Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School

Downholland-Haskayne Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School Black-A-Moor Lane, Haskayne, Lancashire, L39 7HX

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher is inspirational. Her strong determination has led to improvements in the building, and in the establishment of an enthusiastic team. Leaders continue to improve both achievement and teaching.  Governors focus with great care on pupils’ academic performance whilst ensuring their safety and security.  The curriculum is organised successfully. The focus on basic skills is enhanced by many rich experiences, which contribute well to pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Behaviour is good and pupils feel safe. Staff play a huge part in instilling in pupils a strong sense of responsibility towards obeying the school’s code of conduct.  Teaching is good overall. All staff are committed to knowing their pupils’ academic abilities and use this information effectively in moving them on with their learning.  Pupils achieve well, both academically and in their personal development.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils make good progress in their lessons and over time. Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs make as much progress as other pupils.  Small numbers in year groups lead to standards in Year 6 varying from year to year. Currently, they are average.  Early years provision is stimulating and ensures children get a good start.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not always achieve as well in their writing as in their reading and mathematics.  The most-able pupils do not always make as much progress as they should because work is not always hard enough.  Marking and feedback are inconsistent. Pupils are not always clear about what they need to do to improve. September 2014 2 of 10

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed nine lessons and made short visits to several sessions in the early years. Three observations were done jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector talked to pupils in classes, at lunchtime and break times, and with a small group of pupils from Key Stage 2 classes. He held discussions with the headteacher and middle leaders and with four members of the governing body.  He scrutinised pupils’ work and displays in all classes, listened to pupils read and talked with them about their books.  There were not enough responses to the online questionnaire on Parent View to see parents’ views of the school. The inspector talked to individual parents about aspects of the school.  A range of school documents were reviewed including progress data, minutes of meetings of the governing body, the school development plan, self-evaluation reports, the headteacher’s reports to governors, documents regarding the protection of pupils and keeping them safe (safeguarding),

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Information about this inspection

attendance and behaviour data and school policies.

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Inspection team

Gordon Alston, Lead inspector Additional Inspector September 2014 3 of 10

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Information about this school

 The school is much smaller than most primary schools.  Almost all pupils are White British.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average. These pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for the free school meal and those in care of the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is similar to most schools.  The proportion of pupils receiving support for special educational needs (at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs) is above average.  The school operates two mixed-age classes; these are split into three learning groups for English and mathematics sessions in the mornings.  There has been a new headteacher and two new teachers appointed since the school was last inspected. Recent building work has provided the school with an extra teaching area, a new staff-room and additional

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Information about this school

storage.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which is the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6 in English and mathematics.  Since September, the school has recently become part of a collaboration with another neighbouring small school. The headteacher spends two and a half days at each school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and raise pupils’ achievement, especially in writing by: - improving pupils’ ability to write imaginatively - enhancing the teaching of basic writing skills in different topics and subjects - making sure the most-able pupils are always challenged fully.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensuring marking and feedback consistently helps pupils improve their work by making sure comments are easily understood by pupils and they have time to respond to them. September 2014 4 of 10

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, staff and governors have worked well together to sustain the many strengths and improve teaching and learning in all classes since the last inspection. The headteacher’s determined leadership resulted in many areas of improvement last year. The addition of a new teaching area has enabled the school to be split into three small teaching groups in morning sessions.  Senior leaders and middle leaders are effective because they have a clear understanding of how well each pupil achieves in reading, writing and mathematics. Anyone, including those new to school, disadvantaged, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, who is falling behind, receives extra individual or small-group teaching from well-trained teaching assistants. Any gaps in knowledge are closed as quickly as possible and very few pupils underachieve.  Teachers’ performance is checked regularly against the progress their pupils make, and identified

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The leadership and management are good

weaknesses are the focus of further training. This information forms the basis of whether or not teachers’ salaries are increased. Information from evaluating teaching and pupils’ progress ensures the school has an accurate view of how well it is doing. This informs the detailed school development plan, which has a clear cycle of implementation, costings and personnel responsibilities. Priorities are accurate and actions in place to move the school forward.  The curriculum meets the needs of pupils well and plans to implement recent changes are now seen in practice. Subjects are linked where possible although writing skills are not always promoted fully across all subjects. Pupils have the opportunity to learn science by undertaking regular investigations to deepen their number skills by their application to solving complex problems. The large number of visits and visitors linked to topics being studied stimulate the pupils’ imaginations.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is particularly well developed because of the strong values that underpin the school’s work and the good links it enjoys with the local church. Adults treat all pupils with respect, care and consideration. In turn, pupils treat each other with the same levels of tolerance and respect. This extend to the way they value the school environment, the contributions they make to those less fortunate and to their understanding of different ways of life in modern Britain.  The government money to support disadvantaged pupils is used well to support these pupils to improve their literacy and numeracy skills. They receive extra help from adults either in small groups or one to one, which is good quality and consequently helps them to make good progress.  Pupils benefit from specialist teaching in games and swimming paid for by effective use of the extra sports

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The leadership and management are good

funding. Resources have been improved and after-school sports clubs such as football, netball and dance provide more opportunities for participation. There is planned training to enable teachers to increase their own knowledge of gymnastics. The evaluation of the impact of this funding shows an increase in the number and variety of after-school clubs and in the numbers of pupils attending.  The local authority has given good support to the school and recognises the improvements that have and are being made, particularly in the early years. The school has become part of a collaboration with another small school and the headteacher is also the headteacher of this school. It is too early to judge the impact of this.  Safeguarding arrangements fully meet requirements. Members of staff are trained in caring for the pupils and keeping them safe. Checks are made on the suitability of all who work in school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents support the school’s work and know their children are safe and happy. The school is at the centre of the community and, with its links to the church, enables everyone to contribute to its determined efforts towards creating a good education for its pupils.  The governance of the school: - Governors are effective in shaping the strategic direction of the school. Recently, they have worked with school leaders to expand the school and oversee a significant building project. During this period, they ensured that the pupils’ education was not compromised. Governors visit school regularly and have a high profile within the school community. They review data and have a good understanding of the school’s performance in comparison with other schools nationally. They are aware of the quality of teaching and know that only the best teaching is rewarded and that underperformance is not tolerated. They manage finances effectively and know the impact of extra sports funding and that funding for

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The leadership and management are good

disadvantaged pupils has effectively helped these pupils achieve as well as other pupils. They ensure that the school’s systems to keep pupils and staff safe meet requirements. September 2014 5 of 10

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Most pupils behave very well in class and when moving around the school. Break times are happy occasions when pupils join in with sporting activities, play their own games or just sit quietly together in the school’s delightful grounds. Pupils enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their high levels of attendance.  Pupils are keen to learn and the school routines they are taught mean they are well-organised before and during lessons. They make very good use of learning time and full use of play-time when lessons end. They understand the school’s rewards system and share in celebration assemblies when their classmates’ efforts are recognised or to remember birthdays.  Pupils from all backgrounds get on well together. They are respectful towards each other and adults and know that discrimination on any grounds is not tolerated. Pupils are polite and well-mannered and listen

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

attentively in class. Just occasionally, some pupils are too reliant on adult support and need reminders to remain fully involved in learning.  Teachers help pupils to become aware of different forms of bullying, including that relating to the internet. Pupils are adamant that bullying is rare. They say that adults are on hand to sort out any occasional disagreements. Pupils follow school rules and they agree guidelines for behaviour at the start of the school year.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that teachers talk to them about how to stay safe. Staff place a high priority on pupils’ safety and welfare and promote healthy lifestyles very well. They provide good support and guidance to the small number of pupils and their families who need extra help from time to time.  Discussions with parents indicate that they are confident that their children behave well and are happy

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

and safe in school. One parent wrote, ‘School is like an extended family – it is a truly safe and happy place to be.’

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The quality of teaching is good

 At the heart of the good teaching and learning are excellent relationships between teachers, staff and pupils. The atmosphere of classrooms is very positive. In discussions with pupils, the knowledge that teachers want the best for them and will always help them were the first reasons for why they liked school.  It is very noticeable that lessons are calm because teachers manage the pupils’ behaviour well and make learning interesting. Their warm praise results in pupils being confident to answer questions and express their ideas. Teachers watch pupils carefully as they work and have the knack of knowing when to step in and help or leave pupils to figure things out for themselves.  New assessment procedures are helping teachers to know their pupils well and the information is being used effectively in supporting pupils’ learning. On occasions, the most-able pupils are not given hard enough work or they receive too much teacher input, which slows down the speed of their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Learning support assistants make a strong contribution to the speed of learning for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs. They have a clear understanding of the difficulties that individual pupils have and work hard in helping them to fill any gaps in their learning, developing their confidence.  Marking has improved considerably in the guidance it gives pupils on how to improve their work. The ‘reflect and correct’ process the headteacher is implementing is being seen more and more in books, but not consistently. As yet, some comments are not easily understood by pupils and teachers do not always provide time for pupils to respond to their comments and check this secures their learning  The teaching of mathematics and reading is effective as teachers have good subject knowledge and can support pupils well as they teach them the necessary basic skills needed.  Although overall the teaching of writing is effective it is not as strong as in other subjects. Adults do not

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The quality of teaching is good

always give pupils enough time to develop and talk through their ideas before committing them to paper. Not enough attention has been given in the past to encourage pupils to write with flair. This is starting to improve as teachers add more interest to the topics.  Teachers question pupils skilfully to check and deepen their understanding. Most teachers now use pupils’ responses to reshape tasks so that gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding are filled in lessons and ensure learning is consolidated. At times, when this does not happen quickly enough, especially in giving the most able pupils more challenging tasks, pupils’ momentum slows as does the pace of their learning. September 2014 6 of 10

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The quality of teaching is good

 The pace of learning in lessons is typically swift and pupils routinely use the resources to help themselves before asking an adult. In the Reception class, children were happily directing themselves to activities and teaching each other, reading from laminated word cards, or practising counting and writing down numbers on their own clipboards.  Homework is set weekly and is closely linked to what pupils are learning in class. Pupils use online learning packages to learn at home and make use of the additional support of the school’s homework clubs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children enter school with skills and knowledge lower than those typical for their age, particularly in speech and language. They make a good start, settle quickly and are soon engaged in learning.  The school’s own testing and termly progress records show pupils make consistently good progress from their individual starting points between Year 1 and Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.  Although attainment varies with each cohort it is currently average in Year 2. Attainment in the Year 1 national phonics (letters and sounds) screening check was below average because in this group of pupils there was a significant number who found learning difficult. The teaching of phonics in the Reception class and Year 1 has improved with new training. The current indication is knowledge of phonics is increasing and helping pupils’ reading and writing skills.  Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 2 and attainment changes between average and above average

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The achievement of pupils is good

depending on the cohort. Reading is especially strong. The promotion of reading across the school is successful. Pupils have positive attitudes and read regularly, carefully logging their activities in reading journals. By the time they reach Year 6, pupils have a well-developed understanding of the work of several authors and freely offer views on their personal favourites.  Pupils enjoy mathematics and say they particularly value challenges to solve new mathematical problems. Pupils’ confidence and understanding of the subject have improved significantly since the previous inspection. This has had a positive impact, and, for the first time, the school is confident pupils may reach the high Level 6 in the future.  Writing standards are improving. Pupils are beginning to enjoy writing and this is increasing confidence and competence. However, pupils make slower progress in writing for several reasons. They do not have a

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The achievement of pupils is good

bank of experiences to draw on in order to develop their ideas in their written stories. The school has recognised this and also pupils limited degree of imagination. This is being addressed by changes to the curriculum with lots of visits and visitors to plug these gaps. This is a new initiative and has yet to show an impact on attainment.  The most-able pupils make good progress overall and are challenged most of the time because staff are ambitious for them to reach the highest levels. However, they are not always given work that extends their knowledge and skills, although it consolidates past learning. Pupils are learning, but the pace of learning is slow. Similarly, teachers too often show pupils how to tackle a problem or create a story when pupils would be more challenged finding out how to do this for themselves, achieving more in their learning.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs achieve as well as their classmates. This is

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The achievement of pupils is good

because they receive carefully planned additional support. This additional help and guidance from well- trained staff help them develop their basic literacy and numeracy skills well, and promotes their social and emotional skills. This demonstrates the school’s commitment to all pupils achieving as well as each other.  There are very few disadvantaged pupils and it is not possible to make a judgment about their performance compared with non-advantaged pupils or compared with disadvantaged pupils nationally. From their starting points they achieve as well as other pupils in the class.

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The early years provision is good

 Early years provision is good. Teaching in the Reception class continually engages the children’s interest so not a moment is lost in their learning. Learning now comes from topics the children want to find out about such as ‘Pirates’, so areas of learning can be linked together. Adults carefully assess each child’s level of development and use this information to plan activities to plug any gaps in their learning as well September 2014 7 of 10

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The early years provision is good

as to respond to their individual interests. As a result children make good progress. Behaviour is excellent and the children are very enthusiastic in wanting to learn. Relationships are a strength and this positive environment impacts positively on children’s learning. Leadership is effective with a clear picture of how to improve, effective assessment and good deployment of staff. September 2014 8 of 10

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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. September 2014 9 of 10

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School details

Unique reference number 119479 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 448912

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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 Paul Robinson Headteacher Carol Abel Date of previous school inspection 9 December 2009 Telephone number 0151 526 0614 Fax number 0151 526 0614 Email address bursar@haskayne.lancs.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory 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

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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