Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard's Church of England Primary School

School report Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard’s Church of England Primary School Walton Green, Walton-le-Dale, Preston, Lancashire, PR5 4JL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 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 highly ambitious for the school. She is effectively supported by the deputy headteacher, staff and the governing body.  Senior leaders including governors have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and provide a clear direction for further development. They have the skill and determination to ensure that the school continues to improve.  Senior leader actions are improving teaching and pupils’ achievement.   The curriculum is good and includes many exciting events for pupils to enjoy. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted successfully and their understanding of British values prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.  Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. Attendance is above average and pupils say that they feel very safe. They like their teachers and enjoy learning.  Teaching over time, and in all subjects, is at least consistently good. As a result most pupils achieve

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

well in reading, writing and mathematics  Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is usually above or well above national levels at both Key Stage 1 and 2.  Teachers have a secure understanding and knowledge of pupils’ progress and attainment.  Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to provide a good level of support for pupils with any additional needs, including the most and least able.  Leadership in the early years is focused and purposeful. This, together with good-quality teaching and high expectations, ensures that all children make good progress from their individual starting points. Reception children are well prepared for learning in Year 1.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The quality of teaching is not outstanding and so does not result in outstanding achievement for pupils.  Opportunities for pupils to discuss and prepare their ideas for pieces of writing are sometimes limited.  The adult writing on display in the early years settings is not of a sufficiently high quality to act as a good model for children to learn from.  Some subject leaders are not fully effective in checking on the impact of agreed actions in their areas of responsibility. Inspection report: Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard’s Church of England Primary School, 10–11 June 2015 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes taught by teachers and in activities taken by teaching assistants. Two walks around the school also took place to check on the effectiveness of learning.  Inspectors met with two groups of pupils and observed and spoke to pupils during lessons, play times and at lunchtime. They also heard pupils read.  Meetings were held with parents, staff, senior leaders and managers, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  A range of documents were evaluated by inspectors, including the school’s analysis of how well it is doing, the school development plan, information about pupils’ progress, checks on the quality of teaching, minutes of governing body meetings, and records relating to attendance and safeguarding. Inspectors also examined work in pupils’ books.  Inspectors took account of 69 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and of a summary of

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Information about this inspection

the responses to a parental questionnaire recently conducted by the school.  Inspectors also considered responses from 24 staff to the inspection questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Louise Murphy, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Inspection team

Elizabeth Clarke Additional Inspector Inspection report: Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard’s Church of England Primary School, 10–11 June 2015 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 This school is similar in size to most primary schools.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is well-below average. (The pupil premium is additional government funding to support those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is well below the national average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below average. There are currently no pupils at the very early stages of learning to speak English as an additional language.  The school provides full-time places for children in the Reception classes.  Since the previous inspection three new teachers have taken up posts in the school, including the deputy headteacher who joined the staff in September 2014.  The school provides a breakfast and an after-school club for pupils.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics, at the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and learning, especially in writing, so that more pupils make outstanding progress by making sure that:  the writing modelled by adults in the early years is always of the highest quality  pupils have more opportunities to share their ideas and rehearse what they will write.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of leadership and management by building the skills of some subject leaders so that they are all fully involved in checking on the impact of agreed actions in their area of responsibility. Inspection report: Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard’s Church of England Primary School, 10–11 June 2015 4 of 9

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher is a highly effective school leader with the ambition, skill and expertise to improve standards at the school still further. She is well supported by the deputy headteacher and governors. Their actions are leading to improvements in the quality of teaching which is speeding up pupils’ achievement.  Senior leaders closely monitor the quality of teaching and effectively check pupils’ performance. They make good use of this information to help them to have an accurate view of how well the school is performing and where it could improve further. For example, they are acutely aware that attainment and progress in writing is not as strong as in reading and mathematics. There have been successful improvements made to how pupils are taught to develop their writing skills and plans are in place to continue to improve pupils’ writing skills still further.  Some subject leaders are not fully involved in checking the impact of agreed actions on pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

achievement. As a result, they are not fully accountable for standards in their areas of responsibility.  The curriculum is effective in engaging pupils in their learning. It is made more exciting by a variety of activities, clubs, trips and visits. Behaviour is excellent and good relations are successfully fostered. Any form of discrimination is effectively tackled and showing respect and tolerance is the norm for pupils at St Leonard’s. As a result pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Pupil premium funding is spent to successfully support the learning of pupils who are eligible for support through the grant. It is also used to make sure that eligible pupils can participate fully in after-school activities and trips. This confirms the school’s commitment to making sure that all pupils have the same opportunities to succeed.  The primary school sports funding has been used to redeploy a member of staff to focus on delivering

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The leadership and management are good

high-quality physical education lessons. This has resulted in increased access to sporting activities for pupils. Additionally, the school successfully participates in an increasing range of competitions with local schools. As a result, there is a wider variety of sporting activities available and more pupils participate in sports and competitions.  The local authority provides light-touch support for this effective school.  School leaders take care to ensure that highly effective arrangements for safeguarding staff and pupils are fully in place.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is highly effective. Members have an accurate overview of the quality of teaching and know about teachers’ performance management systems. They are involved in setting suitable performance targets for the headteacher and fully understand the actions taken to reward good teaching and tackle underperformance. Governors are very knowledgeable and bring a broad range of

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The leadership and management are good

relevant skills to their various roles. They are also highly committed to the school, visit as often as possible and receive accurate and comprehensive reports from school leaders and staff. Governors check that they are up to date with training and know how to analyse information on pupils’ progress, including nationally published data. This enables them to effectively hold school leaders to account for standards at the school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  The exemplary way in which pupils behave plays a major role in the harmonious and friendly ethos of the school. Pupils are courteous and polite showing the utmost respect for each other and the adults around them. They are keen to help visitors and enjoy sharing their happy experiences of school.  Pupils show excellent attitudes towards learning. They respond extremely well to the high expectations teachers have of them. For example, pupils present their work well and there is always a good show of hands to answer questions in the classroom.  Playtimes are enjoyable because play leaders organise games and pupils have a range of activities to keep them busy. Buddies help younger friends to settle into school and on special occasions escort them to church. Other pupils are keen to take on the role of eco-councillors to make sure that the school contributes toward recycling and saving energy. Pupils are supported to develop their understanding of

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Behaviour

democracy through the school council. For example, councillors make sure that they collect pupils' ideas and share them with staff, such as which equipment to buy for the playground. Inspection report: Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard’s Church of England Primary School, 10–11 June 2015 5 of 9

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Behaviour

 Parents who spoke with an inspector agreed that behaviour is excellent. Pupils know that they are expected to follow the Golden Rules. One pupil remarked, ‘We don’t have bad behaviour just a few children who forget their manners.’

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Pupils are very aware of how to keep themselves safe and visitors to school such as the local police officer and Child-line representatives make sure that personal safety is always high on the agenda.  Pupils say that they can talk about any concern that they might have with an adult. Excellent relationships help pupils to develop trust in staff and confidence that staff will help them to overcome any worries.  Pupils are fully informed about different types of bullying, and behaviour logs confirm that bullying is rare. Pupils are adamant that there is no bullying at their school. They are very aware that they should always think about being BLUE, ‘be lovely and understanding to everyone’, a slogan introduced during anti- bullying week.  Pupils whose current circumstances make them vulnerable are very well supported by the school pastoral

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Safety

team.  Most pupils arrive on time for school and on the occasion when a pupil is late, they are welcomed in to join the class. Attendance is above the national average and this reflects pupils’ enjoyment of school life at St Leonard’s.

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The quality of teaching is good

 T he quality of teaching is good overall. The standard and presentation of work in pupils’ books demonstrate that teaching in reading, writing and mathematics is at least good and sometimes outstanding.  Classrooms are stimulating places in which to learn. The excellent relationships between pupils and staff foster good attitudes to learning and help make lessons enjoyable and productive.  Comprehensive and accurate monitoring of pupils’ progress provides information for staff from which they are able to plan activities that build upon what pupils already know and can do.  Teachers mark pupils’ work rigorously. They make absolutely sure that pupils follow the good advice that they are given so that pupils are able to learn well from their mistakes.  Reading is taught effectively throughout the school and the development of higher-order reading skills is a priority. A varied range of books are available and ample opportunities are provided for pupils to

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The quality of teaching is good

independently read a favourite book and to read aloud to a member of staff or a volunteer. Visits from authors and story tellers help to promote a love of books and a keen interest in developing reading skills. One pupil commented, ‘Reading can take me to where ever I want to be.’  Pupils enjoy a good range of opportunities to practise their writing skills. This is evident from the good quality work in their books and the attractive displays of writing which feature around the school. Following staff training, teachers are now effectively supporting pupils to develop their writing skills. Though pupils are routinely asked to share their ideas in a range of subjects they do not always have opportunities to discuss their ideas for developing pieces of writing. As a result, they do not always have enough time to formulate and rehearse their ideas to make their writing even more interesting and exciting.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Mathematics is taught well across all year groups. Pupils are given creative and imaginative problem- solving activities to encourage them to use their mathematical skills and understanding. For example, older pupils are supported to develop financial management skills through working with pupils from the nearby high school and talks from a local banker. Through such activities pupils are able to use basic mathematical skills in real-life money management situations.  Support staff are highly skilled and work closely with teachers to guarantee that all pupils, including those with any additional needs, are supported effectively.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment at the end of both key stages has been above and well above the national average in recent years. In Key Stages 1 and 2 pupils currently in school are making at least good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Inspection report: Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard’s Church of England Primary School, 10–11 June 2015 6 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Results of the 2014 Year 6 national assessments show that the proportion of pupils that made the progress expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics was close to or above national levels. The proportion of pupils that made more than the progress expected of them was broadly average in reading, above average in mathematics and well-below average in writing. School leaders have taken prompt and effective action to improve achievement in writing. Though it is now good it remains slightly weaker than achievement in reading and mathematics.  In 2014, the proportion of Year 1 pupils who reach the expected standard in the Year 1 national phonic screening check was above average. Older pupils read well and are encouraged to read widely and often, both at home and at school.  The needs of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are successfully met. Accurate, early identification of pupil needs, together with skilful teaching and support in small groups

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The achievement of pupils is good

when needed, ensures that those with special educational needs achieve well.  The most able pupils make good progress. Additional support for these pupils is enabling some to make very good progress as they tackle the highest National Curriculum Level 6 work. The most able pupils relish the challenges made available to them during most lessons.  In 2014, the attainment in reading of disadvantaged pupils was one term above their Year 6 classmates and two terms above non-disadvantaged pupils nationally. Attainment in writing was approximately one term above non-disadvantaged pupils nationally and other Year 6 pupils in school. In mathematics attainment was two terms ahead of other pupils in class and four terms ahead of non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.  In the same tests, a higher proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieved more than expected progress in reading and mathematics when compared to non-disadvantaged pupils nationally and in their class. The

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The achievement of pupils is good

proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieving more than expected progress in writing compared favourably with other pupils in their class but was below other pupils nationally. Current data show that any gaps in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils in their class successfully narrow as pupils move up through the school.

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Early years provision is good

 Children start school with skills and knowledge that are broadly typical for their age. Progress is good for early years children in both classes. An above-average proportion of children reach a good level of development and overall they are ready for learning as they move to Year 1.  Teaching is effective. Parents and staff contribute toward the assessment information, which is used well to match work to ability. This enables the most able to be challenged and disabled children and those who have special educational needs to receive extra help.  Children enjoy a wide variety of activities and they are encouraged to think carefully about the choices that they make. For example, when building a house they had to think hard to decide whether to use straw, twigs or bricks for the construction and give reasons for their choice.  Both indoors and out there are a range of opportunities provided to help children to enjoy developing their

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Early years provision is good

early writing and number skills. However, some of the examples of adult writing do not provide a good model for children to learn from.  The environment is organised well. Children enjoy working with their friends and taking turns with each other, they follow set routines, select snacks and help to tidy up. Behaviour is excellent and the caring staff make sure that children are kept safe and secure. Children reported that they feel safe in all areas of the school and can say exactly which areas they can access when playing and learning outdoors.  Leadership and management are effective and attention is given to making sure that children in both Reception classes enjoy the same opportunities. Assessment is secure and the work collected in children’s progress logs known as ‘learning journeys’ is used successfully to identify the progress made in the various areas of learning.  Partnerships with parents are good. Parents are highly involved in the early education of their children.

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Early years provision is good

This is achieved through a sharing of information about the developments children are making at home and at school. In addition staff visit families in their homes before children start at school so that they know exactly what to provide in school to get children off to a successful start. Staff also present talks and information on how to support children’s learning in specific subjects so that children are helped to achieve well both at home and in school. Inspection report: Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard’s Church of England Primary School, 10–11 June 2015 7 of 9

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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: Walton-le-Dale, St Leonard’s Church of England Primary School, 10–11 June 2015 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 119575 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 461759

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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 274 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrea Ball Headteacher Kay Schofield Date of previous school inspection 5 March 2012 Telephone number 01772 556021 Fax number 01772 258194 Email address bursar@st-leonards-pri.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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