Other · Ofsted report

Livingstone Primary School

Inspected — · published 5 Jul 2001 · URN 106210

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Summary

No overall grade in this framework

Old Bungalow Farmhouse (lead), Six Mile Bottom

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Inspectorssingle source
Old Bungalow Farmhouse, Six Mile Bottom
URN verified
106210

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Praiseeffectiveeffectivelystronghigh expectationsimprovedgood progresssuccessfullysecure

Criticisminsufficientpoornot sufficientlybelowmissedweaknesseslowlack

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FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improve positive critical

Findings3412w+82
What needs to improve1657w+36

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Pages: 19
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Full report text

LIVINGSTONE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 26 th February – 28 th February 2001

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LIVINGSTONE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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LIVINGSTONE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary 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. Livingstone Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Valeside Mossley Ashton-under-Lyne Lancashire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr D Steward

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 5 th February, 1996 Livingstone Primary School - 4

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Team members

16493 Mr Neville Sherman Registered inspector 9981 Mr Saleem Hussein Lay inspector 22361 Mrs Marina Gough Team inspector

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Team members

Lynrose Marketing Ltd Old Bungalow Farmhouse Six Mile Bottom Newmarket Cambs CB8 ORT

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Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Livingstone Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Livingstone Primary School is a smaller than average school and caters for 136 pupils between the ages of four and eleven. There are more boys than girls. Most pupils come from the school’s immediate catchment area. The number of pupils who have English as an additional language is well below the national average. The proportion of pupils who are entitled to free school meals is average. The number of pupils on the register for special educational needs is below average although the numbers who have statements of special educational need is above average. Pupils enter the school with well below average levels of attainment. The inspection of this school included a detailed inspection of its provision for pupils with special educational needs.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The school is effective. There is a strong ethos that is sharply focused on ensuring that all pupils achieve to the best of their ability. Teaching is good overall and examples of very good teaching were noted during the inspection. In many classes, pupils make good gains in their learning and by the time they leave at 11, achieve well in view of their low attainment on admission. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good, as is the quality of their behaviour. The quality of the relationships across the school is very good. Provision for pupils’ moral and social development is very good. The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory and effective in promoting a strong team spirit. The school provides satisfactory value for money.

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What the school does well

• Teaching is good. • Pupils’ achievement is good. • There is very good provision for pupils’ moral and social development and the pupils have good attitudes to learning. • Information and communication technology is used well to support pupils in their work in other subjects.

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What could be improved

• The work of the co-ordinators so that it extends to include effective evaluation of the standards that pupils attain. • The pupils’ investigations in mathematics and science and the quality of their extended writing. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school was last inspected in February 1996 and has made satisfactory improvement in tackling the issues identified in the report. Provision within the school for information and communication technology has improved greatly. The teaching of music has improved as the staff are more confident in the subject. All staff have been involved in developing the curriculum for design and technology and art and design and this has improved the pupils’ rate of progress in these subjects. Overall, teaching has improved since the last inspection when one in ten lessons were judged to be unsatisfactory. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen during the current inspection. Governors are now kept fully informed about developments in the school. The development plan is better than it was and now includes ways of measuring the school’s success. Livingstone Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11-year-olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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similar schools

1998 1999 2000 2000 very high A* English B E C B well above average above average A B

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similar schools

Mathematics A C B B average below average C D Science A* C B B well below average E

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similar schools

Pupils’ attainment in the 2000 national tests when compared to standards nationally was average in English and above average in mathematics and science. When compared with similar schools, pupils reached above average standards in all three subjects. The school sets appropriate targets for pupils and is on course to meet them. The trend in improvement has been at a faster rate than the national rising trend in all subjects. At the end of Key Stage 1, attainment in the National Curriculum tests was well above the national average and well above the average for similar schools in reading and mathematics and above average in writing. In science, based on teacher assessments, pupils attained below average standards.

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similar schools

Inspection findings are that standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are not as high as in 2000 but this reflects the difference in attainment between the groups of pupils concerned. Pupils make good gains overall in their learning from low levels of attainment when they first enter the school. Standards in English and mathematics are currently below average at the end of Key Stage 2. In information and communication technology, pupils, throughout the school, attain standards that are above national expectations. These high standards are largely due to the good use of information and communication technology in other subjects. Pupils’ investigation skills in mathematics and science not sufficiently developed and there are missed opportunities to extend pupils’ learning in these areas. Children in the Foundation Stage make at least satisfactory progress in many areas of their learning, and in their personal, social and emotional development they make good gains in their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils enjoy their learning and have good attitudes to school. They work hard to complete the work that is set for them to the best of their ability. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good. Pupils are polite and courteous and have a good understanding of how their behaviour may impact on the well- being of others. Personal development and relationships Very good overall. Pupils relate well to one another and consider the needs of others. Attendance Satisfactory. Attendance rates are in line with the national average. Most pupils arrive on time effectively ensuring a smooth Livingstone Primary School - 8 start to the school day.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

18 lessons seen overall Good Good Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Teaching is good overall. During the inspection teaching was very good in 39 per cent of lessons, good in 33 percent and satisfactory in 28 percent. No unsatisfactory teaching was observed. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is effective and teachers place particularly good emphasis on ensuring that pupils access and use information and communication technology regularly to develop their skills in these two areas . All staff have sufficiently high expectations of pupils and they manage them well. In English, questioning is used well to develop pupils’ understanding of language, for example, exploring how poets use language to create a particularly stylistic effect. In other lessons, such as religious education, pupils are effectively challenged to think and explore issues of a moral nature. This gives pupils the confidence to contribute to many lessons and listen effectively to the views and ideas of

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Teaching of pupils: aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

others. Insufficient use is made of investigative work in mathematics ands science to support pupils in their learning.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Satisfactory. The curriculum is planned to meet the requirements of the National Curriculum and for children in the Foundation Stage.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. Pupils who may have a special learning need are identified early and given appropriate support. Pupils have suitably devised individual education plans that have a positive impact on their progress and achievement.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall with particular strengths in the provision to enhance pupils’ moral and social development. Good use is made of daily assemblies to extend pupils’ knowledge and awareness of the social needs of others. The day-to-day life of the school successfully encourages pupils’ personal development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. The school successfully cares for all pupils. The staff have a good knowledge and appreciation of the particular needs of the pupils. The school has developed a sufficient range of procedures to track pupils’ progress as they move from class to class. Livingstone Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Satisfactory overall. The headteacher has a clear idea of the strengths of the school and where improvements are needed. The subject leaders do not monitor and evaluate standards in their subjects with sufficient rigour.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors are effective in the work they undertake for the school and are fully involved in the decisions that are made.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Unsatisfactory. The school has started to use assessment data to highlight trends in the pupils’ performance. While the headteacher formally monitors teaching there is scope to extend the role of the co-ordinators in supporting this process.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Satisfactory. Highly effective use is made of information, communication and technology to support pupils in their learning. At present the management of the school does not sufficiently evaluate the way in which resources and non –teaching time are used by co-ordinators to enable them to monitor teaching and learning more effectively.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The ‘community feel’ of the school; • The caring attitudes many staff show towards the children; • The good progress pupils make in their personal development; • The effective way in which pupils with special educational needs, particularly those with a high level of need, are integrated into the school. • The range of extra-curricular activities; • How pupils are supervised at lunchtime; • The amount and frequency of work that pupils are asked to complete at home.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection findings support the positive views of parents. There are some extra-curricular activities but external groups largely provide these and the school could improve provision in this aspect of pupils’ learning. There is a sufficient number of midday assistants to supervise pupils at lunchtime and pupils are adequately managed. While pupils are given some work to complete at home the amount of homework is currently insufficient. Livingstone Primary School - 10

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. The overall quality of teaching has a strong impact on progress and achievement of the pupils in all key stages. The teaching is good throughout the school. During the inspection 39 per cent of lessons observed were very good and a further 33 per cent of lessons were good. The remainder was satisfactory. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is effective and for the most part, pupils are effectively taught to develop these skills in other subjects.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. Children in the Foundation Stage are taught effectively. Two teachers work part-time in the Reception/Year 1 class on a job-sharing arrangement. Both teachers have a secure knowledge of the children. They plan work that closely matches the children’s needs and abilities and also take good account of the older pupils in the class. The teachers make good use of national guidelines to plan work that is sufficiently challenging. Children learn effectively because the staff ensure that there are good opportunities to use apparatus and other equipment to develop their early learning. Good account is taken of the assessments made on the children as they first enter the school in planning the next steps in their learning. As a result of the good teaching, most children settle quickly into their new school environment, are encouraged to develop their skills of working collaboratively with each other and quickly establish

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

strong relationships. As a result, many children make particularly good progress in their personal, social and emotional development.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. At Key Stage 1 and 2, teaching is also good. All teachers have sufficiently high expectations of the pupils, and the teachers promote good attitudes and behaviour. As a result, learning is good and the pupils behave well. In a junior class in Years 4 and 5, the pupils explored the text of ‘Jason and the Golden Fleece’; and showed much interest and enthusiasm as they were captivated by the teacher’s imaginative reading of the text. The teacher led a stimulating discussion that included rigorous questioning and led to the pupils developing a clear understanding of the use of question marks and other punctuation. Very effective use of time was demonstrated in the lesson and the lesson structure successfully encapsulated the principles of the Literacy Hour. The teacher’s guidance during a reading session had a very positive impact on the pupils’ learning as it focused their attention on the importance of using the voice creatively

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

when reading aloud. The teaching of English is good ensuring that many pupils make effective gains in their knowledge and understanding of the importance, for example, punctuation plays in the presentation of work.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. In many lessons, pupils are reminded by teachers of the need to work hard in all they do and attempt. This ensures that the majority of pupils strive to give of their best at all times. Most lessons are planned effectively and include tasks that match the needs and ages of the pupils. Activities are well chosen to maintain the interest and motivation of the pupils. As a result, pupils concentrate hard. Resources are used well, with many examples seen during the inspection of less confident pupils being helped to understand concepts and ideas in mathematics, for example, by using coins, three- dimensional shapes or calculators.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. Pupils with special educational needs are taught well and the learning assistants play a key role in supporting the pupils, particularly those with statements of special educational needs. Class teachers are very aware of the needs of those the school’s Livingstone Primary School - 11 special educational needs register in their class and use this information well when writing the pupils’ individual education plans. Such pupils are fully involved in the introductions to lessons, receive very good support learning support assistants during the main part of the lesson and are well drawn in at the concluding sessions. The high degree of care shown to these pupils ensures that they make good gains in the development of their personal, social and academic skills.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6. On admission to the school, pupils’ speaking, listening and communication skills are particularly low. However, they make good progress in the reception class and achieve well in communication, language and literacy and mathematical development. The children make very good progress in their personal, social and emotional development, aided by the close attention paid by staff to ensure that children are given full and regular opportunities to work collaboratively and purposefully with one another.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. In English, by the time pupils leave Key Stage 1, they have a secure understanding of the need to write carefully and many pupils develop secure handwriting skills. The school places good emphasis on developing pupils’ handwriting and by the age of seven, many pupils show increased mastery of joining their letters and are aware of the need to present their work carefully knowing the importance this has on the reader. Teachers have high expectations of pupils in how they record and present their work. In reading, pupils in both key stages develop strong attitudes towards reading and many pupils are able to give examples of their favourite authors, and give reasons and opinions as to why they prefer one author to another and why. Many pupils are reading at a high level and they are effectively aided in the development of their reading by the good attention paid by teachers to ensuring that literature plays a full and rich part in

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8. In most aspects of mathematics and science, pupils continue to achieve well. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils have a secure understanding of number, shape, space, measurement and how information can be presented and displayed graphically. Teachers ensure that pupils are given time to explore these ideas in depth and effective use is made of information and communication technology to support pupils’ learning. In science, pupils make equally secure gains in their learning of different scientific ideas that include aspects of materials, living processes as well as their insight into scientific concepts such as forces, the Earth in space, sound and light.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

9. Pupils make good gains in their learning in art and design due to the high status given to the subject by the school. Inspection evidence shows that artistic skills are taught well and that pupils have good opportunities to explore the work and techniques of famous artists and craftspeople. This successfully stimulates pupils’ interest in the subject and is fruitful in promoting pupils’ appreciation of the contribution that art can make to the world in which they live. Pupils make good gains in their understanding of other subjects of the curriculum. Attainment in music is now in line with national expectations and at a higher level than that noted at the time of the school’s last inspection. This has been achieved by the increased attention being paid to ensuring that all staff have sufficient confidence and knowledge in the teaching of the subject. Livingstone Primary School - 12

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There is very good provision for pupils’ moral and social development and the pupils

10. The school makes good provision overall for pupils’ personal and spiritual, social, moral and cultural development. There is particularly good provision for pupils’ social and moral development, which results in pupils having good attitudes to learning and promotes good behaviour. Pupils are keen to come to school, they strive to achieve their best and treat the school’s resources with respect. Pupils are polite and courteous and have a good understanding of how their behaviour may impact on the well-being of others.

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There is very good provision for pupils’ moral and social development and the pupils

11. Assemblies make a strong contribution to the pupils’ understanding of what is right and wrong and to developing pupils’ realisation that what they say and do can impact on the well being of others. There is a carefully planned programme of themes and topics to support pupils’ understanding of issues of a moral nature and these are carefully explored in the course of the assemblies during the school week. During the inspection, pupils were regularly invited to participate in the assembly through, for example, taking part in short improvised drama sketches to demonstrate the points being made. In other lessons and through other subjects such as religious education, geography and English, good opportunities are provided for pupils to discuss moral issues.

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There is very good provision for pupils’ moral and social development and the pupils

12. Very good attention is given to extending pupils’ understanding of the importance of working purposefully as a member of a wider social group. Through competitive sports, pupils effectively develop their understanding of the importance of working together as a team. Many occasions are provided for pupils to collect for others less fortunate than themselves. Older pupils are given regular opportunities to look after younger pupils and to take responsibility for some aspects of the day-to-day administration the school such as answering the telephone and passing on messages. Pupils respond to the responsibilities they are given with a high degree of maturity. For older pupils, a residential trip is provided and this further extends pupils’ understanding of the need to work effectively with others and to develop such skills as good grace, cooperation and sensitivity.

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Information and communication technology is used well to support pupils in their

13. The school makes very good use of information and communication technology equipment to support pupils in their learning. As a result, pupils attain standards at the end of both key stages that are above expectations. The pupils, including those with special educational needs, make very good gains in their understanding of both using the equipment and in developing their appreciation of how information and communication technology impacts on their daily lives.

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Information and communication technology is used well to support pupils in their

14. The school has greatly improved the range of equipment since its first inspection in 1996. Rather than opting for a full suite of computers, the decision was taken to improve provision by placing four computers in each classroom in a ‘quad’ arrangement. These are attractively and effectively arranged to give pupils good access to the range of equipment that also includes good quality printers and headphones for pupils to use so that the noise from certain programs does not distract others. This arrangement is effective in ensuring that pupils see information and communication technology as an important part of their everyday learning. Livingstone Primary School - 13 15. Alongside the improvements to equipment, the school has ensured that the staff have become fully conversant in how to use the range of software and effective in planning pupils’ learning across different subjects. All staff plan effectively for pupils to have full

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Information and communication technology is used well to support pupils in their

and regular access to the equipment in many lessons, and teachers have high expectations of the amount and quality of work pupils will attain during a session at the computer. After introductions to lessons, the pupils chosen to work at the computers are given specific, relevant tasks, for example, word-processing tasks to support their literacy work, number activities as part of their day-to-day numeracy lessons, or the opportunity to explore the Internet or a simple art package as part of their studies in art and design. The work pupils are asked to do is often challenging and is highly successful in developing in pupils strong attitudes to their learning and promoting their confidence and skills in using computers.

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Information and communication technology is used well to support pupils in their

16. As a result of the effective teaching, pupils in both key stages make good gains in their learning. Younger Key Stage 2 pupils use the basic features of a desktop publishing program quite ably, and they competently alter the shape, size and colour of the text they have written. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils confidently demonstrate how to add a piece of clip-art to their work to give their type written efforts a more pleasing effect. In addition, they ably use the advance features of a word-processor such as the alignment and spell-checking facilities to improve the appearance of their work and check the accuracy of their efforts. Pupils confidently use data handling packages as part or their studies in mathematics or science. Their appreciation of how the Internet may be accessed, explored and interrogated to support their learning in history or geography is secure.

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The work of the co-ordinators so that it extends to include effective evaluation of the

17. There is a strong team spirit in the school and the headteacher is effective in ensuring that all staff are valued and are encouraged to contribute to the school’s development. Teachers, for example, play a full and active role in the formulation of the school development plan and the progress towards the targets outlined in this are regularly reviewed. At present, however, virtually all of the monitoring of teaching and learning is done by the headteacher, While this gives her a good overview of how pupils are learning, the contribution of the subject co-ordinators to this process is under- developed.

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The work of the co-ordinators so that it extends to include effective evaluation of the

18. Each teacher has some non-teaching time during the course of the week for general classroom administration or to fulfil aspects in relation to their role as a co-ordinator. However, not all of this time is used well due to lack of focus and direction to the monitoring aspects of their role by the headteacher. The funds to provide this support are not used well and the school has not evaluated its spending on this aspect of its work with sufficient rigour. There is insufficient formal evaluation of pupils’ work by the teachers and as a result, not all teachers have a secure perception of standards in classes other than their own. The current arrangement of non-teaching time for teachers needs to be reviewed in terms of its overall cost effectiveness and of the impact that co-ordinators have on standards in their subjects of responsibility. Livingstone Primary School - 14

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The pupils’ investigations in mathematics and science and the quality of their

19. As pupils progress through the school they make secure gains in the development of their writing skills. The best pieces of work are well punctuated and sequenced. Older Key Stage 2 pupils are given good opportunities to practise a range of writing that includes poetry, character descriptions, factual accounts or the writing of letters in which they have to outline an argument or personal point of view. However, at Key Stage 1 the range of writing tends to be more narrow and restrictive covering instructions or the retelling of stories. Pupils’ writing is often the completion of worksheets and this approach limits the potential of higher attaining pupils. At Key Stage 2, while the range of writing is more extensive, there are few really extended pieces with pupils, for example, dividing their work into chapters thereby allowing them to develop their creative writing skills in a more extended way.

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The pupils’ investigations in mathematics and science and the quality of their

20. Overall, pupils make good progress in developing their knowledge and understanding of mathematical and scientific ideas as they progress through the school However, whilst pupils have a secure understanding of what in science, for example, is meant by a ‘fair test’, opportunities to undertake investigational work where the pupils themselves are following their own lines of enquiry are few. Investigation work tends to be directed by the teacher and, in the main, teachers do not ensure that their planning iallows for pupils to plan their own investigations or experiments in mathematics and science. On occasion older higher attaining pupils are asked to complete work that is at the same level as that for younger less able pupils and when this occurs they do not make the gains of which they are capable in this aspect of their learning.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

21. In order to raise standards and accelerate the rate of pupils’ progress, the headteacher, staff and governors should ensure that:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

1) the role of the subject leader is better directed, evaluated fully in terms of its cost effectiveness and includes a sharper focus on monitoring and evaluating standards.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

2) pupils are provided with more opportunities to write extended passages and to follow their own lines of enquiry in their investigative work in mathematics and science. Livingstone Primary School - 15

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