Crumpsall Lane Primary School

Inspection Report Crumpsall Lane Primary School

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105486 Unique Reference Number Manchester LEA 277361 Inspection number 25 January 2006 to 26 January 2006 Inspection dates Mr Brian Sharples HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Crumpsall Lane School address Primary Type of school Crumpsall Community School category Manchester, Lancashire M8 5SR 3 to 11 Age range of pupils

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0161 740 3741 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 795 1572 Fax number 455 Number on roll Mrs N Ali Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr A Robertson Headteacher 18 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277361 25 January 2006 - 3 to 11 26 January 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors of Schools and two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Crumpsall Lane Community Primary School is a larger than average primary school. The school's catchment area is varied in character with a high proportion of the pupils coming from wards with higher than average levels of social and economic deprivation. Around 75% of the pupils come from families of minority ethnic background and 66% of pupils do not have English as a first language. The percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals is significantly higher than the national average and the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is slightly above the national average. Pupil mobility across the school is high.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Crumpsall Lane Primary School, 25 January 2006 to 26 January 2006

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Grade: 2

The inspection team agree with the school's evaluation that this is a good school. It provides good value for money. Pupils enter the school with below average attainment and the majority have English as an additional language. Pupils make a good start to their learning due to the good quality of provision and standards in the Foundation Stage. The overall quality of teaching and learning is good, which in turn ensures that pupils make good progress by the time they leave school. Nevertheless, there are differences and inconsistencies in the quality of teaching and learning across the different classes including: the challenge provided for higher achievers; the use of plenaries; and the quality of teachers' marking of books. The overall standards of attainment are satisfactory but remain below national averages. The standards in science by the end of Key Stage 2 are exceptionally low. The curriculum provision is good and meets all statutory requirements. The school has

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Grade: 2

recently made some excellent investment in the building of new classrooms and the provision of an outstanding information and communication technology (ICT) suite. The care, guidance, support and personal development of pupils are good. The use made of external agencies for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and English as an additional language is excellent. The majority of parents acknowledge this through the parent questionnaires. Overall the leadership and management of the school is good. The senior leadership team is working well together and has some effective systems for carrying out ongoing self-evaluation of the school. It knows most of its strengths and weaknesses well. However, the school development plan and evaluation reports are lacking in rigour, detail and specified outcomes. The governors have yet to be fully involved in the self-evaluation process and do not yet provide enough challenge to the school

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Grade: 2

leadership. The inspection team agree with all of the school's judgements provided for the inspection. The caring ethos of the school and its inclusive faiths policy create a supportive and co-operative learning environment for pupils. The school has made satisfactory progress since the previous inspection. The capacity exists for this school to improve further with continued focus on the main areas for improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that all development plans are of consistently high quality and they are constructed in a way that enables a high standard of monitoring and evaluation. • Ensure that governors are active in the self-evaluation process and provide rigorous challenge whenever necessary. • Raise the standards of attainment and quality of teaching in science across Key Stage 2. • Ensure that the quality of teaching and learning is consistent across the whole school including in the marking of work, in providing more challenge for higher attaining pupils and in the use of whole class teaching. 2 Inspection Report: Crumpsall Lane Primary School, 25 January 2006 to 26 January 2006

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress in each key stage. When they join the nursery, pupils' standards are exceptionally low in communication, language and literacy, as English is a second language, for two thirds of them. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, so that by the end of Year 2 standards are no longer exceptionally low but remain below national levels. This is a notable achievement. The results in 2005, at the end of Year 2, are the best to date. Performance in reading, writing and mathematics is very similar to the national averages. By the end of Year 6, standards are satisfactory, but remain below the national average. In 2005, standards in English and mathematics were below the national average, but standards in science were exceptionally low. Pupils make satisfactory progress overall during Key Stage 2. The progress of most groups of pupils is good and has been consistent, for the last three years. However, there is still some room for improvement

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Grade: 2

in the progress of the more able pupils, especially in science.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy being at school and are keen to learn. Attendance is improving and punctuality to lessons is good. Pupils are polite and courteous to each other and to adults. They try hard in lessons and take pride in their work. The good attitudes and work habits which pupils acquire are preparing them well for future life. The school is effective in enabling pupils to become responsible members of the school community. Children in the Foundation Stage are very enthusiastic about taking on small responsibilities such as fetching the fruit at snack time. As they progress up the school, pupils fulfil their duties reliably and sensibly, such as helping in the dining hall. The school council has a positive role in the school, for example, discussing and influencing activities and equipment for the playground. The school is a harmonious community where there is very little evidence of bullying or racism. Behaviour in the playground,

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Grade: 2

around the school and in lessons is good. Throughout the school, pupils learn the importance of exercise and healthy eating. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They learn to care about others and to value the richness of the many cultures represented in the school and the local community.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning are good overall. Where good teaching was observed the lessons often included, good subject knowledge by teachers, good quality of explanations and questioning, good pupil and teacher relationships and good pace 3 Inspection Report: Crumpsall Lane Primary School, 25 January 2006 to 26 January 2006 to lessons. In addition to the teaching, the positive attitudes to work by most pupils also make an important contribution to pupils' good learning and progress. There is still some room for improvement in the consistency and application of some features of teaching. Learning objectives are not always shared with pupils. There is not enough challenge for more able pupils, especially in science lessons and there is too much variation in the quality of marking between subjects. Endings to lessons are not consistently used well to consolidate teaching. The monitoring of teaching by senior staff is generally satisfactory, but does not focus

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Grade: 2

enough on the learning of different groups of pupils, especially the more able. A sizeable assessment and pupil tracking system is used well to support pupils' progress in English and mathematics. The system is still underdeveloped in science. The school makes good use of teaching assistants and other resources to support the significant number of pupils whose first language is not English and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum provided is good and meets the statutory requirements. The school offers a good range of lessons and activities which are generally well matched to the needs of particular groups of pupils. For example, the provision for those pupils whose first language is not English and for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good. However, the programme of activities to challenge high attaining and gifted and talented pupils needs extending. Children in the Foundation Stage benefit from an excellent curriculum which is very carefully planned and offers them a rich variety of early experiences. There is a good emphasis throughout the school on promoting pupils' skills in literacy and numeracy. Provision for ICT is excellent. Education for health and safety are promoted well through a good programme, drawn up with local hospitals. Strategies, such as links with a local theatre and an artist in residence, enrich

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Grade: 2

the curriculum. The school provides a satisfactory number of lunchtime and after school clubs, although parents and pupils would like to see more.

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Grade: 2

The school provides good care, guidance and support for pupils. Child protection procedures are in place and further training is scheduled. Risk assessments are carried out thoroughly and there has been a recent fire inspection. The staff have been trained to give first aid where necessary. Pupils know how well they are doing through the 'learning review weeks' when they review their progress and help to set new targets. There are very strong links with parents including those whose first language is not English. Pupils told the inspectors that they feel safe and that there is always someone to turn to if they have a problem. Strategies such as the 'buddy system' help pupils to build confident relationships. Vulnerable pupils are supported extremely well through carefully planned meetings with outside agencies. Arrangements for settling new 4 Inspection Report: Crumpsall Lane Primary School, 25 January 2006 to 26 January 2006

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Grade: 2

children into the nursery and main school are good. Pupils in Year 6 have a good programme to help them transfer successfully to secondary school.

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Grade: 2

The overall quality of leadership and management is good with a few aspects that require further improvement. The headteacher, governors and senior leadership team (SLT) have a clear vision for the continued development of the school. The school development plan (SDP) presents clearly the priorities for improvement over a three-year period. These priorities are identified as a result of some good teamwork and consultation between the headteacher, SLT, curriculum leaders and governors. However, the SDP fails to provide details of success criteria, timescales for completing actions or financial implications. The quality of subject action plans is better. They are more detailed and focus effectively on outcomes. The school has some good systems for monitoring its own standards and progress towards targets, which involves effectively the SLT and curriculum leaders. There is evidence that the leadership team work well together and they generally know where

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Grade: 2

the strengths and weaknesses are across the school. The quality and accuracy of the school's self-evaluation for the inspection was good overall. However, regular reviews and reports from SLT members and curriculum leaders fail to state clearly what impact new initiatives or regular work is having on standards. For example, reports to governors fail to provide clear messages about progress against SDP priorities. An effective performance management system is in place for all staff. Key stage co-ordinators and curriculum leaders are developing well as an effective management team in the school. They are responsible for ensuring that standards are good in their work areas and are generally monitoring well the quality of provision. The SLT and governors place a high priority on the care and support of all children in the school and ensure that the pastoral needs of all pupils are met. The leadership and staff have

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Grade: 2

developed an ethos in the school which reflects these values on a daily basis. The governors have, in the past, been slow to acknowledge or fulfil their responsibilities in the work of school self-evaluation. Similarly, the challenge provided by the governors has previously not been as rigorous as would be expected in the circumstances. However, the governing body has seen some recent changes including the election of a new chairperson. The chair of governors is confident that the present body will, in the future, provide the rigour and challenge required. The school budget is well managed by the governors and headteacher and funding has been used efficiently to ensure that teaching and learning resources around the school are good. For example, the school has recently made an excellent investment into the provision of new Key Stage 1 classrooms and an ICT suite, both of which show good value for money. The SLT has ensured that steady progress has been made since

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Grade: 2

the previous inspection and the capacity to improve further is good. The great majority of parents through their questionnaire agree that the school is led and managed well. 5 Inspection Report: Crumpsall Lane Primary School, 25 January 2006 to 26 January 2006 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Crumpsall Lane Primary School, 25 January 2006 to 26 January 2006

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Inspection judgements

16-19 School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

NA 2 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? NA 2 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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Personal development and well-being

NA 2 How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? NA 2 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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The quality of provision

NA 2 How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs? NA 2 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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The quality of provision

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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Leadership and management

NA 2 How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement 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 3 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 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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Leadership and management

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 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 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

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Leadership and management

wider community 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 the welcome you gave the team of inspectors and me when we visited your school on the 25-26 January 2006. We really appreciated the help you gave us and especially in sharing your work and your ideas about the school. You made us feel that we were a part of the school and helped us to settle in quickly so that we could do our work. What we liked most about your school - Quite a lot of the teaching is good and helps you to do your best. - The interest that most of you show in lessons and the way you enjoy learning. - Your good behaviour and attitudes towards school. - The way that you feel safe around school and enjoy being there. - The way that all the staff guide and care for you and want to see that you come to no harm. - The way you work well together with teachers and other pupils around school. - The way that any of you with learning problems are helped by teachers and other adults.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

- The interest and support your parents show in the school. What we have asked your school to do now - The teachers need to help you to get even better grades in science by the time you leave school. - Some of you are not doing as well as you could. We want the school to help you do even better. - We want the school to make sure that the teaching is good all the time. - The senior staff and governors of your school need to challenge each other more and make sure that they are always checking how well you make progress. Do continue to enjoy being at Crumpsall Lane Community Primary School and make the most of your time there.

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