Fleetwood Chaucer Community Primary School

Fleetwood Chaucer Community Primary School Chaucer Road, Fleetwood, Lancashire, FY7 6QN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 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’s drive and rigorous and decisive approach have been key in bringing about improvement since the previous inspection.  The senior leadership team and middle leaders provide effective support for the headteacher and, working together, have successfully improved teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Governors have improved their effectiveness. They support and challenge the school very well.  Children in the early years get off to a good start to learning, make good progress and are increasingly well prepared for learning in Year 1.  Good progress continues through Key Stages 1 and 2. By the end of Year 2, standards have risen significantly and are now close to average. Standards have also risen at the end of Year 6, particularly in reading and mathematics. Although in 2014 standards were below average, they nonetheless reflect rapid progress from pupils’ previously much lower starting points.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Teachers have responded well to the greater challenge that has been provided in improving their performance. The quality of teaching is now good. The teaching of reading and mathematics, in particular, has strengthened.  Warm, nurturing relationships with pupils generate a positive atmosphere for learning. Work provided is mostly well- matched to pupils’ varying abilities. In particular, well-targeted support for disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs ensures that they achieve well.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils are friendly, polite and show positive attitudes to learning. The school places a high priority on keeping children safe and the procedures in place are rigorous and effective.  Strategies to reduce absence are effective. Pupils’ attendance has improved significantly.  A varied and interesting ‘values-led’ curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Achievement in writing, although good, is not as good as in reading and mathematics.  Expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always high. The work provided sometimes lacks challenge, particularly for the most-able pupils.  Marking does not always inform pupils how they can improve. Not all pupils are given time to respond to and act upon teachers’ comments.  The identified criteria for pupils’ success in their written work are not always precise enough so that pupils can check how well they are doing.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed lessons or part-lessons across the school, one of which was a joint observation with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with school leaders and with five governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body. The lead inspector also met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors visited the ‘Breakfast Café’, watched a Christmas production rehearsal and observed pupils’ behaviour during break times and lunchtimes.  Inspectors held meetings with four different groups of pupils and also spoke informally with other pupils in lessons and during break times.  Inspectors looked at the work pupils were doing in lessons and work recorded in their books over time. They listened to pupils read and talked with them about their experience of reading.  Inspectors observed the work of the school and examined a number of documents concerning pupils’ current achievement and progress, development plans and information about teachers’ performance. They

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Information about this inspection

also looked at records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding arrangements. Minutes of governing body meetings were also scrutinised.  Inspectors talked with staff and considered 39 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors took account of 11 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and to a recent parent questionnaire. Inspectors also talked to parents at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

Mark Williams, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Fleetwood Chaucer Primary School is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are White British. A very small minority of pupils are from minority ethnic groups or speak English as an additional language. The largest proportion of these pupils has recently arrived from Bulgaria.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through the pupil premium funding is much higher than that found nationally. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The early years comprises a Nursery class, which offers part-time places, and two Reception classes,

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Information about this school

where children attend on a full-time basis.  The school runs a ‘Breakfast Café’ for both parents and pupils.  The school has had a large amount of building work completed in the last two years.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is outstanding in order to raise achievement further, particularly in writing, by making sure that: - expectations of what pupils can achieve are consistently high and the work provided is sufficiently challenging to build well on what pupils can already do, particularly for the most-able pupils - the marking of pupils’ work consistently tells pupils how they can improve and that pupils are given time to respond to, and act upon, teachers’ comments and advice - the identified criteria for pupils’ success in the written work that are shared with the pupils are always precise enough so that pupils can check how well they are doing.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, supported well by other leaders in school, has been successful in improving pupils’ progress throughout the school since the last inspection. A more rigorous system for monitoring the quality of teaching has ensured that teaching is now good overall. Robust performance management procedures are in place and teachers are given challenging progress targets for the pupils in their class.  The local authority has provided effective support for the school in addressing areas for improvement identified at the last inspection. As a result of this support, improvements to achievement and the quality of teaching have been made. The local authority now provides only light-touch support.  The school has worked well with several other schools in order to share expertise and develop the skills of staff. This has resulted, most notably, in improvements to the teaching of mathematics.  Middle leaders are fully involved in school improvement-planning and monitoring standards in their areas

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The leadership and management are good

of responsibility. They play a leading role in developing the new curriculum and monitoring how it is implemented.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively. Additional staffing helps to provide targeted additional support for disadvantaged pupils. This includes a highly effective Family Learning Mentor who works with the most vulnerable pupils and their families and who has played a leading role in improving attendance and punctuality. A large number of teaching assistants who support pupils in lessons have contributed well to the improved achievement of this group of pupils.  The leadership of teaching is effective. Staff are extremely positive about the training they receive to improve their teaching or to develop themselves as leaders in school. Several staff are currently working towards middle leadership qualifications.  The school has developed a varied and interesting ‘values-led’ curriculum that is effective in promoting

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The leadership and management are good

pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The curriculum is full of interesting experiences for the pupils and is enhanced by a good range of extra-curricular opportunities.  The school uses the primary school sport funding effectively to purchase a package of support, which includes staff training and sports coaches providing after-school sports clubs. Teachers have worked alongside specialist coaches, which has increased their confidence in teaching gymnastics. The school intends to spend the remainder of the funding on purchasing additional swimming lessons for those pupils who are currently non-swimmers.  Pupils are well -prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils are given positions of responsibility in the school and have had a strong influence in the design of the refurbished school. Pupils learn about democracy through the election of the school council and house captains. Close links are established with local

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The leadership and management are good

churches and pupils’ understanding and tolerance of other faiths is promoted well.  The school is committed to providing an equal opportunity for all pupils. This was demonstrated by the school’s employment of a part-time Bulgarian-speaking teacher to work with Bulgarian pupils who were new to the country. However, leaders have yet to ensure that the most-able pupils reach their full potential.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils are rigorous and meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school: - Since the last inspection, a representative of the local authority has worked closely with the governing body in order to assist governors in providing the appropriate level of support and challenge to leaders in the school. This support has been effective and scrutiny of minutes of meetings demonstrates how governors now ask challenging questions regarding all aspects of school life, including the quality of

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The leadership and management are good

teaching. This has been key in holding leaders to account for pupils’ progress and has resulted in improved achievement. - Governors are well-informed about how well the school is doing compared to schools nationally. They have a good understanding of what school needs to focus on in order to improve further. - Governors have a good understanding of the performance management process and how decisions about teachers’ pay are linked to their performance and pupil progress.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are welcoming and friendly. They move around school sensibly, hold doors open for each other and get on well together when working and playing.  Pupils mostly have positive attitudes and work hard in lessons. However, on the small number of occasions when learning does not fully capture their attention, a few pupils lose interest and can be restless.  Pupils say they do sometimes fall out with each other and call each other names when they are cross, but they say that teachers always deal with problems quickly and effectively.  There are clear systems to manage behaviour and pupils are fully aware of the ‘steps’ that help them to learn how to be responsible for their own behaviour. Even the youngest pupils love earning ‘jewels’ that count towards the weekly house trophy.  Pupils have a very clear sense of right and wrong. They say that ‘in this school everyone respects each

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Behaviour

other’, whatever background they come from. They know that if they are upset about anything, they can talk to the Family Learning Mentor who is ‘just like our own Childline!’

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  The new building has many corridors and stairs. School leaders have ensured that these are well- supervised in order to keep pupils safe at all times.  Pupils say that bullying is rare and is always dealt with well. They feel safe and well cared for and school’s most recent survey of parents’ views shows that the vast majority of parents agree.  Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying. They are extremely aware of how to keep themselves safe when using the Internet and mobile phones.  The school has worked hard to improve attendance and has taken decisive action when needed. Attendance has risen since the last inspection and is now much closer to the national average.  The school has rigorous child protection and safeguarding procedures.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Weaknesses in teaching have been successfully addressed since the last inspection and teaching is now good overall. This has resulted in pupils in all year groups making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The headteacher’s monitoring has identified where teaching could be improved further and teachers have responded well to the greater challenge that has been provided in improving their performance.  The school’s collaborative work with other successful schools has been beneficial in improving the quality of teaching. Targeted training of teachers in mathematics, for example, has helped to improve practice. There is a clear progression in key mathematical skills throughout the school and a greater emphasis on mental arithmetic skills, which has resulted in improved achievement.  Pupils’ enjoyment of reading is supported by a wide range of books, which are used in school, including in

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The quality of teaching is good

the newly refurbished library. More regular support for pupils who need it has resulted in good progress in reading across the school.  Staff have warm, nurturing relationships with pupils, which generates a positive atmosphere for learning. Pupils’ good behaviour and attitudes to learning helps them to make the most out of the opportunities provided to work together collaboratively. This, in turn, successfully promotes their language development and social skills. Pupils in a Year 3 class worked well in groups, sharing ideas and practising a play they had written together about Scrooge.  The work provided is mostly well -matched to pupils’ varying abilities to challenge pupils to do well. For example, effective use of information showing what pupils already knew ensured that pupils in a mixed Year 1 and Year 2 group were given suitably challenging work on three-dimensional shapes. Pupils were totally engaged in their learning. However, sometimes the work set is not hard enough or does not build

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The quality of teaching is good

upon what pupils can already do and this sometimes limits pupils’ progress, especially the most-able pupils.  Good use is made of the identified ‘success criteria’ so that pupils know what they are trying to achieve in their work. Occasionally, however, these criteria lack precision. As a result, pupils are not always able to check on exactly how well they are doing when completing an activity.  Teachers and teaching assistants provide good support to pupils, especially those who need extra help. They have contributed well to the good progress made by pupils with special educational needs.  The overall quality of marking is good. Teachers mark pupils’ work carefully and regularly. Pupils are clear about how well they are getting on. However, there is some variability in the extent to which marking helps pupils to know how to improve their work, especially in writing. Not all pupils are given time to

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The quality of teaching is good

respond and act upon teachers’ comments and advice.  Homework is used well to support pupils’ learning. The homework ‘learning logs’ provide pupils with interesting activities, which can be completed in different ways, therefore meeting the needs of individual pupils.  Pupils and parents are very positive about teaching in the school.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement has improved since the last inspection. Pupils now make good progress in all key stages in reading, writing and mathematics. Standards across the school are rising, particularly in reading and mathematics.  After a good start to their education in the early years, pupils continue to do well in Key Stage 1. For a number of years, attainment by the end of Year 2 has been significantly below average. However, in the last two years due to improvements in teaching, attainment has been improving at a rapid rate, especially in mathematics. In 2014, attainment was close to average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Good progress continues through Key Stage 2, where standards are on a rising trend, especially in reading and mathematics. Although attainment by the end of Year 6 in 2014 was below average, this represented good progress from their previously much lower starting points at the start of Year 3. The proportion of

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils making the expected rate of progress was above that proportion that do so nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion that did better than this overall was similar to that found nationally, although stronger in reading and mathematics than in writing.  Pupils achieve well in reading. Although in 2014, a minority of pupils did not reach the expected standards in the Year 1 check of their phonic skills (the sounds that letters make), school data and inspection evidence show that their reading skills are now catching up quickly. Older pupils read widely and often, and with confidence, expression and fluency.  Pupils’ progress in writing across the school, although good overall, is sometimes held back because pupils are not always clear about how to improve their work.  The achievement of the most-able pupils has also improved and sometimes their progress is good. However, in some lessons they find their work too easy. Although attainment is rising, the proportion of

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils reaching the higher levels of attainment at the end of Years 2 and 6 is still below average across the subjects and particularly so at the end of Year 6 in writing. Leaders recognise that there is scope to further improve the achievement of the most-able pupils.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress. Their individual needs are met well through the good support given by teachers and the large number of teaching assistants employed by the school.  Pupils whose first language is not English also make good progress. The school’s decision to employ a part-time Bulgarian-speaking teacher had a positive impact for a number of newly arrived Bulgarian pupils.  Disadvantaged pupils achieve well. In Year 6 in 2014, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils in reading was about one term ahead of other pupils in the school and two terms behind other pupils nationally. In

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The achievement of pupils is good

writing, the attainment of all pupils in the school was very similar, but disadvantaged pupils were approximately two terms behind other pupils nationally. In mathematics, they were approximately one – and- a- half terms behind other pupils in the school and two- and- a- half terms behind other pupils nationally. The gap in attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 has narrowed in each of the last two years and school’s current data shows that gaps are narrowing quickly throughout the school. At the end of Year 2 in 2014, for example, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils was similar to that of other pupils in school.

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The early years provision is good

 The majority of children enter the early years with skills that are below those typical for their age, especially in personal, social and emotional development and communication, language and literacy. A small number have significant special needs. Progress from these starting points has improved in both Nursery and Reception classes and is now good.  In 2014, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development was slightly above average. However, the skills of some children in reading, writing and their understanding the world were not as strong as in other areas of learning. Even so, the majority of children are well -prepared for learning in Year 1.  Leadership of the early years is good. Since the building work has been completed, classes are working well together as a unit and there is strong teamwork among staff. Staff have a clear understanding of what they need to do to improve provision further, including using the new school minibus to take children

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The early years provision is good

out more often into the local area.  The caring, nurturing environment and the chance for parents, as well as children, to get to know the staff, mean that children settle quickly. They soon become independent and confident learners. Children were observed thoroughly enjoying opportunities to pour out paints and select from a range of glittering paper and fabric to make wands like the ones they had seen in a pantomime the day before.  Adults know children well because they observe them closely. They keep accurate records and know how well children are learning in different areas. They use this information well to plan what children need to learn next. Adults are always keen to use children’s own ideas to plan activities.  Classrooms buzz with excitement. Activities are well- matched to children’s needs and abilities. For example, children dressed as Santa’s elves were chatting excitedly while developing their cutting and

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The early years provision is good

sticking skills by wrapping parcels to put in ‘Santa’s sleigh.’ The most-able children were expected to design and write their own labels for these presents.  When adults talk to children, they model language well to help children develop their speaking skills. Key worker time is used particularly well. Children show a genuine interest in what others have been learning and develop confidence as they show and explain what they have done.  Children behave well and clearly feel safe and secure. There are good systems in place to make sure they are kept safe, including the site manager’s wind strength analysis to decide whether it is safe to use large equipment outdoors.  Parents are encouraged to be involved in their children’s learning. Sessions such as ‘Stay and Play’ give them opportunities to join in with their children. They are kept well-informed about how well their children are doing.

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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 119343 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 452015

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 303 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Mitchell Headteacher Peter Gerrish Date of previous school inspection 5 March 2013 Telephone number 01253 873795 Fax number 01253 876181 Email address admin@chaucer.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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