Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School

Inspection Report Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School

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106481 Unique Reference Number Wigan LEA 277573 Inspection number 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 Inspection dates Mr Graham Martin 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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School Street School address Primary Type of school Leigh Voluntary aided School category Lancashire WN7 5JN 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01942 672611 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01942 608481 Fax number 171 Number on roll Rev T Hargreaves-Stead Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Jill Hankinson Headteacher 19 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277573 21 June 2006 - 4 to 11 22 June 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

Almost all of the pupils attending this smaller than average school are of White British heritage. The number eligible for free school meals is well above the national average, and there are above average numbers of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The mobility of pupils, particularly into Key Stage 2, is higher than average. The school was awarded Investor in People status in 2004 to add to its Active Mark, Excellence in Work Related Learning and Quality Standard for Early Years certificates earned in 2003. A number of constructive local partnerships, including membership of a Primary Learning Network, are firmly established.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school, giving good value for money. Although inexperience has led the headteacher to make cautious judgements, inspection findings largely agree with the school's own evaluation. Excellent relationships lead to good personal skills, with an outstanding feature in pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils behave outstandingly well and their positive attitudes benefit learning. They are proud of their school and enjoy helping to make it better. Pupils enjoy school and most attend well. The school's good work to improve the attendance of a small minority is succeeding. Key leaders, who have a strong commitment to improving the school's effectiveness, have brought about rapid and sustainable improvement, seen in the school's strong ethos, partnerships and teamwork. Determined leadership gives the school good capacity to improve. Children enter the school with, on average, skills below the level expected for their

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Grade: 2

age, especially in communication, language, literacy, and personal and social development. Provision for all aspects of children's learning in the Foundation Stage is good and they achieve well. Pupils make good progress across the school, attaining standards close to the national average at the end of both key stages. Pupils are well prepared for moving to Key Stage 3. The quality of teaching and learning is good, leading to the good achievement seen in the quality of pupils' work. However, the setting of learning targets with pupils to guide them to improve their work and achieve better standards is not yet fully in place across the school. Also, in some lessons, teaching assistants are not used well enough to support pupils' learning. Staff are skilled at successfully promoting pupils' physical health and emotional well-being. A good curriculum engages pupils' interests and meets their learning needs well, with

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Grade: 2

successful steps taken to make learning activities more exciting and appealing. The school recognises the success of its recent work to improve through its good systems for checking teaching and learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Use assessment to improve the guidance for pupils on how they could achieve better standards. • Make consistently good use of the skills of teaching assistants.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well and attain satisfactory standards. Good progress enables pupils to reach standards close to the national average by the time they leave. Achievement for children in the Reception class is good so that most reach the goals set for their learning by age five, with some children exceeding these goals. Pupils make good progress in the Key Stage 1 assessments showing that Year 2 pupils this year have attained close to the nationally expected standards. This represents good achievement. 2 Inspection Report: Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 Achievement in Key Stage 2 is also good. Test results in mathematics and science at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2005 show that challenging targets were met, with pupils attaining close to the national average. The poor test results in English last year, which the inspection found did not accurately reflect the abilities of the pupils, are expected

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Grade: 2

to improve in 2006. Inspection evidence shows that, currently, Year 6 pupils are on track to attain close to the national average in all the tested subjects in 2006, with the expectation that the school will meet its targets, taking into account pupils who joined late from other schools. The quality of writing seen in the current Year 6 shows better achievement than was evident from the previous year's test results, confirming the success of the school's good work to improve writing. Skilful individual support helps pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to make good progress towards their learning targets so that all pupils achieve equally well.

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Grade: 2

The personal development and well-being of pupils is good, with some outstanding features. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding, seen in their sensitivity to others' needs, in their behaviour and relationships, and in their awareness of other cultures. Reflective, meaningful worship, assemblies and personal and social education lessons contribute exceptionally well to this development. Pupils respond enthusiastically to any responsibilities given to them, such as being 'mini' lunchtime supervisors. They participate with interest in wide ranging out-of-school activities, which develop their sporting and creative talents well. Good strategies to improve unsatisfactory attendance by a few pupils are working, though it remains a little below average. However, most pupils attend well because they enjoy learning so much. The school council is effective in enabling pupils to contribute to

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Grade: 2

decision-making. For example, they set up a rota at playtime for the use of equipment, as one pupil declared, 'so everyone gets a fair chance to play'. Projects such as the 'mini enterprise' event, seen in action, develop pupils' economic awareness well. This has a marked impact on their self-confidence and awareness of how to work productively together, preparing them well for the next stage in their learning. Pupils show a good understanding of what it means to live a healthy lifestyle. They commit themselves to the needs of others by holding successful charity fundraising events throughout the year. Close links with parents keep them well informed about their children's personal development.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good and sometimes outstanding. Pupils make good progress because of this. They develop good independent learning skills because they enjoy excellent relationships with adults, who trust them to show mature attitudes to learning. 3 Inspection Report: Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 In the Foundation Stage, good teaching of language and personal skills through carefully structured activities accelerates children's learning. Routines are well established so that children know what is expected of them. Adult-led activities are well planned but independent learning is also carefully planned for. The children's learning is carefully assessed, recorded and acted on by all staff. In Years 1 to 6, teachers match lessons closely to pupils' needs so that they achieve well. In an outstanding lesson, the teacher was very aware of every pupils' abilities,

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Grade: 2

using this knowledge to challenge all of them to produce their very best work, leading to outstanding progress. Information and communication technology (ICT) is used well to bring teaching alive and make learning exciting. Staff and pupils work well together to use technology to illustrate their questions and answers. Teaching assistants work skilfully with small groups and to help pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to learn well, but some teachers do not use their assistants to best effect. Teachers have improved their use of assessment to plan lessons, but not all use marking well enough to set learning goals that are easily understood by each pupil. While some pupils know how to achieve learning targets, this is not so for all pupils yet. Where good practice is established, such as in Years 4 and 6, it has a very positive effect on pupils' achievement.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and meets the needs of all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those within the Foundation Stage, well. A wide array of whole-school activities, for example, the recent 'stay safe' week, together with a wealth of visits and visitors, ensures that pupils have stimulating learning experiences. These good links with external agencies greatly enhance the curriculum. Pupils take part in music and drama workshops, visit places of interest and benefit from residential trips. The wide range of out of school activities, which includes learning Spanish and French, is very popular. Links with local organisations and churches are good and this helps the pupils to appreciate their place in the community. Pupils' good personal development owes much to the lively programme of personal, social and health education, which supports all aspects of their learning well.

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Grade: 3

Care and support are good and academic guidance is satisfactory. This is a caring school in which staff know their pupils very well. Pupils say that they feel very safe and happy at school. They trust staff to look after them and report that they always have someone they can talk to if they have worries. Robust procedures for child protection and assessing any risks to pupils are fully in place. The school is very responsive to the needs of the most vulnerable pupils and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Staff regularly meet with parents and members of external agencies to plan the support required and to review progress. The learning mentor provides good support for groups of pupils, ensuring they receive high levels 4 Inspection Report: Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 of care and support. The school has made a start in improving pupils' understanding

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Grade: 3

of what they need to do to improve their work, but this is at an early stage of development.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher establishes a good climate for learning and the school is well on the way to meeting its aims. Determined leadership by key leaders results in productive partnerships to strengthen the school's work. For example, the Primary Learning Network successfully enriches the curriculum, improving writing. The headteacher is popular with parents and pupils; her clear vision and direction empower staff to work well, promoting good teamwork and a common sense of purpose. Change is managed skilfully. As a result, the school has improved well since the last inspection and has good capacity to sustain its improvement. Parents value the school's commitment to their children's learning and personal development, evident in the comment, 'as a result of the changes, my daughter and her school work are coming on in leaps and bounds'. The school regularly seeks, and acts on, parents'

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Grade: 2

and pupils' views, which are overwhelmingly supportive. It responds well to suggestions, such as explaining the homework policy to parents who sought guidance. The recent appointment of a deputy headteacher, with a good understanding of assessment, shows the headteacher's clear knowledge of the school's needs. Together, staff have set out a sharply focused plan to achieve their agreed improvements. Staff skills are used well; all know their part in checking the school's effectiveness and take appropriate action. Teaching and learning have improved as a result, although assessment is not yet used consistently well enough to set individual learning goals. Good leadership appointments, prudent use of resources and positive unanimous support for the headteacher's high aspirations show that governors make an effective contribution to the school's work. 5 Inspection Report: Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 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: Westleigh St Paul's CofE Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 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 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 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 1 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 3 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 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 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

As you know, two inspectors visited your school recently to find out if it is giving you the education that you should receive. Thank you very much for the warm welcome that you gave us and for the wonderful politeness and cheerfulness you showed us during both days of the inspection. We hope you will be pleased to know that we decided that you have a good school. The things that we thought were particularly good were: - the many improvements that your headteacher and her deputy headteacher have managed to bring about - the good teaching that helps you to learn well - your excellent behaviour and the very good relationships you have with each other and the adults with whom you work - your enjoyment and interest in learning and the independence you show throughout your lessons - the way that your school helps you to mature as good citizens. This is what we have asked your school to do now, so that it will be even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

- Help you to understand what you need to do to produce your very best work all the time. - Make sure that the adults who help your teachers are given the chance to help you as well as possible. Thank you for helping us so much with the inspection of your school. We both hope that you will carry on enjoying learning, and helping your teachers to make Westleigh St. Paul's Church of England Primary School a good place to learn.

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