Spotland Primary School

Spotland Primary School Edmund Street, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL12 6QG

p.1

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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school is a happy and caring community where all pupils are welcomed. Pupils’ achievements are celebrated and they develop confidence in themselves.  Children get off to a good start in the early years. Well-planned activities, both indoors and outdoors, mean that children are eager to play and learn.  Pupils continue to make good progress throughout Key Stages 1 and 2 because the quality of teaching is good. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are improving.  Teachers have good relationships with pupils. They plan work thoroughly and explain things clearly so that pupils know what they are expected to learn. They check carefully that pupils understand what they are learning.  The curriculum provides a wide range of exciting activities which foster individual skills and talents, and which make a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils behave well. They enjoy school and are

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

friendly and polite. They have positive attitudes to learning and are keen to share their ideas with each other.  Pupils feel safe, secure and well looked after in school. Staff know individual pupils and their needs well.  Parents are made to feel welcome in school. Many activities take place which help to involve them in their children’s learning.  The headteacher provides strong leadership. She is determined that pupils will all do as well as they can. She is keen to develop the leadership skills of other staff. Actions taken have led to ongoing improvements in teaching and achievement since the previous inspection.  Governors are well informed and regularly involved in the life of the school. Their challenge and support ensure that the school is continuously improving in all aspects of its work.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils are sometimes given activities that are not matched well to what they already know and can do and that are occasionally too easy for the most able pupils.  Opportunities are sometimes missed to develop pupils’ speaking, reading and independent writing skills across the curriculum.  Pupils do not always have time to reflect on their learning and respond to written comments in marking, in order to make their work better.  The role of middle leaders in checking the quality of teaching and learning is not fully established.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes, including two observations carried out jointly with the headteacher. They observed the teaching of reading skills and listened to pupils reading. They observed teaching in small support groups. They looked at examples of pupils’ work, together with the headteacher, to gain a view of teaching over time.  The inspectors held meetings with pupils, staff, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. They talked to parents informally before school.  There were no published responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors took account of the school’s own surveys of parents’ views, and of the 55 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, leaders’ view of the school’s effectiveness and their plans for

p.2

Information about this inspection

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

p.2

Inspection team

Christine Potter, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Inspection team

Prydwen Elfed-Owens Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Over four-fifths of pupils speak English as an additional language, which is well above average. The majority of pupils are of Pakistani heritage. Pupils speak over 25 different languages.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is broadly average, but this varies between year groups.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those eligible for support through the pupil premium, is above average. 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.  A significant number of pupils join and leave the school in different year groups.  The two Reception classes provide full-time early years provision. The Nursery class offers part-time nursery provision.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for

p.3

Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school provides a breakfast club.  The school is part of the ‘Inspirational Professional Learning Community Network’, a partnership between 10 local primary schools.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in order to raise achievement further, by:  making sure that activities are always matched well to what pupils know and can do and are sufficiently challenging for the most able pupils  ensuring that pupils have time to reflect on their learning and respond to written comments in marking, in order to make their work better  making better use of opportunities to develop pupils’ speaking, reading and independent writing skills across the curriculum  fully establishing the role of middle leaders in checking the quality of teaching and learning.

p.3

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong and determined leadership. She is supported well by other senior leaders. They know the school well and there are clear plans in place to continue improving teaching and achievement. Senior leaders are very quick to identify and respond to any concerns about the school’s performance and are keen to, in their words, ‘fix things straight away.’  In their relentless drive to raise standards so that all pupils do as well as possible, senior leaders have sought the support of the local authority. Their input is having a positive impact on the quality of teaching and learning. The school also derives significant benefit from belonging to the local cluster group, through mutual support, sharing good practice and training.  Senior leaders have established good systems to check on and improve the quality of teaching. Staff at all levels are keen to improve what they do and act on advice and feedback provided. There is a strong sense

p.4

The leadership and management are good

of belonging to a team, where they can learn from each other.  Individual pupils’ progress is tracked rigorously across all key stages. Middle leaders have a significant role in using the data to help teachers identify gaps in pupils’ learning and to put in place appropriate and timely support. The impact of this is followed closely by middle leaders. Their role in checking the quality of teaching and learning, such as by looking at pupils’ work and teachers’ planning, is less well established.  Leaders make sure that the pupil premium funding is spent on supporting eligible pupils. Their progress in all year groups is tracked particularly closely to ensure that this support is helping them to make progress which is as good as that of other pupils. This demonstrates the school’s commitment to equality of opportunity.  The culture of learning among pupils and staff extends to the school’s work with parents. Parents are

p.4

The leadership and management are good

invited to watch teachers as they read stories, teach reading or develop pupils’ knowledge of weighing and measuring, so that they have the skills to help their children at home. Regular family workshops, such as when Key Stage 1 parents joined their children to make collage landscapes, are popular. Parents appreciate being able to talk to staff on the playground each day.  Good relations between pupils of widely differing backgrounds are fostered well by the school. British values, such as justice and democracy, permeate all aspects of school life. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Pupils say that there is no racism and that it is wrong to upset people and ‘make them feel bad about themselves just because their skin is a different colour.’ They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The curriculum focuses appropriately on developing pupils’ basic skills in literacy and numeracy. The

p.4

The leadership and management are good

school recognises the need to make better use of opportunities throughout every area of the curriculum to develop pupils’ speaking, reading and independent writing skills. The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. There is a wide range of exciting activities which enhance pupils’ experiences, from ukulele to gardening clubs. Pupils say that these activities help them to ‘relax and be themselves.’ Pupils share each other’s religious festivals and have links with other schools in the local community. The quality of the singing at an assembly during the inspection was impressive, as was the way in which the school community was united in an act of worship which showed respect for all faiths and celebrated all that pupils had done well.  The school makes good use of the primary school sport funding. The school now has a minibus, which is used to take pupils to various venues, where they can try out different sports, for example ski-ing and

p.4

The leadership and management are good

kayaking. Staff have received additional training to develop their skills and so the school is able to take part in local tournaments, such as basketball, table tennis and badminton. The funding has enabled the school to purchase a fleet of bicycles so that all pupils have the chance to learn to cycle.  The governance of the school:  Governors are supportive of the school and are as committed as other leaders to meeting the needs of the widely diverse pupil population and preparing them for the future. They say that they ‘know exactly what is going on’ because they receive regular reports and presentations from school leaders. Governors are kept well informed about how well pupils are doing because the termly pupils' progress data are explained clearly to them. They ask challenging questions, particularly about the effectiveness of new initiatives in raising achievement. This helps to drive ongoing improvements.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching. They have supported the headteacher in her successful drive to eliminate any weak teaching in order to ensure that teaching is consistently good or better. They are clear that decisions relating to teachers’ pay increases are always firmly based on their performance. Governors also ensure that all safeguarding requirements are fully met.

p.4

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  There is an atmosphere of mutual respect among both pupils and adults within the school. Pupils of all ages and backgrounds get on well together, both when playing and working, and share and value each other’s ideas. They are sensible and considerate towards one another as they move around the school. They clearly enjoy school and welcomed inspectors in a friendly and polite manner.  Pupils mostly have positive attitudes to their work and expressed a real love of learning as they talked to inspectors. They are proud of their achievements and the way that these are celebrated in the weekly rewards assemblies. Just occasionally, however, when the work in lessons is not at the right level for all pupils, they become restless and fidgety.  There are clear systems in place so that pupils understand the consequences of their actions. Pupils say that they do occasionally ‘have their little ups and downs’ with each other, but that things are always

p.5

Behaviour

sorted out quickly so that ‘we’re all friends again the next day.’ Group sessions and activities in the ‘bubble room’ help pupils deal with their feelings in a secure environment.  Pupils are proud of their school. Older pupils enjoy the chance to take responsibility for the younger pupils, such as in their role as ‘playground pals’ or when they are part of the ‘canteen crew’ at lunchtimes.

p.5

Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils say that they feel absolutely safe in school and that adults treat them ‘like their own children.’ They know that they can always talk to an adult if they have any worries. Parents who spoke to inspectors all agreed that the school keeps their children safe.  Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of how to stay safe in different situations, including when using the internet and mobile phones. Aspects of pupils’ personal safety are reinforced well throughout the curriculum, such as in a Year 1 computing lesson where the teacher pretended to be a stranger asking them for personal details. Regular opportunities for pupils to take part in cycling show them how to stay safe on the roads.  Pupils say that bullying is extremely rare. School records indicate that, if it does occur, the school takes swift and effective action. Older pupils participate in the ‘beat the bullying’ team and design posters and

p.5

Safety

organise competitions to raise pupils’ awareness of the different forms that bullying can take.  The school works hard to emphasise the importance of good attendance. Specific work with individual pupils and families, and the calm and welcoming start to the day provided at the well-attended breakfast club, have contributed to a steady improvement in pupils’ attendance, which is now broadly average.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Work in pupils’ books, the school’s assessment information and records of checks carried out on teaching, all indicate that the quality of teaching over time is good.  Good relationships between adults and pupils are a strong feature of all lessons and create a culture where pupils develop confidence and are helped to believe in themselves. Regular praise and encouragement mean that they are keen to do well and work hard. Pupils of all ages and abilities observe the high standards set for the way that they present their work. Key Stage 2 pupils work hard to write neatly in order to gain their ‘pen licences.’  Expectations of what pupils can achieve in their work are usually high. Clear explanations mean that pupils know what they are expected to learn. Planning is thorough and work is usually planned well to meet pupils’ different needs. However, sometimes work is not matched well enough to what pupils already

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

know and can do. This means that activities are occasionally too hard for some pupils and too easy for others.  Reading is taught well throughout the school. Pupils read texts written in different styles and by different authors and their understanding of these is developed well. Pupils in Year 6, for example, confidently explained to each other how they had made deductions about a character’s personality from evidence about his behaviour and what he said in different parts of a text.  Pupils learn how to use different sentence structure and extend their vocabulary, both when speaking and when writing, in order to create different effects. For example, pupils in Year 5 talked about and explored features of persuasive writing such as personal appeals and alliteration as they prepared leaflets about a safari park. However, pupils do not always have the chance to write independently in other subjects.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 There is a successful emphasis on pupils developing a secure understanding of number facts and basic calculation skills in mathematics. Pupils’ work shows that they also have a range of opportunities to apply these when solving problems. Their understanding is checked carefully and they are encouraged to explain how they work things out. Year 5 pupils, for example, explained carefully how to estimate accurately the size of different angles.  Teaching assistants are highly skilled and experienced. They know the pupils well and are involved in planning for pupils’ different needs and supporting them throughout the school day. The strong teamwork between teaching assistants and teachers makes a good contribution to pupils’ learning.  Pupils’ books show that teachers mark work regularly and often. Written comments usually indicate what pupils have done well and give some suggestions on how to improve their work. However, pupils do not

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

always have time to reflect on their learning and respond to teachers’ comments.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 There have been marked improvements to pupils’ achievement since the previous inspection. The school’s data show that pupils make good progress in all year groups across the school, from their low starting points. Progress in mathematics has accelerated particularly quickly since the introduction of ‘maths passports’ and a well-structured programme for teaching number skills across the school.  Standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Key Stage 1 have improved steadily and are now closer to national averages. In 2014, pupils at the end of Key Stage 2 did not make such good progress as in previous years and their attainment was well below average. However, pupils are making good progress now and a higher percentage is working at the expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics in Year 6.  The most able pupils make good progress overall because they are usually given work which challenges

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

them well. However, there are some occasions when the work is too easy for them. This means that not enough of them make accelerated progress and so the proportion reaching standards above those expected for their age at the end of both Key Stages 1 and 2 is lower than the national average.  Pupils grow to love reading and thoroughly enjoy talking about the different books they read and the information they can find in them. They make good progress in developing their understanding of what they read. Phonics (letters and the sounds they make) are taught systematically and well. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonic screening check, although it was below average in 2014, is rising.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language, who make up the vast majority of the school population, are well-supported at an early stage and make good progress. Pupils who join the school later

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

than usual and who speak little or no English, including the increasing numbers of asylum seekers, are made welcome. ‘Buddy’ systems, visual timetables and bilingual support all help them to settle quickly and most of them go on to make good progress from their starting points.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs receive high-quality additional support and structured teaching both within and outside lessons. They mostly make the same good progress as other pupils, taking account of their often complex needs, from their individual starting points.  The school’s published data for 2014 show that disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 made progress which was lower than that of other non-disadvantaged pupils in the school in reading and writing, but similar to other pupils in mathematics. Their progress was lower than other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils who left the school in Year 6 were approximately three terms behind

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

other non-disadvantaged pupils in the school in reading and half a term behind in writing, but their attainment was similar in mathematics. Compared to non-disadvantaged pupils nationally, they were about five terms behind in reading, and four terms behind in writing and mathematics. However, the data show that gaps between their attainment and that of non-disadvantaged pupils in the school are closing and are narrower than between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

p.6

The early years provision is good

 The overwhelming majority of children enter the Nursery class with skills and understanding which are below those typical for their age. They speak a variety of different languages and many of them are at a very early stage of learning English. Their skills are quickly assessed and support for language development is provided where needed.  Adults model language and engage children in conversation at every opportunity. There is an emphasis on developing the social skills and attitudes which will provide a firm basis for their future learning. Teaching is therefore good in the early years and contributes to children’s good achievement. Standards at the end of the Reception class are rising and the proportion of children reaching a good level of development is now close to average. Children are, therefore, increasingly well prepared for Year 1.  Activities and resources, both indoors and outdoors, are carefully planned to meet the needs of the

p.6

The early years provision is good

children and to interest them. Role play areas are used particularly well to stimulate children’s conversation. Children were busily discussing the names of different fruit and vegetables as they shopped in the ‘supermarket’ and paid for it at the ‘checkout’. Another group cooperated well as they made ‘pizza’ in the outdoor café and served it to the ‘customers’, who ‘ate’ it with perfect manners.  Children quickly become confident and independent. Everywhere there are smiling faces and children’s enjoyment and enthusiasm for learning are clear. They behave well and systems are well established to make sure that they are kept safe and secure.  There is good leadership in the early years. Staff work together as a cohesive team and are dedicated to supporting and developing each individual child, whatever their starting points. Children’s learning is tracked closely and photographs and comments are attractively presented in children’s ‘learning journeys.’

p.7

The early years provision is good

These provide a valuable record which is shared with parents, who are always made to feel welcome.

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 105776 Local authority Rochdale Inspection number 456151

p.9

School details

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

p.9

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 451 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Myra Macklin Headteacher Suzanne Cassidy Date of previous school inspection 11 January 2012 Telephone number 01706 648198 Fax number 01706 713328 Email address office@spotland.rochdale.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10