St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School

Inspection Report St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School

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106510 Unique Reference Number Wigan LEA 277579 Inspection number 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr John Coleman HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Manchester Road School address Primary Type of school Astley Voluntary aided School category Tyldesley, Manchester M29 7DY 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01942 883 912 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01942 776 498 Fax number 207 Number on roll Mr S Cooper Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr B Dorgan Headteacher 4 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277579 7 March 2006 - 4 to 11 8 March 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and one additional inspector.

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Description of the school

The school serves the parish of St Ambrose Barlow though pupils are drawn from a wider area. Pupils come from a range of backgrounds and enter the school with levels of attainment that are broadly average. The vast majority of pupils are of white British background. Less than 13% of pupils have learning difficulties, which is lower than the national average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good standard of education with some outstanding features. The quality of education offered in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. The school is particularly successful in creating an ethos built upon respect and consideration for others. Leadership and management are good. Committed leadership by the headteacher, the senior leadership team and the governors is securing good improvement. However, the school does not know how well some of its strategies for improvement are really working because it doesn't evaluate them sharply enough. All pupils, including those with additional learning needs make good progress. They reach above average standards, except in mathematics, where standards are well above average. The quality of teaching and learning is good overall. Staff provide outstanding role models in their care for pupils and each other, and pupils are very happy coming to school. They enjoy their education. Their behaviour

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Grade: 2

is exemplary. They are polite, courteous and they get on well with each other. Pupils have a very good knowledge and understanding of what keeps them and others healthy and safe. The school works hard to develop their awareness. Provision for pupils' personal, social and emotional development is outstanding and promotes their independence very effectively. Improvement since the last inspection is good. The school has an accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses and a good capacity to improve further. It provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise the expectations of what pupils should achieve in the Foundation Stage. • Sharpen the way the school evaluates the success of its improvement plans.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress. The majority enter school with average skills, though their ability to work and play independently and their level of speaking skills are above average. They make satisfactory progress in the Reception class. By the end of Foundation Stage pupils' achievements are in line with those found nationally. In Key Stage 1, pupils make good progress overall, so that by Year 2, standards are above average. Pupils with additional learning needs and those with the highest attainment also make good progress. Good progress is made in Key Stage 2, so that by Year 6 standards are well above average in mathematics, and above average in English and science. The most able pupils make good progress in mathematics and science, but only satisfactory progress in English. Pupils with additional learning needs make good progress. The school sets challenging targets and pupils achieve them. 2 Inspection Report: St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006

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Grade: 1

Pupil's personal development and well-being is outstanding. They develop responsibility, mature attitudes and the ability to make excellent relationships. The pupils rate their school highly and have very positive attitudes to learning. They greatly enjoy school and attendance is good. Pupils work hard for their teachers saying that they enjoy their lessons because teachers make learning fun and take care to ensure that they understand what they have to do. A typical comment from the pupils is, 'Teachers are pleasant, they are strict, but they always make sure you reach your highest potential.' Behaviour in lessons and around the school is exemplary with pupils showing respect and consideration for others. They enthusiastically accept responsibility and are cheerful, polite and helpful. They are pleased that their views are listened to, for example, the sports council has been instrumental in improving resources for

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Grade: 1

activities at lunchtime. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They show a high level of confidence when answering questions in lessons and carry out their responsibilities well. They gain an awareness of other religions through assemblies, lessons and visits. Pupils give generously for charities and are helpful to visitors. They have a good awareness of how to live healthily and behave in a safe manner. Their positive attitudes and above average basic skills equip them well for future life.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good in Years 1 to 6. It is satisfactory in Reception, but expectations of what children should achieve are not high enough. Teachers use their detailed subject knowledge and of how well each pupil is attaining to plan lessons that build systematically on previous learning. Lessons are well organised, children know what they are to learn, the pace at which pupils learn is good, and close attention is given to developing basic skills. The effective use of interactive whiteboards engages and stimulates pupils. Teachers use questions well to encourage pupils to think hard and they encourage them to express their ideas. For example, in a literacy lesson with Year 5, the pupils responded very enthusiastically to questions about their feelings after listening to the teacher read a particularly moving and thought provoking text. They showed good moral awareness when examining issues

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Grade: 2

from the story. Effective use of teaching assistants ensures that pupils with additional learning needs make good progress. Assessment procedures are well organised and pupils' progress is very carefully monitored. Teachers mark pupils' work conscientiously and their comments help pupils to understand what they have done well and how they might improve. 3 Inspection Report: St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It meets the needs of pupils well, including those with additional learning needs. The areas of learning for the Foundation Stage are covered satisfactorily. Throughout the school, good attention is given to developing pupils' basic skills in literacy and numeracy. Provision for information and communication technology (ICT) has improved and pupils now have good opportunities to apply their ICT skills in other subjects. The arts are also given significant attention. For example, local artists recently worked with pupils and inspired them to develop paintings of good quality. A wide range of extra curriculum activities, including a residential visit, is provided to make learning interesting. The use of visits and visitors enriches pupils' learning so that they really enjoy school. Provision for sport is good and pupils are encouraged to take regular exercise. Courses on safety, relationships and drug awareness encourage

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Grade: 2

them to develop a safe and healthy life style.

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Grade: 2

The care, guidance and support provided for pupils are good. The school has a very positive ethos and staff work hard and successfully develop pupils' self esteem and confidence. Pupils feel safe in school, they like their teachers, and say they would confidently turn to them if they needed help. Parents feel welcome in school and are encouraged to become involved in their children's education. Child protection arrangements are in place and the school has very effective links with outside agencies. Procedures relating to health and safety are good. Close attention is given to ensuring that pupils settle quickly into school and arrangements for their transfer to secondary school are good. Pupils' academic progress is tracked very thoroughly and target setting arrangements are well organised. Most pupils know their targets and what they need to do to improve. As one pupil said, 'Teachers mark your work carefully and make comments to help you

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Grade: 2

understand how to improve.' Pupils who find learning difficult are given good support.

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Grade: 2

Inspection confirms the school's view that leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides strong leadership and a clear direction, which is fully endorsed by governors and staff. Responses from parents show they overwhelmingly hold the school in high regard. The leadership of the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. The school leadership team, including governors, have a good awareness of the strengths of the school and the areas in need of development. Nonetheless the lack of measurable criteria for determining success limits the school's capacity to know how well it is improving. 4 Inspection Report: St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 2006 Subject leaders monitor pupil's performance through good assessment systems which are used well to inform the planning of future learning for pupils. Central to the school's vision is the inclusion of everyone, and pupils of all abilities make good progress overall.

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Grade: 2

The governors are well informed and knowledgeable about the school. They especially benefit from the outstanding information and analysis of pupil's performance from the headteacher. They successfully challenge the school's leadership where appropriate and provide effective support in their strategic role. Resources are well deployed and the recruitment and retention of staff are well managed. Improvement since the last inspection has been good. In particular, standards have risen significantly. Based upon the trend of rising standards and the success in resolving previous issues for improvement, the capacity for future improvement is good. 5 Inspection Report: St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 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: St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School, 7 March 2006 to 8 March 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 3 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 2 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 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 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 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 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, we visited your school last week. Thank you for making us feel so welcome and for being so helpful when we asked you questions. We enjoyed talking with you and finding out about the things you enjoy doing. We think your school does many things well, and some of the things you learn are particularly exciting. We have found a few things which we think would make your learning even better. The things we particularly think are good are: - everyone is very friendly and helpful and so your school is a happy place to be - your teachers help you to do well in most lessons - you said your teachers make most lessons interesting and enjoyable, and we agree - when you are given jobs to do, you carry them out very sensibly - the school cares for everyone and makes sure you are safe. We would like you to work with your teachers to improve the way you learn: - we want the tasks that teachers give you in Reception class to make you work really hard,

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

particularly if you are good at something - when your teachers try to improve what works well at your school, we want them to measure the effects of their actions by how much your work improves. 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 St Ambrose Barlow Catholic Primary School an even better place to be.

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