Delph Primary School

DELPH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 13 th - 15 th January 2003

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DELPH PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection number: 246512 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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DELPH 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. Delph Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Denshaw Road Delph Oldham

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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: Vice Chair Rev J. Brocklehurst

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 10/11/97 Delph Primary School - 4

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Team members

16249 Mrs S. M. Barnes Registered inspector 1305 Dr B. Rance Lay inspector 17976 Mr J. Francis Team inspector

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Team members

Evenlode Associates Ltd 6 Abbey Close Alcester Warwickshire B49 5QW

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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 Delph 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

Delph Primary is a community school in the village of Delph. It is situated on the edge of Saddleworth moor near Oldham and is currently celebrating the Golden Jubilee of the school building. Nearly all of the 181 boys and girls who attend come from homes in the village and surrounding areas. This is broadly the same size as the majority of primary schools nationally. The great majority of the pupils are of white ethnic origin and all speak English as their first language. Very few of the pupils come from disadvantaged homes. The numbers of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average at approximately two per cent, which is lower than at the time of the previous inspection, when it was about a tenth. A lower than average proportion of the pupils (about four per cent) have special educational needs and these are for a variety of different reasons including moderate learning difficulties

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

and specific physical requirements. No pupil currently has a statement of special educational need, and this is also lower than the national average. At the time of the previous inspection attainment on entry was judged to be a typical range of ability, and this continues to be the case. There have been a number of staff changes since the previous inspection and approximately half of the teaching staff are near the start of their careers.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective school with good leadership and management and good teaching. Relationships are good and pupils behave well and enjoy school. As a result, they make good gains in their learning, particularly in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Boys and girls achieve well and the standards they attain are above the national average by the end of their time in the junior classes at the end of Year 6. The ethos of the school is very positive and pupils enjoy school and work hard. The school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English, mathematics and science are above average at the end of Year 6 and in the results of national tests in the previous year they were well above average. • The leadership and management of the school by the headteacher and governing body are good. • The quality of teaching and learning is good overall throughout the school. • The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its pupils is very good. • The provision for pupils’ personal and health education is very good. • Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good. • The curriculum is rich and varied contributes very effectively to pupils’ learning.

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What could be improved

• The role of curriculum co-ordinators should be developed still further to include monitoring of standards of attainment, evaluation of teaching and learning and identifying areas where further development is needed and implementing necessary action. • Information and communication technology could be used even more effectively across the curriculum to support pupils’ work in other subjects. 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 a satisfactory level of improvement since it was last inspected in 1997, when a number of issues were identified. The first of these issues was to improve pupils’ attainment in information and communication technology, particularly in the junior classes where standards were below those expected. This has been successfully addressed by developing a scheme of work and increasing staff knowledge and confidence. Pupils of all levels of ability now make satisfactory progress throughout the school and attain standards in line with those expected for their age. However, although statutory requirements are fully met, there is still further opportunity to use information communication technology to support pupils’ work in other subjects. The school is aware of this and the co-ordinator is currently looking to widen the range of programs available to make this possible. The school has now also produced sound

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

Delph Primary School - 7 schemes of work in English, mathematics, art and design, design and technology, and physical education, to provide guidance for teachers. Effective arrangements have been put in place to ensure that pupils withdrawn from lessons for music tuition have a balanced curriculum, so that their progress in other subjects is not affected. The headteacher and governors have implemented effective monitoring procedures and critically evaluate the work of the school. Co-ordinators conduct careful audits of their subjects, and ensure the use of time and resources are managed well. However, there is opportunity for co-ordinators to take a higher profile in the monitoring of teaching and learning in their subjects, tracking pupils’ progress and taking effective action. The issue of domestic fowl encroaching onto the school grounds has been effectively resolved.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

2000 2001 2002 2002 English A A A B well above average above average A B Mathematics A A A C average below average C D Science C A A B well below average E

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

Boys and girls from different groups, including those with special educational needs all do well during their time in school and their achievements are good. The school analyses the results of national tests effectively to highlight areas for focus in future teaching. Consequently, the targets set are suitably challenging and based on pupils’ prior attainment. As can be seen from the table above, standards in English, mathematics and science have been consistently well above the national average in the last few years. This has been above average compared to similar schools in English and science, based on the criteria of free school meals, and average in mathematics. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher level 5 is above average in all three subjects. Currently standards are above average at the end of Year 6 in all three, core subjects. Attainment on entry to school covers the full range and is broadly average

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

overall, although there are some fluctuations between cohorts year on year. Children in reception make a good start to their school career and the majority are in line to attain, and in a few cases exceed, the early learning goals for their age by the time they enter Year 1. Pupils make generally sound progress through the infant classes and by the end of Year 2 standards are currently average in English, mathematics and science. Standards in information and communication technology are in line with those expected at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, and this is an improvement since the previous inspection, when they were judged to be below expectations for pupils in the junior classes.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have very good attitudes to school. They come into lessons promptly and are interested and very involved in the activities provided for them. This is an improvement since the previous inspection, when attitudes were judged to be good.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour is very good in classes and as pupils move around the school. Pupils are very supportive of others and treat equipment with due care.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Personal development is very good. Pupils have a good level of awareness of the impact of their actions. They take initiative and undertake responsibilities around the school willingly. Relationships are very good. Delph Primary School - 8 Attendance Attendance is good. Pupils arrive on time and lessons start promptly. Delph Primary School - 9

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Good 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 in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching is good overall throughout the school and, as a result, pupils of all levels of prior attainment and from all groups achieve well. Teachers and support staff provide good role models for both boys and girls. The high standards noted at the time of the previous inspection have been effectively maintained. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress overall due to the carefully targeted support they receive. In the reception class, children make a good start to their school career, due to the good teaching they receive. The teacher and nursery nurse work well together and as a consequence the children settle quickly to the routines of the school day and the majority are likely to attain the early learning goals for their age by the time they enter Year 1. Pupils in the infant classes make steady, satisfactory progress in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, as a result of

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

the sound teaching they receive and standards are in line with the average. Teaching of the core subjects is good overall in the junior classes and pupils make good gains in their learning as a result. Teaching of literacy and numeracy is good overall throughout the school. Teaching of information and communication technology has improved since the previous inspection and is good overall throughout the school and very good in Year 2. This is due to increased teacher confidence as a direct result of the focus the school has placed on the subject.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum The quality of the curriculum is good overall and is planned well to ensure consistency. The school supplements and enhances statutory requirements with a good range of supporting activities. The range of learning opportunities, including extra curricular activities is very good, and a strength of the school.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good and they are effectively supported and challenged in their work.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. As a result, pupils make very good progress in these aspects of their development and the ethos of the school is good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection, when the provision was judged to be good.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Procedures for child protection and pupils’ welfare are good. Good assessment systems are in place, which are used effectively to raise standards further.

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Aspect Comment

The school works hard to involve parents in their children’s learning. There is a wide range of activities for parents to take part in, including supporting their child in class, taking part in parents’ workshops, becoming involved in the parents’ and teachers’ association and taking part in social events. As a result, the contribution parents make to their children’s learning is good. The school provides a wide range of information for parents, including reports, which give suitable information about the progress their children are making and a list of forthcoming events at the start of each term. However, on occasion the notice for Delph Primary School - 10 permission slips and specific timings of events is too short and as a result, a significant minority of parents feel that the school does not work closely enough with them. Delph Primary School - 11

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The leadership and management of the school by the headteacher and key staff is good overall and, as a result, relationships within the school are good and lead to pupils making good overall progress in their learning. However, the role of co-ordinators has not yet been fully developed to include monitoring standards of attainment, evaluation of teaching and learning, identifying areas where further development is needed in their subjects and implementing appropriate action.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors fulfil their responsibilities well. Statutory requirements are met and governors have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Good monitoring procedures are in place. Performance management is fully embedded in management systems. Appropriate targets are set and effective action is taken to achieve them.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Educational priorities are effectively supported through careful financial planning. Staff, accommodation and learning resources are deployed efficiently. The principles of best value are applied well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school. • Behaviour in school is good. • The school expects pupils to work hard and do their best and the quality of teaching is good. • The school is helping pupils to become mature and responsible. • Some parents do not feel well informed. • Some parents say the school does not work closely with them. • Some parents feel the school is not well led and managed.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

Inspectors agree that pupils like school and as a consequence they are very involved in lessons and other activities. The leadership and management of the school are good, resulting in an orderly and happy environment in which pupils and staff alike, are able to develop their skills. Behaviour is very good and the school plays a very positive role in enabling pupils to mature and to take on responsibility. The quality of teaching is good and teachers and other staff have appropriately high expectations that pupils will work hard and do their best. The information provided for parents is satisfactory overall, and for some aspects it is good, such as in the sending of a list of all dates and events at the start of the term. Teachers are receptive to parents’ wishes for informal discussions about their children’s progress. However, on occasion, final reminders and permission slips are sent out at very short notice, which inspectors agree

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

does cause difficulties for a significant minority of parents. Delph Primary School - 12

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

Standards in English, mathematics and science are above average at the end of Year 6.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

1. Standards attained in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science are above average by the end of Year 6. This represents good levels of achievement by the pupils. There are some fluctuations in overall attainment between individual cohorts, but the school has achieved consistently high standards in the national end of key stage tests for eleven year olds in all three of the core subjects in the last two years. In these tests standards were well above the national average. This was above average compared to similar schools, based on the eligibility for free school meals, in English and science, and in line with results of similar schools in mathematics. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher level 5 is above average in all three subjects.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

2. The literacy and numeracy strategies have been effectively implemented and teachers ensure that pupils are given good opportunities to use and develop mathematical and language skills in lessons in other subjects. A wide range of books is available for pupils to read and to take home and a good emphasis is placed upon developing pupils’ vocabulary, including specialist and technical vocabulary, such as when they are learning about computer skills. Teachers ensure that pupils, particularly in the junior classes have good opportunities to write in a variety of styles and for a range of purposes. As a result, boys and girls of all levels of prior attainment, particularly those in the oldest classes, make good progress.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

3. By the time they finish in Year 6, pupils’ written work is neat, well organised and legible. Punctuation and spelling are usually accurate, or at least phonetically correct, and there is consistency in the tenses used in stories. Pupils are confident in adopting a range of writing styles and effectively engage the readers’ attention. Good use is made of imaginative and well chosen language to make the writing interesting. This was particularly the case when pupils in Year 6 wrote the same story from two different perspectives. Good use is also made of drafting techniques and pupils use their “writing ideas” books well to develop fluency in their work. Pupils read with enjoyment and can talk about the authors they enjoy and the favourite features and styles of books that appeal to them. They are given good opportunities to discuss work and their thoughts in lessons and class discussion sessions and are confident speakers, both at an individual

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

level and also in front of the rest of the class. In science, they learn about circuits, conductors and insulators. They know how to research information and can discuss in detail how to separate mixtures. They understand the principles of light and reflections and can explain the relationship of different angles when light is reflected from a mirror, automatically using their mathematical knowledge to deduce the remaining angles. In mathematics pupils confidently multiply numbers by 10, 20, 30, 50 and 100. Higher attaining pupils readily and quickly factorise numbers to make their computations more quickly. Problem solving is taught well and pupils in Year 6 can describe and readily apply five stages of resolving mathematical problems.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The leadership and management of the school by the headteacher and governing body are good.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

4. The headteacher and governors lead the school effectively and manage it well. The headteacher provides strong, calm and focused leadership, which has ensured a positive direction for the work and improvement of the school. As a result, pupils and staff alike are enabled to develop their skills and competencies effectively. Relationships are good and the atmosphere is industrious, happy and relaxed. The aims and values of the school are clearly reflected in its day-to-day work.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

5. The management of the school is good and the school monitors and evaluates its performance well. The headteacher has a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school and has taken effective action to secure improvement in standards. The school has recently been re-awarded “Investors In People” status for its focus on staff development and its effect on Delph Primary School - 13 raising standards. Formal appraisal of teaching and performance management has been undertaken and is an integral part of school development. Job-descriptions have been written and teaching in the school has been monitored effectively, with support, guidance, internal in-service training and local education authority advisory training being provided for the whole staff, where deemed appropriate, for example to raise confidence in teaching of information and communication technology. Effective targets have been set, sensibly focusing on raising standards

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

and enhancing the curriculum. Data obtained from end of key stage tests and other testing has been analysed to identify areas for improvement.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

6. At the time of the inspection the vice chair of governors was undertaking the role of acting chair of governors. The governors have a suitable understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and of their statutory duties. Educational priorities are supported well through careful financial planning. Priorities in the school development plan are clearly linked to improving attainment, targets are costed carefully and there are suitable systems in place for monitoring the effectiveness of action taken and progress towards these targets. The main recommendations of the latest auditor’s report have been dealt with appropriately. The school uses “best value” principles and applies these effectively in their purchasing and deployment of resources. Specific grants are used effectively for their designated purposes and the effectiveness is monitored by the headteacher and governing body. Systems for financial control are efficient and unobtrusive and

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

up to date budget information is regularly available for the governing body and the finance committee.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall throughout the school.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

7. The quality of teaching is good overall. All of the teaching observed was at least satisfactory and the great majority of lessons were good and led to pupils making good gains in their learning. Teaching is good overall throughout the school in English, mathematics, information and communication technology and science. Teachers and support staff provide good role models for both boys and girls. Pupils with special educational needs are taught well. Their work is effectively matched to their needs and support for them is planned efficiently so that they make good progress towards their learning targets. Teachers plan lessons effectively to enable pupils to practise the skills of one subject when working in another. For example, mathematics is used well to support work in science and technical vocabulary is taught effectively in information and communication technology lessons.

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

8. A real strength of the teaching in all classes is the appropriately high expectation that teachers and support staff have that pupils will work hard and do their best. Targets for the learning objectives for lessons are shared with the pupils who are thus able to learn to evaluate their own progress in lessons. For example, in a very good literacy lesson for pupils in Year 2, the teacher had put very clear indications of what pupils were expected to achieve on the board at the start of the lesson. Pupils were reminded during the lesson that they were to write in full sentences and so were able to join in with the evaluation of how successful they had been in meeting these requirements during the plenary session at the end of the lesson. Targets for individual pupils in literacy and numeracy are clearly identified. Pupils respond to this very well, and as a consequence, lessons are orderly and calm and pupils give their full attention to their work and make good gains in their

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WHAT THE SCHOOL DOES WELL

9. Teachers also make good use of a variety of different teaching methods, appropriately matched to the lessons and the needs of pupils of different levels of prior attainment in all classes. At times, teachers address the whole class and, at others, work with small groups or individual pupils on a specific aspect of their work. They make good use of resources, including interactive projectors and white boards, so that there is generally good pace to learning. Relationships are good and teachers know their pupils well and often use humour and encouragement. Support staff are effectively deployed and have good levels of awareness of the objectives for learning in each lesson. They are unobtrusive and support the pupils in their care well. As a result, lessons are Delph Primary School - 14 interesting to pupils of all levels of prior attainment and they respond with good levels of application and concentration, maintaining a good pace to their working.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

10. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is very good. The school is successful in creating a welcoming ethos in which respect for the views of others is well supported.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

11. Daily collective worship contributes significantly to pupils’ spiritual development. Opportunities for drama and music make these times enjoyable occasions, which are effective in promoting the schools’ aims and values. Christian beliefs and practices and those of major world faiths have a secure place in the curriculum. Pupils are given good opportunities to communicate their sense of appreciation of art, music and poetry and this contributes effectively to their spiritual development.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

12. Provision for pupils’ moral and social development is carefully developed as they grow and mature and the demands placed upon them increase appropriately as they develop. Pupils respond well to the merit award system and value the weekly awards. They respect the classroom rules they have helped to draw up. They demonstrate a high standard of regard towards adults and each other. Provision for moral and social development is effectively started in the Reception class and children learn to take responsibility for their actions and the class equipment. They learn to take turns and share equipment, for example when playing with musical instruments or creating an obstacle course during an outdoor session, and know that they should tidy up neatly when they have finished an activity. Older pupils sensibly undertake responsibilities around the school and encourage good behaviour in younger pupils. Pupils respond thoughtfully to the concerns of others

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

in class discussions and the school council system allows pupils to bring their views to a wider school audience. School councillors take their responsibility very seriously.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

13. The wide variety of visits and visitors enrich the curriculum well and support pupils’ cultural development. Pupils learn about the diversity of cultural traditions in Britain today. Good links with the wider community has a positive effect on learning and increases pupils’ understanding of the world beyond home and school. Pupils make visits into the community and study the local area. The two local churches are used as valuable learning resources. The choir and school band entertains within the community, particularly at Christmas time. Useful business links have been made with providing not only first-hand experiences but also additional resources for the school, such as the development of the school grounds. There are also well-established links with one urban school and developing links with another. This provides opportunities for pupils in each of the schools to work with others from different cultural and religious backgrounds and experiences,

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

The provision for pupils’ personal and health education is very good.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

14. Personal, social and health education receives very good emphasis within the whole school curriculum and is a regular staff meeting agenda item. The well-planned programme is taught through a discrete lesson each week but also receives constant attention during the normal routines of the school day. The programme is being developed continually to provide the best possible support and guidance to pupils as they mature. Individual lessons are planned and taught well.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

15. There is a strong emphasis within the school to provide pupils with a good basis for their understanding of personal and health needs. The school is part of the “Healthy Schools” project and has won two awards from the West Pennine Healthy Schools scheme. Aspects such as diet and personal health care form an integral part of the curriculum, linked to work in science. Health and safety awareness is given suitably high priority and lessons, such as those in design and technology, pay particular attention to the safe use of tools and equipment. Drugs awareness and sex education are given suitable priority. Pupils take part in the Saddleworth home safety competition and mathematics challenge. Delph Primary School - 16 16. From reception onwards the provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. Pupils of all levels of prior attainment are given very good opportunity to take responsibility for their actions

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

and to take part in discussions. From the start of school, children in reception learn to treat equipment and resources with care and to share and take turns. This is developed appropriately as they pass through the school. In lessons pupils talk about issues such as the organisation of events and express their opinions, learning to also listen to and consider the opinions of others. Pupils’ views are represented through the school council and all members of Year 6 have particular responsibilities to help the smooth and efficient running of the school day. Pupils are made aware of their individual next targets for improvement in mathematics and literacy and of the learning objectives for each lesson. As a result, they develop good skills in evaluating the progress they have made towards these targets. Parents agree that the school effectively teaches pupils to be mature and responsible.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

Pupils’ attitudes and behaviour are very good.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

17. Throughout the school pupils have very positive attitudes to their work and say how much they enjoy school. They are attentive and enthusiastic during class discussions and are very willing to contribute to lessons. They show an ability to sustain concentration and respond positively to teachers. Pupils work very well together and have a real commitment to their school and this has a positive effect on the progress they make in their learning.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

18. As reported by the previous inspection, behaviour in classrooms and around the school is a positive feature of the school. Behaviour around school is very good, particularly in the dining hall and in the playground where pupils relate well to each other. No incidents of bullying were witnessed during the inspection and any incidents of inappropriate behaviour are dealt with effectively and immediately by staff. Pupils are courteous towards adults and peers. They have a clear understanding of expectations and respond well to teachers’ organisation. They show appropriate respect for their own and other’s property and are very aware of their environment and the care of equipment. Relationships between pupils are very good. Boys and girls in all classes are caring and supportive of one another and have very good relationships with staff. They have a clear understanding of the feelings and values of others. Children in reception develop these attitudes

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

quickly and pupils throughout the school show great respect for the values and beliefs of others and are sensitive to them in discussions. Pupils undertake responsibilities in the classroom and around school, such as the care of books and other equipment. Older pupils support and partner the younger children including looking after them in the playground. They have a sense of citizenship and as well as raising funds through the “Daniel Appeal”, Magic Pennies and for Macmillan Nurses. They also made thoughtful contributions to a book “I Believe” looking at faith through the eyes of children in the locality.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

The curriculum is rich and varied and contributes very effectively to pupils’ learning.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

19. Overall, the school provides good opportunities for learning and these promote high achievement, particularly in English, mathematics and science. Teachers provide a wide range of interesting activities that motivate pupils to learn. The national literacy and numeracy strategies are fully in place in the school and are implemented well. As a result, pupils make good overall gains in their learning. Overall, these national strategies have helped the teachers to develop a consistent method of planning for learning that identifies clearly the objectives of lessons and what pupils should learn in them.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

20. The curriculum for the foundation stage meets the statutory requirements and incorporates all the areas of learning. This enables children to make at least satisfactory progress towards the Early Learning goals. High priority in the foundation stage is appropriately given to children’s personal and social development, language and literacy and mathematics. Delph Primary School - 17 21. The current curriculum is relevant, balanced and broadly based. Sufficient time is allocated for the teaching of National Curriculum subjects and religious education and the school is using nationally produced documents for guidance and customising them to suit their own needs as well as responding to National Curriculum requirements. The planning of the whole school curriculum is effective, and the provision for personal, social and health education is very good. Health issues, including drugs awareness and sex education are effectively taught through other subjects,

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

such as science, religious education and class discussions.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

22. Access to the full curriculum is well provided for all pupils including those with special educational needs. The school has a good Equal Opportunities policy. Procedures for monitoring information in relation to gender and background are in place and data gained, particularly in the core areas are used effectively to ensure equality of access for all pupils. The good planning for pupils with special educational needs provides these pupils with good opportunities to improve the progress they make in their learning, their attitudes and their behaviour.

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The provision the school makes for the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of its

23. A very good range of extra-curricular activities enhances pupils’ learning and experiences and reflects the dedication and commitment of the staff involved. Lunchtime and after school activities cover a wide range including choir, band, chess, rounders, cricket, table tennis, short tennis, first aid, football and netball. The clubs are well attended by pupils, who enjoy taking part. The school is also involved in the Oldham “Unity in the community” project, and has links with an Infant and a Junior School with a high proportion of pupils from different minority ethnic groups. Effective links with the Construction Industry Training Board have supported work in design and technology. Visitors such as a poet, the local vicar or individuals with particular skills, regularly come into school to talk with pupils or share their expertise. All of this also has a very positive effect on pupils’ cultural development and the standards they attain.

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standards of attainment, evaluation of teaching and pupils’ progress, and identifying areas

where further development is needed and implementing necessary action.

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standards of attainment, evaluation of teaching and pupils’ progress, and identifying areas

24. The role of the curriculum co-ordinator has been satisfactorily developed since the previous inspection and although the headteacher is currently the co-ordinator for several subjects including several major areas, all teachers have areas of curriculum responsibility. These roles extend to monitoring planning, developing policies and schemes of work, conducting audits of their subject and collating suitable resources. As yet, however they do not include analysis of assessments and tests by the co-ordinator and tracking of pupils. As a result, while co-ordinators have good personal expertise in their subjects, and a general picture of overall standards and so can support their colleagues effectively with advice, they do not all have a clear idea of the progress of individual groups and standards throughout the school. This limits their effectiveness in identifying areas where further development is needed and putting in place actions for improvement.

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Information and communication technology could be used even more effectively across the

curriculum to support pupils’ work in other subjects.

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Information and communication technology could be used even more effectively across the

25. The co-ordination of information and communication technology is good. There has been good improvement since the last inspection and attainment at the end of both key stages now meets the expected standards. The priorities for improvement are relevant and the school continues to develop and make improvements to teaching, learning and the curriculum.

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Information and communication technology could be used even more effectively across the

26. There has been a positive drive to purchase new computers and this, together with staff training, has led to increased knowledge and confidence of teachers and support staff. These improvements have made a very positive contribution to the higher standards achieved. Lessons Delph Primary School - 18 are effectively planned to introduce new skills to pupils in a structured way. Pupils of all levels of prior attainment and from all groups throughout the school have suitable opportunities to work on computers for good lengths of time and this enables basic skills to be developed properly. Pupils have therefore made good progress in the subject.

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Information and communication technology could be used even more effectively across the

27. The quality of teaching is good in information and communication technology lessons throughout the school, and very good in Year 2. Teachers make good use of the new technology to help explain work to pupils in other subjects, for example using interactive screens and digital cameras. This good example, combined with pupils’ ready access to computers, has enabled them to develop new skills quickly. The recently implemented scheme of work provides the necessary progression for the development of skills. There are as yet no whole school assessment procedures in place to assess exactly what each pupil can do, but samples of work covered are kept and are available to teachers to identify the next steps in learning. However, although teachers use computers in other lessons, the co-ordinator has identified the need to extend the range of programs available. While there are now enough computers to support the teaching and

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Information and communication technology could be used even more effectively across the

learning in information and communication technology, additional software to use in lessons in other subjects would allow pupils to practise and apply new learning more regularly. In addition, planned opportunities to use information and communication technology to support other subjects are still not identified in sufficient detail in other subject schemes of work. Consequently, while teachers use computers and other equipment to support learning in lessons, some valuable opportunities for research and to practise skills are missed. This is an area for development which the school has recognised.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to raise standards further the headteacher and governors should:-

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) Develop the role of the curriculum co-ordinators still further to include monitoring of standards of attainment, evaluation of teaching and pupils’ progress, identifying areas where further development is needed. (Paragraph No. 24)

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) Use information and communication technology more effectively across the curriculum, to support pupils’ work in other subjects. (Paragraph No. 25. 26. 27) Delph Primary School - 19

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 18 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 15

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor Number 0 2 11 5 0 0 0 Percentage 0 11 61 28 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than one percentage point.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 181 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 4 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 5 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 14

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 4.9 School data 0.0 National comparative data 5.4 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Delph Primary School - 20

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 12 14 26

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 11 11 12 level 2 and above Girls 12 13 12 Total 23 24 24 Percentage of pupils School 88 (100) 92 (100) 92 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 11 11 11 level 2 and above Girls 12 12 13 Total 23 23 24 Percentage of pupils School 88 (100) 88 (100) 92 (100) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 19 16 35

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 16 16 17 level 4 and above Girls 13 14 15 Total 29 30 32 Percentage of pupils School 83 (87) 86 (87) 91 (91) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 17 16 17 level 4 and above Girls 13 15 15 Total 30 31 32 Percentage of pupils School 86 (91) 89 (87) 91 (87) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Delph Primary School - 21 Delph Primary School - 22

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exclusions

White – British 174 0 0 White – Irish 0 0 0 White – any other White background 3 0 0 Mixed – White and Black Caribbean 0 0 0 Mixed – White and Black African 2 0 0 Mixed – White and Asian 0 0 0 Mixed – any other mixed background 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Indian 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0 Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0 0 Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0 Black or Black British – African 0 0 0 Black or Black British – any other Black background 0 0 0 Chinese 0 0 0 Any other ethnic group 0 0 0 No ethnic group recorded 0 0 0 The table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. It gives the number of exclusions, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded. Delph Primary School - 23

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 10 Financial year 2001 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18 Average class size 26 £ Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 386,177 Total number of education support staff 5 Total expenditure 370,234 Total aggregate hours worked per week 91 Expenditure per pupil 2,045 FTE means full-time equivalent. Balance brought forward from previous year 24,391

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Balance carried forward to next year 15,943

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 2 Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 3

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0 Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) FTE means full-time equivalent. Delph Primary School - 24

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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. 52 40 9 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 48 52 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 43 40 12 4 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 40 42 15 3 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 44 40 14 2 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. 60 39 1 2 1

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 37 39 21 3 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 26 32 19 15 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 49 41 4 2 4

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 36 38 8 3 15

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Percentage of responses in each category

Please note, the figures in rows may not always add up to 100, due to rounding of decimals.

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