Padiham Primary School

PADIHAM 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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PADIHAM 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. Padiham Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Burnley Road Padiham Burnley 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 J Greenwood

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 02/12/1996 Padiham Primary School - 4

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Team members

21024 Robert Robinson Registered inspector 8922 Brenda McIntosh Lay inspector 19117 Margaret Handsley Team inspector 28011 John Porteous Team inspector

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Team members

Cambridge Education Associates Ltd Demeter House Station Road Cambridge CB1 2RS

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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 Padiham Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6 - 10

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

This is a large primary school for boys and girls aged 4-11 years that serves the local area of Padiham, near Burnley. It has 384 full-time pupils, 194 boys and 190 girls. There is a very small proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and there are no pupils at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. Fifty-five pupils (16 per cent) are on the register of special educational needs which is below the national average. An above average proportion of pupils have a statement of special educational needs. Children’s attainment on entry to the reception class is very broad and varies from year-to-year; this year it is about average. Forty-nine children under the age of six are taught in the reception classes (the Foundation Stage). The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is about 36 per cent which is above the national average. The school consists of two sites which

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

are a short distance apart and separated by a very busy main road. The Annexe contains the reception and Year 1 classes with a temporary building serving as a hall and dining room; the rest of the school is housed in two connected permanent buildings and a separate temporary classroom. Building work is scheduled to commence this year to extend the Annexe to accommodate the reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school. Pupils achieve well because the overall quality of teaching is good and pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to school are very good. The leadership and management of the school are of a high standard. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• In Years 2 to 6, the quality of teaching and learning is good and pupils’ attitudes to work, their behaviour and their personal development are very good; as a result, pupils achieve well in relation to their prior attainment. • The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are of a high standard with governors and other staff assisting them ably. • The monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning is very good. • The progress pupils make in Years 1 to 6 is tracked very well by the senior management team.

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What could be improved

• The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the time they start school to entering Year 1 are unsatisfactory. • Pupils’ attendance is below the national average. • The accommodation is unsatisfactory. 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 has made good progress since the last inspection in December 1996. Pupils’ standards by the time they leave the school at the age of eleven, have improved, particularly in mathematics and science. The quality of teaching is now much better because there is now no longer any unsatisfactory teaching and a much higher proportion of very good teaching. Pupils’ attitudes to work, behaviour and personal development have improved and are now of a high standard; however, attendance rates have declined.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has addressed the areas for improvement well overall as shown below: • good progress has been made in improving standards in information and communication technology. Information and communication technology is used well to support learning in other subjects. Padiham Primary School - 7 • assessment procedures are particularly strong in Years 1 to 6 and satisfactory in the reception classes. • the procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare are now satisfactory. • the development of pupils’ independent learning is effective and is very apparent in literacy and numeracy lessons. Provision for cultural development has improved and is good. The school promotes anti-racism actively. • the school development plan is an effective document for the planning of the current year’s initiatives linking to available finances with satisfactory projections for future years.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The particular strengths in the leadership and management place the school in a good position to maintain the present good achievement of pupils though its capacity for further improvement is affected adversely by inadequacies of the accommodation at both school sites.

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STANDARDS

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

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Key

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

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Key

• As can been seen from the above table, in 2000 standards in the tests for eleven-year-olds were overall above the national average. There is an upward trend overall in pupils’ attainment since the last inspection and high standards have been maintained since 1999 in mathematics and science. In comparison to schools with pupils of similar social backgrounds the performance of pupils is well above average overall. Inspection judgements of the performance of this year’s group of pupils at Year 6 concur with the results of the national tests in 2000. • The results of the national tests for seven-year-olds in 2000 showed pupils’ performance to be below the national average in reading and writing and well below in mathematics. Compared to pupils in similar schools, pupils’ performance is average in reading and writing but below average in mathematics. The leadership and management took action at the beginning of this academic year

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Key

to improve pupils’ attainments in Year 2 and inspection judgements show that pupils’ attainment are on course to reach the national average because the quality of teaching and learning is good in both Year 2 classes. • Pupils achieve well relative to their prior attainment in Years 2 to 6 as the teaching and pupils’ attitudes to learning are good or better in these classes. The achievement of pupils in the reception and Year 1 classes is satisfactory overall; however, lower attainers in the reception classes could achieve better as the curriculum and teaching do not meet their needs sufficiently. • The school is on course to exceed its challenging targets for the proportion of eleven-year-old pupils who will reach expected levels in English and mathematics as the teaching and learning in both Year 6 classes are good. Padiham Primary School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good; pupils enjoy school and show high levels of interest and enthusiasm towards their work.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good; high standards of behaviour are apparent in lessons and in the playground.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good; pupils relate very well to each other and to their teachers. They become increasingly confident and use their initiative exceptionally well to enhance their learning.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Unsatisfactory; attendance is below the national average.

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

Lessons seen overall Satisfactory Satisfactory 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

• The quality of teaching and learning was good overall. In 25 per cent of lessons it was very good, in 43 per cent good and in 32 per cent satisfactory. • The quality of teaching and learning of English, mathematics and science was good or better in all lessons in Years 2 to 6. The teaching of literacy and numeracy is strong in Years 2 to 6. The teaching is lively with clear exposition and probing questioning by the teachers. The work is interesting and pupils are interested and learning at a brisk pace. The organisation of the lessons and high expectations of good behaviour result in pupils and teachers working very well together in an industrious and harmonious atmosphere. • In the reception classes the planning of lessons leads occasionally to an imbalance of content and too few learning opportunities for lower attainers at an appropriate level. In these lessons children spend far too much time sitting on the carpet listening to teachers rather than being involved actively

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

in exciting learning activities which will push their learning on at a faster pace. • Information technology is used well to support teaching and learning in other subjects, particularly in English and mathematics. High quality computer programs enable pupils to have plenty of practice to consolidate and extend their learning. • The teaching meets, overall, the needs of pupils well including pupils with special educational needs and higher attainers; however, in the reception classes the teaching and learning of lower attainers is barely satisfactory.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The curriculum for six to eleven-year-olds is strong; it is broad and balanced and includes effective provision for developing the skills of literacy and numeracy. The curriculum in the reception classes does not meet recent national guidance and restricts children’s active participation in a wide range of learning opportunities. Padiham Primary School - 9 Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is satisfactory overall though good in Years 2 to 6.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The school makes very good provision overall for the personal development of pupils. The provision for moral and social development is particularly strong and many opportunities are provided for pupils to exercise responsibility and to learn to respect the feelings and beliefs of others.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils There are sound procedures in place for managing health and safety. Members of staff know the pupils well and respond to them in a caring and supportive way. Very good procedures promote high standards of behaviour. The monitoring of pupils’ progress in Years 1 to 6 is very good.

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Aspect Comment

Parents’ views of the school Parents’ views of the school are very positive. They support the school effectively.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are very good. They work very effectively with the subject managers to promote high standards. The aims and values of the school are promoted well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governing body fulfils its statutory duties effectively and provides very clear direction to the school. The governors are well aware of the strengths of the school and areas for development. The governors have aspirations rightly to develop the school further on one site in the future.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The school has identified areas for development well and monitors standards very effectively though the procedures are underdeveloped in the reception classes.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources The school deploys its staff well to support teaching and learning. The development of the staff expertise is highly successful and the school is extremely well placed to train new teachers. The accommodation is unsatisfactory; however, the extension of the Annexe to accommodate pupils aged four to seven (Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1) and refurbishment of the main site for seven to eleven-year-olds (Key Stage 2) are scheduled to begin in the near future. These developments will overcome many of the shortcomings of the present accommodation. The school uses its resources well and ensures these are accessible to pupils and kept in good condition. The timetable for children under the age of five does not provide sufficient time for outdoor learning or physical activities both indoors and outdoors. There is a high standard of financial planning and the school is careful to use its allocation of funding well for

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Aspect Comment

the benefit of the pupils. Padiham Primary School - 10

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children enjoy school and behave well. • The teaching is good and children make good progress. • The school expects children to work hard and achieve well. • Children get an appropriate amount of homework. • Members of staff are approachable and parents are comfortable talking to them. • The school helps children to become more mature and responsible. • The leadership and management of the school are good. • They are not kept informed well enough about how well children are progressing. • The range of activities outside lessons is insufficient.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors agree with the positive views of the parents; however, they disagree with the views of the minority of parents regarding information about their children’s progress and the range of activities outside lessons. Parents have similar opportunities to discuss their children’s progress as seen in most schools; reports are satisfactory though they give only limited information as to how parents can help their children to improve. The range of activities available outside lessons is satisfactory and is broadly similar to most primary schools. Padiham Primary School - 11

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their behaviour and their personal development are very good; as a result, pupils

achieve well in relation to their prior attainment.

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their behaviour and their personal development are very good; as a result, pupils

1. The quality of teaching and learning in Years 2 to 6 is good overall with a high proportion of very good teaching taking place. This represents a significant improvement since the last inspection. In lessons pupils are very well behaved and have very good attitudes to learning. Relationships of pupils with each other and their teachers are of a high standard. Pupils, including higher attainers and those with special educational needs, achieve well in relation to their prior attainment.

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their behaviour and their personal development are very good; as a result, pupils

2. Where the teaching of English is of a high standard, pupils’ attitudes to work and behaviour are very good resulting in very good progress in their learning. Teachers’ knowledge and confidence spill over to pupils so that they achieve very well; for example, Year 5 pupils had few difficulties recognising similes and metaphors gaining high levels of success above that expected of ten- year-olds. Teachers’ enthusiasm for the subject is caught by pupils and they are keen and eager to extend their learning. Lesson plans ensure a careful build up of new learning based on prior work and this contributes greatly to the pupils’ success. Pupils’ very good behaviour and relationships with one another and their teachers contribute significantly to the fast pace of learning in lessons; for example, in small group activities the teacher is able to work efficiently with one particular group whilst the rest of the class are industriously concentrating on their

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their behaviour and their personal development are very good; as a result, pupils

3. In mathematics, where teaching and learning is of a high standard, pupils are hardworking, are interested in their work and behave very well. Teachers set challenges for different groups of pupils during whole class teaching of mental strategies; for example, the teacher in a Year 6 lesson actively included pupils with special educational needs in questioning by setting appropriately demanding questions to quicken the pupils’ progress. Teachers keep a fast pace to lessons and pupils are very responsive and maintain concentration very well. The very effective use of information and communication technology programs of a high quality that link to the focus of the lesson challenge pupils as well as consolidating and extending their learning; for example, following new learning about number sequences groups of pupils, invariably of mixed gender, worked very well together to practise their new learning. One pupil reported that, ‘I start with an

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their behaviour and their personal development are very good; as a result, pupils

easy sequence first and then work up the different levels of difficulty on the program until I find a difficult task. I then work hard with my partner to obtain the correct answer.’ Pupils with special educational needs are given good support from additional teachers or classroom assistants to enable them to take a full part in the lesson; these pupils work well with other pupils.

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their behaviour and their personal development are very good; as a result, pupils

4. In the best science lessons teachers provide pupils with very good opportunities to investigate through practical experimentation in order to develop their understanding; for example, pupils in Year 4 were challenged to investigate the distance a car would travel on different surfaces. The teacher provided high quality resources of sufficient quantity to enable effective learning to take place. Pupils were keen to predict which surface they thought a car would travel down fastest. They recorded their results using a very good worksheet produced by the teacher. The pupils understood the importance of ensuring that the test was fair and gave reasons why this was important. The teacher spent time very productively to show pupils how they could record their results graphically whilst providing plenty of opportunities for pupils to explain their findings which developed their speaking skills effectively. Very good use was made of a computer program to

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their behaviour and their personal development are very good; as a result, pupils

extend the higher attaining pupils’ understanding of friction; they made succinct notes of the information they found on the CD-ROM.

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their behaviour and their personal development are very good; as a result, pupils

5. In a very good information and communication lesson in Year 5, the teacher had very good strategies for ensuring good behaviour and attention, which involved rapid focused questioning and Padiham Primary School - 12 reminders to individuals of her high expectation of good behaviour. The teacher’s planning was very thorough and the implementation of the planning interested pupils resulting in them making good progress in identifying errors in a set of data about the characteristics of a group of pupils. Pupils discussed maturely the database the school holds of their attendance and how it can be used to determine the attendance of each pupil. Classroom assistants helped a pupil with a statement of special educational need to take a full part in lessons by using specifically pre- prepared resources for the pupil.

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their behaviour and their personal development are very good; as a result, pupils

6. Parents rightly praise the good quality of teaching and the good progress their children make at the school. In addition, they strongly believe that the school helps their children to become more responsible and that their children’s behaviour is good; inspectors agree with the positive views of parents.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are of a

high standard with governors and other staff assisting them ably .

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are of a

7. The leadership and management of the school are very good. The school is very capably led by a very experienced headteacher and deputy headteacher who are a very effective team with a joint determination to ensure pupils achieve their potential. The high expectations expressed in the aims of the school ‘to provide all children, regardless of age, background or gender, with the best possible education, so as to maximise each child’s full potential’ are apparent, particularly in Years 2 to 6, as a result of the high expectations of the senior managers. There is a strong and effective team of teachers with subject responsibilities who work well with the senior managers. They monitor and evaluate their subjects well and this has a positive impact on standards.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are of a

8. The recent national requirements to implement a policy for performance management are firmly embedded as a result of the school’s high expectations of pupils, and an awareness of the strengths and areas for development achieved through the high quality monitoring of pupils’ progress, and of teaching and learning.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are of a

9. The governing body is effective and fulfils its responsibilities well. Governors strongly support the headteacher and develop their understanding of the school well through contact with the local community, visits to the school, reports from the headteacher and frank discussions and questioning in governors’ meetings. Decisions at meetings are corporate and relationships between governors and staff are harmonious. The governors responded positively to the findings of the last inspection and have, together with the staff, moved the school forward well. The governors are aware of the limitations of the present accommodation and actively seek ways to bring the school together on one site.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are of a

10. Parents are overwhelmingly in agreement that the school is well led and managed.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are of a

The monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning is very good.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are of a

11. A particular strength of the school is the support the senior staff provides for other members of staff. Very effective termly evaluations of lesson observations by the headteacher, deputy headteacher or the local education authority’s adviser develop teachers’ expertise further. Subject managers are given time most weeks to work alongside colleagues to ensure pupils’ learning in their subjects is effective.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are of a

12. Teachers accept the monitoring of their work as an entitlement to enable them to enhance their professional development. They are provided with a copy of the observations. Strengths are celebrated and areas for development are discussed constructively with staff and, when appropriate, additional training is provided. Teachers are given opportunities to visit other schools with the deputy head teacher to observe good practice in other settings. The effects of the support that teachers receive can be seen in the high standards of teaching which positively impacts upon pupils’ learning. Padiham Primary School - 13 13. In addition to the observation of lessons, the headteacher and deputy headteacher collect samples of pupils’ work regularly for examination. Subject managers analyse teachers’ planning and check the outcomes in pupils’ workbooks termly. The findings of the scrutiny of the planning

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are of a

and pupils’ work are reported briefly in writing to the headteacher and occasionally feature as items for discussion at staff meetings.

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The leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher are of a

14. The systems in place are very effective for teachers who are new to the profession, trainee teachers and more experienced members of staff. The procedures place the school in an excellent position to train new teachers.

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The progress pupils make in Years 1 to 6 is tracked very well by the senior management

15. The tracking of pupils’ progress is very thorough in Years 1 to 6. The headteacher and deputy headteacher take responsibility for the administration of all national and commercial tests; this ensures consistency and validity of the test results. Commercial tests are used by the senior managers in Years 1 to 6 and are converted to levels and sub-divisions of the National Curriculum which link to national test results of pupils at the ages of seven and eleven. The results of the testing are shared with subject managers and teachers.

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The progress pupils make in Years 1 to 6 is tracked very well by the senior management

16. The information from the testing enables the senior managers and teachers to assess the progress each pupil is making as well as to determine the achievement pupils make in each class. Challenging targets are set for pupils and teachers which have a positive impact on pupils’ attainments. The responses of pupils to questions in the commercial and national tests are analysed and the information is used to determine areas which need addressing in order to raise standards further.

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The progress pupils make in Years 1 to 6 is tracked very well by the senior management

17. The systems in the school identify areas of strength and concern, and support the policy for performance management very effectively. Training needs of teachers and whole school issues are identifiable through close analysis of monitoring information by the senior managers and teachers. This information is then reflected in teachers’ performance objectives and usually in the school development plan as appropriate.

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

time they start school to entering Year 1 are unsatisfactory.

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

18. The scheme of work for the reception classes (the Foundation Stage) is unsatisfactory and there has been insufficient attention given to the recent national curriculum guidance for the foundation stage. The senior managers are aware through their monitoring that improvements are necessary to improve pupils’ progress in the reception classes; however, this concern is not featured in the school development plan.

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

19. The impact of unsatisfactory guidance to teachers can be seen in the organisation of lessons and the imbalance between whole class teaching and stimulating learning activities suited to children of this age. In addition, the planning to develop learning in an outdoor area and the physical development of children are unsatisfactory. The teaching of the curriculum has been split mainly into the subject areas of the National Curriculum rather than the nationally recommended areas of learning of personal, social and emotional development, communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world, physical development and creative development. Learning objectives are based upon the final stages of the recommended curriculum for the foundation stage or the early stages of the National Curriculum. Whilst this arrangement is satisfactory for higher attainers and some average attainers, it is unsatisfactory for

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

quickening the progress of lower attainers. Padiham Primary School - 14 20. During the inspection it was not possible to observe any teaching of physical or creative development as these were not taught during the two days of the inspection because teachers timetable them mainly as discrete subjects later in the week, for example, as physical education, art/technology and music lessons. No planning for learning in an outdoor environment was available and children have only two indoor physical education lessons each week. Inspection judgements are that children have too few opportunities to develop either their learning in outdoor situations or their physical development indoors or outdoors.

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

21. The over-emphasis in the reception classes of the inappropriate organisation of literacy and numeracy lessons each morning results in children spending an excessive period of time sitting on the carpet with little time provided for developing their learning at a faster pace in purposeful individual or small group activities. During a literacy lesson higher and average attainers made satisfactory progress but lower attainers made barely satisfactory progress. In this lesson the whole class teaching and consolidation of previous learning took too long, particularly for the lower attainers who quickly lost concentration. The teacher worked hard to involve the lower attainers through focused questioning and the use of a classroom assistant to maintain the acceptable behaviour of these children. Higher and average attainers concentrated well for most of this part of the lesson and gained plenty of practice in spelling simple words such as ‘hen’ and ‘ran’. The

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

planning for higher and average attainers was appropriate though there was very limited specific planning for lower attainers for this part of the lesson. Planned small group activities according to levels of attainment were satisfactory. Lower attainers enjoyed working with the classroom assistant in the ‘Baby Clinic’. There was a good range of resources though the area was cramped and visually uninspiring. The children were interested quickly in the role play; for example, a child who had previously been unsettled and uncommunicative in the lengthy whole class teaching session actively dressed a doll and put it in a pram and went round the whole groups pleading with them to ‘please be quiet, my baby is asleep’. The small group activities were stopped inappropriately after a short period of time for children to return to the carpet for a plenary session even though most children were still actively involved in their learning.

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

22. The assessment of children’s progress is satisfactory on a day-to-day basis but underdeveloped to enable children’s progress to be tracked during their year in the reception classes. The arrangements for the assessment of children’s attainment on entry to the school and at the end of the reception year are satisfactory and enable the senior managers of the school and the teachers to assess children’s overall learning over the year in reading and mathematics. There is, however, no consistent monitoring of children’s small steps of learning during the year in all their areas of learning to enable the senior managers and teachers to check children’s attainment and to set targets for improvement at frequent intervals during the children’s first year at school in order to quicken children’s progress.

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

Pupils’ attendance is below the national average.

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

23. Pupils’ attendance is below the national average. The rate of attendance is lower than at the time of the last inspection though, with the introduction of new procedures from the start of this academic year, some improvements have been achieved, particularly in the reduction of unauthorised absence to below the national average. The school development plan clearly identifies actions to improve attendance by developing amongst staff and pupils a greater awareness of the value of better attendance, active follow up of unexplained absences by the secretarial staff and greater use of the local education welfare services. The governors and senior managers are monitoring the success of the initiatives.

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

24. Parents are made aware of the importance of regular attendance through pre-admission meetings, letters and telephone contacts from the school. The school attempts to contact parents of children with unsatisfactory patterns of attendance on the first day of any absence if the parents have not explained either in writing or by telephone the reason for the absence. Computerised systems are kept which identify overall attendance and individual pupils’ attendance and punctuality. The secretary monitors the information very well to check concerns and patterns of Padiham Primary School - 15 absence. Records of weekly class attendance are maintained and celebrated with pupils at an assembly each week. Pupils with full attendance for a term are awarded a certificate and the names of those who have made good progress in improving their attendance are displayed. The overall attendance rate is displayed prominently in the main school. Occasionally parents

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

condone absence and others do not inform the school when their children leave the school; the school reminds them of their responsibilities and rightly does not remove pupils from the register until it has identified to which school pupils have transferred. Parents at the meeting before the inspection confirmed they knew the procedures and stated that ‘the school checks up if you do not let the staff know the reason for absence’.

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

25. The main site comprises a converted old secondary school and a former elementary school, which have been linked together with a covered way, and, in addition, a temporary separate classroom. A small barren hard-surface playground adjacent to a busy main road surrounds these buildings. This accommodation is cramped and for access to one classroom it is necessary to go through another. The library is very small and has insufficient books and facilities to develop pupils’ research skills. The Annexe is situated a short distance from the main site on the opposite side of the main road. The buildings include four small classrooms and shared areas with a temporary building attached which is used for physical education lessons, assemblies and as a dining hall. The Annex is set on a large site with a hard surface playground and extensive grassed areas. Inspectors brought to the attention of the governors health and

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

26. Children in the Foundation Stage (reception classes) and pupils in Year 1 (the first year of Key Stage 1) are taught in the Annexe and pupils in Year 2 to 6 are taught at the main site. The reception classes are small and have a shared area adjacent to the classrooms; however, they do not have a suitable area for the development of children’s learning in an outdoor area. The pupils in Year 1 have appropriate facilities but do not benefit from working alongside other pupils in their own key stage. There are difficulties with the management of Year 1 classes as the co-ordinator for Key Stage 1 teaches a Year 2 class at the main site and, as a result, liaison with the teachers on a day-to-day basis is not practical. The children in the Annexe miss out on the opportunities for regular visits to the main site, such as for whole-school and key stage assemblies, because of the access problems from the Annexe.

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

27. Older pupils have little contact with younger pupils at the school and additional staff and great care have to be taken when pupils in Years 2 to 6 walk over to the Annexe for outdoor games. The lack of space in the main site playground area and its proximity to the main road curtail energetic activities, such as ball games, at playtimes and lunchtimes.

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The curriculum in the reception class and the tracking of children’s progress from the

28. Many of the shortcomings will be addressed when the scheduled construction of additional classrooms and improved facilities for children in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 are completed. All of the pupils from age four to seven will be taught in the new accommodation, which will release space for improvements to be made to the main site. The governors have prudently built up a substantial sum of money to contribute to the cost of the redevelopment as well as to create a computer suite and library on the main site. The unsuitability of the playgrounds and access to the playing fields for seven to eleven-year-olds will remain. The governors’ aspirations for the whole school to be housed eventually on one site are very appropriate. Padiham Primary School - 16

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The governors and staff should improve standards further in the reception classes through the following: • planning and implementing the recent curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage; • providing increased opportunities for children, including lower attainers, to be actively involved in learning through exciting and stimulating activities; • extending the learning for children in a suitable outdoor environment; • developing assessment procedures in all areas of learning to enable the progress of children to be tracked effectively from entry to the school to the beginning of Year 1. (See paragraph 18 to 22)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The governors and staff should: • continue to monitor attendance vigilantly and seek ways to reduce rates of absence.* (See paragraphs 23 and 24)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

The governors should: • implement the extension and refurbishment of the Annexe to provide suitable accommodation for pupils in reception, Year 1 and 2, and seek ways to achieve their aspirations to extend the buildings in order to accommodate the whole school on this site.* (See paragraphs 25 to 28) * These areas for improvement have been identified already by staff and governors. Padiham Primary School - 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 18

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 384

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 120

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 55

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 40

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 22

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5 Padiham Primary School - 18 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Padiham Primary School - 19

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 28 26 54

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 22 24 21 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 21 23

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 80 (79) 83 (85) 81 (85) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Boys 21 23 26 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 21 23 24

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentage of pupils School 78 (87) 85 (92) 93 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 36 24 60

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 28 33 34 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 20 23

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 78 (79) 88 (81) 95 (88) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Boys 28 34 35 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 19 20 22

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2

Percentage of pupils School 78 (71) 90 (79) 95 (77) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 80 (75) Padiham Primary School - 20 Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Padiham Primary School - 21

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 17.0 Financial year 1999

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22.3

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y7 Total expenditure 631291

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 6.0 Expenditure per pupil 1611

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 107 Balance brought forward from previous year 112161

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 135591 Padiham Primary School - 22

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Percentage of responses in each category

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 57 37 5 1 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 57 38 4 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 40 48 9 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 33 46 17 2 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 68 27 3 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 71 27 3 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 33 46 16 2 3

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 63 32 1 0 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 58 36 2 1 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 23 31 20 6 19

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