Leigh CofE Primary School

Leigh CofE Junior School Henrietta Street, Leigh, Lancashire WN7 1LP

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Inadequate

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is an inadequate school

 The school’s leaders have lost the trust, confidence and support of staff and parents.  Governors have failed, over time, to fulfil their statutory duties.  Senior leaders have failed to reverse the decline in the school’s performance. Since 2013, pupils’ progress has been significantly below national averages. Outcomes are not good enough in reading, writing and mathematics.  Senior leaders do not have an accurate view of the school’s performance. There is no systematic approach to collecting, analysing and sharing data.  Staff, at all levels, do not have clearly defined roles and responsibilities. This lack of clarity and accountability is severely limiting the school’s capacity to improve.  Safeguarding is ineffective. Staff are not up to date with their training. The school does not respond quickly enough to the concerns of parents nor seek the views of pupils. Some pupils report that they do not feel safe.

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This is an inadequate school

 The curriculum is fragmented and does not meet pupils’ needs. It does not provide enough opportunities for pupils to practise their reading, writing and mathematics skills, or to learn how to keep themselves safe and healthy.  Leaders have not ensured that additional funding for disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is used to good effect. These pupils lag behind their classmates in their attainment and attendance. Boys do not attain as highly or attend as regularly as girls.  A lack of consistent checks on the quality of teaching, failure by leaders to provide support and training, and erratic procedures to manage the performance of teachers are severely hampering the efforts of teaching staff to do their jobs well.  Leaders do not ensure that policies and procedures are fit for purpose, followed consistently by all staff and regularly reviewed.  Standards of behaviour are inconsistent across

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This is an inadequate school

school. Pupils often find it hard to get along with each other and have difficulty resolving disputes between themselves.  Lack of professionalism and poor communication by senior leaders have resulted in low staff morale, conflicts between staff and discontent among parents.  Absence rates are rising among disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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The school has the following strengths

 Since the recent appointments of the chair and parent governors, the governing body has started to challenge school leaders and hold them more effectively to account.  Despite poor leadership, staff have worked hard to ensure that, as far as possible, pupils are safe, well cared for and make progress in their learning.

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management at all levels, including governance, by: – ensuring self-evaluation is accurate and draws on up-to-date information encompassing all aspects of the school’s performance – working with all key stakeholders to agree a shared vision and ambition for the school which is clearly communicated to staff, parents and pupils – developing a well-informed strategic plan which sets the direction for the school and is frequently reviewed to make sure that the decline in performance is quickly reversed – making sure that the additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as that intended to improve primary physical education and sport provision, is well used so that it improves outcomes for pupils – using performance management consistently and effectively to improve teaching and learning – putting in place a well-considered programme of training for staff at all levels that has a positive

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

impact on teaching and learning – making sure all staff are up to date with their safeguarding training, and checking carefully that safeguarding systems and procedures are working well and take account of the views of pupils and their parents, so that arrangements for safeguarding are rigorous and robust – ensuring that attendance information is used well to challenge those families who are not ensuring that their child attends school regularly, paying particular attention to disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities – making certain that transition arrangements, both between classes and schools, better meet pupils’ needs – improving home-school partnerships by developing good systems of communication so that parents receive relevant information about what is happening in school and how well their children are doing, and acting on parental feedback – responding appropriately to parental concerns and complaints in a timely manner

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– making sure that all policies and procedures are fit for purpose, applied consistently by all staff and regularly reviewed – keeping the school’s website up to date and compliant with current government requirements – ensuring that the leadership and management structure is fit for purpose so that leaders have clearly defined roles and responsibilities, good support to help them to fulfil them and are held to account for their work – providing training and support for governors to enable the governing body to improve the effectiveness with which it fulfils its responsibilities.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching, learning and assessment, so that all groups of pupils make much better progress from their different starting points, by: – providing training and support for all teaching staff to improve their knowledge and skills so that they move pupils’ learning on more quickly and plan learning which provides greater challenge for pupils of all abilities, making good use of time in lessons – frequently checking and evaluating the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and using this information to hold teachers to account, share good practice and target additional support as required – devising and teaching a curriculum which is broad and balanced, gives pupils plenty of opportunities to practise their reading, writing and mathematical skills, meets the needs of the pupils in the school, engages and enthuses pupils, prepares them well for life in modern Britain and is complemented by a

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

wealth of well-considered enrichment and extra-curricular activities – developing an approach to assessment which is fully linked to the school’s curriculum, gives pupils valuable feedback on what they need to do to improve their work, enables teachers to plan pupils’ next steps in learning, gives middle and senior leaders up-to-date information about how well pupils are getting on, is used to set high expectations for what each pupil can achieve and provides regular updates to parents about how well their children are doing.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

 Senior leaders and governors do not work collaboratively and as a result there is no effective leadership; consequently almost all aspects of the school’s performance have rapidly declined.  Leaders have failed to communicate effectively with parents and have not responded appropriately to parents’ complaints and concerns.  Professional working relationships between the headteacher and governors have deteriorated and as a result there has been no clear strategy to address the school’s problems.  Leaders do not have an accurate, in-depth view of weaknesses in the school’s performance. The governing body commissioned an external review of the school’s performance in the autumn term to provide them with the information they needed to challenge senior leaders. Although some improvements were made by leaders following this review, these soon ‘fizzled out’, according to staff and governors.  The headteacher has not worked in partnership with key stakeholders to develop a school improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

plan that sets out the vision and ambition for the school and is communicated clearly to staff, parents and pupils. Actions put in place by the headteacher and senior leaders have not been followed through, so have made very little difference to improving the school’s performance.  The school has failed to reverse the declining trend in outcomes for pupils. Leaders have not capitalised on the strong prior attainment of pupils joining the school so that pupils are not making the good progress of which they are clearly capable. As a result, less than half of pupils in the current Year 6 have achieved the government’s new expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics.  The staffing structure for the school which is neither clear nor fit for purpose. Staff at all levels do not know what their own roles and responsibilities are, nor those of their colleagues.  The curriculum is poorly planned and lacks cohesion, and this hinders pupils’ progress. Senior leaders

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

have failed to take the necessary actions to review the design and implementation of the school’s curriculum in response to the publication of the national curriculum in 2014. No one has oversight of the curriculum. There is a lack of clarity around subject leadership as staff who have been asked to lead on subjects have not been given clear roles and responsibilities. Often, they have not had access to training and there is no consistent monitoring and evaluation of their work. Subject leaders are changed too frequently and staff are not always informed who is responsible for which subject.  The school does not currently have an assessment system to provide an overview of the attainment and progress of all pupils from their different starting points. Leaders do not have an overview of the performance of the different groups in school, including the most able pupils.  Leaders have not analysed the impact of the funding for disadvantaged pupils. School data suggests that

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

these pupils perform below their peers in writing and mathematics across all year groups. Moreover, leaders have failed to recognise that the attendance of this group of pupils is well below that of other pupils in school.  The additional primary physical education (PE) and sport funding is being used to fund coaches to improve the range and quality of PE provided, as well as extend the skills of teachers. However, leaders have not evaluated the impact of this on the levels of participation by pupils nor whether it has improved their skills. Parents are concerned that the extra-curricular offer is limited, particularly for younger pupils in the school.  Leaders have failed to manage the performance of teachers effectively and have not used a consistent approach. As a result, leaders do not have an overview of how well teachers are doing their jobs, nor the training and support they might need. Teachers feel let down by leaders as their efforts are often going

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

unrecognised.  Leaders and governors have not ensured that the school complies with the current requirements to publish key information on its website.  The governance of the school – The governing body has failed to fulfil its statutory duties since the previous inspection. Governors have been ineffective in ensuring that pupils are safe or that leaders are held to account for the quality of education that the school provides. – The chair of governors, who has been in post since November 2015, together with the newly appointed parent governors are taking decisive action to hold the headteacher to account for the decline in performance. However, it is too early yet to see any noticeable difference in pupils’ outcomes. – Despite key information not being provided by the headteacher, the governing body is beginning to identify the school’s weaknesses. It has reorganised governors’ roles and responsibilities so that they

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

are making better use of their individual skills and expertise. – The governing body has recognised the support and guidance it needs, given the challenges it faces, and is making good use of external support to build its capacity.  The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. Despite the headteacher being the named safeguarding lead, some staff do not have confidence in approaching him with safeguarding issues. A third of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, do not feel their child is safe or well cared for. Some pupils reported to inspectors that they do not feel safe. Staff training is not up to date. The learning mentor does an excellent job of managing safeguarding in the school from day to day. Leaders do not supervise her work, however, to satisfy themselves that systems are working well. Leaders do not routinely seek the views of pupils or collect and analyse data around bullying. The school

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is inadequate

is slow to respond to any parental concerns. Over half of parents responding to Parent View do not feel that the school deals well with bullying.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

 Far too much teaching lacks pace and too often pupils are set tasks that do not engage or challenge them. The fragmented and poorly planned curriculum, sporadic training and lack of support by leaders leaves teachers without the skills and knowledge they need to teach consistently well in order to move pupils’ learning on quickly.  Teachers recognise that weak leadership has eroded their effectiveness. They are frustrated by the limited opportunities they have to learn from the most effective practice of their colleagues in their own school as well as in local schools. Teachers are disheartened that new initiatives brought in by leaders, no matter how good they are, all too often ‘fizzle out’, in the teachers’ words.  There are too few opportunities for pupils to write at length in their English lessons and across the curriculum. Teachers do not spend enough time helping pupils to improve their writing for different

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

purposes. Although there is a focus on the explicit teaching of grammar, spelling and punctuation, pupils do not apply these skills frequently enough to learn them securely.  Pupils are not exposed to a wide enough range of high-quality books and other texts. This limits the development of their skills as both readers and writers. Despite leaders’ investment in a new school library, staff acknowledge that this is no longer a well-used facility.  Teachers welcomed the training they received earlier this year in teaching mathematics. It has had a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Leaders did not follow this training up. As a result, while teachers have made some inroads into putting their learning into practice, leaders have not provided the support and further training that most staff need for the outcomes of all pupils to improve.  In mathematics, pupils’ progress is hampered when they are given calculations to complete which do not

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

increase in complexity. Despite pupils often getting most, if not all, answers correct, teachers do not move them on quickly to more challenging tasks. Although teachers set out mathematical problems in words for pupils, there is little evidence of teachers setting rich problems that deepen pupils’ understanding. This particularly restricts the progress of the most able pupils. For pupils who are less secure, teachers often simplify the task rather than providing these pupils with the resources to help them keep up with their classmates.  Lack of direction from leaders about the management of transition as pupils move to their new class at the beginning of each academic year means that there is wide variation in the quality of practice. For the school’s most vulnerable pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, this wastes valuable time at the start of each academic year, further slowing their progress.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

 Leaders have been very slow to develop the school’s new approach to assessment. The lack of leadership for this key aspect of the school’s work has further constrained pupils’ progress. No assessment policy or clear procedures seem to be in place. There is no evidence of targets being set for individuals, groups or year groups. This lack of ambition is reflected in the often leisurely pace of learning in lessons and lack of work in pupils’ books.  In some classes, teachers frequently check pupils’ understanding, making sure that they tackle misconceptions and ask probing questions which help pupils deepen their learning. For example, in one class observed during the inspection, the teacher asked pupils to develop multi-step word problems in mathematics to use in their next lesson. Pupils set about this task with enthusiasm, keen to devise tricky problems to challenge their classmates the following day.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is inadequate

 In some classes, teachers make good use of support staff. For example, a teaching assistant was observed working with a group of pupils in Year 5 to refine and improve their use of language in descriptive writing. These pupils were able to articulate clearly why this was important, referencing the need to consider the impact on the reader.  In most lessons, pupils listen to their teachers, take care with their work and collaborate well with their classmates. Most teachers have developed good relationships with the pupils in their class so that pupils are keen to please them.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate.  While teachers follow the school’s curriculum for personal, social and health education this is not tailored to the particular needs of the pupils in this school. Moreover, not enough time is allocated, so pupils do not develop the knowledge, skills and attributes they need to keep themselves healthy and safe as well as to be well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Some pupils feel they are not safe. They say that they felt scared when they heard about the more serious behaviour incidents that have taken place in school this year. While the school invited in the local police community support officer to talk to pupils, this did not allay the fears of all pupils. Some parents also say that the school does not keep children safe.  A number of pupils who spoke to inspectors said that either they, or someone they knew, had

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Personal development and welfare

experienced bullying. While pupils are confident that teachers will deal with this, the school was unable to provide any records or analysis of reported incidents. Over half of parents who responded to Parent View did not consider that the school deals well with bullying. The school has not surveyed pupils for their views.  Pupils and staff appreciate the excellent work of the learning mentor. Pupils said that she is very supportive, making a positive difference when pupils have worries, whether about home or school.  Pupils are aware of how to keep themselves safe online. They were very clear, when talking to inspectors, about the likely risks and what they need to do to protect themselves.  Around the school, most pupils hold doors open, warmly greet visitors and are considerate towards other pupils moving through the building. However, some pupils pay scant regard to other adults and pupils, for

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Personal development and welfare

example by barging through doorways. Prefects take their responsibilities seriously when supervising corridors during lunchtime.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is inadequate.  The behaviour of some pupils at unstructured times is overly boisterous. Some pupils show a lack of consideration towards other pupils sharing the playground or walking along the corridors. Pupils report that too often pupils end up fighting or falling out, rather than resolving issues peaceably.  Pupils acknowledge that they do not behave as well for lunchtime staff as for their teachers, although they agreed that the reward system, recently introduced, has made a positive difference. This view of behaviour concurs with those of parents recorded in Parent View, as well as that of school staff.  School leaders do not ensure that all staff consistently apply the school’s behaviour policy. This means there is variation across the school, not only in teacher’s expectations but also in how agreed procedures are applied.  School leaders do not systematically collect and analyse data on behaviour. As a result, they cannot

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Behaviour

provide accurate, up-to-date information about patterns and trends across the school, including bullying, and racist and homophobic name-calling. This limits their ability to pre-empt any emerging patterns or trends.  Most pupils attend school regularly; however, boys’ attendance lags behind that of girls. Leaders have failed to reverse the escalating rates of absence for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, however.  Observations in lessons and discussions with pupils confirm that pupils’ behaviour in almost all lessons is good. They listen to their teachers, follow instructions and work well with their classmates. However, when lessons are less interesting and work is too easy, pupils’ attention wanders.

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

 Senior leaders have failed to reverse the dip in standards since the previous inspection. Recent national test results indicate that less than half of pupils in Year 6 reached the new government expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics this year.  For the past three years, pupils have made significantly less progress than the national average in reading and mathematics. Pupils’ progress in writing declined significantly in 2014 and, despite a noticeable improvement, it was still well below the national average in 2015.  Almost all of the pupils in the current Year 6 achieved outcomes significantly above the national average at the end of key stage 1. However, this group have only reached standards broadly in line with their peers nationally at the end of key stage 2. These recent test results, coupled with evidence from pupils’ work in books, confirm that leaders have failed to capitalise on pupils’ excellent starting points, so that

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

pupils have not made good progress through the school.  Leaders have limited data available to demonstrate the performance of pupils throughout the school. The school’s own test results show the gap in attainment between disadvantaged pupils and their peers to be quite wide across all subjects, in almost all year groups. The school’s data for pupils who speak English as an additional language indicates very wide gaps in attainment between them and their classmates. Leaders are not using the limited information they have to plan for these groups of pupils, suggesting that these gaps will not close quickly.  The school’s own assessments indicate that pupils at the end of key stage 2 are above the national average in reading. This data is at odds with recent national test results. The deputy headteacher suggested that pupils’ lack of pace and stamina, coupled with limited experience of more challenging

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

texts, had affected their performance. Inspection evidence concurs with this view.  While leaders have now introduced termly tests to check pupils’ attainment, the data shown to inspectors does not provide information about pupils’ progress from their different starting points. Moreover, leaders are not yet using information from the tests, in any meaningful way, to highlight underperformance and target additional support where it is needed. As a result, pupils’ achievement is not improving.  The lack of clarity around subject leadership and a fragmented and disorganised curriculum mean that pupils’ progress in subjects other than English and mathematics is inconsistent and, at best, mediocre.  Leaders’ failure to check on the progress of the most able pupils regularly, together with the lack of challenge for this group as shown in books and through lesson observations, means that these pupils are

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Outcomes for pupils are inadequate

not reaching the high standards of which they are capable, particularly in mathematics.  The teacher-in-charge of support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is developing a system for measuring the smaller steps of progress made by most of these pupils. She keeps a close eye on how well these pupils are getting on and puts in a range of intervention to help them catch up. The school’s own data indicates, however, that the gaps in attainment between this group and their classmates widen as they move through the school.

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School details

Unique reference number 106445 Local authority Wigan Inspection number 10020902

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School details

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 Junior School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 376 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr David Sanderson Headteacher Mr Stephen Callaghan Telephone number 01942671389 Website www.leighjunior.co.uk Email address enquiries@admin.leighcejunior.wigan.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 April 2013

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Information about this school

 This junior school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who come from minority ethnic groups is lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is lower than the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is broadly in line with the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.  The school meets 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.  The school does not meet many of the requirements on the publication of information on its website.

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was not in school during the inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in classes through the school, including joint observations with the deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher.  Discussions were held with senior leaders, other members of staff, members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority, a representative of the local schools consortium and the diocese of Manchester.  Inspectors examined a wide range of documents, including those relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance, assessment information and reports from external consultants.  Inspectors spoke with pupils informally during the school day and observed them during playtime and lunch. They also met formally with two groups of pupils to talk about their learning, behaviour and safety.  Inspectors heard a number of pupils read.  Inspectors took note of displays around the school.  A range of pupils’ books was checked jointly with the deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke with a number of parents, considered the 24 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and took note of the school’s own recent survey results.  Inspectors spoke with two groups of staff as well as a number of staff individually.

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Inspection team

Pippa Jackson Maitland, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Clare McGarey Ofsted Inspector Jonathan Ashley 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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