Callands Community Primary School

Callands Primary School Callands Road, Callands, Warrington, Cheshire WA5 9RJ

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is an outstanding school

 The dedicated and inspirational leadership of the headteacher has been key to the significant improvements made since the last inspection.  Leadership at all levels is of high quality. Senior and middle leaders implement extremely robust systems for monitoring the quality of pupils’ progress. This has a substantial impact on the progress pupils make in their learning.  Teaching is highly effective. Teachers have high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Teachers know pupils’ capabilities very well and plan learning which is highly effective in meeting their needs.  Governors have a very accurate understanding of the quality of education provided by the school. They provide very effective support and challenge to the leadership team.  From their individual starting points, pupils make rapid progress to achieve standards which are significantly higher than other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of

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This is an outstanding school

Key Stage 2.  While pupils generally produce neat written work, sometimes this becomes untidy.  Pupils’ personal development is a particular strength of the school. The school focus on promoting respect, kindness and compassion toward others has a highly positive impact on pupils’ moral and social development and their emotional well-being. However, the range of resources to help pupils understand diversity is less broad than possible.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary both in lessons and around the school. Pupils have extremely positive attitudes to learning.  Children in the early years make rapid progress due to the high quality of teaching and care provided for them.  Safeguarding is a high priority for all adults. As a result, pupils are kept very safe and are taught how to keep themselves safe.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the standard of presentation in pupils’ books is consistently high.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop the range of resources reflecting diversity to include a broader range of positive images of culture, disability and gender.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The headteacher has provided exceptionally strong leadership in the school’s drive for improvement since the last inspection. She has established a culture of high expectation and ambition to provide the best possible education for pupils.  The headteacher is ably supported by two assistant headteachers and a highly supportive and knowledgeable governing body. Leaders’ passion and determination to raise the quality of teaching, middle leadership and pupils’ progress have driven rapid improvements.  Subject leaders’ roles have been developed significantly since the last inspection. They work extremely well to ensure that their work maximises pupils’ learning and progress. They implement the school’s high- quality systems for monitoring pupils’ progress to ensure that any pupils at risk of falling behind are swiftly identified and support put in place to ensure that progress is rapid.  Leaders have developed extremely robust systems to monitor and improve the quality of teaching. They

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

set challenging targets for all staff and ensure that staff benefit from tailored mentoring and training. As a result, the quality of teaching has improved. Those new to teaching feel exceptionally well supported. Leaders monitor the work of teaching assistants to the same high standard. Teaching assistants are set robust targets to improve the progress of the individuals and small groups of pupils in their care, which has a positive impact on promoting rapid progress for those pupils.  The school’s evaluation of itself is very accurate and improvement planning is highly focused and precise. Ongoing review of targets for development ensures that improvement continues at a swift pace.  The curriculum is highly effective in meeting pupils’ needs. Pupils are engaged in a broad range of interesting topics which motivate and inspire them to do their best. Pupils’ learning is enhanced by visits to places of interest such as museums and a Year 6 visit to France. Well-attended after-school activities

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

further extend pupils’ experiences and learning, such as music, basketball and cookery.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, and their understanding of British values, are promoted extremely well. Pupils learn about democracy through elections to the school council and through a visit to the Houses of Parliament. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures, and this learning is reinforced by events such as European languages day and visits to a local cathedral and mosque.  Leaders ensure that pupil premium funding is very effectively used. They closely monitor the individual progress of the small number of pupils eligible for this funding and make sure that extra support is provided where necessary to enable pupils to make the best possible progress. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make the same rapid progress as their peers.  Primary school sports funding is used effectively to improve teaching skills, provide gymnastics lessons

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

and employ a football coach. The impact of this use of funds is an improvement in children’s physical development in the early years and an increase in the number of pupils in the school attaining their targets for physical development.  Parents who spoke to inspectors were full of praise for the work of the school and their children’s progress. Parents said they felt well informed and that their children were safe and well cared for. Of those who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, most would recommend the school to another parent.  The governance of the school – The governance of the school is very effective. Governors share the headteacher’s passion and determination for excellence. They have a deep and accurate understanding of how well the school is performing and are fully involved in evaluating the school and driving forward further improvements. – Governors make regular visits to school to conduct learning walks and observations focusing on key

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

aspects of the school’s improvement plan. For example, a recent visit focused on the school’s work to raise the standard of boys’ writing. – Governors regularly ask senior leaders challenging questions about pupils’ progress to ensure that they are satisfied that everything possible is being done to ensure pupils achieve highly. – Governors are fully aware of their statutory responsibilities and fulfil them well. They ensure that good or better performance in teaching is rewarded and that the funding for disadvantaged pupils is used to secure outstanding outcomes.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff are thoroughly trained in recognising potential dangers, including extremism and radicalisation, female genital mutilation and child sexual exploitation. Where there are concerns for pupils’ welfare, the school works closely with other agencies to meet pupils’ needs. Progress is tracked carefully and record-keeping is meticulous.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 The high quality of teaching enables pupils to make rapid progress in their learning. Staff ensure that pupils’ learning builds on their skills and understanding. Assessment information is used skilfully to plan activities that meet pupils’ needs and provide challenge to extend their learning.  Staff have high expectations for pupils’ progress and this promotes their learning extremely well. In a Year 2 lesson, the teacher’s expectation for pupils to apply their knowledge of grammar led them to produce some high-quality sentences.  Staff question pupils skilfully to promote problem-solving skills and extend learning. In a Year 6 mathematics lesson, pupils were challenged to think how they could devise a formula to calculate the diameter of a circle. Pupils were highly engaged in discussion with other pupils and with the teacher about what the possibilities might be, and why some ideas were not correct, before arriving at an accurate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

answer.  Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to the high quality of teaching and learning. They provide highly effective support to individuals and small groups. As a result, those pupils who need more support in their learning make rapid progress and any gaps in learning are swiftly closed.  The extremely positive relationships between pupils and staff contribute well to their progress. Respectful and trusting relationships are evident. Pupils know what is expected of them and show a keen interest and commitment to their learning. They are resilient, persevere when tasks are difficult and are eager to take part in class discussions.  Staff provide high-quality feedback to pupils to help them to improve their work and provide further challenge. Pupils respond to this well, and are becoming adept at assessing their own work.  Teaching promotes an appreciation of diversity and people and communities beyond their immediate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

experience. Resources are generally used well to develop this appreciation, although the range of resources is not always sufficiently broad in terms of positive images of culture, disability and gender.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils report that theirs is a happy school where ‘everyone cares’. The school has successfully embedded an ethos where pupils are encouraged to be kind, considerate, caring and respectful. For example, pupils carry an invisible ‘bucket’ which holds their good thoughts and feelings. Pupils understand that they can fill their bucket, and that of others, when they are kind, considerate or respectful, and similarly can empty their bucket when they do the opposite.  Pupils are encouraged to be reflective and to develop a mature understanding of personal, social and moral issues. For example, Year 4 pupils were encouraged to understand how the sacrifices made by professionals such as the armed forces, nurses or doctors can impact on another person’s life. Their understanding was further developed as they considered Jesus’s sacrifice of his life and whether they

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Personal development and welfare

would give up their life for a friend.  Pupils are proud of their school and say, ‘We are proud because we are a caring community.’ They relish their roles as school councillors, monitors and ‘first aiders’ and take their responsibilities seriously. Older pupils help those in the Reception class in their roles as ‘mini-mates’.  Pupils’ pride is shown in the generally neat standard of their work. However, at times, the standard of presentation in pupils’ books lapses and work is untidy.  Pupils say that they feel very secure in school. They say that there is no bullying and that occasional name-calling is dealt with promptly by staff. The have a very well-developed awareness of how to keep themselves safe, including online safety. Year 5 safety monitors have produced a PowerPoint presentation for the school to help to further develop this understanding.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils’ conduct around school is exemplary. They are polite, welcoming and well mannered. As a result, the school is a calm, orderly and purposeful place in which to learn. Pupils are very aware of the school’s system for promoting good behaviour and the consequences of poor behaviour.  Pupils show highly positive attitudes to their learning and these attitudes contribute significantly to their high achievement.  Pupils’ attendance is broadly average and rates of persistent absence are below average. The school tracks pupils’ absence closely and works well with the attendance officer and parents to promote pupils’ regular attendance.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 Sustained and focused school improvement work has secured a significant upward trend in outcomes at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 since the last inspection. At the time of the last inspection, pupils attained broadly average standards by the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. In 2015, pupils attained significantly above average standards overall at the end of both key stages. Standards at the higher level at the end of Key Stage 2 were also significantly above national levels.  In 2015, the proportions of pupils making expected and more than expected progress were high in comparison to national averages.  Observations of lessons, evidence from pupils’ books and school information show that this high level of progress and attainment has been sustained and current pupils are on track to attain highly by the end of the current year.  Pupils achieve highly in the Year 1 phonics (letters and the sounds they make) check, where standards

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

have risen from below the national average at the time of the last inspection to above the national average in 2014 and 2015.  The relatively small number of disadvantaged pupils make rapid progress in line with their classmates. Individual pupils’ progress is very carefully tracked and teaching adapted accordingly. This ensures that any gaps are closing rapidly and in some areas have already closed.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make outstanding progress from their individual starting points. This is due to the highly effective and precise support they receive during their time in school.  The most-able pupils make progress above that of their peers nationally. Evidence from inspection indicates that this remains the case.  Pupils’ high level of achievement, and the excellent progress they make in their personal development, means that they are confident, resilient learners who are extremely well prepared for the next stage of

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Early years provision is outstanding

 The early years provision has improved since the last inspection.  Children enter the Reception class with skills and abilities which are typical for their age. They make rapid progress and at the end of the Reception Year the large majority have attained a good level of development.  Children make outstanding progress because gaps in learning are quickly identified and addressed through intensive work to boost progress. For example, staff provided extra support for boys to improve their writing, including an after-school session for some children. As a result, the gap between boys’ and girls’ attainment in writing has closed.  Children enjoy their learning in the Reception class. They are confident in their learning and show a high level of engagement as, for example, they make masks and then develop role-play scenarios. They show extremely positive relationships as they cooperate together.  Staff pay a high level of attention to ensuring that activities meet children’s needs so that progress is

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Early years provision is outstanding

developed. They provide tailored support to ensure children are challenged to make the progress of which they are capable For example, more-able children are challenged to apply their knowledge of number bonds to 10 to solve problems, supported by the class teacher.  Children behave extremely well. They are very familiar with the well-established routines and show a high level of independence as they select their own activities. They show a strong sense of security and are kept safe while in school.  Staff meticulously record children’s progress in learning in their ‘learning journals’. Assessment is of high quality and demonstrates clearly children’s rapid progress.  The early years is very effectively led. Well-embedded systems to plan, monitor and track children’s learning and the quality of teaching ensure that children make the progress of which they are capable.  Parents are very effectively engaged in their children’s learning. Parents who spoke with inspectors praised

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Early years provision is outstanding

the regular ‘Come and see’ mornings when they can look at and discuss their child’s progress. Parents spoke very positively about the school and their children’s development. A typical comment was, ‘I’m so glad I chose this school’.

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School details

Unique reference number 111214 Local authority Warrington Borough Council Inspection number 10002192

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School details

This inspection 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 313 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Dennis Pickering Headteacher Lisa Wigglesworth Telephone number 01925 444795 Website www.callands.warrington.dbprimary.com Email address callands_primary_head@warrington.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 21–22 November 2013

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average primary school.  The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average. The pupil premium is the additional government funding used to support pupils who are eligible for free school meals or who are looked after.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is below average.  In 2015, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning throughout the school. Three observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher. In addition, inspectors scrutinised pupils’ workbooks and listened to them read.  Meetings were held with pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body and six other governors, the headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspectors also held a meeting with a representative from the local authority and with the school’s external consultant.  Inspectors looked at a range of information produced by the school, including information on pupils’ progress and attainment, behaviour and attendance, procedures for safeguarding and the school’s own evaluation of its work. They considered reports to the governing body, minutes of their meetings and the school’s plans for further improvement.  Inspectors considered the 56 responses to the online questionnaire Parent View, and the 28 responses

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Information about this inspection

of parents who expressed their views via text message to Ofsted.  Inspectors also took account of the six responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire and the 24 responses to the online pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Elaine White, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Moira Atkins Ofsted Inspector Barbara Harrold Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

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

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