and exciting as possible and to extend their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Special weeks such as International Week, when pupils learn about the culture and tradition of others, broaden their horizons. A wide range of after-school activities and annual residential visits for Years 4, 5 and 6 ensure pupils are experiencing new skills and ideas regularly. Visitors to school work with pupils,

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The leadership and management are good

contributing well to the school’s strong links with the church and the community.  The school has a clear plan to use the primary sports funding to provide pupils with opportunities to take part in a local dance festival. In addition, it is used to enable pupils in Reception and Year 1 to enjoy competing in sport activities against other local schools.  The governance of the school:  The governing body provides sound support and challenge to the school. Although there are a number of governors new to the role, all usual checks are still carried out regularly. Governors check the impact of spending carefully and know exactly how the pupil premium and the primary sports funding is spent and the impact it has on pupils’ progress. Governors attend training to make sure that they are able to carry out their roles effectively. The governing body is kept well informed and frequently visits the school to monitor school performance. It

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The leadership and management are good

has a clear picture of the quality of teaching and ensures that teachers’ salaries are linked to achievement of their targets. Governors make sure that requirements for safeguarding are met.

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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 112415 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 439556

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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 45 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Allan Mitchell Headteacher Iain Lewis Date of previous school inspection 6 March 2009 Telephone number 01229 462753 Fax number 01229 464145 Email address head@irelethst-peters.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

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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