Well Lane Primary School

Inspection Report Well Lane Primary School

p.1

105050 Unique Reference Number Wirral LEA 277282 Inspection number 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr Paul Bamber CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Well Lane School address Primary Type of school Tranmere Community School category Birkenhead, Merseyside CH42 5PF 3 to 11 Age range of pupils

p.1

0151 645 9844 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0151 645 4863 Fax number 196 Number on roll Mr S Blaylock Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Davies Headteacher 27 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277282 1 March 2006 - 3 to 11 2 March 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

This average sized school has 196 children on roll, including 29 in the nursery. Many children come from very disadvantaged backgrounds and are of predominantly white heritage, with a well above average proportion who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Overall, children enter the school with very low communication, personal and social skills. There are small numbers of looked after children, asylum seekers and refugees. The school is part of the local authority intensive support programme and of a local group of co-operating schools. It is involved with several initiatives to promote closer partnership with parents and the community.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Well Lane Primary School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006

p.3

Grade: 4

In accordance with Section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform. The school is therefore given a Notice to Improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to children's standards and achievements, the curriculum and attendance. Because of these significant weaknesses the school's overall effectiveness is inadequate and it does not offer value for money. Children have a positive start to their schooling in the Foundation Stage, where the quality of teaching and of the curriculum is good. However, standards in Key Stages 1 and 2 are too low and many children do not achieve well enough, especially in writing and mathematics. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make satisfactory progress as a result of good provision for them. Children's behaviour is satisfactory

p.4

Grade: 4

and most have positive attitudes to school. There have been recent improvements in attendance. However, it still remains too low. Teaching is satisfactory overall, but is not yet good enough to overcome the considerable barriers to learning many children face. The curriculum is inadequate in providing children with sufficient basic skills and often lacks relevance. It does, however, offer enrichment in the range of clubs offered and the visits arranged to increase children's awareness of the arts. The school cares well for the children, especially the most vulnerable, making sure that they are included as fully as possible in all aspects of school life. High staff turnover in recent years has meant that there has not been enough improvement in the school since the last inspection. However staffing is more stable now. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher and the very recently appointed senior leadership team

p.4

Grade: 4

have a clear understanding of the school's weaknesses and demonstrate the capacity for improvement.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• raise standards and achievement in all subjects in Key Stages 1 and 2 • improve the quality of teaching and learning by raising all teachers' expectations of the quality and quantity of work the children should complete in those parts of lessons when they work independently or in groups • improve the curriculum, in Key Stage 2 especially, so it provides children with better basic skills and more relevance to their own lives and experiences • improve attendance.

p.4

Grade: 4

Children enter the school with very low standards in many areas of their learning, especially in communication and in their personal and social development. Despite making good progress through the Foundation Stage because of effective teaching 2 Inspection Report: Well Lane Primary School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 and a relevant curriculum, many children enter Year 1 not having reached the goals set for them nationally. Achievement and standards in Key Stages 1 and 2 are inadequate. Teacher assessments and national results for children aged 7 and 11 show that standards in reading, writing and mathematics have been significantly lower than average over the last five years. Last year, the progress Year 6 children made through Key Stage 2 was significantly lower than average and indications are that the current Year 6 will not achieve as well as they should. There have been many disruptions to these groups of children's learning,

p.4

Grade: 4

some caused by the poor behaviour of some children, but mainly because of high staff turnover. There is evidence that Year 6 children have made better progress over the last 12 months, but it is insufficient to enable them to make up the significant gaps in their learning. The targets set for children's performance in the 2005 Year 6 national tests were missed by a wide margin and it is unlikely that the targets set for 2006 will be achieved. Because of well managed support and provision, children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve satisfactorily. Data for the last two years show this group of children achieve much more in line with their prior attainment than the other children in Key Stage 2. The school consistently has a lower proportion of children who attain at higher levels in both Year 2 and Year 6 national assessments and tests.

p.5

Grade: 3

Children's personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is satisfactory. Overall, children have positive attitudes to school and behave sensibly. However, there is a small minority who do not and whose attitude to their work is less enthusiastic. It is reported by children, parents and teachers that this is a much smaller proportion than previously. Both behaviour and attitudes have improved because of the school's tougher stance against poor behaviour, complemented by the positive ways teachers now manage children. A significant minority of children lack confidence in committing themselves in class and are uncomfortable working in pairs or groups. This has a detrimental effect on their achievement. Attendance has improved this year but remains too low. This, together with their low levels of literacy and numeracy, means that too many children do not develop the skills they need to

p.5

Grade: 3

promote their future economic well-being sufficiently well. Children report feeling safe and secure. Most are aware of the need to exercise regularly and to eat healthily. Some older children complain that because they are the last to come into lunch, the healthy options are often not available to them. Children willingly take responsibilities in classrooms and around the school. For example, as play leaders and as school councillors they feel valued and influential. Children are less comfortable taking responsibility for their own learning or assessment. The exception to this is in the Foundation Stage in which children's personal development is good and they happily make choices and take responsibility. 3 Inspection Report: Well Lane Primary School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006

p.5

Grade: 3

Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. However, more good teaching is required to ensure that children achieve as well as they should, given the considerable barriers to learning they face. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is consistently good. Where teaching is best, lessons are planned in detail and tasks set that match children's needs well. Effective assessment influences what is planned for them to learn next. Interactive whiteboards are used creatively to make lessons fun and engaging as well as adding clarity to explanations. However, a common weakness in lessons where strengths just outweigh weaknesses overall is the lack of high enough expectations of the quality and quantity of work children should produce when they work independently or in groups. This has a significant impact on achievement. Children learn best when they are taught in whole class situations or, as for children with learning

p.6

Grade: 3

difficulties and/or disabilities, they have intensive support based on the effective early diagnosis of their needs. Learning is least effective when children work independently or when they are expected to complete tasks unsupervised. Children report that teachers' marking is helpful and that they appreciate having clear learning targets to work towards in lessons. They are less competent and confident when assessing their own work or the work of others.

p.6

Grade: 4

The curriculum is unsatisfactory overall because it does not ensure that the needs of a significant minority of children to acquire the basic skills of communication, literacy, numeracy, problem solving and teamwork are met. The school acknowledges these weaknesses but considers the curriculum to be satisfactory. Although there is a strong emphasis in the timetable on numeracy and literacy lessons, insufficient attention is paid to promoting skills tailored to the needs of the children in this school. The curriculum is too narrow and subjects such as geography and history are not pursued well enough to enrich the children's learning and build basic skills. The curriculum has, however, some strong features. For example, there is a good quality Foundation Stage curriculum and a wide range of clubs and visits out of school connected with the arts. The recently revised approach to teaching personal, social and health education

p.6

Grade: 4

throughout school satisfactorily promotes children's awareness of a healthy and safe lifestyle. Provision for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good.

p.6

Grade: 3

The care, guidance and support provided are satisfactory. All aspects of child protection, health and safety are carefully addressed and there have been significant improvements 4 Inspection Report: Well Lane Primary School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 in recent years in relation to school security. Policy and procedures to promote good behaviour and action against bullying have also been revised and are now effective in combating aggressive or anti-social behaviour. Links with other agencies, such as social services and behaviour support teams, are fostered well to benefit the learning of all children. Links with the education welfare service are satisfactory, but school-based strategies to encourage better attendance and punctuality are not effective enough. In particular, pupils who attend well are not recognised and rewarded sufficiently. Individual tracking and support for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

p.6

Grade: 3

are good, but tracking and monitoring systems overall have only recently been improved and have had too little time to contribute to raising achievement.

p.7

Grade: 3

The leadership, management and governance of the school are satisfactory overall. This judgement reflects a balance of strengths and weaknesses. High staff turnover in recent years has slowed the pace of development. However, under the direction of the headteacher and the very recently appointed senior leadership team, improvements are now evident in the Foundation Stage and in the behaviour and attitudes of children, both of which are praised by parents. Effective steps are being taken to counter the significant barriers to learning experienced by many children. Parents report positively how much more involved they are with the school and with their children's learning. Nevertheless, these measures are not yet having a strong enough impact on improving the performance and attendance of children, especially in Key Stage 2. The monitoring and evaluation of how well the school is doing have also improved during the last year and procedures are now satisfactory. This is reflected

p.7

Grade: 3

in the predominantly accurate judgements made in the school's self-evaluation report. Staff acknowledge where weaknesses lie and are working with the leadership team to improve the school. Governors, though highly supportive of the school, are not fully involved in this process of school evaluation. Their understanding of data is insufficient to challenge the school when there is evidence of underperformance. Although there is still some way to go the very recently formed leadership team demonstrates the capacity to improve the school. However, there has been insufficient improvement in standards and in children's achievements since the last inspection and overall the school does not provide sufficient value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Well Lane Primary School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006 .

p.7

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

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Well Lane Primary School, 1 March 2006 to 2 March 2006

p.8

Overall

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

p.9

learners?

NA 3 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 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 No Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 4 How well do learners achieve? NA 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 4 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

p.9

learners?

NA 3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 3 The behaviour of learners NA 4 The attendance of learners NA 3 How well learners enjoy their education NA 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 3 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 4 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

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

p.9

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.

p.9

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 4 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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making us welcome during the two days we spent in your school. We would like to share with you those things we thought were good about the school and those things we felt it could do better. What we liked most about your school: - you are well cared for and are safe and secure in school - there are a good number of activities for you to enjoy at playtime and after school - your behaviour seems to be much better than it was - the little ones in the nursery and Reception classes have a good start to their schooling. What the school should do better: - a lot of you should reach higher standards especially in writing and in mathematics - teachers should expect more work from you in lessons when you work in your groups - the tasks you are given in lessons should be more to do with what you are interested in and know about - you should all make a greater effort to be in school everyday. Thank you for helping us with the inspection of your school. We hope that you carry on enjoying

p.11