Other · Ofsted report

Broad Oak Community Primary School

Inspected — · published 12 Dec 2002 · URN 130259

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130259

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Full report text

BROAD OAK COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 9 th – 12 th September 2002

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BROAD OAK COMMUNITY PRIMARY SCHOOL

Full 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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BROAD OAK COMMUNITY 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. Broad Oak Community Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Brunswick Street Parr St Helens Merseyside Postcode: WA9 2JE

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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: Cllr T Shields

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 21/11/2000 Broad Oak Community Primary School - 4

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

12301 Mrs J Boden Registered inspector Design and technology History The school’s results and achievements Teaching and learning Leadership and management Key issues for action 19365 Mr G Stockley Lay inspector Pupils’ welfare, health and safety Partnership with parents and carers 21020 Mrs T Galvin Team inspector Foundation Stage Music 18059 Mrs R Harrison Team inspector English Religious education 18498 Mrs D Morris Team inspector Special educational needs Geography Information and communication technology 2911 Mr E Steed Team inspector Science Art and design Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development Quality and range of opportunities for learning 22704 Mr G Williams Team inspector Mathematics Physical education

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Evenlode Associates Ltd 6 Abbey Close Alcester Warwickshire B49 5QW

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

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 Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members Subject responsibilities Aspect responsibilities

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Broad Oak Community 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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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

The school’s results and pupils’ achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is bigger than most primary schools, with 445 boys and girls on roll. There is a nursery, which children attend on a part-time basis, from the September following their third birthday. However, at the time of the inspection, the new intake of nursery-age children had not started. The school is situated in an area of high social deprivation. More than half the children are entitled to free school meals. This is well above average. Pupil numbers have fallen steadily since 1997, largely as a result of people moving out of the area as local industries have closed. All the pupils are of white UK origin and they all speak English as their first language. An average percentage of pupils are on the school’s register of special educational needs. Most of these have difficulties with learning. However, an above average percentage have statements of special educational need because they have more serious and specific needs. Children have

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

well below average levels of ability when they enter the nursery, particularly in language and communication skills. The school benefits from its involvement in several initiatives, such as ‘Excellence in Cities’, ‘Neighbourhood Renewal’ and ‘Family Learning’, which provide extra funding and support. They have also received substantial extra funding for information and communication technology through the ‘Single Regeneration Budget’. The school is very much a community school with a separate community room, which is staffed by hard-working volunteers and provides the opportunity for local people to attend a range of events each week, including a parents’ and tots’ group and a pensioners’ luncheon club.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an effective and improving school, which despite difficult circumstances, provides well for its pupils and is a valuable asset to the community. Standards of attainment are generally below national averages and expectations, but given their poor language and communication skills on entry, most pupils achieve well. The unsatisfactory levels of attendance have a negative effect on standards. The teaching is satisfactory with many good features. The school is well led. The pupils have good attitudes and their behaviour is good. This is due to the very positive partnership that the school has created with the parents. All the adults in the school have the welfare of the children at heart. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The headteacher, supported effectively by the deputy and the governors, provides good leadership. • Relationships between all members of the school community are very good. This supports pupils’ learning well because they are ready to learn and they behave well. • Children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage because the provision is good. • Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and they make good progress. • The school has a very good partnership with parents and most parents are interested and involved in their children’s education.

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What could be improved

• Standards in English, mathematics and religious education throughout the school, and in science in Key Stage 1 are not high enough. Pupils do not always learn effectively because the work is not always matched to their needs. • There are not enough opportunities for pupils to develop their skills of speaking, reading and writing across all subjects of the curriculum. • Standards in art, geography, history and music are not high enough because not enough time is time is given to them. • Pupils are not prepared well enough for life in a multicultural society. • Attendance is poor. 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 had made satisfactory improvement since it was last inspected in November 2000. The main thing it had to do at that time was to continue to raise standards of attainment, particularly of the most able. Although the latest test results suggest a significant rise in the attainments of the most able, the Broad Oak Community Primary School - 7 evidence from examining pupils’ work indicates that there is still a long way to go. The satisfactory quality of teaching has been sustained. Although the senior management team has clearly defined responsibilities, the curriculum managers still do not have enough influence in raising standards in their subjects. The monitoring of the school development plan is now much more rigorous and this is helping the school to identify and modify its future priorities. Although assessment procedures have improved, the information is not always used well to match work to children’s learning needs. Standards in information and

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

communication technology have improved significantly as a result of much better provision of resources and the increased knowledge and expertise of teachers.

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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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compared with Key

Performance in: all schools similar schools well above average A 1999 2000 2001 2001 above average B English E E D B average C mathematics E E E C below average D science D D E C well below average E

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compared with Key

Standards by the end of Key Stage 2 have been rising faster than in schools nationally. No national comparisons are available yet for the tests taken in 2002 when the pupils obtained a significantly improved set of results. In English, nine per cent more pupils reached the expected level, while the percentage reaching the higher level 5 leapt from 12 per cent to 40 per cent. In mathematics, the percentage of pupils reaching the expected level rose by 12 per cent, while the percentage reaching the higher level doubled to 20 per cent. In science, the percentage reaching the expected level was about the same, but 25 per cent more pupils reached the higher level. The school exceeded its target for the percentage of pupils reaching the expected level in English and mathematics. Inspection evidence indicates that standards in English and mathematics of the pupils currently in Year 6 are below average. Speaking and writing skills are

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compared with Key

particularly weak. Most pupils cannot understand what they read well enough to select relevant information. This holds back their learning in other subjects. Nevertheless, given the low starting point for most pupils they achieve well. Pupils achieve very well in science. Standards are broadly in line with the national average and a small minority of pupils are on line to reach an above average standard by the end of the school year. In design and technology and information and communication technology (ICT), standards are as would be expected of children of this age. In art and design, geography, history, music and religious education, standards are below expectations.

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compared with Key

Children join the school with poor levels of ability. They achieve well in the Foundation Stage, particularly in personal and social development, and physical development. By the time they reach the end of their reception year, they achieve the Early Learning Goals (ELGs) in these areas. The good provision in the Foundation Stage also leads to good achievement in communication, language and literacy, mathematical development, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development. However, their low starting point means that their attainment in these areas, by the end of their reception year is still below average. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1 where their learning is often hampered by their poor language skills. By the time they reach Year 3, standards in English, mathematics, science, art and design, and religious education are below average. Standards in design and technology, geography, history,

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compared with Key

ICT and music are in line with expectations and standards in physical education are above average. Broad Oak Community Primary School - 8

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. Pupils throughout the school have positive attitudes and they usually try hard in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good overall. Behaviour in lessons and when pupils are supervised around the school is often very good. There are occasional lapses when adults are not present.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are very positive. Even the youngest pupils enjoy taking responsibility.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance In the last academic year, attendance was very low compared with other schools. Although there have been significant improvements in the last year, attendance is still well below average, and too many pupils are still arriving late.

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

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

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

The quality of teaching is good in the Foundation Stage and satisfactory in the rest of the school. Teachers plan their work thoroughly and work well together in year group teams. In the reception classes, teachers keep a careful check on what children learn. They then plan further work that will move the children on. This means that they achieve well. This is not always the case in the rest of the school. Sometimes pupils do not achieve as well as they could because the work is not matched accurately enough to their needs. Higher attaining pupils are not challenged enough, while lower attainers find the work too difficult. Most lessons are lively and this keeps pupils interested and ready to learn.

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

Teachers are good at teaching reading. In the reception and infant classes, they are particularly good at teaching children to sound out words or break them down into syllables. This gives them a good start to reading. In the junior classes, teachers build well on this by introducing pupils to a good range of texts. Teachers do not pay enough attention to developing pupils’ speaking and writing skills. They do not give pupils enough opportunities to practise speaking to an audience. Although they teach the rules of punctuation and grammar effectively in literacy lessons, when they mark work in other subjects they do not pick up on spelling and punctuation. This means that the pupils do not make the connection between set grammar exercises and other written work. In mathematics, pupils are not taught well enough how to do quick calculations in their heads. This slows their learning in other areas such as problem solving. In

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

most subjects the marking of pupils’ work does not point out to pupils how they could improve. In most cases the work is simply ticked or has an over-generous comment such as ‘brilliant’ or ‘excellent’. This misleads pupils because they do not see any reason to improve. Broad Oak Community Primary School - 9

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good in the Foundation Stage and satisfactory in the rest of the school. In Key Stages 1 and 2, some subjects have too little time allocated to them. Pupils benefit from a very good range of extra-curricular activities. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good. These pupils are supported well and, as a result, they make good progress. Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development There is satisfactory provision for spiritual development and good provision for moral and social development. Provision for cultural development is unsatisfactory. There are too few opportunities for pupils to find out about the variety of cultures that make up modern Britain. How well the school cares for its pupils There are satisfactory procedures for ensuring pupils’ welfare. The school has satisfactory procedures for checking how well pupils have learnt, but

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Aspect Comment

this information is not always used effectively to plan the next stages of learning.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a very good partnership with parents. The vast majority of parents have complete trust and confidence in the school. There is an appropriate racial integration policy.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Good overall. The headteacher provides clear direction to improving the school. She leads the school well and has created a good team spirit. Members of the senior management team have clearly defined responsibilities that they carry out well. However, subject managers do not have enough influence on raising standards in their subjects. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Good. The governors are well informed and very committed to raising standards. They are closely involved in discussing how well the school is doing and in making decisions about its future. The school’s evaluation of its performance Satisfactory. The school identifies what improvements are needed to raise standards in all subjects. However, it has not given sufficient attention to improving pupils’ speaking skills or to developing their writing skills across

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Aspect Comment

the curriculum. The strategic use of resources Good. The school makes the best possible use of all its resources. For example, good use is made of the deputy and the special needs co- ordinator in order to reduce class sizes in Year 6.

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Aspect Comment

The school has a sufficient number of staff and is well resourced. The accommodation is spacious. The school has secured sufficient funding to brighten the playground and give pupils more opportunities for purposeful and enjoyable playtimes and lunchtimes. The school applies the principles of best value well.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like school. • They get good information about how their children are getting on. • The staff are approachable. • The school is helping their children to become mature and responsible. A very small minority: • Feel that behaviour is not good enough. • That their children do not get the right amount of homework. Broad Oak Community Primary School - 10 The inspection team agrees with the positive points made by parents. They do not agree with the negative responses. Behaviour during the inspection was good overall and very good in most lessons. The school has a good homework policy that has been agreed with parents. Broad Oak Community Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

1. Children enter the nursery with well below average levels of ability in all the areas of learning. Their language and communication skills are particularly poor. They achieve well in the Foundation Stage, although by the end of their reception year, standards in communication, language and literacy, mathematics, knowledge and understanding of the world and creative development are still below the levels expected. Standards in personal and social development and physical development are in line with what would be expected for their age.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

2. In Key Stage 1, the results of national tests for seven-year-olds show that standards in reading, writing and mathematics have been consistently below or well below national averages since 1998. However, there has been an overall trend of improvement in all three subjects. Both boys and girls have improved at a faster rate than boys and girls nationally. Girls do better than boys in all three subjects. In 2001, compared to similar schools, standards in reading and writing were above average and standards in mathematics were average.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

3. The evidence of the inspection is that the standards in reading, writing and mathematics of the pupils currently in Year 2 are below average. There is evidence that reading is improving as a result of the extra attention that is being given to teaching letter sounds.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

4. In Key Stage 2, the results of the national tests show that standards in English and mathematics are improving faster than the national trend. In 2001, standards in English rose from well below average to below average compared with schools nationally, and above average when compared to similar schools. Girls do better than boys, but boys have shown more improvement. In mathematics and science, although standards remained well below the national average, they were average compared to similar schools. There is no significant difference between the performance of boys and girls. The latest set of test results show a very dramatic rise in test scores in all three subjects, with a marked increase in the percentages of pupils reaching the higher levels. The school far exceeded the targets set for the percentage of pupils reaching the expected levels in English and mathematics. As yet, however, the comparative data is not available.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

5. The evidence of the inspection is that standards in English and mathematics of the pupils currently in Year 6 are below average. Pupils make steady progress as they move through the school, but this is accelerated in their last year through very effective ‘booster classes’ and an ‘Easter School’. Standards in science are average overall, with a significant minority of pupils who reach above average. Pupils’ enquiry skills are not good enough because they do not have enough opportunities to plan and carry out their own investigations.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

6. While they can generally listen well, many pupils have difficulty in remembering what they have heard. Throughout the school, pupils’ speaking skills are below average overall and well below average for a significant minority. Although reading is improving, current standards are below average and well below average for many pupils. Most pupils do not read with a sufficient depth of understanding to enable them to seek out relevant information for themselves. This holds back their learning in subjects such as geography, history and religious education where standards are below those expected. In mathematics, pupils’ mental skills are weak. This slows their progress in other areas such as problem solving.

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

7. Standards in information and communication technology are in line with what would be expected of pupils of the same age. This is an improvement since the last inspection. Pupils are now achieving well as a result of better teaching brought about by teachers’ increased confidence and expertise. Standards in design and technology are also similar to those found in most primary Broad Oak Community Primary School - 12 schools. Standards in art and design and music are below those expected. The reason for the low standards in music is that not enough time is spent teaching it. Pupils do not have the opportunity to achieve as well as they could. 8. Pupils with special educational needs achieve well because of the good support they receive in lessons. Lower attaining pupils achieve satisfactorily when they are given appropriate support, but this is not always available. Higher attaining pupils, who have been identified by the school as

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The school’s results and pupils’ achievements

gifted and talented, do not always achieve as well as they might because they are not always challenged sufficiently.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

9. Pupils’ attitudes to the school are good; their values are sound and personal development satisfactory. This represents good progress and development as pupils move through the school.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

10. In the main, children have good attitudes to their learning in the Foundation Stage. Staff set a very good example for children to follow of care and consideration for others. For example, they remind the children to hold doors open for their classmates and for adults. Therefore children’s behaviour is very good; they are polite and courteous. They are beginning to value what others say by taking turns to speak and listening carefully. This was evident when they discussed the story ‘This is the bear and the scary night’. Many of the children readily and politely raised their hands to answer the teacher’s questions. Children show good levels of initiative and responsibility for this age, such as sharing equipment and tidying away resources at the end of lessons.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. Inside the building, the ethos of the school, together with the orderly routines, offers a friendly, secure atmosphere that is enhanced by the unfailing friendly greetings from teachers and other adults in the school. The friendly atmosphere usually results in pupils being ready to learn. They settle quickly at the beginnings of lessons and this means that little learning time is lost. Pupils respond keenly to lessons that include very good teaching with interesting content; this was demonstrated very effectively during a design and technology lesson when a class in Year 5 showed excellent attitudes and behaviour.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. A factor that much influences the pupils’ good attitudes is the good relationships that exist in the school. This is in line with the findings of the last inspection. All members of the school community are valued; pupils are aware of this fact and in school they react accordingly.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Behaviour is very good in lessons and around the school where pupils are supervised. This is an improvement since the last report when behaviour in lessons was stated to be good. When pupils are in the playground there are occasional instances of over-boisterous play that on one day during the inspection ended in a fight. Instances were also noted where the less satisfactory behaviour of small groups of unsupervised boys resulted in pushing and shoving as they moved along corridors. However, the main body of the pupil population maintains good social skills and play well together, often in mixed gender groups, usually making playtimes and lunchtimes pleasant occasions. It is notable that during the inspection there were no recorded instances of tension between boys and girls when they were placed together for paired work. Displays throughout the school remain in pristine condition; there is no evidence of even minor vandalism to school or personal property.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

The scrutiny of pupils’ books showed that these are overall treated with equal respect. There is very little litter within the buildings because pupils pick up dropped items and place them in the bins.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. There is a well-known expectation that all pupils will look after one another and be courteous to adult members of staff and to visitors. These expectations are fulfilled; it was very difficult for a member of the inspection team to reach and open a door before a pupil had appeared to open it. These kind actions were generally accompanied by a smile and the response, “You are very welcome” to the thanks offered. Pupils offer their own thanks for small kindness, a trait that is Broad Oak Community Primary School - 13 supported well by the good examples set by members of staff. As at the time of the earlier inspection, pupils are well mannered and friendly.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. When appropriate, co-operative and collaborative working in lessons is expected and pupils respond accordingly. For example, in a science lesson in Year 4 when pupils willingly and effectively worked in pairs to undertake a series of investigations that required concentrated co- operation. They were required to pull together on a force meter, read off the breaking point of cotton and record the collected data; pupils co-operated well and carried out the task without fuss. Pupils who are appointed as class monitors take their responsibilities seriously and carry them out conscientiously. Very good examples of this, coupled with the social awareness of other pupils, were seen each day as monitors carried the class lunch boxes to the dining hall. They were on time, and it was a regular occurrence for passing pupils to stop and hold open doors in the corridor to enable ease of access.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Pupils with special educational needs display the same characteristics as other pupils. They receive good support from teachers and teaching assistants who are very sensitive to their individual needs. This aids their learning and enables them to make overall good progress.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

17. Attendance last year was very low in comparison with other schools. The latest information shows that it is improving, although it is still well below the national average. While staff are pleased with the upward trend in attendance levels, they remain concerned about the number of pupils arriving late each morning.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

18. The quality of teaching has been maintained since the last inspection. All except two lessons seen during the inspection were at least satisfactory, and a temporary supply teacher taught one of these. Just over half the lessons were good or better. The overall satisfactory quality of teaching over time enables most pupils to achieve satisfactorily. The most consistently good teaching is seen in the Foundation Stage, and this gets children off to a good start.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. Teaching in the reception classes is good. Staff plan and work together very well as a team. They are very caring and give children lots of praise and encouragement. This raises children’s self esteem and gives them increasing confidence to learn. A strong feature of the teaching is that staff plan carefully to extend children’s everyday vocabulary. They do this through interesting and practical activities, for example when the children looked at caterpillars and a variety of fruit linked to the story about ‘The hungry caterpillar’. They also develop very well children’s speaking skills through the imaginative play areas, such as the playhouse and ‘Garden Centre’. Although this kind of approach has a very positive effect on children’s learning, they still have a narrow range of everyday vocabulary for describing clearly and confidently their ideas and experiences. Staff give less time to the teaching of handwriting, so the standard of handwriting is lower than

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

expected. For example, the children place capital letters within words when writing independently.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. The teaching of literacy is satisfactory overall. While there is some good teaching, work is not always matched to pupils’ needs. In many cases, pupils are not given enough opportunities to develop the skills they have learnt in literacy lessons in other areas of the curriculum. When teachers mark work, they ignore spelling and punctuation mistakes, and often simply tick the work or add an over-generous comment, such as ‘brilliant’ or ‘excellent’. They do not indicate to pupils how they could improve their work and they do not use the results of marking to plan further work. Pupils, therefore, do not see the connection between set English exercises and other written work. This is the reason why many pupils, notably the higher attainers, do not achieve as well as they could. Teachers do not pay enough attention to developing pupils’ speaking skills. As a result, pupils frequently nod or shake their heads or give one-word answers.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

Broad Oak Community Primary School - 14 21. The satisfactory teaching of numeracy means that achievement for most pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 is satisfactory. The lively approach to lessons keeps pupils interested. The school acknowledges that more emphasis needs to be put on helping pupils to work out sums in their heads because this affects their work in other areas.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

22. In some lessons in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, teachers spend too long talking at the beginning of lessons. This causes the pupils to lose interest as many of them find it hard to concentrate for long periods. As a result, they stop listening and do not make enough progress in their learning. Some lessons start off well, but the pace slows when pupils are doing their individual recording tasks. Teachers are not always aware when pupils are not getting on with their work. In several lessons seen during the inspection, teachers praised pupils for working ‘really hard’ when, in reality, they had done little or no work.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

23. Some good features of teaching are present in most lessons. Teachers generally adopt a lively approach that captures pupils’ interest from the start. They are good at explaining clearly to pupils what they are going to learn, although in some cases they do not refer to this enough during the lesson to keep pupils’ minds focused. Most teachers are good at using questions to check what pupils have learnt and to develop their understanding further. In a design and technology lesson in Year 5, the teacher used questioning well to make pupils think. For example, ‘Why are chocolate biscuits and custard creams likely to be more expensive than a Rich Tea?’ As a result, pupils came to an understanding that more ingredients and a more complicated production process would have an effect on the cost.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

24. Teaching for pupils with special educational needs is good throughout the school. Teachers make good use of teaching assistants and other adults when they are available. The teaching assistants know the pupils well and the good support they give pupils helps them to concentrate and contribute to class discussions, and to follow the targets in their education plans.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

25. All the teachers have very good relationships with the pupils. They understand that many of the pupils have particular problems in their lives that affect their ability to concentrate on learning. The kindness and consideration that they show to the pupils creates a good atmosphere for learning because the pupils develop their self-esteem and confidence. Although most pupils do not generally volunteer answers, they are not afraid to ‘have a go’ when they are questioned directly even though they may not be sure of the answer. The pupils’ very good behaviour in lessons is a reflection of the good examples that their teachers set for them in treating everybody with respect. Lessons are planned and organised well with resources prepared in advance, so no teaching time is lost.

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PUPILS?

26. The good curriculum in the Foundation Stage develops children’s knowledge and understanding across all the recommended areas of learning. The work is practical and is based securely on the curriculum for children of this age, so children’s learning is good, except in outdoor physical development. This provision is unsatisfactory because the main outdoor provision is playtime. Staff are not providing relevant experiences for children’s development in these sessions.

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PUPILS?

27. In Key Stages 1 and 2, the curriculum is satisfactory overall with some significant strengths, and a few weaknesses. Statutory requirements in relation to the National Curriculum and religious education are met. This represents a similar picture to that at the time of the previous inspection.

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PUPILS?

28. The curriculum is broad, but there are some imbalances. For example, insufficient reading and speaking takes place in English. Literacy and ICT skills are not used well enough in other subjects. There is also sometimes a lack of relevance within the taught curriculum to meet the needs, Broad Oak Community Primary School - 15 interests and abilities of all the pupils at the school. For example, lower attaining pupils and those identified as gifted or talented do not have enough planned opportunities to improve and develop their skills, knowledge and understanding in some lessons. Although lesson planning usually indicates different tasks for some of these pupils, the content of the taught lesson is not always appropriate for them. For example, in a mathematics lesson, pupils were learning about numbers to 1000, when almost half of the class lacked the confidence to work with numbers to 100.

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PUPILS?

29. Not enough time is allocated to some subjects, particularly history, geography, music and religious education. This inhibits standards in these subjects.

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PUPILS?

30. The quality of learning opportunities provided for pupils with special educational needs is good. They benefit from good, clear individual plans, which are monitored regularly to ensure that they make good progress. The well organised special needs provision ensures that pupils are confident members of the community. There are times, however, particularly in literacy and numeracy lessons when not enough support staff are available to ensure that these pupils can access the full lesson. The organisation of the timetable means that almost all classes undertake these lessons at the same time, hence leading to an inefficiency in deployment of staff to support individual and small group needs.

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31. The national numeracy strategy is having a beneficial impact on standards. However, while teachers use the literacy strategy to good effect in literacy lessons, not enough attention has been given to developing pupils’ literacy skills across the curriculum.

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32. All pupils have equal access to the curriculum and to the additional experiences that are offered. The range of extra-curricular provision is a particular strength. A residential experience for older pupils is a valuable addition to pupils’ school life, and all pupils in the oldest classes are able to attend. A good range of clubs for pupils of all ages enhances the provision, and these are well attended throughout the year.

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33. The provision for the development of pupils’ personal, social and health education (PSHE) is good and includes a good citizenship programme as well as provision for sex and drugs awareness education. Pupils’ social skills are fostered effectively in all areas of the school and this leads to a well-ordered and friendly community.

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34. In the previous report the procedures for the development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development was stated to have been satisfactory. Since that time provision for both moral and social development has improved and is now good; spiritual development has maintained its sound standard, while aspects of cultural development are now unsatisfactory.

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35. Provision for pupils’ spiritual development is satisfactory overall. While the worship elements of assemblies meet statutory requirements they vary in quality. In cases where spiritual development is focused upon, pupils are actively involved in talking about their emotions and feelings, they are given time to reflect and comment about what they have heard, and they have their thoughts summarised cohesively. This approach was undertaken very successfully in an assembly in Year 3 when pupils explained their feelings on the collapse of the twin towers a year ago. Worship was led by a teacher who said a prayer for the families of the people killed in the tragedy that was, in context, very meaningful to the children. The school does not attempt to make the daily act of worship a special feature of assemblies, for example, by the lighting of a candle to show pupils that they have entered a special part of the day. There is little evidence that opportunities for

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developing spiritual awareness are planned into lessons. However, individual teachers do use aspects of their lessons effectively; as when a class in Year 2 considered how the children in a story might feel when ‘Grandma’ arrived with extra cookies. Pupils in Year 5 who attended the residential visit to Ambleside received plenty of stimulating experiences that caused them to ponder on the wonders of the natural world. In science there are opportunities to record the growth of plants from seeds; in discussion, pupils in Year 6 were quite obviously fascinated that Broad Oak Community Primary School - 16 tall sunflowers start as small seeds. In Year 1 pupils who tasted a range of fruits expressed amazement when a bright red capsicum pepper did not have the taste that was expected.

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36. Provision for moral development is good. Pupils are aware of the differences between right and wrong actions and also of the rewards and sanctions that are applied to their actions. The school’s policies on behaviour and anti-bullying are applied consistently. Posters are displayed prominently along corridors to remind pupils of their obligations to each other and to the adults who care for them. Members of staff encourage good levels of behaviour and they foster shared values such as honesty, truth and fairness. Personal and social education programmes help pupils to understand the effect of their words and actions on others. The result of this good training is that pupils develop a good caring attitude and a solid sense of what is right and what is wrong. There is no evidence of vandalism to property and younger pupils feel that they are safe within the school. Pupils report that when bullying does occasionally occur the staff deal with it very quickly and it is

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not sustained. Through the use of areas around the school, for example the Sankey Valley, for fieldwork studies, pupils learn to value the local environment. They understand that there are people who are less fortunate than them and, when opportunities occur, they are willing to support charitable causes. 37. The provision for social development is also good. The members of the school community have a collective desire to encourage an ethos where growing up and learning is a happy experience. Parents have expressed their view that this is an effective aspect of school life. The school provides clear rules for community living, which pupils understand and with which they agree. Opportunities to acknowledge pupils’ achievements are in place through assemblies that are planned to raise self-esteem. The school has produced a draft policy that is aimed to help pupils to understand the effects of oppressive behaviour and racism. The policy was written following

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consideration of the McPherson enquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence and will be presented to the governing body at their next meeting. School visits, especially the residential, are planned to enable pupils to interact socially with unknown adults within a safe environment. There are good arrangements for pupils to learn to co-operate and collaborate in lessons within a variety of pairings and groupings. All adults in the school set good examples to pupils, especially in demonstrating the benefits of courtesy and respect. Consequently, pupils of all ages are polite and courteous towards visitors and other adults.

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38. The provision for cultural development is unsatisfactory because too little is done to present pupils with planned opportunities to understand and to celebrate the rich cultural diversity of modern British society. Through studies in geography and history pupils learn something of their own cultural background and of the culture of past civilisations. Through studies in art they learn of western European painting and look at the art of Islam, Australian aboriginals and native North Americans. In musical studies pupils have gained good knowledge of a range of instruments. During a study of the local area pupils learn of the background to life in St Helens in former times through primary sources and oral history. Studies of the cultures that now flourish in British society are insufficiently touched upon. Pupils in Year 6, who were interviewed, displayed very insecure knowledge of world faiths other than Christianity and could offer little about the beliefs,

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values and customs of other ethnic groups. Pupils do not receive opportunities to visit the places of worship of faiths other than Christianity, and visits by members of ethnic communities have not yet been arranged to enable pupils to gain first hand knowledge and understanding of these communities. This means that pupils are not being prepared for adult life in a multi-cultural society, and they are denied experiencing the personal enrichment that contact with ways of life other than their own can bring.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. The school has appropriate procedures for ensuring pupils’ health and safety. The policy has recently been reviewed and follows the local authority guidelines. All the necessary safety checks are carried out regularly and the caretaker conducts regular inspections of the premises with the Broad Oak Community Primary School - 17 member of staff responsible for health and safety. However, the governors are not currently involved in this exercise. There is a large number of trained first-aiders and relevant risk assessments have been carried out. There is an appropriate policy for handling pupils and incidents are logged and parents are informed.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Staff throughout the school are very caring, and know the children very well. They make very good use of praise to reward children’s achievements and this promotes children’s self-esteem and confidence. Child protection is taken seriously. The co-ordinator is trained and all staff have regular discussions about the procedures and signs of possible concern that might result in a child protection issue.

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41. Very good procedures for monitoring and improving attendance are having a positive effect. Attendance has risen by two per cent in the last year. The school works closely with the education welfare officer to monitor attendance trends regularly and takes action where there is a concern. Lateness, too, is monitored closely and the school works closely with pupils and their parents to try to improve the timekeeping of the more persistent latecomers. Targets are set for some children together with the opportunity to gain rewards, and this helps to raise the importance of attendance and punctuality. The school has the support of an attendance officer funded by the Education Action Zone who contacts parents on the first day of absence when no explanation has been received. This has helped towards the recent improvement in the attendance figures. 42. Procedures for monitoring and promoting good behaviour are very good and a strength of the

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school. There is an effective behaviour policy, which is followed consistently by all staff. It is based on encouraging and rewarding good behaviour, for example, with stickers and certificates. These awards are not given readily and pupils value them and strive hard to achieve them. The school has a significant number of pupils who do not behave well as a matter of course and it is a credit to the procedures and the skills and dedication of all the staff that behaviour in school is so good. The way that pupils’ behaviour is managed is one of the strengths of the teaching.

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43. There are good procedures for monitoring and eliminating oppressive behaviour. The policy gives good guidance to staff on how to deal with incidents of bullying and stresses the need for urgent and consistent action by all staff. Pupils have confirmed that the school responds quickly and effectively to any reported bullying incidents.

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44. There are good procedures to monitor and support pupils’ personal development. This is done by a combination of formal and informal methods, well supported by teachers’ good knowledge of their pupils and the care and concern that they show for them. These procedures are effective because most teachers are fully committed and are prepared to spend time and give support in order to help resolve any problems.

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45. Staff in the Foundation Stage have good systems for assessing regularly children’s achievement in lessons. They use this information well to plan the next step in children’s learning, for example in mathematical development. There is a shortcoming in the detailed information that is transferred from the nursery to the reception classes. It is not in an easily accessible format for staff to make efficient use of it. Procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in the rest of the school are satisfactory overall. However, in English the procedures to assess attainment and progress in speaking and listening are unsatisfactory. Despite the fact that teachers spend a lot of time and effort in checking how well pupils have learnt, they do not always use the information when planning the next stage of learning. Procedures for assessing how well pupils do in the non- core subjects have been introduced recently. However, it is too early to evaluate their

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effectiveness. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well and their progress is monitored effectively.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

Broad Oak Community Primary School - 18 46. Parents are very pleased with the school. Responses to the questionnaire sent to all parents before the inspection and discussions during the inspection show that parents are very satisfied with what the school does and they have no significant concerns. The school has forged very effective links with parents and this supports their children’s education well. Parents receive a warm welcome whenever they contact the school and they feel comfortable in approaching teachers and the headteacher.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

47. The school provides good quality information for parents about their children’s progress and how they can help at home. These include a well-presented and informative prospectus and nursery brochure; regular newsletters and letters; a range of workshops for parents and, in some cases, for their children as well; a termly opportunity to meet their children’s teacher and an annual written report. The reports are of good quality and show parents what their child has been doing and what they need to do next. Apart from at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, the reports do not show parents how well their child is doing in comparison with national expectations or the school average. Parents are invited to meet their child’s teacher each term, but only just over half of parents take up the invitation, which is much less than in most schools. The school tries hard to encourage more parents to come into school, sometimes organising information-giving

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events in conjunction with a performance by their children.

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HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

48. Overall, parents make a good contribution to their children’s education, both at home and at school. Parents support their children’s work at home to the best of their ability. They are asked to oversee their children’s homework and sign the homework book. Many parents are pleased with the way in which regular homework makes a good contribution to their children’s education. A small but significant number of parents help in classes on a regular basis, providing valuable support to teachers in lessons such as science and design technology where assistance from an extra adult often makes such a difference to the success of the lesson. A larger number of parents are willing to help on an occasional basis, such as when pupils are going on a trip. There is a good response from parents to the workshops that the school arranges for them, some being so popular that they have to be run again to meet the demand. The partnership between the school

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and the parents of pupils with special educational needs is very good. This has a positive impact on the progress of these pupils.

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