Irlam Endowed Primary School

Inspection Report Irlam Endowed Primary School

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105939 Unique Reference Number Salford LEA 277448 Inspection number 27 February 2006 to 28 February 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Sarah Drake 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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Chapel Road School address Primary Type of school Irlam Voluntary controlled School category Manchester, Lancashire M44 6EE 3 to 11 Age range of pupils

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0161 775 2911 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 776 0451 Fax number 248 Number on roll Mrs Christine Callaghan Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Jill Da Costa Headteacher 19 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277448 27 February 2006 - 3 to 11 28 February 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 three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Irlam Endowed is an average sized school. The overwhelming majority of pupils are of white British heritage. Average numbers have learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD) but the proportion of pupils with statements of special educational need is high. This is because the school incorporates an eight place resource base for children up to the age of seven who have speech or communication difficulties. Slightly higher than usual numbers are eligible for a free school meal. The school has achieved the Healthy Schools award and Investors in People status. The headteacher took up her post in January 2004.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Irlam Endowed Primary School, 27 February 2006 to 28 February 2006

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Grade: 3

Irlam Endowed is a satisfactory and improving school that provides sound value for money. The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage are good so that children make rapid progress within the stimulating and purposeful environment. Although standards at the end of Year 6 have been below average for the past three years, the school's actions are now helping pupils to make satisfactory progress and current standards are only slightly below expectations. Pupils' personal development is good, with particularly strong emphasis placed on healthy living. Pupils in the resource base are particularly well supported so that they make very good progress. Teaching and learning are satisfactory though teachers' marking and use of assessment data is not yet consistently strong and pupils are not always clear about the precise next steps to take in their learning. The curriculum is well enhanced by extra activities but, other

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Grade: 3

than in literacy and numeracy, it does not ensure that pupils develop their understanding and skills progressively and in sufficient depth. This particularly affects achievement in science. Staff cater very well for pupils' pastoral needs so that they feel secure in school. Good partnership with parents and outside agencies strengthens the overall provision for pupils. Leadership and management are competently guiding the school forward from a period of weak performance. The school has a reasonably accurate, but somewhat over-generous view of its strengths and weaknesses. However, information about pupils' achievement is not yet used sufficiently well to identify and prioritise areas for development. Improvement since the last inspection in relation to the nursery has been very good but elsewhere progress has been less strong. There is satisfactory capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

Build on developing practice in marking to ensure that teachers give pupils suitably precise guidance on how to improve their work and that they are suitably challenged. Make better use of the information gained from assessing pupils' progress to guide the leadership's thinking about the school's development. Ensure that pupils can develop their scientific knowledge, skills and understanding systematically and in sufficient depth.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' attainment on entry to school is below average. They now make good progress in the nursery and Reception classes, so that by the time they enter Year 1, the majority are achieving the expected levels for their age. This has been the case for two years. Standards achieved in statutory tests at the end of Year 2 have been broadly average over four years, apart from a drop in 2003. This is reflected in the average results in 2 Inspection Report: Irlam Endowed Primary School, 27 February 2006 to 28 February 2006 2005, but in this year above average numbers gained the higher level 3 in writing. In response to good quality teaching, pupils in Years 1 and 2 are now making good progress overall. This includes pupils in the resource base, many of whom integrate smoothly into mainstream schooling. Standards achieved in end of Year 6 tests have been erratic but below average over the past three years. In 2005 the proportion of pupils achieving the higher level 5 was

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Grade: 3

low in English, mathematics and science, particularly so in writing and science. The school failed to reach its targets and, as it recognises, these pupils did not make satisfactory progress through the key stage. Recent action to raise standards in writing and mathematics in particular are having some effect. The achievement of pupils in Key Stage 2, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, is now satisfactory, and for older pupils is improving on their slower progress in previous years. Standards at the end of Year 6 are currently still below average but not significantly so as they were in recent years. Pupils' achievement is picking up and they are making satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. They behave well and act safely, treat others with respect and have a good sense of right and wrong. Pupils collaborate well and use the school council to effect change, for example establishing a quiet area in the playground. They run clubs and are generous charitable fund-raisers. They have a good awareness and respect for their own and others' cultures, supported by the interesting curriculum and extra activities. Pupils' spiritual development is satisfactory with opportunities missed to promote this better, for example through experimentation or creative writing. Pupils enjoy their education and relationships throughout the school are very good. They say the behaviour has improved since the introduction of 'Golden Rules' and that the rare instances of bullying or other harassment are dealt with effectively. The school's action to improve attendance is also effective so that it is now broadly in line

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Grade: 2

with national averages. Pupils' development of life-skills is satisfactory and their awareness of healthy living is exceptionally strong. They eat healthily and large numbers participate in the wide range of sporting activities. All the above contributes to the creation of a happy school.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and improving. There are examples of good teaching throughout the school but learning is more consistently of good quality in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 than in Years 3 to 6. 3 Inspection Report: Irlam Endowed Primary School, 27 February 2006 to 28 February 2006 Teachers clearly outline to pupils the learning objectives of the lesson and prepare good starter activities that engage pupils' interest, often making effective use of interactive whiteboards. They use subject specific vocabulary well and ask open questions that require pupils to extend their thinking. Especially in the Foundation Stage and resource base, activities are very well suited to pupils' individual needs, based on careful, on-going assessment. Throughout the school, pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported and teaching assistants generally

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Grade: 3

make a good contribution towards helping pupils learn effectively. However, particularly in Key Stage 2, teachers' expectations of pupils' concentration and quality of effort when working independently vary as is demonstrated by some pupils' unfinished and untidy work. Pupils' standards are regularly assessed. However, current systems do not provide ready access to data to identify and easily track the progress of individuals and groups. Similarly, teachers' marking now gives pupils some useful feedback about how to improve their work but this seldom relates to targets, and the good practice does not extend to all teachers or to subjects other than English.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory rather than good as judged by the school. It complies with requirements and is significantly enriched by a broad range of very popular after school activities, together with visitors and visits to places of interest. Good concentration on health and relationships education promotes pupils' personal development well. Planning to promote pupils' literacy and numeracy skills is satisfactory with suitable attention being paid to the development of writing and to providing challenge for higher ability pupils. For other subjects, the curriculum is arranged in topics which engages pupils' interest and helps them to make connections between subjects. However, there are not strong enough systems in place to ensure that pupils develop their knowledge, skills and understanding progressively and in suitable depth. In science, for example, the significant variation in the quality of work between classes

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Grade: 3

has an impact on pupils' ability to attain the higher level in this subject.

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Grade: 2

The school judges the care, guidance and support for pupils as outstanding whereas inspectors judge them to be good. Parents and pupils express high levels of trust in the staff. Pupils readily approach staff if they have concerns, confident that they will receive sensitive help. They say that 'everyone takes care of each other in our school.' Staff provide outstanding support for pupils in the speech and communications resource base which enables them to make very good progress and become fully integrated into school life. Arrangements to ensure child protection are robust. Health and safety procedures are effective and pupils are well aware of how to act safely. They grow in self-esteem and confidence in response to staff members' genuine interest in them 4 Inspection Report: Irlam Endowed Primary School, 27 February 2006 to 28 February 2006 and effective use of praise. Support for pupils' personal development is strong but,

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Grade: 2

without the help provided by good quality comments in teachers' marking, pupils do not know sufficiently precisely what they need to do next to improve their work.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The school's actions, informed by analysis of its areas of weakness, mean that pupils are now making satisfactory progress after a period of inadequate achievement. The nursery provision has improved significantly since the last inspection and is now an area of strength underpinning pupils' good progress in the Foundation Stage. The proportion of pupils achieving the nationally expected Level 4 in mathematics at the end of Year 6 improved in 2005 in direct response to school action. However, priorities identified in school development planning do not focus sufficiently closely on raising pupils' achievement across a range of areas. The quality of teaching and learning is monitored regularly. Observers provide useful feedback for teachers and suitable training is provided when necessary. The views of all those with an interest in school activities are taken into account when making

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Grade: 3

decisions and all staff are clear about the priorities to work on. There is good partnership with parents and outside agencies, particularly in relation to sporting activities and pupils' well-being. Parents are very supportive of the school and particularly praise the approachability of staff. The school runs smoothly on a daily basis and resources are used well. Finances are prudently managed, taking suitable account of the planned reduction in pupil numbers. Governors are actively involved in school life and ensure statutory requirements are met. They fulfil their role of critical friend satisfactorily. 5 Inspection Report: Irlam Endowed Primary School, 27 February 2006 to 28 February 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: Irlam Endowed Primary School, 27 February 2006 to 28 February 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 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 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 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 3 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 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 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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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 welcome in your school and for helping us to understand what you value about it. Here is a list of things that we liked about Irlam Endowed: - you get on well with each other and enjoy your learning so you have a happy school - you have a particularly good time and make good progress in the nursery and Reception classes - staff give very good support to those of you who have speech and language difficulties so that many of you can join in ordinary class lessons - you take part in lots of extra activities, many of which help you to develop a healthy life style - staff know you well as individuals and provide you with good care so that you feel comfortable in school. This is the list of things that we have asked your teachers to do now to help you make better progress and achieve higher standards in your work: - make sure that teachers' marking helps you to understand more clearly what you need to do

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to improve your work and that you are suitably challenged - make better use of the information they keep about your progress to guide their thinking about school developments - make sure that you develop your skills in science regularly and in enough depth.

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