Other · Ofsted report

Blackshaw Lane Primary & Nursery School

Inspected — · published 13 Oct 2000 · URN 105652

Original PDF ↗

Summary

No overall grade in this framework

What we read, and from where

Click a reading to see it highlighted in the report.

URN verified
105652

Page 1 of 21

Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

Join free to get a short, plain-English summary of any report.

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+29Mostly positivemore positive than 39% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praiseexcellentimprovedmake good progresseffectivelyhigh expectationsstrengthspolitestrength

Criticismweaknessespoornot yetlackinadequatetoo lowweaknessseriously

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improveLeadership positive critical

Findings3092w+62
Leadership1873w−28
What needs to improve1798w+16

Strengths

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

Concerns

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

Next steps

Quoted from the report. Tap to see it on the page.

What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages: 21
Words of findings: 6,706; longer than usual (typical 1049)
Reading level: Fairly hard; Flesch 52, typical 45
Average sentence: 19 words
Next steps: 8; typical 5
Hedged sentences: 6%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 43%Leadership 26%What needs to improve 25%About the inspection 5%

Full report text

BLACKSHAW LANE PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 10 th – 11 th April 2000

p.1

BLACKSHAW LANE PRIMARY SCHOOL

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.

p.1

BLACKSHAW LANE 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. Blackshaw Lane Primary School - 3

p.2

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Blackshaw Lane Heyside Royton Oldham Postcode: OL2 6NT

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr David McDonough

p.3

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: October 1996 Blackshaw Lane Primary School - 4

p.3

Team members

Rowena Onions Registered inspector Malcolm Weaver Lay inspector Joan Boden Team inspector

p.4

Team members

31 Innage Road Northfield Birmingham B31 2DU

p.4

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:

p.4

Team members

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

p.4

Team members

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

p.4

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

p.5

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Blackshaw Lane Primary School is a school of average size, with 213 pupils on roll. It caters for pupils from the age of four to eleven years, with a broadly equal number of boys and girls on the school roll. The school is situated in Royton South ward on the outskirts of Oldham and draws from the surrounding residential area. The local housing is a mixture of council, privately rented and privately owned property, but is predominantly the latter. The percentage of pupils taking free school meals is below the national average. The pupils enter the reception class with a range of attainment, but overall this is in line with average levels. In the main, the pupils enter the school with well-developed social skills. Twenty-four pupils (11 per cent) are on the school’s special educational needs register. This is in line with the national average. No pupils have statements of special educational needs. The characteristics of the school are largely unchanged since the time of the last inspection.

p.6

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school’s aims are: § To provide a happy, caring and supportive environment in which every child has the opportunity to fulfil their individual potential in an atmosphere of trust and mutual respect. § Every effort will be made to ensure that all children in all areas of the curriculum achieve a realistic standard in relation to age and ability. § We aim to develop individuals who are confident and valued members of society by encouraging a co- operative and positive attitude to learning and providing a broad and balanced curriculum which excites and challenges children. § We recognise the fact that these aims will not be achieved without the full support of parents and the wider community.

p.6

HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

Blackshaw Lane is an improving and effective school. The standards attained by the pupils at the end of both key stages in English, mathematics and science are above those attained nationally. The impact of the teaching and the overall leadership and management is good. The school provides good value for money.

p.6

What the school does well

• The school has established a very good atmosphere in which pupils are encouraged to work hard and do their best, to be friendly and polite and to become mature and responsible. • Pupils attain good standards in English, mathematics and science. Standards in art are very good and the performance of the school choir is excellent. • The teachers are committed to raising standards. The teaching has a number of strengths and the overall impact of the teaching is good. • Pupils’ attitudes to work are very good, as is their behaviour. They develop a love of learning that assists them to make good progress. • The headteacher, deputy headteacher and the governors work effectively together as a team, in the interests of the pupils, to raise standards. Blackshaw Lane Primary School - 7

p.6

What could be improved

• There are not enough planned opportunities for pupils to develop skills, or to cover all aspects of the National Curriculum in information technology. Standards are consequently too low. • Day-to-day assessment is not sufficiently well used. Not all of the work set in lessons assists pupils of differing abilities to make rapid enough progress. Marking is not consistently used to show pupils how to improve their work. • Systems are not good enough for: - using the information gathered from monitoring the work of the school; - involving the subject co-ordinators in monitoring and developing their subjects.

p.7

What could be improved

Many aspects identified in this report as areas requiring strengthening had been identified by the headteacher and governing body prior to the inspection. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

p.7

HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Blackshaw Lane Primary school was last inspected in October 1996. Since that time, a number of important improvements have been made. There has been a significant improvement in standards at the end of both key stages in English, mathematics and science. The more able pupils are achieving higher than average levels at the end of Key Stage 2. Levels of attendance have improved and are now above the national average. The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 and the impact of the teaching throughout the school have improved. Improvements have been made in the pupils’ attainment in art. The school has worked on all the issues from the last inspection. Although a number of these are not yet fully resolved, the overall improvement in the quality of education provided by the school is good.

p.7

STANDARDS

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

p.7

Key

English E D C C well above average above average A B Mathematics C D B B average below average C D Science C D B C well below average E

p.7

Key

Pupils enter the school with average attainments. They make good progress in the reception class and many achieve the desirable learning outcomes by the age of five. The work seen during the inspection indicates that current standards are at least in line with 1999 levels and are improved in writing in Key Stage 2 and for pupils of higher ability in Key Stage 1. Pupils of lower ability, including those with special educational needs, make good progress and attain good standards for their ability. The school has already exceeded the Key Stage 2 targets they set some time ago in conjunction with the local education authority and are well on the way to meeting the much higher targets set subsequently by the Year 6 teacher and headteacher. Standards attained in art are also a strength. Standards in religious education are satisfactory but standards in information technology are too low in Key Stages 1 and 2.

p.7

Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. The pupils work very hard and try to improve their work. They are interested in the work that they do in school. Levels of concentration are good.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. Pupils are friendly and polite. They do as they are asked in class and obey the school rules in the school and in the playground.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. There are very productive relationships between adults and pupils. Pupils work and play well together. They learn how to take responsibility for their own learning. Many of the oldest pupils have developed good self-discipline combined with a love of learning.

p.8

Aspect Comment

Attendance Above the national average. Pupils like the school and wish to attend.

p.8

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

Lessons seen overall Satisfactory Good Satisfactory 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.

p.8

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

Although the quality of teaching seen in lessons during the two-day inspection was as above, the evidence from talking to pupils and from looking at their books is that the overall impact of the teaching is good throughout the school. The main strengths in the teaching are: the teachers’ ability to interest and enthuse the pupils, the good use of time in lessons that enables pupils to complete good amounts of work and the way pupils are managed. Teaching would be even better if the teachers used their day-to-day assessments more effectively and if marking told pupils how to improve their work. The needs of pupils of lower attainment, including those with special educational needs, are met well. Teaching is particularly strong in Year 2 and Year 6. In the lessons seen, 95 per cent of the teaching was satisfactory or better, with 26 per cent being good and an additional 16 per cent being very good or excellent. Five per cent of teaching, however, was unsatisfactory.

p.8

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

Most teachers have implemented the national strategies for literacy and numeracy well, and the quality of teaching in literacy is good. The teaching of numeracy is not yet as well established, but current teaching of numeracy is satisfactory. The use of literacy skills in other subjects is satisfactory, but is not assisted by the small range of books available in the school library. Blackshaw Lane Primary School - 9

p.8

Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum is unsatisfactory because the statutory requirements in information technology are not fully met. In other respects, the curriculum is satisfactory. Due emphasis is given to the teaching of literacy and numeracy and pupils are taught all other required subjects. The school has begun to consider the reorganisation of the curriculum that will be required when the revised National Curriculum is in place. Although the curriculum is enriched by musical and sporting activities and clubs, the range of extracurricular activities currently offered by the school is too small. Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is very good. Pupils are assisted to make good progress and all pupils reach good levels for their abilities. The provision is well organised and the staff, including the special needs support

p.9

Aspect Comment

teacher, work conscientiously to meet the needs of the pupils. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The quality of the provision is very good. Social and moral education is successfully promoted by high expectations of pupils’ conduct and adults’ very good role models. Spirituality is encouraged through very good quality assemblies and through assisting pupils to develop a curiosity and pleasure in the world about them. Work in English, religious education, art and music assists the pupils to gain a very good cultural education. How well the school cares for its pupils The quality of care is very good. Teachers know the pupils well and give very good attention to ensuring that each feels a valued member of the school community. There are sound procedures for child protection. The school is clean and well maintained.

p.9

Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The quality of the headteacher’s leadership is good. She has successfully led the school through significant improvements, most importantly the raising of standards. The headteacher is well supported by the deputy headteacher and the governing body. The role of the subject co-ordinators, however, is not yet sufficiently developed. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors are fully involved in the life of the school and fulfil their responsibilities very effectively. They take their role as a ‘critical friend’ very seriously. The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory overall. A number of sound procedures have been introduced to monitor the success of the school’s work. Good use has been made of information from end of key stage assessments to identify areas of strength and weaknesses and successful action has been taken to improve the weaknesses. Many aspects

p.9

Aspect Comment

identified in the report as areas requiring strengthening had been identified by the headteacher and governing body prior to the inspection. Initiatives, including the monitoring of teaching, planning and the work produced by the pupils, are potentially very useful. At present, however, the information gathered does not lead systematically or quickly to improvements. This is, in part, because the systems are relatively new and those using them have had to gain confidence in their own ability to monitor, and in part because the outcomes of the monitoring are not formalised, or resulting action agreed. The strategic use of resources Good. Through careful budgeting the school has used its limited resources well. The headteacher and governors are aware of the principles of best value and have begun to assess the impact of their spending decisions on the standards achieved by the pupils. Blackshaw Lane Primary School - 10

p.9

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• The standards achieved by the pupils and the progress they make. • The leadership and management of the school. • The high expectations of the teaching staff, especially of the hard work expected. • The behaviour of the pupils and the way they are helped to become mature and responsible. • The way the school works with and informs parents. • That their children like school. • The homework the pupils are given in some classes. • The number of clubs and activities offered to the pupils outside lessons.

p.10

What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with all the strengths identified by the parents. The amount of homework the pupils is given is appropriate and links well with the work done in school. The team agrees, however, with some parents’ opinion that there needs to be a more consistent approach to the setting of homework. In particular, the giving of homework only once a week in some classes needs review. The team agrees with the parents that the current range of clubs and activities is too small. Blackshaw Lane Primary School - 11

p.10

The school has established a very good atmosphere in which pupils are encouraged to work hard and do

their best, to be friendly and polite and to become mature and responsible.

p.11

The school has established a very good atmosphere in which pupils are encouraged to work hard and do

1. There is a very good working atmosphere in the school. It is a place in which pupils expect to work hard and to try their best. There is an air of purposeful activity in the classrooms. This is assisted by the very good use of display, which includes the work of pupils of all abilities, to celebrate individual achievement. In the Year 5 class, for example, the pupils’ poetry was displayed and although the quality of the finished poems is at different levels, the pupils are equally proud of their efforts. The pupils enjoy showing visitors their work on display and have often played an active part in labelling the work. The good standards expected by the teachers, particularly at the end of each key stage, in English, mathematics and art, encourage the pupils to set their sights high and to feel a desire to improve. The exceptional quality of singing in the school choir gives the large number of pupils who

p.11

The school has established a very good atmosphere in which pupils are encouraged to work hard and do

attend the opportunity to experience the pleasure of very high achievement.

p.11

The school has established a very good atmosphere in which pupils are encouraged to work hard and do

2. The pupils’ moral and social development is promoted very well. Pupils are taught right from wrong, to respect themselves and others and to take care of property. The staff provide very good role models, showing a caring attitude to the pupils. The pupils are expected to work and play constructively together, showing the same level of concern for others. Older pupils are encouraged to look after younger ones, for example pupils in Year 6 routinely assist staff in looking after younger pupils during wet playtimes. The school is a harmonious community overall. From the time they enter the school, pupils are taught to take care of their own property and, through helping to set up activities and clear away, to use school resources carefully.

p.11

The school has established a very good atmosphere in which pupils are encouraged to work hard and do

3. The provision for spiritual development is very good. Pupils are given a considerable number of opportunities, through very good quality experiences in assemblies and their work in class, to reflect on their own lives and those of others. During the inspection, for example, the assembly observed encouraged pupils to think about the creation of new life from what appeared to be dead flowers and trees and to appreciate the wonder of this. The pupils read their own work about new life and were given an opportunity to consider this silently. Pupils appreciate these opportunities for reflection. Activities in class are often well chosen to encourage pupils to be curious about the world in which they live and to be excited by what they find out. In a science lesson, for example, pupils’ interest in their work on vibration was increased by the practical nature of the activity they were set. Work in religious

p.11

The school has established a very good atmosphere in which pupils are encouraged to work hard and do

education, art, music and English successfully assists pupils to gain knowledge of their own culture and that of others. In English, pupils are given opportunities to read the work of a wide range of authors, to read and write poetry, and to write in a number of different styles. In art they study the work of artists including, Monet, Kandinski and Matisse. In music, the opportunities to sing and play and the quality of some of this work further promote cultural development. There is an appropriate multicultural element to the work in these subjects which educates pupils, for example in the cultural traditions of other religions through work on Diwali. This work assists pupils to develop an awareness and tolerance of the multicultural society in which they are growing up.

p.11

The school has established a very good atmosphere in which pupils are encouraged to work hard and do

4. The care shown for the pupils in the school is very good. There is good emphasis placed on enabling pupils to develop and maintain self-esteem. Good consideration is given to the pupils’ safety and for their emotional well being. The school has good procedures for checking on absence, including expecting parents to inform the school on the first morning of an absence and routinely following up any not supported by such information. Blackshaw Lane Primary School - 12

p.11

Pupils attain good standards in English, mathematics and science. Standards in art are very good and the

performance of the school choir is excellent.

p.12

Pupils attain good standards in English, mathematics and science. Standards in art are very good and the

5. Since the time of the last inspection in October 1996, standards in English, mathematics and science have risen each year in both key stages. There was a particularly sharp rise in standards in Key Stage 2 in 1999. Standards in English and science are now in line with those achieved in similar schools and are above this level in mathematics. The school has already exceeded the Key Stage 2 targets they set some time ago in conjunction with the local education authority and are well on the way to meeting the much higher targets set subsequently by the Year 6 teacher and headteacher. In both key stages pupils with special educational needs make good progress and pupils achieve functional literacy and numeracy before they leave the school.

p.12

Pupils attain good standards in English, mathematics and science. Standards in art are very good and the

6. The increase in standards is greatly assisted by the school’s work in using end of key stage assessments to identify areas of weakness and to raise the profile of these through the school improvement projects. After the 1999 tests, for example the school identified a need to further increase standards in writing in Key Stage 2. Work has been done to raise standards in writing, through, for instance, ensuring that pupils are taught to apply what they learn from reading different types of text to their own writing. Evidence from pupils’ books and the lessons observed indicates that the higher standards have been maintained in reading and that standards in writing have improved. In Key Stage 1, although many more pupils attained an average level in reading, writing, mathematics and science than was seen nationally in 1999, too few pupils reached a higher level. This was identified by the school and an

p.12

Pupils attain good standards in English, mathematics and science. Standards in art are very good and the

emphasis given to the teaching of the higher-attaining group. Evidence from the inspection indicates that more pupils are on course to achieve the higher level this year.

p.12

Pupils attain good standards in English, mathematics and science. Standards in art are very good and the

7. Since the time of the last inspection, the school has raised standards in art. Skills in art are now systematically and carefully developed as the pupils move through the school. The quality of the work seen, for example the pencil crayon drawings in Year 2 and the tile designs in Year 4, is consequently high. The co-ordinator for this subject has received training to develop the leadership role and assistance to develop a scheme of work in art and this has clearly assisted the development of the subject.

p.12

Pupils attain good standards in English, mathematics and science. Standards in art are very good and the

8. Despite the budgetary restrictions experienced by the school over recent years, the headteacher and governors have allocated money to paying a specialist music teacher to teach some of the music in the school. The very high quality of the school choir is one example of the positive effect of this expenditure.

p.12

The teachers are committed to raising standards. The teaching has a number of strengths and the overall

9. The impact of teaching is good throughout the school and is particularly strong in Year 2 and Year 6. Teachers manage pupils well. They value their input and listen carefully to their contributions in class. As a consequence, pupils are confident to both answer and ask questions and this assists their learning. In Year 2 and Year 6 in particular, the teachers hold high expectations. These are communicated to pupils in a way that encourages them to want to succeed, both to please the teacher and for their own satisfaction. All staff are committed to assisting pupils to raise standards further. There are, however, a number of aspects in which the quality of teaching could be improved so that all teaching is to the higher quality of the best practice. (see paragraphs 23-25).

p.12

The teachers are committed to raising standards. The teaching has a number of strengths and the overall

10. In the main, lessons are conducted at a brisk pace. Teachers use the first part of lessons to teach skills and to increase the pupils’ knowledge about the subject. In the best lessons, these inputs are not static, but involve pupils well. In a Year 2 literacy lesson, for instance, pupils were taught how to improve a simple sentence by adding descriptive words. As the pupils generated the descriptions, the words were written on pieces of card and the pupils made a ‘living sentence’ at the front of the class. When pupils are working on individual or small group activities, the teachers use reminders about time passing to Blackshaw Lane Primary School - 13 encourage pupils to work at an appropriate speed. Most pupils, from the youngest up, achieve good amounts of work in a short period. Year 1 pupils, after being read a book about the Easter story were able, for example, to write a part of the story independently in a very short period. As a result of very

p.12

The teachers are committed to raising standards. The teaching has a number of strengths and the overall

good introductory teaching and clear expectations, all Year 6 pupils were able to complete a good proportion of a challenging comprehension activity in an allotted time.

p.13

The teachers are committed to raising standards. The teaching has a number of strengths and the overall

11. Teachers also communicate to the pupils an enthusiasm for both the subjects they teach and for working hard. In almost all classes, for example, mental mathematics is taught in a way that encourages pupils to feel alert and interested. This improves concentration and the resultant learning. In the best lessons in all subjects, there is an encouraging underlying message to the pupils of ‘you can do this’. The effect of this enthusiasm is to motivate pupils to want to learn and improve, and is particularly marked in the teaching of the school choir.

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes to work are very good, as is their behaviour. They develop a love of learning that assists

12. Pupils come to school with good social skills. They quickly adapt to the requirements of living and working in a school community. Behaviour is very good and pupils show themselves to be polite, friendly and considerate of others. They know the school rules and generally adhere to them. They report that the school is a safe place and that any incidents of unkind or bullying behaviour are promptly and effectively dealt with. Great enthusiasm for school is evident. All the pupils spoken to during the inspection spoke positively about their school, giving a range of reasons for their opinions, ranging from liking the teachers and being able to play with their friends, to enjoying the opportunity to reflect in assemblies. The pupils want to attend school and the above average attendance rates are evidence of this. Almost all of the parent questionnaires received prior to the inspection stated that pupils enjoyed

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes to work are very good, as is their behaviour. They develop a love of learning that assists

13. As a result of the strengths in teaching identified above and the support that many receive at home, the pupils are very interested in their work. They concentrate well and apply considerable effort to the activities set. Pupils are able to organise themselves and are motivated to succeed. They work well on their own and in co-operation with others. They listen well to what both their teachers and their peers have to say. Year 3 pupils, for example, were equally interested in listening to their teacher’s information about what Easter means to Christians and to the views of other pupils about what Easter means to them. The oldest pupils have developed a love of learning and are self-motivated. This exhibited itself in the pleasure Year 6 pupils showed in a mathematics lesson when they were able to answer difficult questions correctly. In this way they are very well prepared for their move to the

p.13

Pupils’ attitudes to work are very good, as is their behaviour. They develop a love of learning that assists

comprehensive school. The raised standards in the school are as a result of the combined efforts of both the teachers and the pupils.

p.13

The headteacher, deputy headteacher and the governors work effectively together as a team, in the interests

14. The headteacher has a clear vision for the school. Her firm commitment to raising standards and the belief that all pupils should be given the best opportunities to succeed underpin the work of the school. Over the time since the last inspection, the headteacher has enabled the school to become increasingly successful, yet to maintain the warm, caring ethos identified as a strength in the last inspection report. All staff, including secretarial staff, those who care for the building and those who provide the school meals are encouraged to play a positive part in maintaining this ethos.

p.13

The headteacher, deputy headteacher and the governors work effectively together as a team, in the interests

15. The headteacher knows each pupil in the school well and makes time to praise and encourage pupils. Pupils enjoy being able to show work to her and value her praise. She holds to the opinion that pupils should be encouraged to do well in subjects such as art and music and this is evident in the work of the school. Parents have become more constructively involved in the work of the school and are of the opinion that the school is well led. The headteacher has thus created a school that, through its work, fulfils its stated aims well. Blackshaw Lane Primary School - 14 16. The headteacher is very ably supported by the deputy headteacher. The headteacher and deputy headteacher work closely together, for example on school improvement projects, including recent work on improving results for higher-attaining Key Stage 1 pupils and writing in Key Stage 2. The deputy headteacher has provided valued support for the headteacher when changes were needed in the school,

p.13

The headteacher, deputy headteacher and the governors work effectively together as a team, in the interests

for example the movement of staff to different classes. The strength of the delegation of responsibility to the deputy headteacher and the shared approach to the management of the school was evident during the recent illness of the headteacher, when the deputy headteacher was able to run the school effectively in her absence.

p.14

The headteacher, deputy headteacher and the governors work effectively together as a team, in the interests

17. The governing body is very supportive of the headteacher and plays a valuable and valued active role in the management of the school. Members of the governing body are very committed to assisting the school to improve and become as good a school as possible. They take their role very seriously and act in the best interests of the pupils. They are aware of the central importance of raising standards and are beginning to be more involved in monitoring the work of the school, for example in looking at the results obtained and in setting future targets. They have set performance targets for the headteacher that are correctly related to the raising of standards in the school. The need to develop further the teaching and learning in information technology has been a recent focus of the governing body and as a consequence the school has been offered the use of computers in the neighbouring comprehensive school. The

p.14

The headteacher, deputy headteacher and the governors work effectively together as a team, in the interests

governors have a good understanding of their role and have been actively involved in a considerable number of governor training initiatives to assist them deepen this understanding. A number are able to visit the school during school hours and there is an effective rota of governors who make themselves available for parents to talk to at the school gate each day.

p.14

The headteacher, deputy headteacher and the governors work effectively together as a team, in the interests

18. Over the last few years, there has been a need to manage the tight financial resources of the school very carefully. The headteacher and governors have successfully managed to reduce an overspend as well as to maintain the elderly school building in an adequate state of repair. Of late, the governors have begun to apply the principles of ‘best value’, for example by checking the effect their spending has on the standards attained in the school. The last inspection report identified the need to increase the number of computers in the school. Although the school is still short of such resources, every effort has been made to increase the resource, through the school budget, the good will of parents and appropriate bids for national funding. Good use has been made of all specific grants received. Money to raise standards in Years 3 and 6 has been effectively deployed and has resulted in the desired raising of standards. The

p.14

The headteacher, deputy headteacher and the governors work effectively together as a team, in the interests

governors have recently correctly identified the lack of appropriate accommodation for the headteacher and the inadequate school library facilities and have made a well thought out bid for national funding to make much needed improvements.

p.14

There are not enough planned opportunities for pupils to develop skills, or to cover all aspects of the

National Curriculum in information technology. Standards are consequently too low.

p.14

There are not enough planned opportunities for pupils to develop skills, or to cover all aspects of the

19. Pupils are not taught information technology on a frequent enough basis in all classes to ensure that the requirements of the National Curriculum are met over each key stage. Pupils in Year 6 can use a word processor to write, edit and present their work and they have had some opportunities to use the computer to research, for example in history and they have used a drawing program. They have not covered many required aspects of the subject in, for example, data handling, control technology, modelling or monitoring. In most classes there is inadequate planning to show how and when information technology will be taught and how the skills learned will be used to support work in other subjects. The information technology curriculum is not presently fulfilling statutory requirements.

p.14

There are not enough planned opportunities for pupils to develop skills, or to cover all aspects of the

20. There are, however, some pockets of better practice in the school. In the reception class, for example the computers are well used. This is because the teacher has timetabled a dedicated time each week to teach the pupils, as a whole class, new skills and to use new programs. Pupils are then given opportunities over the week to practise the skills and to use the new program. The pupils in this class Blackshaw Lane Primary School - 15 are making good progress. In Year 4, the computers are also better used. Pupils in this year group have had an appropriately broad curriculum, including the opportunity to use e-mail and to use the computer to display data using a data-handling program. Pupils are also making better progress in Years 1 and 2 in some aspects of the curriculum through the good work of a classroom support assistant.

p.14

There are not enough planned opportunities for pupils to develop skills, or to cover all aspects of the

21. Since the beginning of the current term, the school has not had a subject co-ordinator in information and communication technology. The scheme of work prepared by the last co-ordinator is not fully in use and it lacks sufficient detail to assist less proficient teachers to teach the subject confidently. The school has identified its current difficulties and has prepared an action plan, to show the way forward. As with the scheme of work, this plan requires more detail to ensure that it can adequately lead to the required improvement.

p.15

There are not enough planned opportunities for pupils to develop skills, or to cover all aspects of the

22. Since the time of the last inspection, the school has worked hard to improve the computers available for the pupils to use. There are still, however, a significantly poorer number of computers in the school than is usual. The offer of the use of the neighbouring comprehensive school’s computer suite has been recently made and not yet taken up. The use of this facility could make a significant contribution to the school’s ability to provide adequate education for the pupils in information technology.

p.15

differing abilities to make rapid enough progress. Marking is not consistently used to show pupils how to

23. The quality of the teaching in the school could be improved further if teachers made better use of their assessments of pupils. In lessons, although the pupils with different attainments are set different activities, these do not always promote the best progress. This is, in part, because the school’s present planning system does not ensure that teachers identify the learning they expect pupils of differing prior attainment to achieve, either during a series of lessons or in each lesson. In a mathematics lesson, for example, pupils were all asked to complete a similar data-handling task and, although some pupils were given more support though a prepared worksheet and others through handling larger numbers, the pupils all covered the same learning objective, even though the concept was well understood by the most able group who did not require this practice. Their learning in the lesson was consequently unsatisfactory.

p.15

differing abilities to make rapid enough progress. Marking is not consistently used to show pupils how to

24. Marking is inconsistently used throughout the school. Although there are some examples of better practice, for example that in Year 6, the majority of the teachers are not using marking to clearly indicate to pupils how to improve their work. It is the practice in some classes for the teacher to talk about work with the pupils. This system provides good feedback to the pupils at the time, but the lack of a written record of what has been said means that pupils do not have a lasting record of how to achieve an improvement. In addition, the lack of a written record means that teachers cannot monitor the response of the pupils to the marking, and co-ordinators and senior managers cannot monitor the quality and impact of the marking. Blackshaw Lane Primary School - 16

p.15

Systems are not good enough for:

• using the information gathered from monitoring the work of the school; • involving the subject co-ordinators in monitoring and developing their subjects.

p.16

Systems are not good enough for:

25. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and the governors have begun to undertake a number of activities to monitor the work of the school. Good use has been made of information gathered from the end of key stage assessments. Other initiatives, including the monitoring of teaching, planning and the work produced by the pupils, are potentially very useful. At present, however, the information gathered does not lead systematically or quickly to improvements. This is, in part, because the systems are relatively new and those using them have had to gain confidence in their own ability to monitor and, in part, because the outcomes of the monitoring are not formalised or resulting action agreed. As a result, good practice is not shared as much as it might be and weaknesses are not always put right sufficiently quickly. Much of the present monitoring is undertaken by the headteacher and discussion of the

p.16

Systems are not good enough for:

outcomes of the monitoring are not helped by the lack of privacy afforded by the present arrangement, whereby the headteacher shares accommodation with the school secretary. Although the governing body is active in its monitoring of the school’s work, governors’ visits are not yet linked to the areas for development in the school development plan, and the results of the monitoring are not formally fed back to the governing body so that any action required can be agreed.

p.16

Systems are not good enough for:

26. Although the school makes good use of the results of end of key stage assessments to set targets and to identify areas of weakness, this work is not extended to the assessment of pupils as they move through the key stages. Opportunities are missed for setting targets for individuals, based on their current rate of progress. The school is thus not able to review the progress of individuals to ensure that every pupil is making appropriate gains each year.

p.16

Systems are not good enough for:

27. Since the time of the last inspection, although the role of the subject co-ordinators has been developed in some respects, the co-ordinators do not yet play a sufficient role in monitoring the work in their subjects. This inhibits them from being as actively involved in the development of their subjects as they should be. The co-ordinators require further training to assist them to undertake this work.

p.16

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

28. In order to raise the quality of the education provided still further, the headteacher, staff and governors of the school should:

p.16

Improve standards in information technology by:

♦ identifying when, where and how all elements of the National Curriculum programmes of study will be taught in each key stage; ♦ ensuring that teachers identify on their termly and weekly planning, the times when pupils will be taught skills and knowledge in information technology and when they will be given opportunity to use information and communication technology to support work in other subjects; ♦ enabling all teachers to gain an appropriate level of subject knowledge; ♦ continuing to improve the availability of computers for the use of the pupils.

p.16

Further improve the quality of teaching and learning and the use of day-to -day assessment by:

♦ ensuring that planning for each unit of work and for lessons clearly identifies what pupils of different prior attainment will learn; ♦ regularly evaluating the effectiveness of the teaching and learning of these objectives; ♦ using the information gained from this evaluation to plan future work; ♦ ensuring that the marking of pupils’ work identifies ways in which the work could be improved. Blackshaw Lane Primary School - 17

p.16

Improve the systems for monitoring the school’s work by:

♦ improving the use of the information gathered, both to share good practice and to remedy weaknesses; ♦ improving the recording of the monitoring by showing, where necessary, the action that will be taken; ♦ extending the good use of end of key stage data to set targets and evaluate success to other year groups; ♦ developing the role of the subject co-ordinators so that they play a greater role in monitoring and developing their subjects. Blackshaw Lane Primary School - 18

p.17