Varna Community Primary School

Inspection Report Varna Street Primary School

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105459 Unique Reference Number Manchester LEA 277358 Inspection number 7 June 2006 to 8 June 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Dee Brigstock 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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Varna Street School address Primary Type of school Openshaw Community School category Manchester, Lancashire M11 1WP 3 to 11 Age range of pupils

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0161 2233569 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 2238322 Fax number 211 Number on roll Mr J Dwan Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Madden Headteacher 6 December 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277358 7 June 2006 - 3 to 11 8 June 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Varna Street is an average sized school situated in an area of high economic deprivation. When pupils start school their skills and knowledge are low. About two thirds of pupils are of White British heritage but the rest represent different ethnic groups from a very wide range of cultures. A third of pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The number of pupils from asylum seeking families, at present 15%, is growing annually and largely accounts for the very high mobility of pupils during the school year. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational need is broadly average. The school won five awards in 2005: Artsmark, Healthy Schools, Basic Skills, Activemark Gold and Kerbcraft Gold.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Varna Street Primary School, 7 June 2006 to 8 June 2006

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Grade: 2

This school gives good value for money because the safety, well-being, enjoyment and achievement of every pupil are at the heart of its work. It successfully promotes an extraordinary ethos of acceptance of pupils from different countries. One pupil summed this up exactly by saying: 'You hear racist remarks out and about but never in our school.' The headteacher makes excellent use of outside agencies to promote pupils' well-being and health, for example, through sponsorship from a national bakery to provide an exceptionally well-attended breakfast club. This partnership has successfully improved pupils' attendance and punctuality as well as ensuring that they start the school day refreshed, alert and ready to learn. Good leadership focuses firmly on ensuring that the school copes well with change and on raising standards in all areas of the school's work, including retaining talented staff. Staff share their leaders' vision and are fully included in constructing a continuous,

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Grade: 2

successful cycle of improvement. The school has a very effective assessment system to cater for pupils' individual learning needs. As a result, all of them achieve well in English and mathematics where very successful strategies to raise attainment are firmly embedded. Those pupils who have been at the school the longest make the best progress, regardless of whether they have learning difficulties or not, and attain average standards overall. The large, shifting population of pupils make good progress in acquiring personal skills in school. The standards these pupils attain and the progress they make in their studies depends on how long they are actually on roll. Although the science curriculum is planned adequately, pupils' books show that some aspects of the work are missed out. For example, there are insufficient opportunities to both design and conduct their own investigations. As a result, standards in science are

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Grade: 2

significantly below average and pupils are not making the progress they could. The school has identified this and has made plans to improve this provision. Teachers' relationships with pupils, classroom organisation, use of interactive whiteboards to focus pupils' attention, and management of behaviour are outstanding. These strategies ensure that lessons move at a brisk pace. Marking of pupils' work, however, is inconsistent. Not all teachers follow the same policy and sometimes the targets written in pupils' books are expressed in language that is beyond the pupils' age and maturity. As a result, they do not really understand what they are expected to do to improve. Pupils really appreciate the wide range of educational visits on offer which give them worthwhile first-hand learning experiences. This aspect of the curriculum and the range of extra-curricular activities are good. Pupils have some opportunities to practise

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Grade: 2

and refine their writing skills in subjects such as history but there is scope to make more links between subjects. 2 Inspection Report: Varna Street Primary School, 7 June 2006 to 8 June 2006

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in science through ensuring that the full curriculum is taught in each year group. • Agree a whole school marking and target setting system that all pupils understand and all teachers use. • Provide more opportunities for pupils to make links in their learning between different subjects.

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Grade: 2

Children begin Nursery with low attainment and make good progress, particularly in their personal development. When they enter Year 1 standards are below average. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 make good progress in English and mathematics, which have been the foci of the school's development over the last few years. By Year 6, standards are broadly average in English and mathematics. The school's detailed tracking and assessment system shows that all pupils who have been in school for at least two years in Key Stage 1 and three years in Key Stage 2, without exception, make good and often outstanding progress. In 2005, the admittance of three pupils into Year 6 had a significantly negative impact on the results. The highly mobile group of pupils, many of whom are at an early stage of learning English, make good progress because of additional, well-informed support. How much progress they make is entirely dependent

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Grade: 2

on how long they stay in school. Standards in science are significantly below average and pupils' achievement, although satisfactory, is impeded because their work does not consistently build upon their prior learning.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils respect each other's differences and know a lot about different cultures because these are celebrated throughout the school. The quality of support for the children from asylum seeker families and pupils with learning difficulties is excellent. Good personal development is also clear in the Foundation Stage where children beam with pleasure during their learning. All staff consistently praise pupils' achievements. One pupil commented, 'You feel proud inside when everyone knows how well you've done.' Most pupils show a genuine desire to learn. One Year 2 pupil, at the end of a stimulating lesson, commented unprompted, 'I do love coming to school!' This attitude is reflected in the school's increased attendance figures. Pupils are highly motivated by certificates and punctuality awards and proudly wear their attendance badges. The school's

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Grade: 2

successful efforts in teaching pupils how to stay healthy and safe have earned it several awards and it is extremely vigilant in keeping pupils safe. The few pupils with challenging behaviour are managed well so that little time is wasted in maintaining discipline. Pupils' contribution to the wider community and their acquisition of basic 3 Inspection Report: Varna Street Primary School, 7 June 2006 to 8 June 2006 skills, including information and communication technology (ICT), bodes well for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

Teachers and classroom assistants work together effectively in professional teams to promote good learning. For example, three times a week, Years 1 and 2 are divided into five learning groups for English and mathematics. The teachers focus on the most challenging groups of pupils such as those with learning difficulties while teaching assistants work with other groups. The outcome is evident in the accelerated progress that all groups make. The relationships between staff and pupils, the quality of lesson planning in English and mathematics, and classroom management skills are excellent. However, teachers' planning in science does not build on pupils' previous learning well enough so pupils' progress in science is not as good as it could be. The school plans to rectify this next year.

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Grade: 2

The range of learning activities provided for children in the Foundation Stage is very stimulating, particularly in the outdoor classroom where an excellent range of learning activities is provided. Children learn to play and share together well and language barriers do not appear to hinder this personal development at all. In Years 1 to 6, a start has been made to link learning between, for example, ICT and English. However, these planned links do not extend to the arts or to science and so opportunities for pupils to refine and improve their writing skills are missed. The recent introduction of Spanish to the curriculum is proving to be very popular with pupils. The strong emphasis on physical education supports the school's healthy eating initiatives and is having a positive impact on pupils' well-being. Pupils and parents value the many extra-curricular clubs, including chess and playing in the steel band. Visits, including residential visits, and visitors give pupils a chance

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Grade: 2

to work in teams in challenging ways and provide them with valuable, new first-hand learning experiences.

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Grade: 2

Staff work very skilfully to support and care for pupils from a very wide range of cultures and backgrounds. They are particularly vigilant with pupils who arrive from overseas with little or no warning and are quick to notify outside agencies when necessary. Pupils with little English receive well-informed and sensitive support from 4 Inspection Report: Varna Street Primary School, 7 June 2006 to 8 June 2006 teaching assistants and bilingual staff. Those with learning difficulties are similarly well supported. Every effort is made to ensure pupils are safe and secure. The school has very detailed records of pupils' progress and of how well they are doing in English and mathematics. However, teachers' written guidance on how pupils could improve their work and the use of targets vary too much between classes. As a result, not all pupils can explain what they need to do to improve. The wide range of health and safety issues identified at the last inspection have been

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Grade: 2

The headteacher has a very clear view of school improvement and his vision is shared by the governors and staff. Governors use their expertise very well, for example, in education and sport, to both challenge and support the school's development. The headteacher, deputy and coordinators are determined that all pupils should achieve as well as they can. Their systems for monitoring teaching and learning and the way the results of these observations feed the school improvement plan are very effective. They have raised standards and the rate of pupils' progress because they pinpoint where teachers need additional coaching or resources, for example, in science. As the headteacher says, 'We aim to work smarter, not harder.' The school's provision for including an increasingly diverse intake in everything the school has to offer is first rate. The school has an accurate view of its strengths, has improved well since the last

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Grade: 2

inspection, and has a good capacity to improve further. Future financial planning is sometimes thwarted by having to maintain the fabric of an old, extensive building but leaders ensure that they budget for these occasions. 5 Inspection Report: Varna Street Primary School, 7 June 2006 to 8 June 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: Varna Street Primary School, 7 June 2006 to 8 June 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 1 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 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

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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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

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 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 2 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 2 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 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

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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 for making us feel so welcome in your school and for being so helpful when we asked you questions. We enjoyed talking with you, looking at your work and finding out about the things you like doing. We think there are lots of really good things about your school. The things we particularly like are: - your school is a very friendly and pleasant place to be and so you enjoy your learning - we think your breakfast club is splendid - there are lots of learning activities outdoors for Nursery and Reception children - your teachers make lessons lively and interesting and they expect you to work hard - everyone gets on well with one another and you know a lot about each other's lifestyles - your headteacher and the teachers are doing a really good job in always trying to make the school a little bit better. To improve your school even more, we have asked your headteacher to: - make science lessons more interesting and fun

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

- see if you can practise your learning in English and mathematics in other subjects - ask your teachers to mark your work in a similar way and to write your targets in language you can all understand. We both hope you will carry on enjoying learning and helping your teachers to make Varna Street Primary School a good place to be.

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