The Dingle Primary School

Inspection Report The Dingle Primary School

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111080 Unique Reference Number Cheshire LEA 278593 Inspection number 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 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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The Dingle School address Primary Type of school Haslington Community School category Crewe, Cheshire CW1 5SD 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01270 583764 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01270 501565 Fax number 347 Number on roll Mrs A Chilton Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr S Jones Headteacher 30 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278593 3 October 2005 - 4 to 11 4 October 2005 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

The Dingle is a large school, situated in the village of Haslington to the east of Crewe. Its pupils come from an advantaged area and a below average number are eligible for a free school meal. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is well below the national average. A small minority of pupils are at an early stage of learning English.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: The Dingle Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005

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Grade: 2

This is a good school that provides good value for money. This matches the school's own evaluation of its effectiveness and particularly takes into account the consistently high overall standards that pupils achieve. Most pupils make good progress but standards in writing, especially for more able pupils, are not as high as those in other subjects. Pupils' good interest and involvement in activities, their enjoyment of learning and good behaviour create a calm, busy working environment. Teaching and learning are good. There are particular strengths in the teaching of mathematics, which results in very high standards in this subject throughout the school. The school supports all its pupils well, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities. However, pupils are not always sure exactly what they need to do next to improve their work. Although the accommodation for children in the reception year is extremely cramped,

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Grade: 2

these young pupils show eagerness and excitement about learning and make good progress during their first year in school. Leadership and management are good. The accurate identification of areas for development has led to the school making good progress since the last inspection, although subject leaders are still not involved in monitoring the quality of teaching. The school's good improvement is in part due to the exceptionally strong partnerships with other schools and organisations. The school has the capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise the standard of pupils' writing, paying particular attention to the progress of higher attaining pupils. • Extend the monitoring and evaluation of the school's work, particularly teaching, to all those with subject responsibilities. • Help pupils to develop a better understanding of how they can improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' standards of work and their achievement are good and the school consistently reaches or exceeds its challenging targets. Pupils' attainment when they enter the school is slightly above average, although their early writing skills are below. Year-by-year pupils, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, make good progress. In tests at the end of Years 2 and 6, the standards reached by pupils are consistently higher than the national average. Very few pupils fail to reach the expected levels for their age and the number that exceeds these levels is impressive. Standards are well above average in science and mathematics. Although the test results for English are above average, they are lower than in the other two subjects because fewer pupils reach the higher levels in writing. The school's assessment tracking system clearly shows that some pupils in Years 3 to 6 have not made year-on-year progress

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Grade: 2

in this area of English. The school has identified writing as an area for improvement 2 Inspection Report: The Dingle Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 and the effects of the action it has taken so far are beginning to be seen, for example, in the improved test results of Year 2 pupils in 2005.

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Grade: 2

Pupils really enjoy being part of this school. Their behaviour and attitudes to work are good; they delight in doing their best. Pupils' attendance is well above average and this is one reason why they make such good progress. They acquire good work habits, however, the pupils are insufficiently involved in setting their own targets for improvements. As a result, pupils are sometimes unclear about what they need to do next to improve their work. Pupils flourish in terms of their personal development, with particular strengths in their social and moral awareness. By Year 6 they have blossomed into well-rounded, confident members of society. Pupils are compassionate in their support of charities. They readily offer friendship to other children and show an impressive drive to improve aspects of the school through the work of the school council. They have a good understanding of what it means to live in a multicultural society and are at the start

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Grade: 2

of an exciting new relationship with contrasting schools in South Africa. Pupils understand the benefits of a healthy lifestyle. They enjoy healthy eating, act responsibly and safely throughout the day and participate in many different sporting activities. They gain maximum pleasure from participating in musical events as members of the highly regarded school band.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good and makes a significant contribution to the above average standards that pupils achieve. Teachers have good relationships with pupils and high expectations of their behaviour which helps to create a learning atmosphere which one parent described as 'full of fun and industry'. Teachers give clear explanations and question pupils well so that they know what is expected of them and really think about their learning. Lessons are generally well planned. Teachers organise activities that engage pupils' interest, for example using a video to enliven a lesson on fractions, and frequently relate the topic to pupils' own lives. However, pupils sometimes have to sit for too long at the start of lessons before taking an active part. Good support from teaching assistants ensures that pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress. Parents make a positive contribution to pupils' learning through their

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Grade: 2

extensive support in lessons and with homework. Marking is supportive but it does not always identify clearly the next steps that pupils need to take to improve their work. Assessments of pupils' standards and progress are accurate but in lessons where pupils of mixed ability are taught together, teachers do not always provide suitable work for different groups. This is particularly noticeable 3 Inspection Report: The Dingle Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 in writing activities when potentially higher attaining pupils are insufficiently challenged and their progress slows as a result.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and fully meets the needs of all learners. The provision for history, geography, physical education and information and communication technology (ICT) is strong and has improved considerably since the last inspection. The provision for pupils' personal and social development, including the strong emphasis on staying healthy, is of good quality. The priority given to English and mathematics contributes to the overall high standards reached by pupils, particularly in mathematics. These standards are further supported by the grouping of pupils according their attainment in mathematics in Years 3 to 6, and in English in Years 5 and 6. In English in Years 3 and 4, where teachers have to plan for a wide range of attainment, the provision leads to pupils making slower progress in this subject than in mathematics. Pupils greatly enjoy the extensive range of after school activities, particularly those

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Grade: 2

related to sport for which the school has received a national award. They also appreciate opportunities to bring their learning to life provided by, for instance, multicultural days and visits out of school.

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Grade: 2

Parents praise all aspects of the care that the school offers their children. Pupils say that they feel very safe here and develop very trusting relationships with staff. Issues surrounding vulnerable children are dealt with sensitively and well. Health and safety routines are very clear and are understood by all. Staff have a thorough understanding of child protection procedures. The good induction programme, including the Pre-Admissions Library Service (PALS), helps teachers to get to know children well before they start school so that they settle happily. The school encourages pupils to become mature members of the community by offering them many opportunities to take on responsibilities. However, although pupils have a reasonable understanding of how well they are doing in school, teachers do not provide them with sufficiently focussed guidance to help them identify for themselves how they can improve their

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Grade: 2

The headteacher is a strong leader who has the loyalty and respect of the staff. Governors involve themselves closely in school life, for example taking responsibility of the school's sustainable travel plan. Their work in holding the school to account for the standards attained by pupils is satisfactory. All pupils, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities and the few for whom English is an additional language, are well supported and fully included in all activities. The school's income is low but 4 Inspection Report: The Dingle Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 staff are skilled at accessing extra funding and they use available moneys well to improve its provision. The recent investment in ICT has been creatively financed and is having a significant impact on both teachers' competence and pupils' skills, bringing added enjoyment across many subject areas. Arrangements to ensure teachers have

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Grade: 2

time to prepare and assess pupils' work are well organised and long-standing. The school runs smoothly. The school has an accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses but does not always analyse information in sufficient detail to highlight all areas that need improving, for example the slower progress of higher attaining pupils in writing. Moreover, the criteria by which the school measures its success are not focused sharply enough on standards. Subject leaders do not monitor the quality of teaching in their subjects and this inhibits their ability to pinpoint development areas or share good practice. Funding and action to improve this situation are identified in this year's development plan. Despite these areas for improvement, the leadership and management of the school are good because they ensure that pupils make effective progress overall and achieve standards which are consistently above the national average.

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Grade: 2

5 Inspection Report: The Dingle Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005 .

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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: The Dingle Primary School, 3 October 2005 to 4 October 2005

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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 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

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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 2 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 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 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 3 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 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

We enjoyed our visit to your school and would like to thank you for your warm welcome and help. We realise that it is not always easy to have visitors asking you questions and watching what goes on in lessons and around school. We think that you coped very well. Here is a list of all the things that we liked about your school: - You work hard, behave well and enjoy learning new things, which means that you make good progress. - Your work in mathematics is particularly impressive. - Your teachers explain things clearly and help you to understand how what you learn at school can affect the way you live. - The School Council makes some very good suggestions about how to improve what happens in school. - You know how important it is to eat healthily and to keep fit. - We agree with you and your parents that your headteacher and all the staff know you well and help you to feel comfortable in school. This is what we have asked your school to do now, to make it even better:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

- Help you to make your writing as good as your reading, maths and science. - Give teachers who are in charge of different subjects the chance to see how well their subject is taught in other classes. - Help you to understand more clearly how you can improve your work. With our very best wishes for the future.

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