Staining Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Staining Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Staining Road, Staining, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY3 0BW

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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

 Pupils achieve well and make good progress as they move through school. Pupils usually reach standards which are above average overall by the end of Year 6. Pupils achieve especially well in mathematics.  Children get off to a good start in the Reception class. The exciting and well-planned activities, particularly outdoors, give children lots of opportunities to explore and learn.  Teachers plan pupils’ work carefully to interest them and to build on what they already know and can do. They have good relationships with pupils and encourage them to do their best.  Experienced and skilled teaching assistants play a valuable role in supporting pupils’ learning, so that all groups of pupils make equally good progress in lessons.  Pupils behave well. They have good attitudes to learning and generally work hard. They are extremely friendly and welcoming. Pupils are happy in school and say that they feel safe and secure.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Their attendance is consistently high.  The headteacher, who is well supported by the deputy headteacher and other leaders, provides strong leadership. Leaders at all levels have an accurate view of the school’s performance and they take appropriate action to ensure that teaching and achievement continue to improve.  Governors are involved in the life of the school and so have a good understanding of its strengths and weaknesses. Their challenge and support have helped to drive improvements since the last inspection.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers’ marking does not consistently show pupils how to make their work better. Pupils do not always have time to respond to and act upon advice given.  Pupils do not always take enough care and pride in the way that they present their work.  Displays do not always help pupils to focus on the key skills that they are learning.  Pupils, especially boys, do not yet do as well in writing as they do in reading and mathematics. They do not always know exactly what features to include in their writing in order to reach higher standards.  Pupils’ skills in grammar, punctuation and spelling are not yet well enough developed.  Pupils do not have enough interesting opportunities to practise their writing skills in other subjects. Inspection report: Staining Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21–22 October 2014 2 of 10

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in many lessons, including two observations carried out jointly with senior leaders. They observed the teaching of early reading skills and listened to pupils reading. They looked at examples of pupils’ work to gain a view of teaching over time. They observed and talked to pupils at lunchtime and during their break times.  The inspectors held meetings with pupils, staff, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors spoke to parents informally before school. They also took account of 21 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View), the school’s own surveys of parents’ views, and 12 questionnaires returned by staff.  The inspectors looked at a range of documents, including the school’s most recent data on pupils’ attainment and progress across the school, the school’s own view of its effectiveness and its plans for

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Information about this inspection

improvement, and information relating to checks on the quality of teaching.  The inspectors looked at the arrangements for safeguarding pupils and looked at records relating to behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Christine Potter, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Inspection team

Mark Hilton Additional Inspector Inspection report: Staining Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21–22 October 2014 3 of 10

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Information about this school

 The school is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, who are those eligible for the pupil premium, is below average. In many year groups there are only a very small number of pupils eligible for the pupil premium. (The pupil premium is additional government funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.)  The Reception class provides full-time early years provision.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school is part of the Loyne Learning Alliance. The deputy headteacher has provided support to improve the quality of teaching at Revoe Learning Academy in Blackpool.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that more of it is outstanding by:  improving marking so that it consistently shows pupils how to make their work better, and giving them time to respond to, and act on, this advice  making better use of displays to help pupils focus on the key skills that they are learning  encouraging pupils to take more care and pride in the way that they present their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve achievement in writing, particularly for boys, by:  developing more effectively pupils’ skills in grammar, punctuation and spelling  making better use of interesting and exciting opportunities in other subjects for pupils to write at length, in order to practise and improve their writing skills  giving pupils aspirational targets which pinpoint exactly what features they should include in their writing in order to reach a higher standard. Inspection report: Staining Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21–22 October 2014 4 of 10

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, deputy headteacher, governors and other leaders are all ambitious for the school, and committed to ensuring that pupils do as well as possible. They are continually seeking ways to improve what the school does. They are fully aware that they still need to take further action to improve teaching and raise standards in writing further.  Middle leaders play a key role, alongside senior leaders, in carrying out regular checks on the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning, for example through watching lessons and looking at pupils’ books. Teachers and teaching assistants have good opportunities to improve their skills through the support offered by senior and middle leaders and through attending relevant training courses. Senior leaders take decisive action where necessary to improve any weaker teaching.  Leaders and teachers track pupils’ progress carefully. They regularly assess how well pupils are doing,

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The leadership and management are good

quickly spot if any of them are not doing as well as they should, and put in place appropriate and well- tailored support. They use assessment information well to make sure that different groups, particularly disadvantaged pupils, are not falling behind in their learning.  The curriculum is planned well to make sure that pupils develop their understanding of the world through a range of interesting topics, which are often linked to visits. Year 6 pupils talked excitedly about the films they were making about the Vikings. Opportunities are sometimes missed, however, for pupils to use these interesting and exciting experiences to write at length in order to practise and improve their writing skills further.  The school provides well for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development which is, therefore, good. They have many opportunities to reflect on their experiences and values; they respect the views of

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The leadership and management are good

others and are keenly aware of what constitutes right and wrong. The ‘What’s going on in the world?’ board, which is updated on a weekly basis, helps to develop pupils’ understanding of world events, and to prepare them for life in modern Britain.  The school makes good use of the primary school sports funding. Staff have received training in order to improve their skills in teaching physical education. Additional sports activities are now being provided, including a holiday sports club, and pupils are now taking part in a wider range of competitive sports with other schools.  The school works hard to involve parents. Teachers provide termly reports on pupils’ progress and weekly ‘learning logs’ which tell parents what pupils have been doing during the week and provide ‘challenges’ for their children to complete at home. The learning mentor provides additional help and support for those families who need it and organises very well-attended activities, such as messy play and junk modelling

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The leadership and management are good

days, which parents can take part in alongside their children.  Leaders ensure that the school spends the pupil premium wisely on supporting disadvantaged pupils so that they make similar progress to other pupils. This demonstrates the school’s good promotion of equality of opportunity and the effective steps that it takes to tackle discrimination.  The local authority provides effective ‘light touch’ support, which is well used by the school to help it improve further.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a good understanding of the school. They are regularly involved in school life and give willingly of their time and skills, for example to read to the youngest children or support older pupils in their science lessons. They meet with key staff and contribute to improvement planning.  Governors are kept well informed about how well pupils are doing, through reports from the headteacher, who explains the data clearly to them. They are not afraid to ask challenging questions if

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The leadership and management are good

they feel pupils are not doing well enough, or if they do not understand something. They take an active interest in the quality of teaching and leaders’ efforts to ensure a consistent approach across the school. They make sure that teachers’ pay increases are linked to their performance.  Governors have a firm grasp on finances. They take their statutory responsibilities seriously and ensure that safeguarding requirements are fully met.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  This is a happy school, where pupils feel valued and respected. Consequently, they behave well and are Inspection report: Staining Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21–22 October 2014 5 of 10

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Behaviour

respectful towards adults and each other. They are friendly and polite, and were very keen to welcome and talk to inspectors.  Most pupils have positive attitudes to learning and work hard. Teachers are calm and positive, so that any minor misbehaviour is quickly dealt with and learning is not interrupted. Pupils cooperate good naturedly as they work and are mostly keen to do well. However, some of them do not take enough pride in the way that they present their work.  Pupils behave considerately towards others around the school, or when waiting for their lunch. Even though the weather was wild during the inspection, with strong winds and sudden heavy showers which disrupted their break times, they were aware of the need to come in and out of the building safely and thoughtfully.  Pupils enjoy taking on additional responsibilities. Pupils in Year 5 were already planning what jobs they would like to do when they are in Year 6, such as operating the music in assembly or organising chairs at

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Behaviour

lunchtime. Members of the school council are actively involved in seeking the views of their classmates in order to plan the new trim trail.  Pupils are also very aware of the needs of others, both in this country and overseas, who are less fortunate than themselves. They were keen to talk about how they raise money for, or send food or clothes to, different charities.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils say that they feel absolutely safe in school, and parents agree that the school keeps their children safe. Pupils also show a good understanding of how to stay safe in other situations, including when using the internet. They know exactly what to do if they see something that they do not like on a website.  Although pupils say that they do fall out with each other sometimes, they say that things get sorted out quickly. They know that if they have any concerns they can talk to a teacher or to the learning mentor. School records and pupils’ comments indicate that instances of bullying are rare, and are always dealt with promptly.  Attendance is consistently high, and the school makes sure that pupils’ absences are followed up carefully.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school’s assessment information for all year groups and pupils’ progress in their books indicate that the quality of teaching over time is good. Good relationships between adults and pupils, and the use of praise and encouragement, mean that most pupils are positive about their learning and want to do well.  Pupils know what they are expected to learn in lessons and the work they are given builds on what they already know and can do. Pupils’ progress is checked closely by teachers in order to pinpoint where they may need more support to develop their skills in the next lesson. Pupils themselves are encouraged to reflect on their learning and to identify where they are less confident and would like more help.  Activities are well planned to meet the needs of pupils of different abilities, so that they are all able to make good progress. For example, some pupils in a Year 4 mathematics lesson were learning how to

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The quality of teaching is good

identify tenths of a shape and express these as decimals, while the most able played a game which challenged them to convert mixed numbers and hundredths into decimals.  Displays in classrooms and around the school contain a wealth of information and examples to support pupils’ learning and encourage them to improve what they do. However, some of these are not organised well enough and so do not always help pupils to focus precisely on the key skills that they need to develop, particularly in writing.  Skilful questioning checks pupils’ understanding and also provides opportunities for them to develop their skills and knowledge further. Pupils in a Year 1 history lesson, for example, were encouraged through well-targeted questions to look closely at old photographs of Blackpool in order to find similarities and differences between life then and now.  Teaching assistants work closely with teachers and have a good understanding of pupils’ needs. They

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The quality of teaching is good

work with groups and individual pupils of different abilities, so that all pupils are helped to make good progress. They assess carefully how well pupils are doing.  The school has introduced more detailed marking systems since the previous inspection. However, teachers’ marking does not yet consistently show pupils how to make their work better, nor do they always have time to respond to, and act on, advice given. Inspection report: Staining Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21–22 October 2014 6 of 10

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils build on their good start in Reception to make good progress throughout Key Stages 1 and 2. Progress in mathematics across Key Stage 2 is particularly strong, and pupils’ attainment is consistently well above average in this subject. Although there are some slight variations between different year groups, standards overall at the end of Key Stage 2 are usually above average.  Pupils across the school, particularly boys, make less progress in writing than they do in reading and mathematics. Senior leaders have identified this and have taken decisive action. Pupils are encouraged to talk about what they are going to write and they make use of a range of well-chosen texts to inspire their writing in different styles. However, while this has led to some improvement so that most pupils now make the progress expected of them, pupils’ skills in grammar, punctuation and spelling are not yet sufficiently secure. Pupils do not yet have a precise understanding of what features they need to include in

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The achievement of pupils is good

their written work in order to reach higher standards.  The most able pupils make good progress and achieve high standards in reading and mathematics in both Key Stages 1 and 2. They respond well to the more difficult work and challenges set by their teachers. Well-above average proportions reached the highest Level 6 in mathematics in both 2013 and 2014. However, in line with other pupils, their progress is not as strong in writing.  Reading is strongly promoted across the school. Phonics (letters and the sounds they make) are taught successfully, through a range of games and activities which interest and excite pupils and make them want to learn. The large majority of pupils reach the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check each year. Pupils in a Year 6 guided reading group confidently discussed the book they were reading, and used evidence from the text well to answer some probing questions.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive high-quality additional support and often very precise teaching, both within and outside lessons. The school’s tracking information shows that they mostly make the same good progress as other pupils from their individual starting points.  The school’s own data shows that disadvantaged pupils, many of whom have complex needs, make progress which is similar to that of other pupils overall, both in school and nationally, and slightly better progress in reading. The small number of disadvantaged pupils in each Year 6 class over the past three years makes any comparison between their attainment and that of other pupils, both in the school and nationally, statistically unreliable.

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The early years provision is good

 Most children start school with skills and abilities that are typical for their age. They make good progress overall in the early years and the proportion of children who reach the levels expected for their age by the end of the Reception class is above average. They are well prepared for Year 1.  Good procedures are in place, including meetings with parents, visits to nurseries, and the opportunity for children to spend time in school during the summer term, so that children settle well into the Reception class. Children clearly feel very safe and secure, are eager to learn, and quickly become confident and independent.  Parents have good opportunities to be involved in their children’s learning throughout the year. They e- mail the staff to tell them what their children are doing at home and have regular opportunities to share and discuss their children’s ‘Learning Journeys’. They appreciate the attractive displays of photographs

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The early years provision is good

and other information which helps them to understand what their children are learning in different areas.  Staff are passionate about making sure that the activities that they plan are well matched to children’s individual interests, needs and abilities. They know that the boys tend to have lower starting points and are still not doing as well as the girls in aspects relating to language and literacy. All around, both indoors and outdoors, are objects and activities which encourage them to write, and provide words for them to copy. Boys particularly enjoy hiding in the ‘writing den’ to do their writing, and were keen to show what they had written and drawn following their recent visit to the park.  Activities in the outdoor area make exceptionally good use of the available space. Children were enthusiastically absorbed in making ‘chocolate brownies’ and ‘salads’ in the mud kitchen, and were keen

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The early years provision is good

that the inspectors should sample them. Others were experimenting with boards, blocks and drainpipes to make bridges and walkways, building models from an impressive selection of ‘junk’, or testing waterproof materials. All the time, adults used questioning highly effectively to stimulate children’s imagination further and to develop their language skills and knowledge about the world around them.  Rigorous checks ensure that the equipment and classroom environment are safe and secure for the children to use. Children are encouraged at all times to discuss how they can stay safe, such as when Inspection report: Staining Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21–22 October 2014 7 of 10

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The early years provision is good

balancing on wooden boards. They know how important it is to wear appropriate outdoor clothing and to wash thoroughly after playing in the mud kitchen.  There is strong leadership of the early years, and the class teacher and teaching assistant work closely together as a team. They observe and assess the children closely so that they know exactly how well individual children are doing and what they need to learn next. The enthusiasm of the staff has been instrumental in securing significant improvements to the provision, and they have clear plans in place to improve things further. Inspection report: Staining Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21–22 October 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. Inspection report: Staining Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 21–22 October 2014 9 of 10

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School details

Unique reference number 119375 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 448826

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 230 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kelly Guy Headteacher Ann Griffiths Date of previous school inspection 29 March 2010 Telephone number 01253 882983 Email address bursar@staining.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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