Other · Ofsted report

Farnworth Church of England Controlled Primary School

Inspected — · published 7 Feb 2001 · URN 111394

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Summary

No overall grade in this framework

Barbara Rhodes (lead), Lea Hall Park, Thresher House

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Inspectorssingle source
Barbara Rhodes, Lea Hall Park, Thresher House
URN verified
111394

Page 1 of 19

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FindingsAbout the inspectionWhat needs to improveLeadership positive critical

Findings2458w+55
Leadership376w+73
What needs to improve2478w+12

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Pages: 19
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Findings 44%Leadership 7%What needs to improve 45%About the inspection 4%

Full report text

FARNWORTH CE (CONT) PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 6 – 8 November 2000

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FARNWORTH CE (CONT) 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.

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FARNWORTH CE (CONT) 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. Farnworth CE (Cont) Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Pit Lane, Widnes Cheshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Revd. M.C. Freeman

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1997 Farnworth CE (Cont) Primary School - 4

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Team members

Sheila Pemberton Inspector number 20810 Registered inspector

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Team members

Trevor Smith Inspector number 19741 Lay inspector

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Team members

Kari Manning Inspector number 20267 Team inspector

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Team members

Barbara Rhodes Inspector number 31242 Team inspector

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Team members

Quality in Focus Thresher House Lea Hall Park Demage Lane Lea by Backford Chester CH1 6LP

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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 Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Farnworth CE (Cont) Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

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

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Number of full-time pupils: 361, 186 boys, 175 girls (larger than many other schools). Age range: 4 to 11 Pupils with English as an additional language: 0 per cent Pupils entitled to free school meals: 6.6 per cent (below average) Pupils on the register of special educational needs: 9.9 per cent (well below average) Pupils with statements of special educational needs: 0.8 per cent (well below average) Average class size: 27.7

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Children’s early achievements on entry into the reception classes are typical for their age.

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is expanding. It has grown from 307 pupils in 1997 to 361 in 2000. Infants and juniors are taught in different buildings on the same site.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a good school with many very good features. It is successful because of the high quality of its teaching, the attention it pays to pupils’ personal growth as well as to their learning, and the very good leadership of the headteacher, senior staff and governors. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards are very high in English and even higher in science in Year 6. • Most of the teaching is good, with a considerable amount that is very good. • Pupils’ very good attitudes and behaviour make a strong contribution to effective learning. • The school works very closely with parents to involve them in its daily life, and their children’s learning and personal growth. • The headteacher, senior staff and governors provide very effective leadership and management of the work of the school.

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What could be improved

• Standards in mathematics for some less able pupils in the juniors. • Some gaps exist in pupils’ work in information and communication technology (ICT). 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 improvements since it was last inspected in June 1997. Its most important achievement lies in the standards reached by pupils in Year 6, who are working at much higher levels in English and science than they were three years ago. A good improvement to the school’s management comes from the way that curriculum co-ordinators fulfil their roles. They have put all recent national initiatives into place with considerable success, and are now taking steps to ensure that standards continue to rise. The school has become very competent at planning essential developments to its provision. Its management plan contains all the ingredients needed to bring about change, and to measure the effectiveness of all initiatives against gains in pupils’ learning. Despite the fact that the school has gone a long way since 1997 towards resourcing its provision for ICT, and improving teachers’ expertise in the subject, there is still room for improvement to pupils’ skills in

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

computing. Farnworth CE (Cont) Primary School - 7

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

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

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STANDARDS

The standards 11-year-olds reached in national tests in 2000 represent a rising trend of attainment in English and science. The school’s performance in science in 2000 puts it into the highest five per cent of schools nationally. Although satisfactory in national terms, the standards pupils in Year 6 reached in mathematics were too low when compared with their attainments in English and science. The most able 11-year-olds did very well in mathematics in 2000. However, too many pupils reached a lower level than expected for their age. While this result was satisfactory for some 11-year-olds, it was not good enough for others and resulted from a lack of challenge in the work provided for them. The standards pupils in Year 2 reached in writing in national tests in 2000 were satisfactory. Their attainments in reading were high and in mathematics, they were very high. The school surpassed the targets it set

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STANDARDS

for attainment in English and mathematics in Year 6 in 2000.

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STANDARDS

Standards have risen in ICT since the last inspection but are still not high enough for pupils in Year 6.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils enjoy their time in school. Children acquire very positive attitudes to work in the reception classes. These are maintained throughout the school and make a strong contribution to the high standards pupils reach in Year 6.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Most pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, in the playground and at lunch times is very good. It creates a calm and orderly atmosphere for learning in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Pupils’ relationships with one another and with teachers are very helpful to their learning and personal growth.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. It is above the national average. Farnworth CE (Cont) Primary School - 8

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

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

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

Of the teaching in lessons during the inspection, 40 per cent was very good, 45 per cent good and 15 per cent was satisfactory .

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

Strengths in teaching and learning : teaching in English and science in the juniors results in the very high standards pupils reach in national tests. Very good teaching in mathematics in the infants results in the high standards pupils reach in Year 2. Teachers’ high expectations of pupils’ ability to learn and to behave well make a strong contribution to pupils’ learning. The time teachers give pupils to explain their thinking in mathematics allows them to organise their ideas. The targets teachers set for improvements to pupils’ work makes them aware of strengths and weaknesses in their learning. The use that teachers make of homework has a very good effect on pupils’ learning in lessons.

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

Weaknesses in teaching and learning : the use of information from assessment to provide challenging work for some less able pupils in the juniors. Some teachers lack of expertise in ICT limits the range of pupils’ skills and understanding of the subject.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Although the school covers all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education, there are weaknesses in its provision for ICT. A good range of activities is available outside lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The help provided for pupils with special educational needs has a good effect on improving their learning and behaviour.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development is good. It is very good for their social and moral development.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school takes very good care of the personal and educational needs of its pupils. Farnworth CE (Cont) Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership of the headteacher and senior staff is very effective. They work together in a team that is committed to raising standards.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Governors fulfil all legal responsibilities. They have a clear understanding of the most important features of the school. As a result, they provide very good support for the headteacher and senior staff in planning the school’s development, managing its finances and checking on the effectiveness of its provision.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance The headteacher’s very clear and informed understanding of the school’s performance underlies improvements to teaching and learning.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good. The staff, accommodation and resources available to the school are used efficiently for the benefit of pupils. The school has very good understanding of how to get best value from spending on resources

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like going to the school. • They are glad that their children are expected to work hard and do their best. • Parents are satisfied that behaviour in the school is good. • They feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. • Their children are making good progress. • They think that most of the teaching is good. • The school is well-led and managed. • Parents are pleased that teachers help their children to become mature and responsible. • Many parents would like a more interesting range of activities for their children outside lessons.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspection findings confirm parents’ positive views about the school. Many of the parents who would like a more interesting range of activities outside lessons made it clear that they were looking for after-school care for their children. This form of care is a commercial enterprise and as such lies outside the scope of the school and the brief for its inspection. Farnworth CE (Cont) Primary School - 10

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Standards are very high in English and science in Year 6.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. When children enter the school their early achievements in speaking, listening, reading and writing, and their knowledge and understanding of the world are typical for their age. Good teaching and a consistent approach to planning develop these early achievements to much higher levels by the time pupils reach Year 2. As a result, in 2000, many seven-year-olds did very well in teachers’ assessments of their learning in science. Their reading also developed at a very good rate; they did better than many pupils in other schools and as well as pupils in similar schools. Although fewer pupils than in most schools reached a high level in writing in 2000, this situation has improved in this year’s Year 2. With teachers’ growing confidence in the use of the National Literacy Strategy, more pupils are currently doing well in writing, and many are on course to reach a higher standard in 2001.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. The same good quality teaching that pupils experience in the infants continues in the juniors, where teachers build effectively on this strong foundation for early achievement. By making effective use of information from assessments of pupils’ learning, teachers move them forward to higher levels. In national tests in 2000, pupils reached very high standards in English and even higher standards in science. These results compared very favourably with the results of all schools nationally and with those achieved by pupils in similar schools. The high quality of many pupils’ work in English and science is evident in lessons and in their written work in the current Year 6. Pupils’ achievements in science in national tests in 2000 were so outstanding that they lie in the top five per cent of results nationally. The school surpassed its targets for attainment in Year 6 in English.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. A particularly good feature of pupils’ attainment is their confident use of expressive language in discussion and writing. It lifts the quality of many pupils’ written work well above that expected for their age and allows them to make mature and informed contributions to discussions in different subjects. The excellent forms of writing that pupils use to record their work and ideas is as evident in science as it is in English. An outstanding feature of their work in science lies in the high quality presentation of work that covers a good variety of investigations and experiments that raise their understanding of scientific ideas to an outstandingly high level.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Most of the teaching is good, and a considerable amount is very good.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. The quality of the décor and display in the school, particularly of high quality work in art, has an immediate and exciting visual impact. By providing a background of such high quality, teachers encourage and celebrate pupils’ achievements, and set the scene for effective learning. Improvements to teaching since the last inspection are based on high expectations of pupils’ ability to learn and to behave well. To this end, teachers continuously add their own expertise in a committed effort to raise standards. Some teachers lack expertise in ICT and this limits high attainment in all aspects of the subject. Training to address this weakness is planned for the immediate future.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. Teachers’ dealings with pupils are firm, calm and respectful. They have no difficulty in controlling pupils’ behaviour to ensure that nothing distracts them from learning. The strategies teachers employ in lessons effectively clarify pupils’ understanding of the work. In mathematics in Year 2, for example, the teacher asked pupils to explain their ideas and the methods they used when carrying out calculations. This helped pupils to order their ideas and the teacher to assess their learning. By providing pupils with personal targets for improvement, teachers equip them with the understanding and Farnworth CE (Cont) Primary School - 11 independence they need to improve their work. As a result, pupils recognise weaknesses that detract from their achievements and add new targets to those set by teachers.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6. The use of homework is a very good feature of teaching. All the work pupils complete at home has a direct and relevant link with future lessons. Teachers place such strong emphasis on research for older pupils that they devote the opening part of lessons to increasing pupils’ knowledge by sharing the findings of homework. In the literacy hour in Year 6, pupils responded so conscientiously to the homework set, that everyone, including the teacher, gained greater knowledge of the chosen author and understanding of biographical writing from the vast array of information pupils collected about Roald Dahl.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. Teachers’ planning is thorough and mostly contains activities and tasks that meet pupils’ needs. In the juniors, a less successful feature of planning in mathematics lies in the tasks provided for some less able pupils. This means that less able pupils and pupils with special educational needs often cover the same work as one another. While in many cases this is satisfactory and meets pupils’ needs, the work teachers provide for some less able pupils lacks the challenges that could raise the standards they reach in Year 6 to a higher level.

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Pupils’ very good attitudes and behaviour make a strong contribution to effective

8. Pupils’ confident attitudes are founded on warm, caring relationships and the gentle, affectionate approach of teachers in the reception classes. From their earliest contacts with teachers, pupils learn that their feelings and ideas will be treated with respect and that their contributions to the work and life of the school are valued. Most of them respond by going out of their way to please their teachers. They do this by working hard and doing their best in lessons. The care teachers take to plan interesting work has a strong impact on pupils’ response. When pupils in Year 2 had listened carefully to enjoyable poems about friendship, for example, they showed their enthusiasm for the topic by producing in a small amount of time, large amounts of lively writing about their own friends.

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Pupils’ very good attitudes and behaviour make a strong contribution to effective

9. Most pupils’ behaviour is so good that they can be trusted to organise their own work without adult supervision. For instance, very good relationships between pupils in the juniors are clear when they work together at the same computer. They have no difficulty working with quiet concentration and sharing equipment. Such mature and sensible behaviour promotes their learning effectively. By making best use of time, pupils ensure that others also have the chance to practise their skills. Because pupils’ behaviour is so good, teachers are confident about giving them frequent opportunities to organise their work. It is not uncommon to see pupils in Year 6 appointing a leader or scribe for group activities, and then using the class rules for collaborative work to share and complete tasks to a high standard. Many older pupils approach their work with an independence that is more common to secondary pupils.

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The school works very closely with parents to involve them in its daily life, and their

children’s learning and personal growth.

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The school works very closely with parents to involve them in its daily life, and their

10. Parents have very positive views about the school and appreciate its efforts to work closely in partnership with them to benefit their children. Teachers work hard to ensure that parents have a good picture of the school before their children join the reception classes. They achieve this through meetings and informative welcome packs that describe the school’s expectations and organisation.

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The school works very closely with parents to involve them in its daily life, and their

11. To add strength to its induction procedures, the school maintains regular contact with parents to increase their knowledge of their children’s learning. It achieves this through a steady flow of information about the work pupils do in lessons and guidance about current educational issues. Included in this information are details of new national initiatives, the school’s expectations about homework and techniques parents can use when reading with their children. Before the introduction of the National Numeracy Strategy, for example, a meeting was held to explain to parents how it would operate in the school. Parents gained helpful ideas to increase their children’s understanding of mathematics and explicit leaflets for those wanting more detailed information. This a helpful development and its success is reflected in the work that pupils do at home and the contribution that it makes to their achievement in mathematics.

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The school works very closely with parents to involve them in its daily life, and their

12. In addition to clear written reports, parents are invited to three formal meetings each year to discuss their children’s progress. The parents of pupils with special educational needs are kept up-to-date and involved in all relevant issues. The school makes sure that consultation is a two-way process between teachers and parents. To this purpose, parents and grandparents are encouraged to deepen their knowledge and to extend their contribution to the life of the school by supporting teaching and learning in classrooms. As a result, when parents make comments and suggestions to their representatives on the governing body, the school is sure that these are based, for the most part, on informed opinions. A small group of parents, however, has expectations that are outside the school’s responsibilities. These are based on a misunderstanding of the school’s role, in that they are concerned about its failure to provide after care at

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The school works very closely with parents to involve them in its daily life, and their

the end of the day for the convenience of working parents.

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The school works very closely with parents to involve them in its daily life, and their

13. The school makes sure that parents are fully aware of its intentions to promote their children’s personal growth in an atmosphere of Christian life and worship. As a result of this understanding, parents are assured that the school will always respond positively to their personal concerns and problems arising with their children. Parents are invited to a good range of functions to celebrate their children’s achievements and to involve them in the life of the school. They respond by attending presentations in such large numbers that it is often difficult to get a seat at these events. Many parents demonstrate their support for the school by working for its active parents’ and teachers’ association. In September 2000, the association presented the school with £5,500 to provide additional funding for resources. This co-operative activity between parents and teachers adds a social dimension that strengthens the quality of a successful

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The headteacher, senior staff and governors provide very effective leadership and

14. The headteacher, who took up office less than two years ago, has put so much analytical thought and effort into improving development planning that it would be difficult to envisage further improvements. With the contributions and support of staff and governors, the school now has a very effective means of planning, funding, managing and evaluating future change. The shared intention of this activity is not only to ensure that pupils do their best in lessons, but that their personal development is as good as their learning. Farnworth CE (Cont) Primary School - 13 15. The introduction of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies has developed and extended the responsibilities of senior staff to a high level. Recently, the headteacher and coordinator for mathematics, with advice and support from the local education authority, have trained staff, provided essential resources and started to check the

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The headteacher, senior staff and governors provide very effective leadership and

quality of teaching and learning in classrooms. The headteacher is aware that the process of monitoring standards in the classroom is a complex process and is looking for ways to increase its effectiveness. With mathematics, this exercise has concentrated so far on successfully developing and sharpening the quality of teachers’ planning and making sure that they place sufficient emphasis on different parts of lessons. The coordinator has identified and addressed the need for a clear system for assessing pupils’ learning. The need to ensure that teachers use information from assessment to plan suitable work for all pupils has not been followed up since a small group of pupils in last year’s Year 6 achieved a disappointing result in national tests in mathematics.

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The headteacher, senior staff and governors provide very effective leadership and

16. The benefits of raising the status of coordinators is evident in the way that standards in English and science have risen to such a high level, and that they are rising in religious education and ICT. The school benefits from the services of a very well-informed and involved governing body. Governors who have taken up responsibilities for the curriculum have very effectively fulfilled their roles by ensuring that national initiatives are fully in place through training and visits to lessons in English and mathematics. They work closely with the headteacher in sharing their knowledge of the background of the school, views about standards and the direction of future development.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

The standards some less able pupils in the juniors reach in mathematics.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

17. The school’s decision to teach pupils in Years 5 and 6 in groups with others at similar levels of attainment in mathematics works well in providing close attention for most pupils’ learning. Because pupils at similar levels work together, teachers’ assessments provide a clear picture of the strengths and gaps in individual pupil’s achievements. Difficulties arise when less able pupils and pupils with special educational needs are grouped together. While the work provided for most of these pupils meets their needs, some of them are capable of working at a brisker pace and at a higher level. Although teachers plan activities to extend the learning of this small group of pupils, the tasks provided lack sufficient challenge for them to reach the level expected for their age. As a result, national tests in 2000 showed that a much larger proportion of pupils reached a lower level in mathematics than they did in English and science. While teachers

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

usually use the findings of assessment effectively to provide work that meet pupils’ needs, standards in mathematics will not rise until weaknesses in assessing the work of less confident mathematicians are addressed. However, the school surpassed its targets for mathematics in 2000 and has set more challenging targets for 2001. Farnworth CE (Cont) Primary School - 14

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Some gaps exist in pupils’ knowledge of information and communication technology

18. Pupils have come a long way in developing the required skills and understanding of ICT since the last inspection when standards were too low. Because the school’s oldest pupils have so much leeway to make up in developing skills, they are the ones who have still not reached the level expected for their age. It is only in recent months that the school has been connected with the Internet so that it is not too surprising that some pupils in Year 6 are unable to access it independently or to send emails.

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Some gaps exist in pupils’ knowledge of information and communication technology

19. All pupils load CD ROMs and program robots but have limited experience of using computers to make models work or of using sensory information. Pupils know that computers will generate databases, spreadsheets and graphs. They draw graphs with a very basic pictogram program but can explain that the graphs they draw in mathematics and science are far more complex, like straight lines . Pupils’ use of accurate vocabulary, like cell and field, for instance, is shaky. Understanding of computers as an effective means of communication is a weakness in the knowledge of pupils in Year 6 and prevents them from reaching the level expected of 11-year-olds.

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Some gaps exist in pupils’ knowledge of information and communication technology

20. One of the first things the headteacher did on taking up office was to provide as many computers and programmable robots as funds would allow so that ICT can be taught effectively. Even so, hardware is still at a premium when measured against older pupils’ needs for greater access to machines. Within a relatively short period, teachers have done their best to raise standards in the subject. Teachers who are secure in their skills use their expertise in ICT to increase pupils’ achievements. Training to further improve the skills of teachers who lack sufficient competence is under way and is due to be continued and completed in spring 2001. In line with national initiatives, standards are targeted systematically for improvement in the school’s current development plan and the school’s efforts put it in a good position to raise standards to a satisfactory level.

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