Horton Mill Community Primary School

Inspection Report Horton Mill Community Primary School

p.1

105679 Unique Reference Number Oldham LEA 277389 Inspection number 6 June 2006 to 7 June 2006 Inspection dates Mr John Coleman HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Southlink School address Primary Type of school Glodwick Community School category Oldham OL4 1DJ 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 0161 6331711 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 6333270 Fax number 243 Number on roll Ms Anne Bromiley Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms S Crowson Headteacher 25 September 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277389 6 June 2006 - 3 to 11 7 June 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 and two Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

The school serves the community of Glodwick. It is popular and in many years places are oversubscribed. The majority of pupils come from homes where English is not the first language. A high proportion of pupils are eligible for free school meals, well above the national average. All pupils are of either Pakistani or Bangladeshi origin, mostly being Muslim. The number of pupils with additional learning needs is similar overall to that found nationally. There is considerable variance in the composition of year groups by gender, ethnic origin, pupils with additional learning needs and in the number who join or leave the school during the year. A high number of pupils take extended absence to visit their country of origin for family and cultural reasons.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Horton Mill Community Primary School, 6 June 2006 to 7 June 2006

p.3

Grade: 2

This is a good school which provides a good standard of education with outstanding features in the personal development of pupils. The headteacher is highly regarded by the school community. She is totally committed to ensuring all pupils feel that they really matter and she provides an inspirational role model. The staff team follow her lead offering good levels of care, guidance and support to pupils through consistently high expectations, trust and sensitivity. As a result, pupils exhibit confidence and self assurance; they display respect for each other and show tolerance when differences arise. Consequently, pupils are very happy and enjoy life in school. These features, together with very good family learning opportunities, contribute significantly to the early acquisition of English language and the development of communication skills for all. Pupils attain standards which are below average when they leave in Year 6.

p.4

Grade: 2

Nevertheless, this represents good progress from a very low starting point, particularly in English. Pupils do well because the overall quality of teaching is good. The school is far from complacent and is constantly seeking ways to improve pupils' performance and the quality of teaching. The tracking of pupils' progress is good and challenging targets are set for the pupils' attainment. In English, good use is also made of targets to help individual pupils to improve their work. The school's leadership and management is good. The leadership team uses good, thorough monitoring procedures to identify the school's strengths and areas for development. However, not enough is done to draw together and accentuate effective features to improve practice further across the school. Governors and staff are not completely one in responding to key priorities. A broad range of interesting learning experiences underpins the good curriculum.

p.4

Grade: 2

Good use is made of community links including geographical work about Pakistan and Bangladesh together with comparisons to the local area. The curriculum is enriched by visits and visitors.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

In order to raise standards the school should: • ensure that whole school areas for development, including improvements in teaching, are rigorously and consistently pursued by all staff and governors • embed fully the effective use of curriculum targets for individual pupils to raise standards and achievement especially in mathematics and science.

p.4

Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress because of the good overall provision. They achieve well given that the vast majority of pupils enter school with skills in English, language and 2 Inspection Report: Horton Mill Community Primary School, 6 June 2006 to 7 June 2006 communication which are well below those typical of pupils the same age. Standards by age eleven are below average but the gap has narrowed and pupils have the basic skills needed for the next stage of education. In the Nursery and Reception classes, pupils make rapid progress in using English and in acquiring skills in communication, language and literacy. In all other areas of learning progress is good. By the end of the Foundation Stage, standards are still well below average but pupils have made up much ground. During Key Stages 1 and 2 the good pattern of progress is maintained but it is not enough to bring some of the pupils up to the standard expected for their ages. By age

p.4

Grade: 2

seven, standards are below average in mathematics and well below average in English. In Key Stage 2, however, very good progress in English lifts pupils' performance. There is significant variance in the attainment of different year groups of pupils. This reflects the year by year imbalance in numbers of girls and boys, and those pupils with additional learning needs. In the national tests in 2005, the school's results dipped. In science particularly, many Year 6 pupils did not do as well as they should. While the boys did badly in Year 2, it was the girls, particularly those from Pakistani heritage, who underperformed in Year 6. The current Year 6 pupils are doing better. Outstanding teaching is accelerating their progress and standards are set to rise.

p.5

Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development is outstanding and a true strength of the school. Pupils are very positive about Horton Mill. Older pupils said, 'the teachers even made revision for SATs interesting!' and 'teachers are always smiling at you, even outside school'. These comments reflect the strong relationships between staff and pupils. High levels of trust are shown; one teacher gave a pupil a 'special stone' to look after for the day. Staff set good expectations for behaviour which pupils appreciate and respond to appropriately. Pupils are polite, courteous and cooperate well at work and play. Harmony at the school is excellent. When lapses in pupils' concentration occur they are managed sensitively by staff and learning is not disrupted. Pupils have many opportunities to further their own self-esteem and sense of responsibility. These range from participation in a rich range of extra-curricular activities to the active involvement and management

p.5

Grade: 1

of committees and support groups, such as those for anti-bullying and anti-racism where pupils are trained to resolve disagreements. Older pupils have recently helped the school to evaluate its own performance by acting as 'child inspectors' and as a 'research group' looking at how girls learn. Pupils are encouraged to care for their environment through the eco-group and school council activities. A particularly attractive display shows pupils' awareness of, and their concern for, recent disaster victims in three continents. Pupils have had direct input into increasing the number of healthy eating options and they manage the fruit tuck shop. The school is looking to develop further links with the world of work. Pupils' spiritual development is outstanding; for instance, pupils in the Nursery were wide eyed and spellbound as they examined a violin when they were talking about the 3 Inspection Report: Horton Mill Community Primary School, 6 June 2006 to 7 June 2006

p.5

Grade: 1

letter 'v'. Awareness and respect for different cultures is excellent because the school provides so many chances to learn about the rich diversity of faiths, traditions and values in our society. Punctuality is good but overall attendance is below average as a result of several families making extended visits to their countries of origin.

p.6

Grade: 2

Pupils find learning interesting and fun. The overall good quality of teaching and learning is a major factor in the good progress pupils make. While there is some outstanding teaching, there is also some that is just satisfactory. Occasionally, learning slows when lessons lack pace and the teachers do not manage the pupils' behaviour well enough. Adults in the classroom generally engage pupils especially well and constantly encourage full participation. Pupils respond particularly well to this attention from adults and quickly develop self-confidence as learners. Other strengths in teaching include the good use of information from assessment to plan activities, the conscientious attention to basic skills, the effective use of learning resources and the good level of challenge given to pupils of differing abilities. The adults assess pupils' progress well and teachers make helpful comments in marking pupils' work. Good

p.6

Grade: 2

practice in teaching is helping pupils' speaking, developing their awareness of how they are doing in lessons and in using computers in other subjects. Teachers and their assistants work together particularly well to support pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language.

p.6

Grade: 2

Pupils are attracted to and enjoy learning so much because of the good curriculum, which is organised to meet the particular needs of pupils at this school. For instance, in geography, Year 5 pupils study Bangladesh and in religious education, the emphasis is on Islam. The local community is used well to enrich learning including visits to the local library to nurture a love for reading. Pupils also visit art galleries, museums and other places of interest. Visitors include story-tellers and health and safety practitioners such as the nurse and road safety officer. Extra-curricular activities include various sports clubs, home learning and the use of computers. Good use is made of specialist teachers from the local authority to support the learning of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. External specialist teaching is also provided in music, Spanish and French for older pupils. There are good chances for pupils to think about their future, the world of work and

p.6

Grade: 2

money matters through personal and social education. 4 Inspection Report: Horton Mill Community Primary School, 6 June 2006 to 7 June 2006

p.6

Grade: 2

Every child matters at this school. Diversity is celebrated and valued exceptionally well. Support and guidance are good. Typical comments from school council members include 'Teachers make you feel special. They like you for what you are on the inside, give you a good education and lots of advice about being a good person'. Health and safety procedures are good and several staff are trained in first aid. Child protection procedures are in place. Support is good for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language. The school is sensitive to the cultural and family reasons for above average levels of absence, every effort is made to alert parents to the need for a full attendance whilst maintaining an appropriate sensitivity to family needs. An exceptionally high number of ethnic minority and bi-lingual staff give pupils much support in developing their language and literacy so that pupil progress is rapid

p.7

Grade: 2

in the acquisition of language and communication skills. Staff are good role models for pupils' personal development. Every opportunity is taken to raise pupils' self confidence and aspirations. Academic guidance is good. Pupils are well informed about their individual learning targets in literacy and the school is improving pupils' awareness of targets in mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT).

p.7

Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good overall. The headteacher is the driving inspiration behind the development of a strong leadership team. She has impressively consulted, liaised with and involved families in their children's early education. This is highly regarded by parents and the local community. Central to the school's vision is the inclusion of everyone and the headteacher is highly effective in ensuring this happens in practice. As a result, all pupils make equally good progress The leadership team has correctly identified the school's strengths and areas for development. There are good monitoring systems but when measuring the effectiveness of action taken, the school is modest about its achievements. Not all governors are equally committed to tackling the areas for development systematically and rigorously. Where the school pinpoints a specific area for improvement, such as the difference in

p.7

Grade: 2

the attainment of girls and boys in some year groups, effective action is taken. This is illustrated by the consultation and involvement of pupils and parents in 'research groups' which analyse the response of girls in lessons. The school has good capacity to improve further. Governors are supportive and appropriately challenging to the school leadership. Several governors are long serving with significant involvement in the local community; this is an asset in the governors' knowledge and their empathy with parents. Although 5 Inspection Report: Horton Mill Community Primary School, 6 June 2006 to 7 June 2006 the governing body is kept well informed by reports from the headteacher, it is seeking additional ways to monitor the school's effectiveness. 6 Inspection Report: Horton Mill Community Primary School, 6 June 2006 to 7 June 2006 .

p.7

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

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Horton Mill Community Primary School, 6 June 2006 to 7 June 2006

p.9

Overall

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

p.10

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

p.10

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.10

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.10

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 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 1 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.10

needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.10

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.10

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 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

p.11

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 No Learners are educated about sexual health

p.11

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.11

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.11

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.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Following our visit we would like to thank you for making us feel so welcome and for talking to us about your lessons and life in school. We would like to tell you what we found out about your school. - You said that the staff in school care about you and help you to do well. We agree and think that you are happy and safe because of this. - The inspectors saw that you work hard, are well behaved and are considerate towards each other. - Your school is an enjoyable place to learn. - We are pleased to see that you all do well in your learning; this is because the adults work hard to give you interesting lessons. - The inspectors agree with the school's ideas about what should be done next to make things even better for you. We have asked that you are given better help in knowing what to do next in some subjects. - Your school is improving because the headteacher, staff and governors plan carefully to make

p.12

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

things better. We think some of these ideas would work better if they were brought together across the whole school. Thank you for helping us so much with the inspection of your school. We all hope you will carry on enjoying learning and helping your teachers to make Horton Mill School an even better place to be.

p.12