Middleton Parish Church School

Inspection Report Middleton Parish CofE Primary School

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105821 Unique Reference Number Rochdale LEA 277419 Inspection number 10 July 2006 to 11 July 2006 Inspection dates Mr Anthony Calderbank 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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Springfield Road School address Primary Type of school Middleton Voluntary aided School category Manchester, Lancashire M24 5DL 5 to 11 Age range of pupils

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0161 6430753 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 6430753 Fax number 229 Number on roll Rev Canon Nick Feist Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs B Rogerson Headteacher 19 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277419 10 July 2006 - 5 to 11 11 July 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

This is an average sized school. Pupils are from mixed social backgrounds with about 75% coming from areas which are socially and economically less favourable than average. The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The number of pupils who take free school meals and the proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are above average. Children's attainment on entry to the Reception class is below average. The school is recognised as an Investor in People and holds a Healthy Schools award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Middleton Parish CofE Primary School, 10 July 2006 to 11 July 2006

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Grade: 2

The school evaluates its overall effectiveness as good and inspectors agree. It is well led and managed, provides a good education for its pupils and has the confidence of parents. From a below average starting point, pupils attain average standards in English and mathematics and above average in science by the end of Year 6. This represents good progress and achievement overall. The leadership and management team know their school well and understand what needs to be done to help it to be better. For example, it has rightly identified that improving writing standards is essential. Standards and achievement in the Foundation Stage are good. The curriculum is good overall and pupils enjoy and gain from the extra activities and visits. However, provision for outdoor learning in the Reception class needs further development so that it fully contributes to all areas of children's learning. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Lessons are planned well and homework

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Grade: 2

is used effectively to help raise standards. Assessment is good and the resulting information is used well to track pupils' progress in English and mathematics. Provision for pupils' care, guidance and support is good and this results in pupils' effective personal development and well-being. However, the school acknowledges that its academic guidance could involve pupils more in assessing how well they are doing. Relationships are very positive and the vast majority of pupils behave well. Attendance is broadly average. The school is in a good position to make further improvements. It manages its finances efficiently and provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the quality of pupils' writing. • Involve pupils more in evaluating how well they are doing. • Develop the provision for outdoor learning in the Foundation Stage.

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Grade: 2

Given children's below average attainment when they start in the Reception class, they make good progress and achieve well to reach overall average standards in English and mathematics and above average standards in science by the end of Year 6. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities also make good progress towards their individual targets because of the effective support they receive. Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage. By the time they enter Year 1, the large majority reach the standards expected for their age. In Years 1 and 2, good progress continues and by the end of Year 2, standards are broadly average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics. Standards in Years 3 to 6 are rising because of better teaching, more careful analysis of assessment information to identify gaps in pupils' learning, closer checking of pupils' progress and because teachers set

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Grade: 2

challenging targets for improvement. In 2006 the school exceeded its challenging 2 Inspection Report: Middleton Parish CofE Primary School, 10 July 2006 to 11 July 2006 targets. The school has rightly identified the need to improve writing standards in Years 3 to 6. Some strides have already been made with more Year 6 pupils gaining higher levels this year. Pupils make good progress in developing their information and communication technology skills (ICT).

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development is good. The seeds of personal development are sown in the Foundation Stage, where children gain in confidence and independence. As they get older, pupils develop the social skills that will help them as adults. They are polite and speak warmly about their school. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. Pupils are respectful, know right from wrong, and relate well to each other and adults. Although they have a sound knowledge of the religious beliefs of other faiths, they lack understanding of what it means to live in a multiracial society. Behaviour is good overall. Pupils commented how much they appreciated the fact that they are always given a 'fresh start' or a 'second chance'. They feel safe and secure and report that they know where to seek advice. Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay healthy by eating sensibly and enjoying physical activities.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make a good contribution to the local and wider community by, for example, supporting charities such as 'Cancer Research'. Their views are sought and acted upon through the work of the school council which has been instrumental in bringing about improvements to the school environment. Attendance is average.

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Grade: 2

Good quality teaching and learning helps pupils to progress well. Teachers are skilled at making clear to pupils what they are expected to learn in a lesson. This keeps pupils focused and ensures that by the end of the lesson they have learnt what they need to improve the standard of their work. The good quality marking, particularly in English, helps pupils to make good progress by giving clear guidance on what to do next to improve. However, teachers sometimes miss opportunities for older pupils to develop their writing skills in history and geography. Good relationships between staff and pupils are the basis for the effective management of pupils' behaviour. Homework, in Year 6 in particular, is used well to increase the rate at which pupils learn. The strategy of teaching Year 2 in two smaller groups for English and mathematics contributes to the good rate of progress younger pupils make. The quality of teaching and learning

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Grade: 2

is good in the Foundation Stage. There is a good mix of teacher directed and independent work. Skilled support staff work closely with the teacher to ensure that children's learning is good. Throughout the school, pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are taught and supported well enabling them to make good progress. 3 Inspection Report: Middleton Parish CofE Primary School, 10 July 2006 to 11 July 2006

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It is well planned to ensure that all pupils develop the skills they need. Good use is made of the specialist skills of teachers to support the curriculum in music, religious education and physical education. Special events, regular trips out-of-school, musical tuition and a satisfactory range of extra-curricular activities enhance curricular provision. As a result, pupils find learning interesting and these events increase their enjoyment of school. Older pupils enjoy learning French. The school has a good programme of personal, social and health education which effectively raises pupils' awareness of how to stay safe and adopt a healthy lifestyle. The Foundation Stage curriculum is of a good quality, but the provision for outdoor learning needs to be fully integrated into all the areas of children's learning, especially for their physical development.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. The school's ethos of care and concern helps pupils of all attainment levels to feel confident and learn well. Staff are highly effective in dealing with pupils' day to day concerns and any worries raised by parents. Pupils are very clear that they are well cared for and that adults always listen to them. One pupil commented, 'if you get something wrong nobody laughs'. Arrangements for child protection and risk assessment are in place. There are effective systems to ensure pupils' health and safety. The school has improved its assessment systems and uses the information well in English and mathematics to track pupils' progress and to set challenging targets. However, opportunities to involve pupils in the assessment of their own work in order to help them improve further are missed. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good. Strong links with outside agencies

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Grade: 2

are used well to support the work of the school.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The school's assessment of itself is accurate. The headteacher leads by Christian example and provides good capable leadership. She has built a competent leadership team committed to improving the school. The recently appointed assistant headteacher has already contributed well to improvements in assessment and in raising standards in English. Subject leadership is satisfactory, although the school is aware of the need to develop this aspect further. The school has successfully taken on board 'work force' reforms and is a model of good practice. The governing body carries out its duties well. Its leadership role has benefited greatly from involvement in the review of the school's ethos. By seeking the views of parents, pupils and staff about all aspects of school life, governors have built up a clear picture of the school's strengths and areas for development. The school development plan is

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Grade: 2

sufficiently focused on setting the current key educational priorities. Recent initiatives 4 Inspection Report: Middleton Parish CofE Primary School, 10 July 2006 to 11 July 2006 to improve achievement in pupils' writing in Years 3 to 6 are having a positive impact on improving standards and the quality of learning but need to be even more effective. The school has a good capacity to improve further and provides good value for money. 5 Inspection Report: Middleton Parish CofE Primary School, 10 July 2006 to 11 July 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: Middleton Parish CofE Primary School, 10 July 2006 to 11 July 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 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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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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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 3 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

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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

Now that we have finished inspecting your school I am writing to let you know what we think. First of all, thank you very much for making us so welcome. We enjoyed visiting your lessons, talking to you and your teachers and looking at your work. We are particularly grateful to those of you who came to tell us about the work you do and what you think of your school. Yours is a good school and you do well in English and mathematics and very well in science. The staff work hard to make lessons interesting for you. They organise sporting events, take you on visits and invite visitors to talk to you. We could see that you want to learn and you enjoy school. You really seem to enjoy doing scientific experiments! The staff look after you very well. You are well behaved and polite. We were pleased to see that you learn how to keep safe and healthy. We have asked your teachers to: - continue to help you improve your writing skills

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

- allow you to be involved in the assessment of your work - improve the outside play area for children in the Reception class. Your school is run well and we are sure that Mrs Rogerson, the teachers and the governors will carry on working hard to make it even better. Do keep on working hard and enjoying school.

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