Etchells Primary School

Inspection Report Etchells Primary School

p.1

106045 Unique Reference Number Stockport LEA 277474 Inspection number 19 June 2006 to 20 June 2006 Inspection dates Mr Colin Smith CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

East Avenue School address Primary Type of school Heald Green Community School category Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 3DL 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 0161 4371792 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 4371792 Fax number 350 Number on roll Mrs P Edwards Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs L Holebrook Headteacher 7 February 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277474 19 June 2006 - 3 to 11 20 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 three Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

Etchells is a large primary school. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is below average, which reflects a degree of social advantage in the area. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is broadly average. However, a higher number of pupils than is usual have statements of special educational need. This is because the school receives additional funding to provide an education for pupils with complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. A quarter come from minority ethnic backgrounds, largely Pakistani, with a few pupils from White and Black Caribbean, Asian and Chinese heritage. A small number of these pupils are at an early stage of learning English.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Etchells Primary School, 19 June 2006 to 20 June 2006

p.3

Grade: 2

This is a good school with outstanding features that provides good value for money. Pupils' personal development and the level of care and support provided are outstanding. The quality of teaching and learning and the curriculum offered are good. A good education in the Foundation Stage enables Nursery and Reception children to achieve standards higher than expected for their age. Children's good achievement in infant and junior classes ensures that standards are significantly higher than average across the school and trends have been rising well. Leaders have a good appreciation of the school's many strengths and its relatively few weaker areas. The school's self-evaluation is largely accurate, apart from the judgement concerning leadership and management, which the school regards as outstanding. In terms of the provision made for pupils with complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including the

p.4

Grade: 2

excellent links with external agencies, leadership is outstanding. Pupils are totally safeguarded but more than that, they are given the self-belief and courage to cope with their diverse and, in some cases, extreme disabilities. Their happiness in school is uplifting, providing a shining example of inclusion at its best. That said, there are aspects of pupils' learning that could be better, such as their investigation and problem-solving skills and their awareness of what they need to do to improve. This is why the inspection team judges leadership and management and overall effectiveness to be good rather than outstanding. The school constantly challenges its practice and is strongly focused on raising standards further, which illustrates its good capacity for improvement.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Give pupils more opportunities to plan their own investigations in science and to solve problems in mathematics so as to raise achievement further. • Ensure that pupils understand exactly what they need to do to improve their progress in mathematics and science, as they do in writing.

p.4

Grade: 2

Achievement is good because pupils are well taught. Many children enter Nursery with attainment above that expected for their age. They make good progress. By the end of the Reception year most children reach the goals expected in all areas of learning and many exceed them. This good achievement continues in the infant and junior classes. Standards are well above average in all subjects by the end of Years 2 and 6, apart from mathematics in Year 2, which is average, as the 2005 national test results confirm. However, pupils' investigation and problem solving skills are not as advanced as their knowledge and understanding of science or their calculation skills in mathematics. Standards have been improving at a good rate, largely because assessment is used well to set challenging targets. However, results are expected to be lower this year because of the higher proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or

p.4

Grade: 2

2 Inspection Report: Etchells Primary School, 19 June 2006 to 20 June 2006 disabilities in Years 2 and 6. More able pupils achieve well in English and mathematics in response to the high level of challenge. Pupils with English as an additional language achieve at least as well as their peers. The progress made by pupils with complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities is excellent, both socially and academically.

p.4

Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Their understanding and sensitivity towards others from different cultures and with diverse needs are exemplary. This is largely why pupils, particularly those with complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities, are content and fulfilled. Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning. They are interested, responsive and very hardworking. Their behaviour is excellent. As one child explained, 'We all work and play together happily and bullying hardly ever happens.' Pupils' heightened social awareness arises from the excellent work of the school council and responsibilities such as supporting younger children during playtimes. Their community awareness is exemplary and through charity work with local hospices, the school has gained the 'Young Citizen of the Year' award. Despite prolonged absences of pupils receiving hospital treatment for severe medical conditions,

p.5

Grade: 1

the school has successfully raised attendance to above average levels. This, along with pupils' enthusiasm and pride in achievement, illustrates their enjoyment of school. The school is very successful in helping pupils to make moral and personal decisions. Consequently, pupils have an excellent appreciation of healthy lifestyles and how to stay safe. Very secure literacy and numeracy skills and their capacity to learn independently and collaboratively are helping to secure their future economic well-being.

p.5

Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good throughout the school. Relationships between teachers, support staff and pupils are excellent. Lessons are always calm and purposeful and pupils try their best. Teachers explain new ideas very clearly, often using information and communication technology (ICT) projections to illustrate the teaching points. This raises pupils' interest and significantly enhances their understanding. Pupils' learning is very well assessed and the information is used effectively to plan activities that meet their different learning needs in English and mathematics, although not to the same degree in science. Pupils with complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities make impressive gains in learning because of the excellent support provided by teachers and support staff. Pupils' work is carefully marked, although pointers for improvement are not always made clear in teachers' written

p.5

Grade: 2

comments. Occasionally, teaching is excellent, particularly when more able pupils are challenged to reason at levels far in advance of their years, such as Year 2 pupils rounding large numbers to the nearest hundred. The few weaker areas in teaching 3 Inspection Report: Etchells Primary School, 19 June 2006 to 20 June 2006 relate to inconsistencies in the way that investigation and problem solving skills are taught.

p.5

Grade: 2

A good curriculum is provided that meets national requirements. Excellent learning experiences, tailored to individual needs, significantly raise the achievement of pupils with complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Adapting the curriculum for pupils with English as an additional language ensures that they make good progress. Able, gifted and talented pupils benefit from extension activities provided in English and mathematics. The excellent range of additional activities ensures pupils' talents, skills and interests are nurtured, particularly in music, art and sport. Workshops provided by visitors, along with many valuable educational visits, make a significant contribution to pupils' personal development and fuel their enthusiasm for learning. As one Year 6 child remarked, 'The residential visit was absolutely brilliant.' Careful planning enables pupils' knowledge and understanding to develop very successfully. However,

p.6

Grade: 2

opportunities to investigate and solve problems are not as well planned as they could be. The very good personal, social and health programme makes a major contribution to pupils' excellent appreciation of healthy lifestyles and staying safe.

p.6

Grade: 1

The quality of care, guidance and support is outstanding. Rigorous health and safety, child protection and staff recruitment procedures ensure that all pupils are safeguarded. Sensitively managed arrangements for starting school and transferring to high school ensure anxieties are dispelled. Pupils' personal development and academic progress are carefully monitored. At the first sign of faltering progress, pupils receive excellent additional support, which significantly raises their achievement. Setting individual improvement targets is helping to raise achievement in writing, although this practice has not yet been extended to other subjects. The way pupils with complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities are cared for and supported is exceptional. Excellent channels of communication between school staff and visiting health professionals ensure that these pupils receive the best education possible and many barriers to

p.6

Grade: 1

learning are successfully removed. As one parent remarked, 'Staff spend many hours of their personal time helping children to overcome their difficulties.'

p.6

Grade: 2

The quality of leadership and management is good; it is outstanding in some respects. The headteacher and deputy headteacher work tirelessly promoting their vision that every child matters and securing resources to convert the vision into reality. Parents' appreciation of the school's success is reflected in comments such as, 'This is a wonderful, supportive school.' The coordination of the large number of school based 4 Inspection Report: Etchells Primary School, 19 June 2006 to 20 June 2006 and visiting professionals to ensure that pupils with complex learning difficulties and/or disabilities are safeguarded and educated successfully alongside mainstream pupils, is an excellent achievement. The work of the school is kept under constant review and governors provide good support in holding the school to account. Pupils' progress and personal development are rigorously assessed and staff are exceptionally

p.6

Grade: 2

well deployed to target assistance where it is most needed. Teaching and learning, along with pupils' written work, are checked at regular intervals. Much information is recorded, shared and discussed. This is why teaching is more consistent than it was at the previous inspection. The school's capacity and eagerness to raise standards are very apparent and clearly reflected in the work done to improve achievement in writing. However, the school development plan is not as clear as it could be in communicating the actions required to make specific improvements and check that they have taken place. Similarly, the link between the quality of teaching and pupils' achievement in English, mathematics and science, in each class, could be stronger, particularly in relation to improving pupils' investigation and problem solving skills and involving pupils in checking their learning. 5 Inspection Report: Etchells Primary School, 19 June 2006 to 20 June 2006

p.7

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

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Etchells Primary School, 19 June 2006 to 20 June 2006

p.8

Overall

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

p.9

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

p.9

Achievement and standards

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

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 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.9

needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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.9

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.10

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

p.10

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.10

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.10

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.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for talking to us and showing us your best work. We enjoyed our visit because you were so friendly and helpful. Your school is good; it is outstanding in some respects. You are right to be proud of it! There are many things we like about your school. We are highly impressed by the way children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are supported and cared for and by the way you treat them. We are also impressed by your enthusiasm for learning and your excellent behaviour. We thoroughly enjoyed observing lessons. We noticed how good teaching helps you to learn. We also appreciate how carefully teachers assess your learning to ensure that the work they ask you to complete is at just the right level. So much is happening in your school, particularly as new classrooms are being prepared. Yet, through all the building distractions, you all carry on as normal. We think this is because the

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

headteacher and deputy headteacher lead the school well to make sure that your good education comes first. We have only two recommendations to make, which we feel will make your school even better. Your knowledge and understanding of mathematics and science are very good. However, we think you need more opportunities to plan your own investigations in science and solve problems in mathematics to raise your achievement further. Secondly, we can see how setting individual targets is helping you to improve your writing. We feel that this should be extended to other subjects such as mathematics and aspects of science.

p.11