St. Anne's Copp CofE Primary School, Great Eccleston

Great Eccleston Copp CofE Primary School Copp Lane, Great Eccleston, Preston, Lancashire, PR3 0ZN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Early years provision Good 2

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Progress across Key Stage 2 has declined over time. As a result, the proportion of pupils reaching the nationally expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 is not high enough.  Arrangements in place for checking on the quality of teaching are not yet robust. Consequently, weaknesses in teaching in Key Stage 2 over time have not been tackled swiftly enough to secure pupils’ consistently good progress in this key stage.  Teachers’ expectations of the amount and quality of pupils’ work are not always high enough in Key Stage 2. Pupils’ work is not always well presented and is sometimes incomplete.  Not all teachers have a secure grasp of pupils’ prior learning and level of understanding. In some lessons the work set for less able pupils is either too difficult, so that they struggle to complete it, or involves an uninteresting activity which does not move them on in their learning.

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 In some lessons, pupils complete a task and then have to wait for individual attention from a teacher before they can move on. This reduces their independence and wastes learning time in lessons.  Leaders know the amount of progress they expect from pupils between Year 2 and Year 6, but do not use the information well enough to check that pupils are on track to reach their targets in all the intervening year groups. As a result, pupils’ progress is variable and they do not always achieve as highly as they should.

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The school has the following strengths

 Most pupils behave very sensibly in and around the school. They treat one another and the adults in the school with respect and come to lessons willing to listen to teachers and eager to learn as much as they can.  Governors are supportive of the school and bring an increasingly high level of challenge to school leaders on the school’s performance  Parents speak very highly of the provision in the Early Years. They particularly appreciate the way in which warm and welcoming staff have helped children settle swiftly into school routines.  Pupils’ progress in Key Stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics is good.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 13 lessons or parts of lessons, one of which was a joint observation with the headteacher.  Inspectors spoke to a range of pupils about their work and play in school.  Inspectors held meetings with four members of the governing body as well as school leaders and with a local authority representative to discuss support for the school.  Inspectors took account of 80 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and 19 responses to the staff survey.  The inspectors observed the overall work of the school and checked various documents and procedures, including school improvement planning, curriculum planning and systems for checking pupils’ progress. They also looked at documents relating to safeguarding and behaviour.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of evidence including the school’s records of the quality of teaching over time and pupils’ current work in books.

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Inspection team

Janette Corlett, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  Very few pupils are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium funding. (The pupil premium is additional funding for disadvantaged children.)  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well below average.  Almost all pupils are of White British origin and no pupils currently in the school speak English as an additional language.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards that are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Drive up standards at the end of Key Stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics by:  improving teaching in Key Stage 2 so that pupils make consistently good or outstanding progress in all year groups from their individual starting points  ensuring that teachers always expect pupils to do their very best work, that it is completed on time and is neat and tidy  making sure that pupils always have enough to do in lessons so that they do not have to waste time waiting for adult input when they could be continuing on with their learning independently  ensuring that teachers consistently adapt their planning to take into account those areas where pupils need more focused help so that less able pupils do not struggle to understand new learning before they have fully grasped the earlier stages of development.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:  leaders regularly check on the quality of teaching in lessons and on pupils’ progress across all year groups so that teachers are rigorously held to account for pupils’ progress and any pupils in danger of falling behind in their learning are swiftly identified and rapid action is taken to help them.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 School leaders and managers have not yet fully tackled weaknesses in teaching in Key Stage 2 and, as a result, pupils do not all reach high enough standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  The school records the attainment of groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs, but evidence of their progress from individual starting points is not well analysed in Key Stage 2. This means that school leaders and governors do not always know whether pupils in each year group are making enough progress, and the school’s evaluation of its overall performance is not completely accurate. Additionally, it means that school leaders miss opportunities to challenge and hold teachers to account regularly enough for the progress of pupils in their class. This slows the rate of improvement in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The enthusiastic headteacher is passionate in her dedication to the pupils and families within the local

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The leadership and management requires improvement

community and is determined that the school will continue to improve. She has had to take on subject leadership and teaching commitments in addition to her role in leading the school and this means that the time available to her to check on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress has been limited. Recent appointments of new teaching staff have considerably added to the expertise of her team and are beginning to have an impact on improving the quality of teaching and learning, for example, in the Early Years. Each new teacher has taken on either senior or middle leadership roles and they have begun to develop plans for improvement, but it is too soon to see a measurable impact from their work.  Arrangements are in place for the performance management of teachers, but these are not yet rigorous enough to give a detailed picture of teaching in all year groups and to pinpoint individual areas for

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The leadership and management requires improvement

teachers to improve on their practice. This is why there are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning in Key Stage 2.  The curriculum is broad, balanced and supports pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A planned programme of assemblies together with lessons designed to promote pupils’ personal development help to prepare youngsters to understand and embrace fundamental British values.  The local authority provides effective support to the school for undertaking work scrutiny and analysis of published data. The school’s link adviser has also delivered training sessions for school staff, for example, on how to support independent learning.  School leaders engage with other local schools to support pupils’ transition to the next phase in their education. Similarly, the school hosts a local cluster group of early years practitioners who meet regularly

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The leadership and management requires improvement

to share good practice.  Pupils’ participation in physical activities and sports is good. The school has used the primary school sport funding to train staff and increase the resources available for activities such as participating more widely in competitive sports with other local schools. This is supporting pupils in adopting healthier lifestyles.  The governance of the school:  Governors are well informed about outcomes for pupils at the end of each key stage but do not always have enough information on pupils’ progress in each year group.  Governors are aware of the school’s arrangements for staff pay and progression, including that of the headteacher, but do not yet use this as effectively as they could to tackle weaknesses in teaching.  Governors ensure that the school meets the statutory safeguarding requirement to check on the suitability of adults working with children in the school, and that the school’s financial arrangements are

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The leadership and management requires improvement

secure.  Governors are actively involved in the life of the school. One governor regularly supports small groups of the most able pupils in mathematics to increase their confidence and to help them to reach the highest possible standard at the end of Year 6. Another governor brings the skills from her professional background to her role as the governor responsible for special educational needs. She is currently supporting the newly appointed special educational needs coordinator in developing his role.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. They treat one another well, listen carefully to instructions in lessons and show respect for their teachers.  Teachers have good behaviour management skills. They give frequent praise and encouragement for good behaviour and this means that incidences of poor behaviour or disruption to learning in lessons are rare.  Attitudes to learning are good. Most of the time pupils are keen and enthusiastic learners. Occasionally, when the tasks in lessons are not stimulating enough or when pupils do not have something to do when they have completed their work, pupils begin to fidget and are not fully engaged.  Pupils are very courteous to visitors – always ready with a friendly greeting, willing to hold open doors and politely standing to one side to let adults past. Pupils are proud of their school. They come to school smartly dressed, take care of the school buildings and do not leave litter on the yard.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that there is rarely any bullying. They understand the difference between bullying and just falling out, and are well aware of different types of bullying, including racist and homophobic bullying. Most parents agree that children are safe within school and that pupils’ behaviour is good.  Security in and around the school is robust. Additionally, pupils know that the adults in the school care for them and will look after them if they have any concerns or problems. The learning mentor is a good friend to pupils and their families and supports the school well in maintaining pupils’ above average attendance and punctuality.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching is not good across all year groups. While there is much good teaching in all key stages and some outstanding teaching, teaching over time in Key Stage 2 is not consistently good enough to ensure that all pupils make as much progress as they should.  There is too much variation in teachers’ expectations of the amount and quality of pupils’ written work in Key Stage 2. Sometimes work is not completed, the presentation is shoddy and handwriting is untidy.  In some lessons, pupils finish their work and then have to wait too long for adult intervention to tell them what to do next. This wastes valuable learning time and limits pupils’ opportunity to learn to work independently.  Further inconsistencies arise with regard to teachers’ expectations of homework. Some parents find the current system, of pupils deciding on appropriate homework according to their individual targets for improvement in writing and mathematics, to be confusing and insufficiently structured to support their

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

children’s learning. A sample of homework books looked at during the inspection contained little indication that pupils’ work had been marked or overseen by teachers. School leaders are aware of this and have plans in place to improve.  Teachers have good subject knowledge and make skilful use of questioning to help pupils deepen their thinking. Planning is generally detailed, although not all plans take enough account of pupils’ prior learning. This sometimes means that less able pupils cannot do their work because they do not understand all the steps building up to the new task. Equally, some of the tasks involve these pupils in completing uninteresting worksheets which do not help them to improve.  Teachers encourage pupils to work collaboratively and support one another in their learning. In one lesson, for example in Year 3/4, a sealed box on each table with a promised reward for completing a

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

mathematics investigation, provided good motivation for pupils to work together sensibly and complete work quickly.  Teachers conscientiously mark pupils’ written work. Teachers’ comments give pupils clear guidance on the next small steps in their learning and pupils are frequently given time in lessons to follow up on these comments and respond to them with corrections or improvements. This has led to pupils’ improved progress in writing in Key Stage 2.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Progress across Key Stage 2 is not consistently good. Pupils’ overall attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has declined from 2012 when it was significantly above average to broadly average. This is partly explained by differences in the starting points of some pupils and by the relatively small number of Year 6 pupils for the last two years, which mean that any comparison with national test outcomes needs to be interpreted with caution. However, too few pupils make progress that is any better than expected and this is why achievement requires improvement.  Building on their flying start in the Reception class, pupils, including the most able pupils and those with special educational needs, continue making good progress across Key Stage 1 and, by the end of Year 2, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are significantly above average and have been so over time.  Progress in writing in Key Stage 2 has improved compared to previous years. In the 2014 teacher

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

assessments at the end of Year 6, all pupils made expected progress in this subject from their starting points at the end of Year 2 and an increased proportion made better than expected progress.  Over time, the proportion of most able students reaching beyond expected standards at the end of Year 6 is broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics.  The very few disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs make expected progress in Key Stage 2 along with their peers. They are well supported in small groups by the team of well-qualified and skilled teaching assistants who work alongside class teachers. The numbers of disadvantaged pupils are too small to make meaningful comparisons between their achievement and that of other pupils in school or nationally.

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The early years provision is good

 Provision for youngsters in the Reception class is a real strength of the school due to strong direction and leadership from the recently appointed early years teacher. Children receive lots of praise and encouragement as they learn and play together in a safe and nurturing environment. This sets them off to a flying start in school and contributes well to their physical and emotional health, safety and well-being.  From starting points typical or above those typical for children of their age, children make good progress in the Reception class and the vast majority of them reach nationally expected levels and beyond in all areas of their learning.  Good teaching based on careful planning and assessment helps children, including those with special educational needs and most able children, to make rapid progress. The enthusiasm of the teacher is infectious and children respond by being keen learners after only a very few days in school.

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The early years provision is good

 The indoor learning environment is particularly vibrant and stimulating for young learners. Activities outdoors support children in continuing their learning but are not yet quite so well structured as all those indoors.  Parents typically comment that they feel welcome in school. They really appreciate all the efforts the early years leader made before the start of the school year to get to know children and their families so that they could quickly settle down into school life. Parents particularly liked receiving a text message mid- morning on the first day of the school term, reassuring them that their children were happily settled down and enjoying themselves on their first day in mainstream school.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 119549 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 448829

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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 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 158 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Pastor C Kelsall Headteacher Mrs B Melvin Date of previous school inspection 22 April 2010 Telephone number 01995 670969 Fax number 01995 670969 Email address head@coppschool.com 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 and 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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