Alderman Bolton Community Primary School

Alderman Bolton Community Primary School Longdin Street, Latchford, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 1PW

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 School leaders have created a caring and nurturing atmosphere that is appreciated by parents and pupils. It is an improving school and senior leaders have led improvements to the quality of teaching, learning and assessment since the previous inspection.  The broad and stimulating curriculum has had a positive impact on pupils’ strong spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Children get off to a good start in the early years and make good progress.  Governors know the school well and constantly challenge leaders to strive for the best possible outcomes for their pupils.  Senior leaders provide effective training to ensure that teaching is of good quality.  Pupils are well behaved and considerate of others. They know how to keep themselves safe, for example when using the internet.  Teachers do not use the school’s marking and feedback policy consistently to enable pupils to understand the next steps in their learning.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Most-able pupils in lower key stage 2, including those who are disadvantaged, do not make as much progress as they could because teachers do not consistently stretch or improve their skills and knowledge.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that teachers stick to the school’s marking and feedback policy and check that pupils understand more clearly how they can improve their work.  Ensure that the most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, in lower key stage 2 make quicker progress by: – providing them with work that stretches their abilities and challenges them, especially in mathematics – giving them regular opportunities to make their own decisions about the structure and quantity of the writing they produce, especially in subjects other than English.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders have taken effective action to secure good outcomes for pupils. They use monitoring activities that support sharp evaluation of pupils’ achievement.  Members of staff are very positive about the school. They appreciate the carefully planned programme of training and they feel that senior leaders support them well.  The school’s self-evaluation and development plans are honest and accurate. They correctly recognise the strengths and areas for further development of the school.  Senior leaders monitor the performance of teachers effectively. They set targets for teachers that are linked to pupils’ progress. They check the quality of teaching and learning thoroughly and feed back their findings to teachers and suggest actions to secure continuous improvement. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning is good overall.  School leaders use pupil premium funding well. They spend it on planned interventions

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

that improve pupils’ progress in English and mathematics and promote pupils’ welfare and personal development. As a result, disadvantaged pupils’ barriers to education are removed. They enjoy taking part in, for example, gardening club and motorcycle club. They acquire a number of practical skills from these clubs as well as a sense of achievement.  Sports premium funding is used to good effect. Pupils are increasingly involved in a wide range of sports and physical activity. They take part in competitions and enjoy the after-school clubs. Staff are developing greater confidence in a number of areas of physical education, such as dance, and are acquiring improving skills.  Subject leaders in school understand the strengths and areas for development for their subjects. They have a programme of monitoring in place to keep a regular check on standards, with actions that secure improvements. They have assessment and tracking

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

systems that are effective in recording the good progress that pupils make across a wide range of subjects.  Teachers do not apply the school’s marking and feedback policy consistently. Pupils’ work does not improve often enough after teachers’ feedback, including marking. Teachers do not clearly identify which spellings need to be corrected.  The curriculum is broad and balanced. Good spiritual development is secured through a broad religious education curriculum. This is enhanced by a programme of visitors, such as a member of the Jewish faith, who shared Jewish food with pupils. Themed weeks support multi-cultural understanding. Pupils take part in activities to support charities, such as at harvest time. Their cultural development is supported well by, for example, the high priority given to music. Specialist music teachers teach whole year groups in key stage 2 to play instruments such as keyboards and brass. Pupils develop

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

their skills well, including reading simple musical notation. Pupils have a good understanding of fundamental British values.  The local authority adviser provides effective support to the school. He has a good overview of the school’s performance and gives useful advice and help to school leaders.  A large majority of parents who expressed opinions to inspectors were very supportive of the school, appreciating the level of care that the school provides and the range of clubs that their children can attend. They are positive about the recent initiatives to involve parents more, such as the parent board and weekly parent surgeries.  There are some omissions from the school’s website. Leaders are aware of this and have taken action to rectify matters.

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Governance of the school

 Governors have a good appreciation of the strengths and areas for development. They are well trained in a number of relevant areas and have a strong understanding of the importance of safeguarding.  Governors offer stringent challenge to leaders, holding them to account for issues ranging from the achievement of pupils to the effective use of funding.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  There is an up-to-date record of safeguarding training for all staff. There is also an appropriate and current child protection policy in place that all staff understand.  The single central record of the checks and vetting of all staff working with pupils is thorough and compliant.  Safeguarding concerns are reported and recorded appropriately. The designated safeguarding lead makes referrals promptly and follows up issues as required.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge and use it well to plan lessons that pupils enjoy. Pupils typically show a good level of interest and make good progress.  Teachers use questioning well to help pupils to grasp concepts or clarify their thinking. In mathematics, for example, teachers often give them time to talk through methods they have used and practise their reasoning skills.  Teachers have high expectations of work and behaviour. The small number of pupils who show challenging behaviour at times are managed well by staff. Relationships between adults and pupils are positive and the large majority of pupils respond well to teachers and support staff.  Support staff are effectively deployed to encourage and guide groups of pupils, especially those who need to catch up or have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  Pupils read well. They show fluency and understanding and can use their phonic

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

knowledge well to read unfamiliar words. Most-able pupils convey the meaning of the text well by changing the tone of their voice appropriately. They enjoy reading a range of books for pleasure and older pupils can name their favourite authors.  The teaching of phonics is increasingly effective. Phonics lessons are active and stimulating and pupils make good progress in their learning.  Pupils are given some opportunities to use skills learned in English and mathematics in other subjects. For example, they use historical events, such as the Battle of Hastings, to stimulate writing activities. In key stage 1, pupils use mathematics skills in science work.  Where writing skills are used in, for instance, completing an investigation report in science, most-able pupils are not given the chance to make their own decisions about the content, structure or length of the report.  While challenge is provided for the most able pupils, this is not consistent enough,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

which means that in lower key stage 2 they do not make the progress of which they are capable.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  The school has a caring, nurturing ethos. As a result, pupils feel safe and are confident to speak to any adult in school if they have worries or concerns.  Pupils have a good understanding of the risks posed by the internet. Staff regularly remind pupils about the importance of e-safety and pupils know how to respond if they come across inappropriate content on their computer.  Pupils report that bullying is rare, but when it does occur it is managed swiftly and effectively. Leaders keep detailed records of any incidents, which show that prompt and effective action is taken.  Pupils appreciate the wealth of after-school and lunchtime clubs that are on offer. These range from sports clubs, such as football and rugby, to gardening and sewing clubs. They have a positive effect on pupils’ health and their spiritual and social

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Personal development and welfare

development.  Pupils develop a good sense of responsibility through their roles as school councillors, school monitors and ‘buddies’ to Reception children. They show confidence and pride in their school. Their attendance has improved and is now average.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Behaviour for learning is strong. A group of pupils told one inspector, ‘We love learning.’ Where there are occasional lapses, pupils respond well to adults and modify their behaviour.  Pupils show orderly conduct as they move around school. They understand the school’s rules and, for example, when coming off the playground, they waste very little learning time as they return to class.  Pupils typically show consideration to others in activities such as ‘talk partners’ and group work, where they show patience and manners as they listen to what pupils have to say.  Leaders have put effective measures in place to tackle fixed-term exclusions. There has been a substantial reduction in these since last year.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils make good progress from their starting points. They acquire knowledge, skills and understanding that are expected for their age or better. For example, most-able Year 4 pupils develop sophisticated language and sentence structure, such as ‘Their favourite meal of the day is during the evening hours, when they love to devour …’, with reference to describing trolls.  Disadvantaged pupils generally make good progress from their starting points. This is because school leaders use the pupil premium funding to provide a wide variety of activities to support pupils’ academic and welfare development. These include one-to- one tuition in Year 6 and a breakfast club that has produced improved attendance and punctuality for its participants, meaning that these pupils arrive in class ready to learn.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. Pupils’ needs are identified promptly and support is put in place effectively.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Achievement in the Year 1 phonics check dipped considerably in 2016. Leaders are aware of this and have taken action to ensure that the teaching of phonics is strengthened. Current pupils are typically progressing well as a result of the improved teaching. Pupils generally read well across the school, showing good comprehension skills, and they say that they enjoy reading a range of book types for pleasure.  The most recent assessment information for key stage 1 for 2016 shows that the majority of groups of pupils, including the disadvantaged and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, had attainment that was close to national figures for reading, writing and mathematics.  Assessment information for 2016 for key stage 2 shows that, on average, pupils attained the expected score for reading and for grammar, punctuation and spelling. Pupils’ average score for mathematics was fractionally below the expected standard.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Progress measures for key stage 2 for reading, for writing and for mathematics in 2016 showed that, on average, pupils made sufficient or better progress. However, progress for the most able pupils was significantly below national figures in mathematics, which has prompted leaders to have this subject as a focus for improvement for this year. The current year groups are mostly making good progress in this subject.  While most-able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, show that they can tackle more challenging work, such as algebraic expressions in mathematics, there is inconsistency in the provision of tasks that will stretch this group.

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Early years provision Good

 The leadership and management of the early years provision are good.  Children come into the early years with skills and knowledge that are below typical for their age and stage of development. Current pupils are making good progress from their starting points.  The early years leader has taken action to improve teaching and learning in order to address the historically low proportions of children who have attained a good level of development. As a result, the percentage of children achieving a good level of development in 2016, subject to validation, rose substantially. Though still below the national figure, it shows strong improvement, with approximately six out of 10 pupils being ready for Year 1.  The setting is well organised and inviting. Staff plan exciting activities that engage children well, such as the ‘mud kitchen’ in the outdoor area, where children develop their cooperation and imagination as well as language and number skills. Nursery

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Early years provision Good

children can be heard accurately counting out sticks to put in their mud soup. They can explain that they are no longer making a mud burger for the toy hippopotamus but are now making a mud pancake ‘because he’s changed his mind’.  In the classroom there are good opportunities to develop writing skills in different parts of the room. Children are also encouraged to use number skills to find one more, but there are some missed opportunities for encouraging problem-solving and reasoning.  Teachers deliver phonics sessions effectively. Children understand what ‘tricky words’ are and they quickly learn new sounds, such as ‘f’, by saying the sound, writing the letter on the carpet with their fingers and jumping up to write it in the air.  Teaching in the early years is good. All adults have high expectations of children’s behaviour. They question children well and plan their next steps effectively. Staff are

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Early years provision Good

knowledgeable and have recently improved their planning and provision, resulting in teaching that meets children’s needs well.  The two-year-old children in the setting get off to a good start in school. Staff understand children’s development well. They are attentive to the needs of the children and give them opportunities to express themselves and follow their interests. Children become totally engrossed in activities that develop their physical coordination, such as building a car racing track or making patterns in the sand tray.  Safeguarding is effective. Staff are vigilant and suitably trained in safeguarding and child protection. Risk assessments are thorough and the setting meets welfare requirements.  Parents have effective involvement in their children’s development. Early years staff make home visits and provide a programme of induction meetings prior to children starting at the school. ‘Stay and play’ sessions keep parents abreast of their children’s

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Early years provision Good

development and the typical activities that staff plan for them.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Seconded executive headteacher Sara Lawrenson

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School details

Email address aldermanbolton_head@warrington.gov.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19–20 October 2011

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Information about this school

 The school does not meet requirements on the publication of: information about the name of a person to whom enquiries should be addressed; full performance data; full details of the curriculum followed by the school; full details on how bullying is prevented; details in the information report about special educational needs provision around managing parental complaints; a remissions element to the charging and remissions policy; and dates of appointment for governors and their attendance for last academic year. The school is aware of these omissions and has taken action to remedy them.  The seconded executive headteacher is in post until the substantive headteacher returns from maternity leave.  Alderman Bolton Community Primary School is larger than average in size.  The percentages of pupils from minority ethnic groups and who speak English as an additional language are below the national averages.

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Information about this school

 The proportion of pupils who receive support in school for their special educational needs and/or disabilities is slightly above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who are supported through pupil premium funding is substantially above the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of key stage 2.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors carried out observations of learning in most classes, covering all year groups. Two of these were joint observations between the headteacher and the lead inspector. The headteacher was also present at inspector team meetings.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including the school’s self-evaluation summary, action plans for school improvement, records of the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning, minutes of meetings of the governing body, behaviour logs and records connected with the safeguarding of children.  Inspectors had discussions with various stakeholders, including members of staff, governors, a representative from the local authority, parents and pupils.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and analysed pupils’ writing and mathematics, as well as their work in other subjects. They also looked at the work of children in the early years.  The lead inspector also evaluated 12 responses received through ‘Parent View’

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Information about this inspection

(Ofsted’s online survey). No other survey responses were received.

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Inspection team

Mark Quinn, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sheila O'Keeffe 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

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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