Ellenborough and Ewanrigg Infant School

Inspection Report Ellenborough and Ewanrigg Infant School

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112134 Unique Reference Number Cumbria LEA 278857 Inspection number 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005 Inspection dates Penny Parrish Reporting inspector

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

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Victory Crescent School address Infant Type of school Maryport Community School category Cumbria, CA15 7NE 3 to 7 Age range of pupils 01900 812931 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01900 812931 Fax number 63 Number on roll Mrs S Chapman Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs J Hodgkins Headteacher 1 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278857 12 October 2005 - 3 to 7 13 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 one additional inspector.

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Description of the school

Ellenborough and Ewanrigg Infant School is a small school set close to the centre of Maryport, on the west coast of Cumbria. The school serves a community with high levels of social and economic disadvantage. The proportions of pupils entitled to free school meals and those with learning difficulties and disabilities are well above average. Most learning difficulties are due to social, emotional and behavioural problems or to speech and communication difficulties. All pupils are of white British heritage and all have English as their first language. At the time of the inspection, the headteacher has been in post for only six weeks and, due to the long term absence of permanent staff, all other teachers are on temporary contracts.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Ellenborough and Ewanrigg Infant School, 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005

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Grade: 4

The school’s overall effectiveness is inadequate. Taking all factors into account, pupils’ progress is to slow and their achievement is inadequate. Consequently, the school gives inadequate value for money. In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform. The school is therefore given a Notice to Improve. Significant improvements are required in relation to the pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching and learning. Since the recent appointment of the new headteacher and a settled, though largely temporary, staff team, the standards are showing clear signs of improvement. The headteacher and governing body believe that the effectiveness of the school is already satisfactory but there is more to be done to establish consistently satisfactory

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Grade: 4

achievement for all pupils. The context of the school and the pupils’ low attainments on admission mean that their achievement needs to be good if they are to learn all that will be needed by the time they leave the school. The last inspection report in 1999 showed that standards needed to improve and steadily rising results in national tests for pupils in Year 2 indicated satisfactory improvements until 2003. Since then, exceptional instability in the staff team has reversed that upward trend. The main strength of the school is in its patient and caring work with pupils and their families to remove possible barriers to their personal development. Behaviour is good, which is an important achievement in the light of the children’s well below average attainments on admission to school. The high proportion of pupils with significant behavioural difficulties makes good progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in literacy and numeracy. • Improve the quality of teaching to enable pupils to make consistently good progress in their learning.

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Grade: 4

Standards are low and pupils could achieve more. The school agrees with this judgement but assesses pupils’ achievement as satisfactory, taking into account recent improvements in teaching and assessment systems. The school is moving in the right direction but there is much more work to be done to secure a fully effective school. At present, achievement and standards are inadequate. Pupils’ attainments in reading and writing are especially low. Results in national tests for pupils in Year 2 in literacy and numeracy show that pupils’ learning does not progress sufficiently, even allowing for the well below average attainments of most 2 Inspection Report: Ellenborough and Ewanrigg Infant School, 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005 children when they start school. The pupils’ ability to achieve sufficient work-place skills in later life is seriously compromised. The headteacher has established clear expectations for what pupils need to learn at

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Grade: 4

each stage in the school, and staff are firmly focused on improving the pupils’ achievement with the good teaching necessary. The most recent work available shows that where pupils are receiving good teaching, such as in Year 1, pupils are gaining ground rapidly. There is much to be done, however, to remedy the inadequate achievement of most pupils and to help them to meet their new, challenging but realistic targets. The school is strongly committed to helping its most vulnerable and disadvantaged pupils. Although it is successful in promoting their personal development, low achievement in literacy and numeracy also affects pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and most could be achieving more.

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Grade: 3

The personal development of pupils is satisfactory, overall, although some have significant difficulties in managing their own behaviour and social skills. This shows considerable improvement and good achievement for most pupils from the low personal and social skills evident on admission to school. This matches, overall, the school’s judgement of its own success. Pupils readily agree that they enjoy school and the school provides ‘an oasis’ for many. Most pupils are friendly and polite, and there is a positive and purposeful atmosphere in the school. Lower than average speaking skills limit pupils’ social skills but they generally get along together well and behaviour is good. Through good relationships with staff and constant encouragement, the efforts pupils make to cooperate and behave well stand them in good stead for their future economic well-being. The school’s learning mentor plays an important role in

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Grade: 3

promoting the happiness, safety and regular attendance of many pupils. Attendance is broadly average but regular attendance for some children is only achieved by providing considerable support to the families. Breakfast club and parent ‘drop-in’ schemes and courses are valuable additions to the school’s provision. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. Reflection on the thoughts, feelings and actions of characters in stories, for example, encourage pupils to develop a sensitive awareness of others and to make correct choices in their own behaviour. Visiting artists and musicians from various cultural backgrounds help to broaden pupils’ cultural awareness. The school has a Healthy School Award and fosters a sound awareness of healthy lifestyles. Pupils help to grow their own vegetables and daily ‘fruit time’ in school sometimes includes apples and pears from trees in the

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Grade: 3

school’s grounds. 3 Inspection Report: Ellenborough and Ewanrigg Infant School, 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory, overall, confirming the school’s judgement of its own work. The majority of lessons observed were satisfactory, with good teaching observed in Year 1. Staff are keen to improve standards and recent improvements in assessment and teachers’ planning are focused clearly on helping pupils with differing needs to achieve more in lessons. A review of the pupils’ most recent work indicates that learning is now satisfactory and sometimes good. Class management is good and, with the good relationships evident between staff and pupils, good progress is achieved with pupils’ personal development and behaviour. In the nursery, for example, very clear expectations are set from the start within a friendly but purposeful atmosphere. Clear feedback to the children on even small successes is well focused and encouraging. Support staff know the pupils well and, where learning objectives are clear, help them

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Grade: 3

to make at least sound progress. The teaching of speaking and communication skills is satisfactory, overall. Recent monitoring by the headteacher identified teachers’ questioning skills as a successful focus for development. Older classes have established useful discussions in pairs as pupils seek answers. Underachievement prior to September, however, means that there is much ground to make up for most pupils, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, especially with regard to speaking and literacy skills.

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Grade: 3

• The curriculum is satisfactory in meeting pupils’ needs and statutory requirements. High priority is currently and quite rightly being given to promoting pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. A small number of pupils are included in ‘catch-up’ programmes but there is more to be done to provide the skilled teaching intervention that many of the pupils with learning difficulties need. Unsettled staffing over the past two years and the current situation of new and temporary teachers means that some routines and practices are still to be established throughout the school. Subjects, such as science, art and design and design and technology, are sometimes combined into one long afternoon lesson, for example, where, at times, pupils are not sufficiently focused on learning. An appropriately high emphasis on personal, social and emotional development means that pupils develop well in this aspect of the curriculum. The school takes advantage of opportunities such as the Arts Council’s

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Grade: 3

Creative Partnership scheme to ensure that visitors to school and activities outside lessons enable pupils to extend their skills in art and design and physical education. The school grounds are attractive, interesting and well maintained, providing pupils with a pleasant environment at break times and supplementing pupils’ physical development and science curriculum well. The school’s efforts were rewarded with a ‘Cumbria in Bloom’ award in 2004. • 4 Inspection Report: Ellenborough and Ewanrigg Infant School, 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005

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Grade: 3

The care, guidance and support of pupils are satisfactory overall. The promotion of pupils’ welfare and safety is good. An effective Child Protection system and good liaison with other professionals and social agencies ensure that the pupils’ well-being is a priority. The work of the learning mentor is a great asset to vulnerable pupils and their families and sensitive care and guidance forms a bedrock for many families. Support and guidance for pupils’ progress with learning basic skills are developing but is no more than satisfactory at this early stage. There is much still to be done to make the new assessment systems work well and to help pupils to get to know and check their new targets for learning. Individual education plans for the high number of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are in place and guiding their learning satisfactorily overall. Although those with behaviour difficulties progress well as a

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Grade: 3

result of good care and guidance more could be done to help the large number with learning difficulties to make better progress with basic skills in literacy and numeracy. Few specialised learning acceleration programmes are in place. Opportunities are sometimes missed for teaching assistants to record learning outcomes for pupils working within whole class lessons, to enable future teaching to be focused more specifically on individual needs.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory, which matches the judgement of the headteacher and governors. The low standards are being tackled rigorously by the new headteacher in the few weeks she has been in post. The new staff team, although largely temporary, is united, forward-looking and well focused on improving standards. The headteacher has secured very useful up-to-date assessments on every child to help the staff focus clearly on their most important learning needs. The headteacher demonstrates a good capacity to take the school forward. Governors, staff and parents are very pleased with the improvements already made and describe her approach as ‘a breath of fresh air’. A pupil in Year 2 said that she ‘is always somewhere’ in the school and he knows she will sort out any problems to ‘get things good.’ The headteacher’s own example of good teaching in Year 1 is a valuable model of effective

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Grade: 3

practice to share with colleagues. The headteacher is, at present, the only strong force within the school’s senior management team. Due to the small size of the school and the long-term absence of all other teachers, few other posts of specific responsibility exist. The very experienced learning mentor provides a strong lead in coordinating support for vulnerable pupils and their families. The headteacher is effectively maintaining the systems that have remained well established in the school for pupils with specific learning difficulties and disabilities. Her teaching successes in Year 1 are beginning to demonstrate what can be achieved by a strong teaching team working with very disadvantaged pupils. Governance of the school is satisfactory. Governors have played a key role in 5 Inspection Report: Ellenborough and Ewanrigg Infant School, 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005 maintaining and promoting the stability of the school’s provision at a time of significant

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Grade: 3

difficulty. Their role is developing and governors are pleased that the new headteacher is helping them to become more actively involved in the strategic management of the school. 6 Inspection Report: Ellenborough and Ewanrigg Infant School, 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Ellenborough and Ewanrigg Infant School, 12 October 2005 to 13 October 2005

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Inspection judgements

16-19 School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Inspection judgements

NA 4 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of 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 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA No Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Inspection judgements

Achievement and standards NA 4 How well do learners achieve? NA 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Inspection judgements

NA 4 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 4 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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Inspection judgements

Personal development and well-being NA 3 How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? NA 3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 3 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 3 How well learners enjoy their education NA 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 3 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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Inspection judgements

The quality of provision NA 3 How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs? NA 3 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? NA 3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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Inspection judgements

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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Annex A

Leadership and management NA 3 How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement 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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Annex A

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 NA Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse NA Learners are educated about sexual health 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 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

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Annex A

wider community 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

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 www.ofsted.gov.uk Ellenborough and Ewanrigg Infant School Victory Crescent Maryport Cumbria CA15 7NE 14 October 2005 Dear Children, I enjoyed visiting your school and talking with you, your teachers and other staff who work in your school. Thank you for helping me to understand what you do and for letting me share some of your lessons, assemblies and playtimes. The good things about your school are: your school is a friendly place and you behave well in lessons and outside at playtimes; you like your new headteacher and know that she will always help you if she can to do your best; you are trying hard to get better at your work. A very important part of your school needs to get better: you need to be helped by your teachers to learn more quickly so that you know and understand much more by the end of each year in school. I have asked the teachers and governors to make your school better over the next year and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

then another inspector will call to check that things have improved well enough. This means that you will have to do your very best to get better at reading, writing and mathematics. Thank you again for being so helpful and friendly. Good luck and very best wishes to you and your teachers, Penny Parrish Lead inspector Annex B

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