Crosby Primary School

117934 Unique Reference Number North Lincolnshire LEA 280190 Inspection number 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005 Inspection dates Keith Bardon Reporting inspector

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

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Frodingham Road School address Primary Type of school Scunthorpe Community School category DN15 7NL 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01724 844216 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01724 853141 Fax number 550 Number on roll Mr Peter Stirling Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Robert John Sheard Headteacher Not applicable Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280190 26 September 2005 - 3 to 11 27 September 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

Crosby Primary is a much larger than average school. Most pupils are taught in two Victorian buildings on the same site but the nursery is housed in a separate building about half a mile away. The school serves a community where levels of social and economic disadvantage are high. More than a quarter of the pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds. They represent a range of ethnic groups, mainly Asian but also African and Eastern European. About of quarter of pupils do not have English as their first language and the number entering the school speaking very little or no English is rising. In many years only about two thirds of the children who start in the reception year complete their primary education at the school. The number of pupils with special educational needs is high, as is the number who have a statement of special educational need. A very small proportion of pupils are in the care of the local authority.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Crosby Primary School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005

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Grade: 3

Crosby Primary provides its pupils with a satisfactory education in a caring environment and happy atmosphere. From low starting points, pupils make steady progress throughout the school, but progress in speaking and listening is not as good as it should be. Managers feel that the school is reasonably effective but has scope for improvement, particularly in how well the majority of pupils achieve academically. This is the same conclusion that inspectors came to. Children from a wide range of different backgrounds and cultures mix and learn well together. The school promotes pupils’ self-esteem well and they develop into confident and personable individuals. Standards of behaviour are good, helped by very positive relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils enjoy a curriculum in which they frequently make interesting visits to new places, work with visitors to school and participate in a wide range of clubs and extra-curricular

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Grade: 3

activities. Parents hold positive views of the school and appreciate the efforts it makes on behalf of their children. The satisfactory provision made for children’s early learning in the nursery and reception classes gives them a solid start to school. The school is steadily improving and has plans to address the pupils’ most pressing needs. Although staff have agreed these key priorities some pursue them more effectively than others. At present monitoring and evaluation are not sharp enough to ensure the full implementation of plans. The cost of educating each pupil is around the national average and represents satisfactory value for money. not applicable

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What the school should do to improve further

• Increase pupils’ ability to speak and listen effectively by rigorously implementing the school action plan and monitoring and evaluating its impact closely. • Accelerate pupils’ progress by raising the overall quality of teaching so that a greater proportion is consistently good or better. • Sharpen monitoring and evaluation procedures so that the school has a more detailed and accurate picture of the impact of its actions.

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Grade: 3

When children enter the nursery they often have few basic skills and, in an increasing minority of cases, little English. The picture is similar for pupils joining part way through their primary education. They are often behind in their learning. Children make satisfactory progress overall in the nursery and reception classes and good progress in their personal and creative development and in gaining knowledge of the world around them. However, when they enter Year 1, many children are still well behind where they should be at that age. From this low starting point pupils, including those who have English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress in Years 1 to 6, gaining knowledge and skills steadily as they move through the school. Despite these gains, standards at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are below average. While the 2 Inspection Report: Crosby Primary School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005

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Grade: 3

proportion of pupils reaching the expected level for their age in the national tests often meets the aspirational targets the school has set, relatively few pupils achieve the higher level. These observations support the school’s own evaluation that pupils’ achievement is satisfactory but not better than that. Weaknesses in pupils’ writing skills adversely affect their attainment generally. The school has decided to tackle this problem by improving pupils’ speaking and listening, which are often under developed. This is a logical decision, but the planned strategies have not yet had time to work and more needs to be done to ensure pupils benefit from them. Pupils with special educational needs are supported well, and many make good progress against the targets set for their learning.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school that pupils develop well as individuals and gain important life skills. They learn the importance of considerate behaviour and get on well with one another. They enjoy learning new things and respect their teachers. Relationships in the classrooms are good. Although pupils like coming to school, their level of attendance is lower than average. However, this situation is improving because of rigorous monitoring by the school and stronger links with parents. Pupils feel safe at school. They know that all staff have their best interests at heart and that their opinions are valued and acted upon. They say that sometimes problems between pupils happen in the playground but they are quickly dealt with by the staff. The school council is good at suggesting improvements. For example, it led to the school replacing some of the unpleasant toilets. Pupils are well aware of the importance of looking after themselves through eating

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Grade: 2

healthily and sensible exercise. They carry out responsibilities well yet do not always have enough opportunity to use their own initiative and work independently. They acquire self-confidence and benefit from a wide range of cultural and multi-cultural experiences.

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Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory and often has good features. Teachers and teaching assistants act as good role models in the way they address each other and the respect and consideration they show for their pupils. Pupils respond by behaving responsibly in class, listening carefully to what is said to them and concentrating well on the task in hand. Teachers plan and structure lessons carefully, making clear to pupils what they are expected to learn. On occasions the activities teachers select fail to trigger pupils’ interest and the pace of learning suffers. At other times the teacher’s lively delivery and well judged tasks grab pupils’ attention, keeping them focused and eager to learn. Teachers carry out regular assessments of pupils’ learning but the information these 3 Inspection Report: Crosby Primary School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005 provide is not always used to best effect to set the pupils targets for improvement or

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Grade: 3

to identify in detail where the teaching needs to focus. There are examples of the good use of assessment with outcomes used well to group pupils by ability for spelling, reading and phonics so that individual needs can be met more effectively. Teaching assistants are deployed well by class teachers and make an important contribution to pupils’ learning. Although teachers are fully aware of the school’s priorities for improvement these are not always pursued fully in lessons. The ‘thinking time’ initiative and the focus on pupils’ speaking and listening, for example, are far more evident in some lessons than in others. The teaching has many positive characteristics but it lacks consistency and is therefore not of high enough quality to drive up standards and accelerate pupils’ progress.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum meets the needs of its pupils well, and is particularly effective in promoting their personal development. Teachers collaborate closely when planning work to ensure that pupils of the same age but from different classes are covering the same curriculum. Visiting artists, writers and musicians are frequently welcomed into school and regular educational visits to places of interest and natural beauty broaden pupils’ horizons considerably. The pupils are proud of the work they do in school performances. They speak enthusiastically about how much they enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities, such as line-dancing, art and craft and running. By enriching the curriculum in these ways, the school adds much to the quality of life of its pupils. The school works hard to ensure that all pupils have full access to everything the school offers, making provision from its own funds when lack of money could act

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Grade: 2

The school takes very good care of its pupils and regards their welfare as of paramount importance. Pupils’ personal development is supported well, which is appreciated by parents, a number of whom wrote to inspectors in praise of the school. Staff know the pupils well and are alert to their needs. They respond quickly and effectively to any signs of distress and pupils are confident that if they have a problem there is always an adult to whom they can turn for sensitive help and guidance. Well structured initiatives boost pupils’ confidence and self-esteem. These include a very effective project to help pupils move smoothly to secondary education. The guidance pupils receive on what they have to do to improve their work and to move their learning forwards is satisfactory but the targets set are not sharp enough to give them a clear understanding of exactly what they need to do in order to improve. Attendance is

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Grade: 2

monitored closely and absence is followed up swiftly and sensitively. Pupils receive good support to help them attend regularly and as a result attendance rates are improving. 4 Inspection Report: Crosby Primary School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 2005

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Grade: 3

Satisfactory leadership and management has enabled the school to make steady improvement since the last inspection and to identify key areas for development correctly. The leadership is strong in the positive influence it has on pupils’ personal development and the way in which it ensures their care and welfare. It is here that the leadership of the headteacher is at its most effective. Supported by the deputy headteacher and other senior staff, the headteacher promotes a calm atmosphere in which pupils and staff happily go about their work in the knowledge that they are valued as individuals. The school community is harmonious and race equality is promoted very well. Parental support for the school is strong. Parents are regularly consulted and their views carefully considered. The systems used by senior staff and governors to monitor the work of the school are generally satisfactory and the conclusions they have drawn about how well the school is performing are mostly

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Grade: 3

accurate. The weakness is that, when judgements about the quality of teaching and learning, and leadership and management are made, insufficient consideration is given to the influence they have on pupils’ achievements. At classroom level, inconsistencies in the way new initiatives are tracked and how outcomes are measured make it difficult for senior staff to evaluate success and pinpoint areas for adjustment and improvement. The provision for pupils with special educational needs is managed well. The carefully considered programme of support enables pupils to make sustained progress. 5 Inspection Report: Crosby Primary School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 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: Crosby Primary School, 26 September 2005 to 27 September 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 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 2 The behaviour of learners NA 4 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 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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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 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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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 www.ofsted.gov.uk Crosby Primary School Frodingham Road Scunthorpe DN15 7NL 28th September 2005 Dear Children Thank you very much for making us feel so welcome when we visited your school. Although we were with you for only two days, we enjoyed the time and want to say a special thank you to those of you who talked with us about the school. These are the things we particularly liked about the school. The school is a happy place to be. Everyone gets on well. You are polite and friendly. Adults are very caring and helpful. You get to meet interesting people and go on regular trips. There are lots of after school clubs and anyone can join in. Most of you behave well and pay attention in class. You are encouraged to do things in a safe and healthy way. Teachers listen to you and if something is wrong, like the smelly toilets, the school tries to do

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

something about it. We also looked at things the school might do to improve. These are some of the things we suggested. Work on speaking and listening to make it easier for everyone to share their thoughts and ideas Look for ways to make lessons even better. Make sure that everyone knows how well the school is doing. Yours sincerely Keith Bardon (Lead inspector) Annex B

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