Norwood Primary School

Inspection Report Norwood Primary School

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104865 Unique Reference Number Sefton LEA 277238 Inspection number 24 May 2006 to 25 May 2006 Inspection dates Mr Frank Carruthers CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Norwood Crescent School address Primary Type of school Southport Community School category Merseyside PR9 7DU 5 to 11 Age range of pupils 01704 211960 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01704 232712 Fax number 416 Number on roll Mrs J Hilton Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Dianne Prince Headteacher 11 July 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277238 24 May 2006 - 5 to 11 25 May 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This large primary school serves a residential area of above average social and economic advantage. Almost all children are White British and very few are from minority ethnic backgrounds. None is learning English as an additional language. The attainment of the children on entry to the Reception classes is broadly average. The proportion of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below the average of most primary schools. The school gained the Healthy Schools Award in 2005.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Norwood Primary School, 24 May 2006 to 25 May 2006

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Grade: 3

The effectiveness of the school is satisfactory. The school's evaluation of its own performance matches almost exactly the views of the inspection team. Overall, children's achievement is satisfactory. It is good in the Reception year and Key Stage 1. However, in Key Stage 2, it has been too variable in recent years, despite good achievement in science. Effective monitoring of teaching and learning has identified weaknesses and action taken is having a positive impact on children's learning and raising their achievement. Standards are broadly average with strengths in reading. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make satisfactory progress, although their individual education plans are not always implemented well. The school promotes well the children's personal development, well-being and behaviour and, as a result, they are good. Leadership and management of the school are satisfactory, a particular feature being

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Grade: 3

the monitoring of teaching. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. In past and current years, it has been adversely affected by disruption but there are clear signs of improvement. The curriculum is satisfactory, as is the quality of the provision in the Foundation Stage. Enrichment of the curriculum through clubs and visits is good. Levels of care, support and guidance are satisfactory with good features. Links with parents are satisfactory but communication with them about children's performance is not good enough. Improvement since the last inspection and the capacity to improve further are satisfactory. Recent developments are beginning to have a real impact on improving children's performance in Key Stage 2. The school gives satisfactory value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards of writing and mathematics in Key Stage 2. • Ensure that activites are well matched to the requirements of individual education plans for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. • Improve communication with parents so that they can actively support their children's progress in partnership with the school.

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Grade: 3

Children's achievement is satisfactory overall. Children make good progress in the Reception year and Key Stage 1. By the end of the Reception year, attainment is above average. In most years, standards in Year 2 are significantly above average. In the current Year 2, standards are well above average in reading, average in writing and above average in mathematics and science. Standards in Year 6 have fluctuated in the past three years and children's achievement became a cause for concern for the school, partly because of disruption to teaching. Through effective monitoring of teaching and children's work, the school has taken 2 Inspection Report: Norwood Primary School, 24 May 2006 to 25 May 2006 important steps to improve performance. Standards in reading rose to well above average last year and this improvement was maintained this year. Standards in writing were low last year but have significantly improved this year because of improvements

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Grade: 3

to teaching. They are now just above average. Girls' achievement in these subjects is improving. Standards in mathematics are broadly average. Standards in science continue to be high, as they have been in most years since 2001. Children's progress is now satisfactory in Years 3 to 6. This is the same for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the more able. The challenge for the school is to improve children's achievement in Key Stage 2 so that challenging targets are met, which was not the case last year.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school that children's personal development and well-being are good. Children enjoy coming to school and behave well. One child said, 'I wish school opened at the weekend, because I love it so much!' This enthusiasm is reflected in above average levels of attendance and very rare exclusions. The school does not tolerate bullying or racism. Children are encouraged to be thoughtful about relationships and display good levels of self-esteem and care for one another. The annual SHINE week celebrates this vibrant aspect of the school, through drama and a range of workshops and events. The school council is beginning to have a voice in decision-making and children feel that their views are taken seriously. The Healthy Schools Award has been achieved. This reflects the emphasis placed on healthy living. Children are encouraged to be active, through their physical education and games lessons and through a very wide range of extra-curricular activities for all

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Grade: 2

age groups. Children's spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Children take part in fund-raising for charitable purposes, including sponsoring a child in Vietnam. Cultural awareness is promoted through the curriculum, which celebrates diversity. Assemblies and links with local churches add an effective spiritual dimension. Collaboration and teamwork in lessons are encouraged well. Participation by older children in team sporting events and public speaking competitions develops children's self-confidence well.

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Grade: 3

Past and recent disruptions to teaching, occurring for unavoidable reasons, have created gaps in the children's learning, resulting in underperformance in some age groups, especially in Key Stage 2. This is why teaching is judged satisfactory rather than 3 Inspection Report: Norwood Primary School, 24 May 2006 to 25 May 2006 good. The school is addressing these issues, however, and the quality of teaching seen during the inspection was predominantly good and, in a few lessons, outstanding. There has been an effective focus on improving the quality of teaching and learning in reading and writing and this is having a beneficial impact on standards in Key Stage 2. Most lessons are well planned and resources are used well. Teaching assistants make an effective contribution, working in partnership with teachers. In some lessons, however, activities are not matched to the requirements of individual education plans

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Grade: 3

for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. A range of assessment strategies is in use and teachers use the data gained from this to plan work. The school has developed well target setting and marking of children's work so that children receive clear guidance on how to improve. Homework is used to reinforce learning. Learning is enriched by teachers' effective use of interactive whiteboards and by the children's confident development of skills in information and communication technology (ICT).

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory with some good features. All statutory requirements are met in a broad and balanced curriculum. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory but with limited opportunities for learning outdoors. Provision for ICT is good and has improved since the last inspection. The wide range of other activities, including visits and visitors to school and after-school clubs, enrich the curriculum well. Children say they particularly enjoy the opportunities to belong to the Children's University and to get the chance to 'graduate'. Many sporting activities develop children's physical and social skills effectively. Children benefit from an effective programme of personal, social and health education, which covers key elements of their well-being. The school provides effective links between subjects that extend children's learning well.

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Grade: 3

Overall, care, guidance and support are satisfactory with good features. Arrangements to ensure child protection, safe recruitment and health and safety are satisfactory. The school takes care of the children, with good supervision arrangements at all times 4 Inspection Report: Norwood Primary School, 24 May 2006 to 25 May 2006 of the school day. Induction to the Reception classes and for older children entering the school is arranged with good care and sensitivity. The school tracks and records the progress of its more vulnerable children and cares for them well. It works with the neighbouring high schools to help assure effective arrangements for transition at the age of 11. In lessons, guidance is provided to help children achieve their learning targets and know what they need to do to improve their work. However, inspectors agree with the significant minority of parents who feel that communication between

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Grade: 3

home and school is not good enough and does not help them to support their children sufficiently well. This was most often a concern of parents of lower-attaining children and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Grade: 3

The school judged leadership and management as satisfactory, a view shared by most parents and the inspection team. The headteacher has been successful in establishing effective teams among the staff focused on improving performance and a pursuit of excellence. This collegiate approach, which has been hampered by disruptions in the past, is now bearing fruit with a shared vision being followed by all the staff. Examples of this are recent initiatives to improve reading and writing, which have resulted in rising standards in Key Stage 2. Effective monitoring of lessons and children's work by senior staff has resulted in an improvement to the quality of children's learning. Good systems to track how well the children are performing have been put in place. However, it is too early to judge the full impact of many of these measures. The school development plan provides a positive way forward focusing appropriately

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Grade: 3

upon children's achievement. The school's self-evaluations are mostly an accurate reflection of its strengths and areas for improvement,although the school over-estimated its capacity to improve and the effectiveness of its provision in the Foundation Stage. Views of children, parents, staff and governors are gathered regularly. Governors are supportive and use their knowledge and expertise for the benefit of the school. They challenge senior leaders satisfactorily and regularly question the overall performance of the school. Monitoring of the budget is good and a large carry-forward has been earmarked for improvements to staffing levels, the buildings and the curriculum, for example, outdoor provision for children in the Reception classes. 5 Inspection Report: Norwood Primary School, 24 May 2006 to 25 May 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Norwood Primary School, 24 May 2006 to 25 May 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 3 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 3 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 3 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for your help when we inspected your school. Please pass on our thanks to the other children we met and spoke to. We enjoyed our visit very much. Now we want to share with you what we found out about your school. These are some of the good things in your school that you can feel proud of, for instance: - the younger children in school get off to a good start and do well - we were very impressed with how confident you are and how well you get on together - you are doing very well in reading and we particularly enjoyed looking at a sample of your reading journals - the staff provide you with good opportunities in sport and physical education as well as the chance to enjoy activities after school and on trips. There are some important things we would like your teachers to do better. One is to help the older children to do better in writing and mathematics; another is to give more help to those

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

of you who find reading, writing and mathematics hard; and a third is to do more so that your parents can help you do well, for example, by keeping them informed about what you are learning and what to do to help.

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