Lyndhurst Primary and Nursery School

School report Lyndhurst Primary and Nursery School Heron Street, Oldham OL8 4JD

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Inadequate

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Teaching in the early years has not successfully narrowed the gap in attainment between the disadvantaged children and other children nationally, or between boys and girls. Adults do not allow children enough time to think for themselves or extend children’s vocabulary.  Pupils make expected progress from their starting points. The gaps in attainment between groups of children at the end of Reception do not close quickly enough as pupils move further up the school. Pupils’ attainment is below average at the end of Years 2 and 6.  The most able pupils do not achieve as well as they could, particularly in history, geography, science and in design and technology.  Pupils’ attendance has reduced. Disadvantaged pupils are too often absent. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 lack pride in their work. In afternoon sessions in some classes, pupils lose focus; this affects their learning and progress.  Teachers who lead subjects other than English

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This is a school that requires improvement

and mathematics have not had the chance to check on or improve teaching in their subjects.  The assessment system has not been extended to include all subjects in the curriculum. Similarly, the recording of assessments does not include all subjects.  Adults in the Nursery occasionally do not speak Standard English well and this does not provide a good model for children to follow.

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The school has the following strengths

 Lyndhurst is an improving school. Senior leaders and governors have an accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses and good capacity to improve. They have taken successful action to improve teaching, pupils’ progress and pupils’ personal development and behaviour.  Year 1 pupils have well-above-average reading skills.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe when using online technology. Bullying and name-calling have significantly reduced.  Excellent leadership by the coordinator has improved teaching for pupils who have special education needs and/or disabilities.  Governors provide good leadership.

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Full report

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of teaching in the early years so that the gaps in attainment between boys and girls, and between disadvantaged children and other children nationally, are narrowed by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– insisting that adults allow children time to develop their thinking and their vocabulary – making sure adults use good spoken Standard English – using the high-quality practice of the leader of the early years as a good model for others to replicate.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching, and pupils’ outcomes, in history, geography, science and design and technology by:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– enabling teachers who lead those subjects to check on and improve the quality of teaching – making sure that teachers challenge the most able pupils to produce their best work – implementing the revised school curriculum to make sure it systematically builds up pupils’ skills and knowledge in those subjects – extending the assessment system to include all subjects in the curriculum.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase disadvantaged pupils’ attendance so that it at least matches the attendance of all pupils nationally.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The main reasons why the effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement are: – leaders have not successfully prevented the fall in the attendance of disadvantaged pupils – teachers who lead subjects other than English and mathematics have not led improvements in teaching in their subjects, checked on pupils’ attainment and progress, or developed assessment systems in their subjects – leaders have not been successful in making sure that teaching is equally good across subjects and year groups, most noticeably in the early years – actions to improve the attainment of pupils by the end of Years 2 and 6 are only just beginning to work. Boys have not caught up with girls and disadvantaged pupils have not caught up with other pupils nationally.  There are strengths in leadership. Since his arrival 10 months ago, the headteacher has provided very effective leadership and has transformed the school. Parents and pupils all point to his arrival as being

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

the point at which the school began to improve quickly. He has led improvements in teaching, in pupils’ progress and in the school’s ability to improve itself. He has made sure that the points for improvement raised at the previous inspection have been tackled successfully.  The deputy headteacher has been instrumental in leading changes to the school’s approach to pupils’ personal development. This has been highly successful and pupils and parents have noticed the significant improvements to pupils’ behaviour and attitudes. The special educational needs coordinator has led the significant improvements to the teaching of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Their books show that they are making better progress than previously. The number of pupils on the SEN register has reduced significantly because the school has taken action to make sure that only pupils who have a disability or who have special educational needs at the moment are included on the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

register.  Senior leaders have an accurate view about the effectiveness and quality of teaching and learning. This is partly because they check frequently on what is happening in lessons, and partly because they are completely honest and notice quickly when teaching is not up to their high expectations. They have produced high-quality action plans which have led to the school improving from special measures to requiring improvement. They have improved, through well-crafted training, the teaching of individuals and groups of teachers.  The curriculum is in the process of being revised ready for a restart in September 2016. This is the reason why the subjects and year group plans are not on the school’s website. Pupils study the full range of subjects, which include Spanish and a good range of sports. The curriculum enables pupils to integrate well into British society, for example learning to respect people with other faiths and beliefs, and people

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

of different backgrounds. Pupils said they have friends who cross the ethnic and religious groups while they are in school, but less so when they are at home. Their understanding of democracy has improved but they have a confused view about the role of national and local government and key people in Britain. Pupils thought, for example, that the Queen rules London, rules a few countries and rules the world.  The curriculum enables pupils to develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills but there is some way to go to make sure that the content of the subjects builds on what pupils have already learned in English and mathematics.  The range of extra-curricular activities and trips contributes to pupils’ experiences, skills and knowledge. Visits to the theatre, choral speaking competitions, galleries and musical events help them to develop an understanding of culture. The curriculum develops pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

adequately.  The government has provided funding for sport and physical education (PE). Previous leaders did not check on or identify the impact of the spending well enough. Governors and leaders now have a good understanding about how pupils’ participation in sport has increased, how their sporting skills have improved and how this has positively affected their health and well-being. The funding is now being used wisely.  In the past, the pupil premium, which is a substantial amount of money, has not had enough impact. The pupil premium is a grant from the government used to support pupils who are identified as disadvantaged because they are eligible for free school meals or they are looked after. The looked after pupils are well provided for. They make good progress and attain standards that are expected for their ages, and their attendance is high. Funding for the other disadvantaged pupils is being tracked carefully. Leaders have

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

changed how the money is used. For example, some teaching that did not work has been changed quickly and different ways of teaching have been introduced. The use of this fund has not yet raised pupils’ attainment but it has helped to make sure that this group of pupils make at least expected progress. The external review of how the grant is used is now being put into action.  The external support to the school has been highly effective and of good quality, particularly that provided by the local authority. When the school went into special measures the behaviour specialists in Oldham provided excellent leadership, challenge and support, which immediately set up an improved culture within the school. This culture is based on respect for others. External support has also helped to stabilise staffing after many staff left the school. The external support has reduced because the school is in a position to improve itself. The school is in well-advanced discussions to transition to become an

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

academy in the autumn term of 2016.  The governance of the school The governance of the school is a strength. Governors have shaped the ethos and culture of the school and have set ambitious targets for teachers and for the school. They have a good oversight over pupils’ assessment information, the spending of external and internal funds, and the quality of teaching. They are knowledgeable, which puts them into a good position to challenge the information being presented to them. This has also led to some support for leaders, for example in planning the school’s work to prevent extremism. Governors have monitored the progress of the improvement plan and, using a range of information, have evaluated the successes. They have significantly improved the way in which they gather the views of pupils and parents. This has then led to changes in the curriculum, resources and in the building. There is greater engagement with parents and the community, which allows governors to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

gain another perspective about how well the school is performing.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school makes sure that anyone working in the school is cleared to work with children and, importantly, this includes staff at the on-site special school who have access to some of the rooms. The documentation regarding child protection cases and staff concerns is thoroughly logged and the timelines of events and telephone calls are well documented. Racist and homophobic incidents are recorded and followed up to make sure there are no repeat behaviours. There have been no exclusions, no complaints from parents about safeguarding and no referrals to the local authority’s safeguarding team.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 There are several reasons why teaching, learning and assessment require improvement, including: – there has been significant disruption to the impact of teaching due to frequent changes of teacher – the effectiveness of teaching varies between classes and between year groups – adults in some classes do not have a good knowledge of the subject being taught – some staff in the early years do not make good use of standard spoken English – teaching in science, history, geography and design and technology is not good.  The most able pupils are restricted from showing their best work and from thinking more deeply. Printed, low-quality, poorly selected worksheets with a very small space to write in answers restrict the most able pupils’ ability to extend their thinking, expand their answers and develop their writing. In some classes, pupils who could write accurately punctuated work with increasingly complex vocabulary and sentence

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

structures were limited to selecting from a list of words to complete a simple sentence. The work did not match or challenge the most able pupils’ abilities.  Year 1 pupils completed more complex work in science than Year 3 pupils and the most able pupils were not challenged enough to think in greater scientific depth or draw connections between scientific ideas. There is no strategic development of investigative skills or writing scientific reports. Pupils in Years 1 to 4 complete low-level work, and have drawn overly simplistic conclusions to experiments, for example by circling ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on a worksheet.  Similarly, in history and geography the most able pupils complete low-level colouring activities which do not extend their historical knowledge or understanding about place, chronology or use of historical sources. The teachers’ subject knowledge is occasionally flawed and they introduce some historical errors

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

to pupils. Pupils in key stage 1 were studying events in living memory yet were working on the Bayeux Tapestry.  In design and technology, teachers do not systematically develop pupils’ skills. The most able pupils in Year 1 created good wheeled models using a range of materials, yet their evaluations were at a low level. They circled ‘yes’ on a worksheet if they liked their design and ‘no’ if they didn’t. There were few chances to elaborate their explanations or thinking.  Teaching has improved, however, particularly in English and mathematics. There is a very good system in place to teach phonics (letters and the sounds they make) and the approach has been highly successful. Pupils are increasingly able to split words into different sounds and letters when they read and reverse the process when they spell words.  Teaching in mathematics has improved significantly. There is greater focus on solving problems, thinking

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

about mathematical concepts and making links between them such as between multiplication and division.  Pupils who are new arrivals from other countries are taught well. They are provided with targeted questions and activities which are effective in teaching them English. Similarly, pupils who speak English as an additional language have additional support and teaching which has been successful in extending their vocabulary and speaking skills.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils who spoke with inspectors confirmed that they respect each other. They reported that there is now much less name-calling and that it happens rarely, including derogatory language because of someone’s race, country of origin or perceived sexuality. They were adamant that pupils from other countries would be safe and welcomed in school, as would pupils with different sexualities, disabilities or genders. Throughout the inspection it was clear that pupils get on well and play together and look after each other regardless of gender, ethnicity or background.  Pupils had a good understanding of how to stay safe in a range of situations. In particular, they could explain how to keep themselves safe when online or using computers, telephones and tablets. They had a good realisation that not everything they read on the internet is true and knew about what sort of

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Personal development and welfare

information should never be shared.  Pupils take part in a wide range of community activities including fund-raising for good causes such as hospitals and charities. They are consulted by staff and governors frequently and are active in shaping the school in which they want to learn.  The school’s work has also raised pupils’ aspirations. Many wanted to be in high-quality professions and to further their learning at university. The pupils have learned about aspirational and inspirational women and been in contact with people in important jobs such as the police.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils are encouraged to attend and their attendance was similar to the national average in 2014/15. Since then, however, attendance has reduced. In particular, the disadvantaged pupils have lower attendance than in the previous year and their attendance is below other pupils nationally. The leadership of attendance requires improvement in order to carefully track, investigate and quickly improve the absence of groups of pupils.  Pupils in Years 3 and 4 show a lack of pride in their work, with sloppy presentation and imprecise layout of mathematical and scientific calculations. Some of this is due to the types of worksheets used in lessons with little space to write, meaning pupils use very small writing or their work cascades messily down the pre-printed page. In contrast, pupils in Years 5 and 6, and in Years 1 and 2, show greater pride in the work they produce.

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Behaviour

 In a few classes, pupils lose focus on their work. They have to sit around waiting patiently for the teacher or adult to get to them and they show a lack of eagerness or interest to learn. In other classes, pupils are keen and interested throughout, particularly in Year 6.  Pupils that inspectors spoke with confirmed that behaviour has significantly improved over the last year. They fully understand and support the behaviour system and the new culture of high behaviour expectations. They confirmed that there are occasional arguments and squabbles. In class, pupils are usually able to concentrate and get on with their work.  Pupils are well-mannered, polite and friendly to visitors and the last vestiges of previous bad behaviour are dissolving away.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Outcomes require improvement because: – pupils’ attainment at the ends of Year 2 and Year 6 is below average, which means that they are not well prepared for the next stages in their education – pupils’ achievement in science, geography, history and design and technology is not good – boys’ attainment lags behind that of girls – the attainment of disadvantaged pupils lags behind other pupils’ nationally.  Pupils’ outcomes are improving. From their starting points different groups of pupils make at least expected progress. Bangladeshi pupils in 2015 achieved as well as other pupils nationally, as did pupils of Pakistani heritage. Pupils who have arrived recently from other countries make quick gains in their English, which then unlocks their achievement in other subjects. They meet daily for focused, precise teaching which develops their vocabulary and understanding of British culture.  Pupils’ reading is well above average by the end of Year 1, including for boys and for disadvantaged

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

pupils. They make quick gains in their reading skills because there is a very good system of teaching pupils how to break down words into different sounds. Pupils are less successful at understanding what they have read, but the English leader has put plans for improvement into action and there are signs that these are proving successful.  A higher proportion than previously of most-able pupils across the school have been assessed as working at greater depth or exceeding the standards expected for their age. They make expected progress and, in English and mathematics, are enabled to extend their thinking. As pupils said, ‘We are challenged much more now’. In mathematics, the most able pupils have to make connections between different mathematical ideas, think about and explain the way they have solved calculations and apply their skills to solving problems. The legacy of poor outcomes in the past remains, which means that pupils struggle

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

to recall mathematical facts quickly. The most able pupils are restricted in history, geography, science and design and technology so they do not show or extend their skills and knowledge well enough.  The pupils who have disabilities make good progress and attain standards that are expected for their age. Teachers make every effort to include them in classes and do not lower expectations of what they should achieve. Pupils who have special educational needs and /or disabilities have, very recently, started to make better progress. Their achievement in the past was unacceptably weak. The teacher who leads this aspect of the school now makes sure this group of pupils have precise, challenging targets and the teaching to enable pupils to meet their targets. There is still a long way to go to make sure that this group achieve as well as they should.  Pupils who are disadvantaged make expected progress. Across the school, because this group’s attainment

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

has been low for a number of years by the end of Reception Year, it has been difficult for them to narrow the gap with other pupils nationally further up the school. In some classes, there are signs that this group is making faster progress than other pupils in the school and closing the gap in their attainment.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 From their different starting points children make steady progress, although there is too large a difference between the three classes. In one class, children achieve very well but this is not the case in other classes. By the end of Reception, the overall proportion of children reaching a good level of development is slightly below average but boys lag behind the girls, and the disadvantaged children attain below other children nationally. This gap is not closing because adults do not always know who the disadvantaged children are and do not target them for extra teaching to close the gap in attainment with other children.  Teaching assistants play an active role in working with children and getting involved in their learning. This involvement is not as successful as it could be because they sometimes answer the questions for the children without letting children think for themselves. There were examples of children being restricted

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Early years provision requires improvement

from talking because adults talked over them and stopped them expressing themselves and developing their speaking. There were also occasions when inspectors observed some good opportunities for adults to refine, improve and develop children’s vocabulary and speaking skills but these were not taken by adults. There were too many occasions when the adults did the thinking for the children and children were not allowed to think for themselves.  Adults in the Nursery do not always use good spoken Standard English. Phrases such as, ‘You are stood beautifully’, and ‘You are sat nicely’ do not provide a good enough model of correct English for the youngest children to replicate.  Teaching by the leader of the early years is highly effective. All groups of children make rapid gains in their learning and in 2016 almost 70% reached a good level of development and were well prepared for Year 1. In this class, children have made good progress in their mathematical understanding and

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Early years provision requires improvement

reasoning. In one session, for example, children manipulated cubes to act as non-standard measures to assess the lengths of different objects. They thought about how many cubes might be needed and explained to others their methods of finding out.  In the past, few of the most able children have exceeded the level expected for their age. In 2016, across the different areas of learning, more of the most able children are achieving what they should. This is because teachers’ expectations are higher and they challenge children to use better vocabulary and more complex mathematical ideas, and to think more deeply about their work.  Children are well looked after by adults and they behave well. Boys and girls mix well together, cooperating on different tasks such as packing for their summer holidays. Children of different ethnic backgrounds play and work together well. Two White British boys, for example, chose two ethnic heritage

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Early years provision requires improvement

dolls to take with them on the aeroplane and worked well with other children from different ethnic backgrounds to imagine their holiday abroad together.  The leadership of the early years requires improvement. Leaders have addressed the disruption to staffing and to children’s learning. There are appropriate systems in place to check on the quality of teaching and, based on the findings, to provide training for staff. The adults, for example, have been trained in better questioning to children and inspectors saw some impact of this training in Reception but not in Nursery. Leaders have not successfully tackled the inequality of provision between the three classes, or successfully raised boys’ or disadvantaged children’s attainment. Transition arrangements do not allow for adults to know precisely what children can do and what they already know when they start in the class.

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School details

Unique reference number 105632 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 10012989 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 485 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Trott Headteacher Nigel Fowler Telephone number 0161 770 1473 Website www.lyndhurst.oldham.sch.uk/ Email address info@lyndhurst.oldham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 13 March 2016

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Information about this school

 Lyndhurst is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  Approximately 30% of pupils are White British and around 45% are from Pakistani backgrounds. The remainder are from a mix of heritages.  An average proportion of pupils are deemed by the government to be disadvantaged because they are eligible for free school meals or are looked after.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is around the national average.  In 2016, the school met the national floor targets, which are the minimum expected for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There is a Nursery on-site which opens for a morning and for an afternoon session. There are two Reception classes which are full-time.  The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the curriculum on its website. There are well-advanced plans to introduce a new curriculum at the start of September 2016

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Information about this school

and publish the curriculum to parents.  The school is in advanced discussions to become an academy in the next few months, sponsored by Focus Academy Trust.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors added to the evidence already collected in the four monitoring visits. They observed, in this inspection, teaching in all classes in a range of subjects, including physical education, history, science, mathematics and English.  There were not enough responses from parents to Ofsted’s survey, Parent View, in order to generate a report on their views. Inspectors spoke with some parents at the start and end of the day, and looked through their responses to their children’s school reports.  Inspectors spoke with pupils in and around the school and held longer discussions with four groups of pupils.  Inspectors met with a range of staff including senior leaders, teachers who lead subjects, the special educational needs coordinator and lunchtime staff.  Inspectors held discussions with members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and the chief executive of the academy trust.

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Inspection team

Allan Torr, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Nick Capron 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

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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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