Fishwick Primary School

Downing Street, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 4RH

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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 provides high quality leadership and is driving improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement across the school.  Governors are fully involved in the school’s activities and visit the school regularly. They know how well it is doing and how well pupils are learning.  Leaders and staff have created a positive and welcoming atmosphere where pupils learn well and flourish.  The curriculum is well planned with a wide range of lively activities supporting pupils’ enjoyment of learning. Pupils are able to take part in a wide range of sporting activities in teams as well as exploring the outdoors.  Behaviour is good. Pupils are a calm and quiet around school, quickly settle down to their work, keen to learn and to do their best.  Pupils are considerate and respectful towards others. They get on well with each other and with the adults in the school.  Pupils feel safe and secure. They are well cared for

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

at all times of the day.  Attendance is improving and is now average.  The quality of teaching is good. Teachers use clear explanations and provide opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning.  The clear comments in teachers’ marking are helping pupils to improve their work.  Teaching assistants provide good support in the class and make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning.  The achievement of pupils is good. From their various starting points, the progress of all groups of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics is good.  Children get off to a good start in the early years where they are eager to learn and behave well. Early years staff have high expectations of children. As a result, they achieve well and make good progress from their individual starting points.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ presentation of written work in their books is not always of the highest standard.  The skills pupils learn in mathematics are not developed enough through other subjects.  Full use is not made of the outdoors areas available for Years 1 to 6 to extend pupils’ learning.  During lessons, questions to pupils do not always challenge their thinking.  The most-able pupils are not always challenged enough during lessons.  Leaders do not provide opportunities for teachers to observe outstanding practice in other schools.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in a range of lessons, one of which was a joint observation with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, staff, pupils and governors.  The inspector observed break time and talked regularly with pupils as they moved around school.  The inspector scrutinised pupils’ work and listened to pupils read.  A wide range of the school’s documentation was observed including systems for tracking pupils’ progress, safeguarding arrangements, the school development plan and pupils’ work in their books.  The inspector took account of responses to the school’s most recent questionnaire for parents alongside 10 responses from the online questionnaire (Parent View).  The inspectors analysed 20 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Sue Sharkey, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Fishwick Primary School is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and pupils who speak English as an additional language is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those supported by the pupil premium, is well above the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school has had a high proportion of pupils who have joined the school at various times over the last two years.

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Information about this school

 The deputy headteacher has joined the school since the previous inspection. The headteacher joined in January 2015 and two teachers have started since September 2014.  Pupils are taught in four classes: Reception Year, Years 1 and 2 together, Years 3 and 4 together, and Year 5 and 6 together. The number in each year group can be less than nine.  The school offers a breakfast club managed by the governing body.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to outstanding and increase pupils’ progress by:  making sure that the presentation of pupils’ work in their books is of the highest standard  ensuring pupils are given more opportunities to use their mathematical skills in subjects other than mathematics to carry out real-life problem solving activities  increasing the number of opportunities pupils have to regularly use the school’s outdoor areas  making sure that questioning is used consistently in lessons to challenge and deepen thinking, and encourage pupils to give extended answers  always providing sufficient challenge during lessons for the most-able pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching further by providing opportunities for teachers to see outstanding teaching in other schools in order to improve their own skills and practice.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, well supported by the deputy headteacher, leads the school well. She has high expectations and has set high standards. This has resulted in improved teaching and pupils’ higher achievement. As a result of effective checking and monitoring of pupils’ progress, leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement.  Middle leaders are effective in carrying out a range of activities to check on and improve the quality of provision in their areas of responsibly. They work closely with the headteacher through observing teaching, checking pupils’ work in their books and monitoring the progress pupils make.  The tracking of pupils’ progress is rigorous and is checked regularly. Leaders and teachers use this information to help to identify pupils who may need extra help. They ensure that all receive equal opportunities and prevent any discrimination.  Staff morale is high and all who completed the questionnaire were positive about the leadership and

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The leadership and management are good

management of the school.  The leadership of teaching is good. The performance of staff is managed effectively and is linked to teachers’ pay, pupils’ performance and training. The school development plan sets out clear priorities for improvement and staff training to improve pupils’ writing has resulted in improved standards. Teachers do not, however, have opportunities to observe outstanding teaching in other schools.  Pupil premium funding is well directed to provide disadvantaged pupils with additional support, particularly in English and mathematics. The funding and support are having a positive impact on their progress.  The curriculum ensures that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted effectively across the school and is enriched by a wide range of activities. There are regular opportunities for pupils to be creative and learn about the world in which they live. It provides many occasions for pupils

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The leadership and management are good

to practise their reading and writing across other subjects, but not enough opportunities for them to apply and develop their mathematical skills.  The primary school physical education and sport funding is used well to ensure that pupils have a wider range of opportunities to take part in team activities. Specialist teaching and coaching have increased the range of sporting activities across the school. Pupils can now take part for example in fencing, cricket, outdoor adventure days or trampolining. Pupils in Year 1 and 2 have the opportunity to take part in outdoor adventure days which are linked to different areas of the curriculum and involve pupils in problem solving.  The school has strong links with the local authority; officers have been working closely and effectively with the headteacher, staff and the governing body. For example, work with the governing body has helped governors to provide greater challenge to the school and to become much more familiar with using school

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The leadership and management are good

data.  The school actively promotes British values. For example, pupils value the school council and its voice in helping to improve the school. Each member represents its own year group and is nominated and voted on by the group. Members are proud of this role and talk confidently about the work they are doing.  Safeguarding arrangements are effective and meet statutory requirements. Governors and staff work closely together to ensure that pupils are safe and have a positive environment in which to learn.  The governance of the school:  Governors know the school well and are playing an effective role in ensuring it continues to improve. They have benefited from helpful training opportunities and are well informed about all aspects of the school. They have a clear picture provided by the headteacher of the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress as well as through their own observations.  Governors regularly check on the schools’ work by, for example, listening to pupils read, checking

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The leadership and management are good

pupils’ books or by being linked to a class. Governors are aware of the quality of teaching and the links this has to pay awards and training. The school finances are well managed.  The governing body is fully aware of the positive effect brought about by the additional pupil premium and primary school sports funding. They are confident they could tackle weak teaching should it occur.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave well in the playground, in the corridors, around school and in lessons. Pupils collaborate well with each other in lessons and listen carefully to each other’s views. They work well on their own, in pairs and groups and are happy to help each other. Pupils and parents agree that behaviour in the school is good.  Pupils enjoy school and treat each other with care and respect. Positive relationships with each other and with all the school staff have led to a happy and welcoming school.  The school works very closely with parents to ensure that pupils attend school regularly and are punctual. Attendance is rising and is now average. The breakfast club offers a good start to the day for pupils and supports their attendance and punctuality well.  School council members are enthusiastic about having the opportunity to help improve their school. They are pleased that the recycling bin they had requested had recently arrived and that the school now has a

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that children always help each other and that there are strong friendships in school as well as the adults to ensure they are safe.  Pupils have a good awareness of different types of bullying. They say bullying is rare but that they can talk to any adult in school who will deal with any problems immediately.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good quality teaching has led to pupils’ increasingly good progress. Teachers’ regular marking of pupils’ books is helping pupils to improve their work and reach higher levels of attainment. Pupils have time in lessons to check what teachers have written and take necessary action to make the improvement often writing their own response.  Skilled and knowledgeable teaching assistants work very closely with teachers and make a significant contribution to the good progress made by pupils. Teamwork in the classroom is a strength and promotes pupils’ good learning, including that of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils.  Teachers and teaching assistants skilfully foster good, caring relationships between adults and pupils and between pupils themselves. This is a significant factor in the approach to learning in the classroom and leads to the positive ethos which pervades the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There is a wide variation in the quality of pupils’ writing in their books and work that is displayed on the walls. Pupils present their work very well for display but the written work in their books is not as neat and can sometimes be untidy.  Teachers have created environments in the classroom which are bright and colourful and support pupils’ learning. Teachers plan lessons effectively to help ensure that learning activities are suitably challenging but full use is not made of the well-resourced outdoor areas available to each class to fully extend pupils’ learning.  Pupils benefit from the additional adults in the classroom who provide good support for individuals or groups of pupils. Pupils value this guidance, which contributes well to their achievement.  Teachers use questioning well to check that pupils have understood, but there are occasions when they do not question pupils further in order to fully extend their thinking or allow pupils to give extensive answers.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The good progress made in the early years continues through school so that pupils from different ability groups are achieving well from their individual staring points. This includes pupils from ethic minority groups and those who speak English as an additional language.  Since the previous inspection, progress has speeded up so that standards at the end of Year 6 are now rising in reading, writing and mathematics. Parents who responded to Parent View agree that their children make good progress.  The number in each year group is small as standards at the end of Year 2 and 6 can vary from year to year. Standards at the end of Year 2, although below average, have risen in reading, writing and mathematics since the previous inspection. In a Year 1 and 2 mathematics lesson, pupils thoroughly enjoyed working together in small groups to measure and draw shapes. The teacher reminded pupils of the importance of measuring from zero rather than the end of the ruler before challenging them to

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The achievement of pupils is good

measure and draw shapes. Some pupils measured their hands and feet using cubes and carefully recording the results, while other pupils were given measurements to draw different shapes. Pupils worked confidently, checking and challenging each other.  Reading is promoted well throughout the school and children make good progress. When needed, children in the early years and Key Stage 1 use phonic (letters and the sounds they represent) sounds successfully. As pupils move through the school, they make good use of punctuation to add expression when reading aloud.  Overtime, standards at the end of Year 6 have been below and sometimes well below average. In the 2014 Year 6 national tests, although still below average, standards started to improve. However pupils’ progress from their starting points was good. For example, 100% of pupils made expected progress in writing and a very large majority in mathematics and reading.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Work seen in pupils’ books and in lessons during the inspection indicate that pupils are making good progress. They are currently working closer to the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The school has a rigorous system for assessing pupils’ work each half term. The progress pupils make during the year is well recorded and checked meticulously. These records show that pupils are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make progress which is in line with other pupils in school in reading, writing and mathematics. They benefit from additional support, often from well-trained teaching assistants who adapt work successfully and meet their needs well.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make constantly good progress in reading, writing and mathematics because staff give them good quality support that develops their language skills. Pupils from

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The achievement of pupils is good

different ethnic backgrounds achieve well.  Over the last few years, a high proportion of pupils have joined the school part-way through the year in both Key Stages 1 and 2. These pupils settle in quickly. Taking into account their starting points, they make similarly good progress to their classmates.  The most-able pupils are well supported across the school and make good progress. For example, in the Year 6 national tests, an average proportion of pupils made more than expected progress in reading. However, expectations are not always high enough for these pupils and they are not sufficiently challenged enough in lessons to make even more rapid progress.  Pupil premium funding is well used to support the disadvantaged pupils with extra help in classes or small groups. It is used successfully to support these pupils with activities that enrich their time in school. Disadvantaged pupils make good progress but, because the number of pupils in each year group is small,

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The achievement of pupils is good

it is not possible to make comparisons with other pupils in school or nationally.

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The early years provision is good

 When children start school in the Reception class, their knowledge and skills are below those typical for their age, particularly in speaking and listening, reading, writing and technology. Provision in the early years, including teaching, is good. As a result, children make good progress and are well prepared to start Year 1.  There is a good balance between activities led by adults and those where children explore and take greater responsibility for their own learning. Activities in the Reception area are well planned to provide plenty of opportunity for learning. The classroom and the outdoor area are very welcoming, providing children with a wide range and a good range of activities to stimulate and engage children fully in their early learning. Outdoor clothing is provided for children so that they can enjoy the outdoors in different weather conditions. A group of girls enjoyed using sand to make shapes. They felt the sand carefully,

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The early years provision is good

patting their sand castle and adding shells for decoration.  The early years is well led and managed by the early years manager, who ensures that children are safe and links with parents are good. Assessments are carried out regularly and well recorded so that planning can cater for children’s individual needs. This enables children to achieve well.  Language has a high profile. Teachers and teaching assistants promote children’s language development well, both through questioning and adults constantly talking to and challenging children. For example, when the teacher served children in the classroom shop, she challenged them about their spending when children were buying tins of vegetables. One child counted out the money accurately and the teacher questioned the children about the change they would receive if they were giving her 10p.  Children behave well, are polite, courteous, show positive attitudes for learning and are keen to

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The early years provision is good

participate. Relationship with the teacher and other staff are harmonious. Children are eager to learn and focus readily on activities.

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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 119333 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 462325

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 85 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Julie Ascroft Headteacher Vicki Conway Date of previous school inspection 20 June 2013 Telephone number 01772 491402 Email address head@fishwick.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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