Thorplands Primary School

Thorplands Primary School Inspection report

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121932 Unique Reference Number Northamptonshire Local Authority 327599 Inspection number 24–25 June 2009 Inspection dates John Mason Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 196 School (total) 41 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 39 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Stuart McArthur Chair Angela Pratt Headteacher 20 June 2006 Date of previous school inspection 23 March 2007 Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Farm Field Court School address Thorplands Northampton NN3 8AQ 01604 493384 Telephone number 01604 671606 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 24–25 June 2009 Inspection dates 327599 Inspection number .

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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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Thorplands Primary School, 24–25 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Thorplands Primary School is smaller than average. Many families living on the local estates it serves move in and out of housing frequently, resulting in a well above average turnover of children and a lack of stability in classes in all years. A larger-than-average proportion of pupils from Traveller communities also attend. Many children experience often quite significant aspects of social disadvantage. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is double the national average, with many of these having behavioural, social and emotional difficulties. The school houses special provision for 12 pupils with speech and language difficulties. The proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs is well above average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is well above average, having increased in recent years. The proportion with English as an additional language is above

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Description of the school

average. The school holds the Healthy Schools award. Under the auspices of the governing body, the school houses the Sure Start Thorplands Children's Centre which opened in September 2006 and is funded by the local authority. The full day care nursery provision is for a total of 63 children from three months to five years at any one time and opens for 50 weeks each year. Most children in the Nursery complete their Early Years Foundation Stage education in the school's Reception class. The school provides breakfast club childcare before school for older pupils.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Thorplands Primary School, 24–25 June 2009

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Grade: 2

Thorplands Primary School is a good school. It places the complex needs of the community it serves at the core of its work. The care it provides is outstanding, ensuring pupils make very good progress in their personal development. The good and very well integrated Thorplands Children's Centre shares the same aspirations and vision for children and the community. It makes excellent welfare provision, enabling children in the Early Years Foundation Stage to achieve outstanding levels of personal development. Pupils achieve well. They meet appropriately challenging targets in English, mathematics and science. Although standards by the end of Year 6 are below average, pupils progress well across the school from very low starting points. Standards at the end of both Year 2 and Year 6 have risen year-by-year since the time of the previous inspection. However, despite recent initiatives to teach English skills more systematically, pupils still do better in reading than in writing. There

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Grade: 2

is very good provision to support pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language. These pupils, those from Traveller communities and those who arrive other than at the normal times of joining the school also achieve well. Pupils enjoy school because they feel very well cared for. They particularly enjoy the way teachers make learning fun and the range of clubs and extra activities that the school offers. Their involvement as both performers and audience in an assembly led by the local music service, with all pupils in Year 5 playing instruments, strongly illustrated their pride in their achievements, their curiosity to learn and their social cohesiveness. Pupils' skills to support their future learning are satisfactory. Despite below average standards in English and mathematics, they progress well and make great strides in their social skills.

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Grade: 2

Good teaching ensures pupils build good relationships and good attitudes to learning. Clear expectations of behaviour ensure good routines are established so that pupils gain from their teachers' good and well-communicated subject knowledge. However, teachers' marking does not always give pupils clear guidance on how they can improve their work. The curriculum is satisfactory. It is enriched well by a good range of extra activities, trips and visitors to the school. Initiatives to improve literacy are making an impact in Key Stage 1, but the provision of opportunities for pupils to practise and extend their writing skills across the curriculum is not as extensive as it could be and limits the progress made in this area. Due to the lack of full access to computers while new equipment is being installed, pupils' use of information and communication technology (ICT) across the curriculum has been inconsistent

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Grade: 2

and opportunities to extend and consolidate their learning have been limited. Care, guidance and support are good. The guidance pupils receive academically is not as strong as the attention to their welfare. Pupils articulate and understand targets they are given but they do not have enough opportunity to evaluate their progress towards these. The school is well led and managed. It has good capacity to improve further. Staff at all levels are committed to improving standards and to the headteacher's clearly articulated vision of a 'Thorplands Learning Community'. With the integration of the Children's Centre and the inclusion of all pupils with statements of special educational needs fully into the life of the school, this vision has bedded down impressively. It is further boosted by the many opportunities for parents and carers to be involved in family learning initiatives and the outstanding work with other partners

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Grade: 2

to promote pupils' well-being. Parents overwhelmingly support the school's approach and remark on the quality of improvements in the last few years. Governors carry out their role 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Thorplands Primary School, 24–25 June 2009 satisfactorily and provide sound support for the headteacher and staff. Despite the strong liaison, a few parents take their children on extended holidays in term-time. This adversely affects the continuity of learning for the pupils involved.

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Grade: 2

Overall, children have very low levels of skills when they enter the Nursery. They progress well as a result of good teaching. Robust systems for monitoring ensure that the many children who need specialist support are quickly identified and given good-quality extra help. The school does an excellent job of involving parents in the early education of the children, including arranging effective parenting groups to help children feel settled. Planning provides an excellent balance between activities led by practitioners and those that children choose for themselves. However, planning for reading and writing is less effective. Learning is enhanced by stimulating resources, lively displays and a creatively refurbished outdoor area. Children quickly gain in confidence and move happily between activities, learning and developing key social skills as they play. Children develop a very good awareness of safe and healthy practices. Younger

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Grade: 2

children receive very good support in adopting basic hygiene. Children make a smooth transition to the Reception class and arrangements to welcome the new children who start at age five are strong. The children continue to progress and achieve well. By the end of the Reception class their personal, social and emotional development, their physical development and their creative development, together with their understanding of things around them, is above age-related expectations. However, in aspects of literacy and numeracy, particularly writing and reading, children do not meet age-related expectations. Nonetheless, throughout the Early Years Foundation Stage careful monitoring of children's development enables the setting to provide challenging and contextualised targets in literacy and numeracy which have been met by all children except where some targets have been set too high. The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed with robust review of

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Grade: 2

provision leading to clear plans for future development.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide a full range of opportunities for pupils to expand their writing and ICT skills across the curriculum in order to improve standards. ■ Improve teachers' marking and provide more chances for pupils to check their progress so that all individuals know better how to improve their work and reach the targets set for them. ■ Strengthen procedures to dissuade families from taking extended term-time holidays.

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Grade: 2

From a very low starting point pupils progress and achieve well across the school. Progress tracking data confirm this good progress in English, mathematics and science, but with performance in writing not as secure as reading. New arrivals, often joining the school with low levels of attainment, also make good progress. 2008 results indicated that girls did not do as well as boys, but inspectors found that current evidence did not support this as a recurrent concern. The modest but increasing proportion of pupils on course to reach the upper levels by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 indicates that improving trends are being maintained. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Thorplands Primary School, 24–25 June 2009

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Grade: 2

Pupils respond well to the warm, welcoming ethos of the school and grow in confidence and self-esteem. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils learn to reflect deeply on issues raised in assemblies or special focus days to develop respect for others. They gain a good awareness of other faiths, languages and perceptions of right and wrong. Involvement of parents in many of these activities heightens pupils' personal development. Pupils have a good awareness of healthy and safe practices. Behaviour is good and the pupils with identified behavioural, social and emotional needs are very well integrated into the life of the school. Pupils' contributions to the community are good. The school council is active and respected, and views of the less confident pupils can be represented through the parents' council too. Pupils enjoy responsible tasks, like cooking the vegetables grown on site, looking

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Grade: 2

after the environment and fund-raising for charities. Given the context of the school, attendance is broadly average. However, the development of some pupils is constrained by the above-average proportion of families who take extended holidays during term-time.

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Grade: 2

Teachers know their pupils' individual learning needs very well and tailor tasks to ensure pupils focus well in lessons. Questioning and other techniques are well used to ensure that teachers know what pupils have understood or not, enabling teachers to adjust the pace of lessons well. Teaching assistants, many of whom have had specific training to support pupils with identified learning needs, provide invaluable support both in class and in the nurture group. When group work takes place teachers do not always make explicit what standards are expected by the end of the tasks, and this occasionally limits the progress of, in particular, more able pupils. Teachers' marking does not always make sufficiently explicit what pupils need to do next to improve.

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Grade: 3

Planning is well organised to ensure the curriculum meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. All pupils with identified learning needs are well included in mainstream lessons. The implementation of a proven literacy programme in Key Stage 1 and for selected pupils in older classes is beginning to improve standards. Teachers often link subjects together very creatively to boost pupils' learning and to motivate them. However, there are currently insufficient opportunities for pupils to expand their skills in English in other curriculum areas, particularly in terms of improving their handwriting, presentation and spelling. Provision for using ICT across the curriculum is not as extensive as it should be, due to teething troubles installing new equipment. Pupils appreciate the good range of extra activities provided and the input from visitors, often including their parents, who come in to school to work with them.

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Grade: 2

A plethora of well-implemented initiatives, including the involvement of a very wide range of external partners and agencies, ensures pupils of all ages and all needs are cared for exceptionally 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Thorplands Primary School, 24–25 June 2009 well. Through the family support workers and the parents' council, the way the school involves parents is outstanding. The family learning weeks during holiday times very successfully involve adults in their children's learning and development. These sessions also effectively provide adults from the culturally diverse local community, opportunities to understand each other's traditions better. Arrangements for the safeguarding of pupils are robust. Health and safety are given due priority. A significant proportion of pupils enjoy attending the breakfast club, getting them in the right frame of body and mind to be able to sustain their attention through

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Grade: 2

the school day. The work of the well-qualified nurture group team and the two special educational needs coordinators provides outstanding support to meet the complex needs of vulnerable children. The school works hard to improve pupils' attendance and punctuality, but not all families are responsive. Recently improved tracking procedures are helping staff to identify ways of better supporting pupils' academic progress. Pupils know and understand the targets for improvement they are given, but are not given enough opportunity to evaluate how well they are progressing towards these.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with parents that the staff at all levels are united and dedicated to 'doing their very best for the children'. They also agree that under the headteacher's very clear leadership 'all the pieces are starting to join together'. Leaders and managers use targets increasingly well to raise standards. The new tracking procedures, linked to robust monitoring and accurate evaluation of provision, are helping staff to identify and address any underachievement much more promptly. Equal opportunities are well promoted with due regard to disability, gender and race relations requirements. The vision of the school as the 'Thorplands Learning Community' underpins excellent planning to improve the cohesiveness of the diverse immediate local community. However, planning to develop greater awareness of citizenship on a national and global level, while having many strengths, is not as well promoted as it could

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Grade: 2

be. Governance has improved under good leadership and with training for new members, with governors providing satisfactory support. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Thorplands Primary School, 24–25 June 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Thorplands Primary School, 24–25 June 2009

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Thorplands Primary School, 24–25 June 2009

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Thorplands Primary School, 24–25 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

26 June 2009 Dear Children Inspection of Thorplands Primary School, Northampton NN3 8AQ Thank you for the very warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school recently. We were very pleased to see and hear how much you enjoy both the school and the children's centre. Please thank your parents for returning the questionnaires too. The information they gave us was very useful and helped us to confirm that the school and the children's centre are providing you with a good education. Thorplands goes the extra mile to give you lots of care and support to help you settle in, make friends and learn well from your kind, committed teachers. More than most schools, teachers make a very big effort to help your parents get involved with what you learn at school. Coming from such a wide range of different home backgrounds this helps you to become a happy and friendly community at school. Of course, you learn better when you all get on well.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We agreed with the school that you learn well because you are taught well. 'Teachers make learning fun', several of you said. That was really evident in the music assembly led by Year 5. Ms Pratt and her team lead the school well. The progress you make is good, but not enough of you have reached the average standards in English, mathematics and science that we would expect to see in most schools. We are concerned that your writing is not improving as quickly as your reading. You can improve your writing more by practising skills more widely. For example, some of you produce lovely writing in your handwriting book, but when you write elsewhere the quality is not as good. To help you reach higher standards we have asked the school to do the following.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Help you improve your writing and your computer skills by having more opportunities to practise the skills you learn in other subjects. ■ Make sure that you are given more helpful comments when teachers mark your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Give you better skills to learn without the support of adults.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Continue to work hard with some parents to dissuade them from taking long holidays during term-time. I am sure you will want to work hard in all your lessons to keep the school improving. We wish you all further success at Thorplands and we hope Year 6 do really well when they start in their new schools next year. Yours faithfully John Mason Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Thorplands Primary School, 24–25 June 2009

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