Oxton St Saviour's CofE Aided Primary School

Inspection Report Oxton St Saviour's CofE Aided Primary School

p.1

105066 Unique Reference Number Wirral LEA 277285 Inspection number 6 April 2006 to 6 April 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Jane Jones HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools the authority to inspect any school in England. The inspection is to be treated as a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

p.1

Holm Lane School address Primary Type of school Prenton Voluntary aided School category Merseyside CH43 2HT 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 0151 652 4909 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0151 652 4909 Fax number 239 Number on roll Rev Davenport Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs N Tabern-Price Headteacher 18 September 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277285 6 April 2006 - 4 to 11 6 April 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors (HMI). She observed the school at work, met with various staff, children and governors, and considered a range of evidence presented by the school in support of its self-evaluation and following on from points raised in discussions. Parents' views were captured through the 125 completed questionnaires. HMI also attended the school's end-of-term church service, which was led by the children.

p.3

Description of the school

Oxton St Saviour's C of E Aided Primary School is situated in Oxton. The school is popular; there are 239 children on roll, which is about average, with roughly equal numbers of boys and girls. The children live in an area that is relatively advantaged socially and economically; about 4% receive free school meals, which is much lower than the national average. Few children are of minority ethnic heritage or have home languages other than English. 15% of the children have learning difficulties and/or disabilities, but none has a statement of special educational need. The school admits children of all abilities and many join the school with relatively advanced skills for their age, particularly in language, and personal and social education. Few children join or leave the school at times other than when they enter the Reception class.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Oxton St Saviour's CofE Aided Primary School, 6 April 2006 to 6 April 2006

p.3

Grade: 2

Oxton St Saviour's is a good school where children enjoy coming to learn. All in the school's community are rightly proud of its many strengths and of the achievements of its children. The school has a well deserved reputation in the local community for the consistently high standards children achieve. They make good progress from their varied starting points. At Key Stage 1 in 2005, all the children reached or exceeded the standard expected of 7-year-olds in reading, writing and mathematics. In the national Key Stage 2 tests, all met the standard expected at age 11, Level 4, in English, mathematics and science, and over half reached Level 5. This equips them very well for their secondary school education. Progress in English and mathematics is very strong. In part, this is down to the school's emphasis on these subjects and the way it groups children, making the most of teachers' expertise to help children achieve their potential. Standards in

p.4

Grade: 2

English are particularly high: children write confidently for different purposes and audiences, including in other subjects. They read fluently and express themselves articulately from even the youngest ages. The grounding for future successes is being laid in the infant classes. The curriculum for the youngest children has been improved this year to provide an appropriate balance of focused tasks where their learning is supported directly by adults and a range of other free-choice activities, such as role play, making things, sand and water play. Opportunities for learning outdoors and for physical development are improving but are not yet fully integrated into the curriculum. The teacher and teaching assistant work as an effective team and are bringing good improvements to the Foundation Stage provision. Planning is thorough. There is, however, more to do to ensure children consistently make the most of opportunities for learning when freely choosing activities.

p.4

Grade: 2

Teaching is good overall. Teachers have high expectations of children's behaviour and work rate. Classroom routines are well established; there is a positive ethos for learning. Teachers use their secure subject knowledge to good effect in explanations and questioning to check children's understanding, although not always making the most of opportunities for children to explain their thinking. In turn, the children concentrate hard and are keen to do well. They enjoy working in pairs and are mature for their years when working independently or when they are not the direct focus of the teachers' attention. They particularly enjoy practical activities and strategies such as 'hot-seating' and role play. One said 'We did drama. It helped us understand the story'. With a focus on children's enjoyment and achievement, the school has started to seek new ways to make the curriculum more vibrant. The children are learning a little French:

p.4

Grade: 2

there were some well-rolled Rs in Year 5 children's pronunciation of 'tigre' and 'perroquet'. Enjoyable activity days, such as the African day, enrich children's experiences. Their work in art and design is good. The school's plan to review the balance of the curriculum is timely. Some English lessons are long, and test the attention span of younger children. The school's analysis of last year's test results highlights the need for further work in developing children's investigative skills in science and 2 Inspection Report: Oxton St Saviour's CofE Aided Primary School, 6 April 2006 to 6 April 2006 mathematics. The use of information and communication technology (ICT) has improved since the last inspection. In most classrooms, there are interactive whiteboards that children, as well as teachers, are enjoying learning to use. Most classes have weekly lessons in the ICT suite, but the use of stand-alone computers varies. The co-ordinators

p.4

Grade: 2

have rightly identified the need to update curricular planning to take account of interactive whiteboards. The school's Active Playground Sports Manager has developed a good range of fun and sporting activities at lunchtimes. The older children act as sports leaders: they have to apply for these posts and receive training. Other extra-curricular activities include the choir and le club Fran ¿ais, and the school has several clubs run by external providers, such as ju-jitsu, fencing, and Tranmere Rovers football in the community. These are all popular with the children. Visits to galleries and museums are planned carefully to enrich children's learning. Children's personal development is outstanding and is a strong factor in their good achievement. The school's Christian ethos is reflected in its day-to-day work. From an early age, children show care and consideration for others. Their behaviour in lessons

p.5

Grade: 2

is exemplary and they are keen to learn. Since the last inspection, the school has increased opportunities for the children to take responsibility. They take it in turn to be responsible for classroom jobs and Year 6 children care for the school's pets. The School Council is well established and effective in gathering and representing children's views. The council comprises elected officers from Year 6 and representatives from Years 2 to 6. The councillors take their responsibilities very seriously. They organised a survey of children's views; the findings have yet to be discussed with the headteacher. Successes already under their belts include the introduction of water bottles, girls' uniform to include trousers, and with the Eco Committee, a wildlife area at the bottom of the school field. They help to organise various fundraising activities, such as the 'pyjama day', Starlight Wishes and shoebox appeals.

p.5

Grade: 2

Links with the nearby St Saviour's Church provide an extra dimension to the school's work and support the children's well-rounded spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. At the end-of-term service, in front of parents, grandparents and other members of the local community, the children re-told the story of Easter, singing hymns tunefully. They walked sensibly in a long crocodile to and from the church, assisted by staff and two police community support officers. The children enjoy school. Attendance is above average, higher than it was in 2000 but not as high as its peak of 97% in 2002-03. Children feel safe in school and know what to do if they were to become worried. One said 'we talk about things like bullying during circle time' and another, 'sometimes we do team-building activities.' Children know about being healthy and staying safe. Each year, many in Year 6 take a cycling proficiency test. The school takes good care of the children, working with other agencies

p.5

Grade: 2

to support those who are vulnerable. There are appropriate levels of supervision during break and lunchtimes. The vast majority of parents are confident about the school's arrangements. Comments include, 'my children have been extremely happy and have come through the school as well-rounded independent learners' and 'the headmistress and staff have gone out of their way to help my son'. 3 Inspection Report: Oxton St Saviour's CofE Aided Primary School, 6 April 2006 to 6 April 2006 Steps have been taken to improve systems for recording children's progress against curricular targets using booklets that are shared with parents. A few parents comment about their child's progress; the school might usefully develop this further as a mode of dialogue with parents. Report cards that grade children's achievement and effort are sent home termly and help inform subsequent discussions at parents' evenings. What is not immediately clear from report cards, however, is the standard of children's

p.5

Grade: 2

work and the progress being made; there is scope to improve this. The headteacher provides good leadership. She is well supported by the acting deputy headteacher and staff, several of whom work on a part-time basis. The well-established team approach is underpinned by a good level of professional dialogue. The headteacher knows the school, staff and children well: her self-evaluation was accurate. Appropriate priorities for the next phase of development are identified. Staff share the headteacher's clear focus on high standards and all are committed to continuous improvement. Subject co-ordinators play a key role in monitoring the quality of their colleagues' work and also in supporting them. Current work on developing portfolios of assessed samples of children's work has the potential to help staff make accurate assessments and to provide co-ordinators with a clearer overview of standards. Performance

p.6

Grade: 2

management is effective. Subject development plans form the starting point of discussions between co-ordinators and the headteacher. At whole-school level, and to some extent at subject level, there is scope to sharpen some of the actions and success criteria to aid the process of evaluation, and promote a clearly structured approach to longer-term objectives. Governors show strong commitment to the school and provide suitable support and challenge. Improvements have been made to the accommodation and well-maintained outdoor play areas. Financial management is sound; the school provides good value for money. There is good capacity for building further upon the school's record of success.

p.6

Grade: 2

Standards are high and children of all abilities achieve well.

p.6

Grade: 1

Children's personal development and well-being are outstanding. Children are a credit to their parents and the school. 4 Inspection Report: Oxton St Saviour's CofE Aided Primary School, 6 April 2006 to 6 April 2006

p.6

Grade: 2

The curriculum and other activities that enrich children's experiences are good.

p.7

Grade: 2

The school cares for, guides, and supports the children well.

p.7

Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The track record of sustained success equips the school well as it pursues further improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Oxton St Saviour's CofE Aided Primary School, 6 April 2006 to 6 April 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: Oxton St Saviour's CofE Aided Primary School, 6 April 2006 to 6 April 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 2 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 2 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

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 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 2 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 2 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 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 being so polite and friendly when I visited your school to inspect how well it is doing. I enjoyed joining in your lessons and was interested to hear about all the things you do in school and what you think about it. There are many good things about your school. You are right to be proud of it. Here are some of the best things I found. - Your behaviour is excellent. - You try hard in lessons and do well, especially in English and mathematics. I liked the displays of your work in art and design, and projects like the one about ancient Egypt. - You care about others and treat your classmates well. You take your roles as school councillors very seriously. - The teachers and other adults take good care of you, so that you feel safe. - You were very sensible walking up to the church. I enjoyed the service. You told the story of Easter very well. The headteacher, staff and governors are keen to improve some things even more. They need

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to write clear plans for their ideas. - Your teachers could use your target books and record cards to tell you and your parents how well you are doing in all of your subjects. - The Reception class is an interesting place to be. The children are learning as they play, but sometimes they could learn even more. I look forward to hearing good things about you and your school in the future.

p.11