Shevington Community Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 12–13 March 2009 Inspection number 324393 Shevington Community Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 106413 Local Authority Wigan Inspection number 324393 Inspection dates 12–13 March Reporting inspector Frank Carruthers

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 under pilot arrangements; it was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act .

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The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number on roll School (total) 196 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage Childcare provision for children aged 0 to under 3 years Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr P Catlow Headteacher Mrs V Adams Date of previous school inspection May 2006 School address Miles Lane Shevington Wigan WN6 8EW Telephone number 01257 252859 Fax number 01257 254956 Email address enquiries@admin.shevingtonprimary.wigan.sch.uk Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

This pilot inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors. The inspectors visited 13 lessons, and held meetings with the headteacher, the chair of governors, the senior leadership team, groups of pupils, including members of the school council, and one carer. They observed the school’s work and looked at documentation including the school improvement plan, teachers’ planning and assessment files and records of pupils’ progress, including individual education plans for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Fifty-seven parental questionnaires were also read and analysed.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school’s work. It looked in detail at the following.

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Introduction

 The attainment and progress of pupils throughout the school.  How effective the teaching of writing is in helping pupils to achieve well.  Levels of attendance and the efforts of the school to improve them.  The quality of provision and the overall achievement of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

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Information about the school

The school is slightly smaller than the average of primary schools nationally and serves the village of Shevington and surrounding areas. Almost all pupils are White- British and none is at the early stages of learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is broadly average. The school offers extended services, which include before- and after-school facilities and a club in the school holidays, and provision for children aged 18 months to three years, which is now managed by governors rather than a voluntary management committee as it was at the time of the last inspection. The school has gained the Healthy Schools Award, the Eco-Schools Award and the Activemark.

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Inspection judgements

Grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Main findings

Shevington Community Primary School provides a good education for its pupils and has some outstanding features, such as the effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage, the pupils’ behaviour, the school’s assessment procedures and the support, guidance and care it provides.

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Main findings

Children enter the Nursery classes with attainment typical of most children at their age. The great majority in recent terms have benefited from experiencing the good provision in the class for 18 months to 3 year olds before starting in the Nursery. As a result, the children get off to a flying start. They make excellent progress in the Nursery and the Reception class, thanks to the improved quality of the provision, so that by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, their attainment is well above expected levels in all areas of learning. This is an excellent foundation to their learning and the trend in attainment in recent years has been upward.

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Main findings

In both Key Stages 1 and 2 pupils’ learning is good, they make good progress and achieve well. Attainment in the current Year 6 is well above average in mathematics and science and above average in English. Last year, test results of pupils’ writing were average overall and the school immediately set out about tackling this anomaly. As a result, standards of writing in the current classes are improving and pupils are benefiting from greater opportunities to write at length both in English lessons and across other subjects of the curriculum. This improvement now needs to be monitored and consolidated. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress and some make outstanding progress thanks to the quality of the support they receive.

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Main findings

Pupils’ behaviour both in class and around school is outstanding and pupils become conscientious students who want to learn. They gain an excellent understanding of their own personal safety and what they need to do to stay fit and healthy. They take on responsibilities in school very well and have good opportunities to help in the local community as well. Punctuality to school is good but levels of attendance are only in line with the national average. Whereas the attendance of the great majority of pupils is good, the attendance of a small minority, mostly because their families take holidays in term time, is not good enough. Despite the best efforts of the school, a few parents still do not adhere to the school’s guidance on these issues.

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Main findings

Teaching and learning are good with some outstanding features and the school’s use of data, tracking how pupils are progressing, is excellent. This leads to teachers having a very detailed knowledge of how each pupil in their class is doing and no child is allowed to fall behind. The curriculum is good and has several outstanding features. One or two aspects in the process of development, such as strategies to teach writing, require evaluating to check their impact. The school’s pastoral support and guidance for pupils are outstanding and lead to all pupils, including the more vulnerable, making good and often very good progress in their personal development.

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Main findings

The school has good capacity to improve and this is clearly evident in the improvements made since the last inspection. The school has moved on from being satisfactory to being good with outstanding elements. The school’s evaluation of itself is robust and has led to an accurate analysis of its performance. The senior leadership of the school has had a massive impact on driving the school forward since the last inspection, focusing effectively on improving the learning of all groups of pupils and offering parents extended provision before and after school and in the school holidays.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the standards of writing throughout the school  by evaluating the impact of current teaching strategies and taking appropriate action  by regularly checking samples of pupils’ writing within and across Key Stages so that teachers’ judgements are an accurate match with one another.  Raise levels of attendance to good or better by reducing the number of holidays taken by some families during term time, thereby making a better contribution to pupils’ achievement.

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2

Pupils develop very good attitudes to their work and this helps their overall achievement significantly. Standards are rising in Key Stage 1 because pupils have benefited from the greatly improved provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage in recent times and have much improved skills and knowledge when they enter Year 1. As a result, standards last year in Year 2 were well above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils in the current Year 2 are making very good progress because of good teaching and very good support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. From average levels of attainment on entry to Key Stage 2, pupils’ learning and progress are good. This is the result of improved assessment systems which help teachers to identify signs of underachievement more quickly and put in place programmes of support.

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2

Pupils’ social and moral development is excellent, evident for instance in their responsible attitudes to others, their distaste for any nastiness and the confidence they show in one another. This demonstrates the school’s successful commitment to promoting equality of opportunity. Pupils feel they have very good opportunities to affect decisions in school through the school council and point to ways they have made things better in school, such as at playtimes and in the choice of lunchtime menus. Pupils’ spiritual and cultural awareness is good and the school has links with a Kenyan school to promote their understanding of the wider world. The school promotes community cohesion well, for example by teaching pupils about the diversity of ethnic backgrounds in society but has yet to, for example, develop links with schools with a higher percentage of pupils from different cultures than their own.

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2

These are the grades for pupils’ outcomes Pupils’ attainment 1 2 The quality of pupils’ learning and their progress 2 The quality of learning for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and their progress How well do pupils achieve and enjoy their learning? 2 To what extent do pupils feel safe? 1 How well do pupils behave? 1 To what extent do pupils adopt healthy lifestyles? 1 To what extent do pupils contribute to the school and wider community? 2 Pupils’ attendance 3 How well do pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being? What is the extent of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development? 2

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The quality of the school’s work

The great majority of teaching is good with outstanding examples in two year groups. Key strengths include the excellent relationships between staff and pupils, high levels of engagement of pupils in their learning, impressive use of learning assistants to help pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and excellent marking of pupils’ work. Outstanding practice is evident in the way pupils regularly respond to the teachers’ comments by writing their own responses. In a small number of lessons, however, pupils’ learning is only satisfactory because the pace of lessons drops and there is a lack of challenge in what pupils are asked to do. The school’s systems to track the academic progress of pupils are highly detailed and lead to staff knowing exactly how well pupils are doing. Pupils are given a clear indication of this, know their targets very well and what they must do to improve. The curriculum is very well planned and enriched by an excellent range of visits and

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The quality of the school’s work

visitors. A cross-curricular approach to teaching key skills through subjects and a new strategy to help pupils’ writing skills are currently being implemented successfully and will require ongoing evaluation. Key strengths of the support, care

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The quality of the school’s work

1 Grades for attainment are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; 4 is low and guidance the school provides include the quality of support provided for pupils with additional needs and the more vulnerable. Parents comment very favourably on how the staff make them and their children feel welcome and provide good quality extended services in the before- and after-school and holiday clubs.

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The quality of the school’s work

These are the grades for the quality of provision High quality teaching and purposeful learning 2 Effective assessment 1 An appropriate curriculum which meets pupils’ needs, including, where relevant, provision through partnership with other organisations Support, guidance and care 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The senior leadership team has developed very well since the last inspection, driven forward by the unstinting work of the dynamic headteacher and deputy headteacher. There is a shared vision of how the school is to develop and middle managers are now making an effective contribution to decision making despite being comparatively new to their roles. The school’s monitoring of all aspects of safeguarding the pupils’ welfare is excellent. The school is ably supported by governors, who have a good understanding of its strengths and what needs to be done to improve. They have only recently taken on responsibility for the school’s extended services and have yet to evaluate them fully. There are good systems of communication with parents and carers, whose views are acted upon through various questionnaires. However, the school has found it very difficult to reduce the number of requests for term time holidays. For example, there have been eight already this term alone. The school

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How effective are leadership and management?

follows the correct guidelines and only authorises them in exceptional circumstances and is consulting widely with other schools in a similar situation to learn from successful practice elsewhere. Partnerships with the associated secondary school and other primary schools are good and there are very good opportunities for pupils in Years 3 to 5 to visit the secondary school for specialist lessons. Links with staff in the on-site children’s centre are developing well. Because pupils’ achievement is good and some of the outcomes outstanding, and the deployment of staff is very effective, the school provides outstanding value for money.

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for leadership and management Communicating ambition and driving improvement 1 Promoting equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination 2 Ensuring that safeguarding procedures are effective 1 Ensuring that the governing body provides effective challenge and support so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities are met Promoting the school’s relationship with parents and carers, including their involvement in decision-making about matters relating to learning and well-being Developing partnerships with other providers, organisations and services 2 Ensuring the school contributes to community cohesion 2 Deploying resources to achieve value for money 1

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children’s learning is good in the pre-Nursery class for 18 month to 3 year olds. The children make good progress in each area of development and parents regard the provision highly, giving them ‘peace of mind’. The welfare of the children is carefully monitored and all aspects of safeguarding are in place.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Provision in the Nursery and Reception classes is of high quality and leads to children making outstanding progress. In the Nursery there is much to excite the imagination of the children with very well planned and resourced topics. For example, children enjoy the role-play area, using the ‘tool box’ and building in the construction site. They show confidence and independence in their play. Lunchtime arrangements for children who stay all day in the Nursery are good. In the Reception class, the teacher’s excellent planning means the activities are geared very closely to the needs and interests of the children. The classroom is organised so that children have continuous access to all areas and as they visit each one they mark a register so that staff know the range of activities the children experience. Children’s understanding of letters and sounds develops exceptionally well. After a visit to a farm, more able

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Early Years Foundation Stage

children were observed using their knowledge of sounds to write ‘farm’ correctly. Their early skills of writing develop exceptionally well. Children follow directions very well and develop an excellent awareness of staying safe. They are very aware of hygiene when they take their snack and they can make healthy choices. They are respectful of adults, readily join in activities and help to clear equipment away. They display excellent levels of concentration and develop outstanding basic skills for their age.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Key strengths of the provision overall include the use of assessment, the system of key workers, which means staff take excellent care of the children, and the outstanding outdoor areas. The Early Years Foundation Stage has significantly improved since the last inspection.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

How good are the outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage? 1 What is the quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage? 1 How effectively is the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage led and managed? Overall effectiveness: how well does the setting/school meet the needs of children in the Early Years Foundation Stage?

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Views of parents and carers

Fifty-seven questionnaires were returned by parents. They endorse the views found in the school’s own consultations with parents, namely that the great majority are very satisfied with the school. They value the improvements made since the last inspection, are particularly impressed by the new Early Years Foundation Stage and confirm their children make good progress in school subjects. Of the very small number of criticisms, one that featured more than once centred on how well parents are kept aware of the progress their child is making. This was a point picked up by the school in its most recent consultations and measures are now under way to improve it.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. In 2007/08, 15% of schools were judged to be outstanding. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. In 2007/08, 49% of schools were judged good. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. In 2007/08, 32% of schools were judged satisfactory. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves. In 2007/08, 5% of schools were judged inadequate.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a Key Stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: an overall measure of the pupils’ success in their academic learning. The term combines attainment and progress. Pupils might make good progress, for example, but if their attainment remains low, inspectors may judge that their achievement is only satisfactory.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school. 16 March 2009

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Inspection of Shevington Community Primary School, Wigan, WN6 8EW

It was a pleasure to inspect your school. You were all extremely friendly and helpful and we enjoyed finding out from you how much you enjoy learning. Now I would like to share with you what we found.

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Inspection of Shevington Community Primary School, Wigan, WN6 8EW

Your school is providing you with a good education and has some outstanding features. Children get an excellent start in the Nursery and Reception classes and have so many opportunities to learn with each other through play. You continue to make good progress in all other years and, by the time you leave at the end of Year 6, you reach above average standards in English and well above average in mathematics and science. This is because the teaching you receive is good and you also work very hard.

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Inspection of Shevington Community Primary School, Wigan, WN6 8EW

Your behaviour is excellent and you look after each other so well. Members of the school council work hard to find out what you think and make suggestions. As a result, this is making your school even better. You particularly like the wide range of extra-curricular events and take a full part in arts, sports and music activities. Your teachers and teaching assistants take excellent care of you all. They make sure that everyone feels safe and secure. They also give you a lot of advice about how you can improve when they mark your work.

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Inspection of Shevington Community Primary School, Wigan, WN6 8EW

Part of my job is to identify how the school can be even better. There are two things to do and you can help with one of them.

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Inspection of Shevington Community Primary School, Wigan, WN6 8EW

I have asked the staff to check carefully how well they are teaching you all how to write stories, reports, letters and arguments because you should be doing better. I know you are enjoying the ‘Big Write’ lessons so I have asked your teachers to check if it is really helping you or not.

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Inspection of Shevington Community Primary School, Wigan, WN6 8EW

A small minority of you are missing school through your families taking holidays in term time. We all know how important it is not to miss lessons because it badly affects your learning. So we want to see an improvement here.

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Inspection of Shevington Community Primary School, Wigan, WN6 8EW

Please continue to work hard. I send you all my best wishes for the future.

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Inspection of Shevington Community Primary School, Wigan, WN6 8EW

Frank Carruthers Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

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