Alkborough Primary School

Inspection Report Alkborough Primary School

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117725 Unique Reference Number North Lincolnshire LEA 280138 Inspection number 29 March 2006 to 30 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr John Heap Reporting inspector

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

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Whitton Road School address Primary Type of school Alkborough Community School category Scunthorpe DN15 9JG 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01724 720301 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01724 720301 Fax number 68 Number on roll Mr Tim Hardy Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Michael Campion Headteacher 1 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280138 29 March 2006 - 4 to 11 30 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 additional inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a small school where all the children are of white British origin. The school serves four small villages and there are some signs of rural deprivation. Children start school with average skills. The proportion of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is around average. The proportion of children entitled to free school meals is below average. The school has achieved healthy school status and the basic skills award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Alkborough Primary School, 29 March 2006 to 30 March 2006

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Grade: 3

The school judges itself to be good: a view mostly supported by parents. As one put it, ‘This is a lovely community school, we are lucky to have our children come here.’ However, inspectors judge the school to be satisfactory with strengths and giving sound value for money. The quality of education in the Foundation Stage (pre-reception and reception classes) is satisfactory and enables children to make adequate progress. Children enter Year 1 with standards that are a little above average. Standards in Years 1 to 6 are average overall but children could make more than the present satisfactory progress. The school knows this and some measures have improved matters, such as raising boys’ achievement. Nevertheless, further detailed work is necessary to improve the satisfactory teaching and curriculum. In particular, marking and target-setting are not rigorous enough and there is insufficient use and development of basic skills across

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Grade: 3

all subjects. At present, the opportunities for learners to use their ICT and literacy skills across the curriculum are too limited. Children’s personal development is good. Behaviour is exemplary and children enjoy attending this happy, safe and secure school. The school cares deeply and well for the children. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The very busy headteacher leads well on the school’s strengths and recognises that there are significant areas for development. Consequently, the school is soundly placed to move forward. Links with outside agencies are good and this plays a large part in ensuring that all children benefit equally from what the school offers. The satisfactory self-evaluation identifies the right priorities, but the development plan lacks rigour in the way it judges success. Governors are supportive, but rely too heavily on the headteacher. not applicable

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the quality of academic target setting for individual children, and mark more rigorously to the targets set. • Increase greatly the use and development of literacy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills across the curriculum. • Apply sharper success criteria to priorities in the school development plan. • Develop governors’ knowledge, understanding and procedures for evaluating the work of the school.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory and standards are average. The school regularly meets its targets in the results of national tests. Children leave the school with expected levels of basic skills. When children enter the pre-reception class, they have broadly typical levels of skill. They make steady progress and leave reception with attainment that is a little above average. There are no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls. In Years 1 and 2, progress is satisfactory and standards compare favourably 2 Inspection Report: Alkborough Primary School, 29 March 2006 to 30 March 2006 with similar schools. Standards in English, mathematics, science and ICT are typical for the age of children. Girls do better than boys and this has been a focus for the school. In Years 3 to 6, girls and boys do equally well and children make satisfactory progress. This rate of progress is slower than it might be, particularly for higher

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Grade: 3

attaining children in writing, because there is too little setting of individual targets for improvement and marking does not lead to a clear enough picture of how children are doing and what they need to do next. Across the school, children with extra needs are well supported and they make good progress. In fact, some children reach average standards.

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Grade: 2

Personal development is good, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school, parents and children agree that this is a strength. Children are respectful and considerate and older ones willingly ‘look after’ the younger children. Behaviour is exemplary and children have a very clear idea of right and wrong. Children enjoy school and attendance is above average. Most children settle well to their lessons, listen attentively and concentrate well. Children willingly speak up. Bullying is very rare and children agree that when it does occur, it is dealt with effectively. Children feel safe and secure, much to the delight of parents. Children consider the needs of those less fortunate by raising funds for charity. The active school council makes a positive contribution to school decision-making. Children know and understand the importance of developing a healthy lifestyle and to live safely. Basic skills are typical

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Grade: 2

for their ages and older children are being involved in projects with local businesses and government departments. Children have a good understanding of life in a multicultural society through the work they do in drama, music, religious education and geography. Children speak warmly of the good links with local churches and clergy and readily reflect on a range of issues.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching is satisfactory and promotes sound learning and progress. The judgement made by the school is a little higher because the focus is too keenly on teacher performance rather than what children are learning. The strengths in teaching are: • the strong relationships forged with all children that lead to good personal development, particularly confidence • good classroom management that minimises disruption and develops children’s self-esteem • effective questioning in some lessons that involves even the most reticent. 3 Inspection Report: Alkborough Primary School, 29 March 2006 to 30 March 2006 Although lesson planning is detailed, it does not benefit sufficiently from rigorous assessment of children’s achievements and needs. As a result, targets for improvement are too general and the regular marking does not set out clearly what children should do next. In Year 6, progress is only satisfactory because expectations are not high

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Grade: 3

enough, particularly in writing. However, the introduction of interactive whiteboards is fostering a quicker pace to teaching and learning. The work in classes by the school’s business manager is having a good influence on standards in ICT and children are developing a lot of confidence and skill. Classroom support assistants work effectively with children who have extra needs. They do valuable work in developing basic skills, particularly in reading.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory with good features. The programme mainly meets the needs and interests of learners. It promotes well children’s knowledge and understanding of cultural and ethnic diversity, learning in the community and the need to promote healthy and safe lifestyles. A particular strength is the commitment to physical education that is promoted by a partnership among the local schools. A good range of enrichment activities maintains the breadth and relevance of the curriculum. These include suitable after-school clubs and visits and visitors. However, there are many missed opportunities for children to use their literacy and ICT skills across the curriculum, particularly writing skills. As a result, progress in the use and development of basic skills is slowed down. Numeracy skills are regularly used in subjects such as science and design and technology. Children with extra needs are well supported and

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Grade: 3

benefit equally from all that the school has to offer.

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Grade: 2

The quality of care, guidance and support is good. There are good procedures for health and safety. As a result, children are happy in school, work safely and have clear knowledge of whom they need to speak to if they have a problem. Child protection procedures are robust and the school liaises successfully with a range of service providers to safeguard children. Staff know the children and their families well and parents heartily applaud the approachability of staff. There are good induction procedures for children entering the pre-reception class and at other times. As a result, new arrivals settle quickly and grow in confidence. Tracking children’s academic achievements was until recently a weakness. Now, procedures are satisfactory and the information is used effectively in the grouping of children and setting general learning targets. However, it is not linked rigorously enough to day-to-day assessment and

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Grade: 2

marking in order to quicken progress. 4 Inspection Report: Alkborough Primary School, 29 March 2006 to 30 March 2006

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory with some significant strengths. The headteacher provides good leadership in all aspects of care, children’s personal development and links with the community and outside agencies. As a result, there is a stable staff, children like school and parents consider it to be a happy place for their children. The headteacher, who works very hard and successfully to achieve a balance between his teaching and management roles, is well supported by the business manager who ensures that financial management and administration are good. Subject coordinators provide sound support. Their knowledge and understanding of the many subjects they lead are improving as a result of training and the development of their role in monitoring. Improvement planning is clearly better than at the time of the last inspection and benefits from input by staff, parents and children. The plan is

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Grade: 3

satisfactory with some strong points, including accurate priorities and regular reviews of planning and outcomes. However, it requires further refinement because success criteria are not specific enough and there is insufficient use of school aims as a tool for evaluation. The governing body provides good support for the school and ensures that legal requirements are met. Governors bring useful expertise to the school, particularly in management and curriculum matters. However, governors rely too heavily on an already over-stretched headteacher. Their procedures for examining the work of the school are weak, but slowly improving. 5 Inspection Report: Alkborough Primary School, 29 March 2006 to 30 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: Alkborough Primary School, 29 March 2006 to 30 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 3 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 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 3 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 2 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 3 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 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 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

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 Mr Michael Campion Alkborough Primary School Whitton Road Alkborough Scunthorpe DN15 9JG 29 March 2006 Dear Children I really enjoyed working with you and your teachers this week. I am grateful for your warm welcome, courtesy and the help you provided. Please give a special thanks to those who talked with me. What I really liked about your school: the support for the school from you and your parents your excellent behaviour and good attitudes to school the good work done by the business manager in developing your ICT skills the good contribution made by the school council the way that you all contribute to a safe and caring ethos in the school the wide range of activities that enrich your curriculum. I have asked Mr Campion and the teachers to improve the way that they set targets for each of you and mark your work. I also judge that you could make much greater use of your sound

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

basic skills in English and ICT in all the other subjects that you do. You can be a great help by always doing your best work and following the advice from your teachers. In addition, I have asked that teachers and governors become much more rigorous in the way that they lead and manage the school. I wish you all well and good luck for the future. Yours sincerely John Heap Lead inspector

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