Intack Primary School

119118 Unique Reference Number Blackburn with Darwen LEA 280466 Inspection number 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr Mark Williams HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Whitebirk Road School address Primary Type of school Blackburn Community School category Lancashire, BB1 3HY 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01254 52815 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01254 679071 Fax number 278 Number on roll Mrs Gill Cousins Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Mike Leighton Headteacher 1 January 2001 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280466 14 March 2006 - 4 to 11 15 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 two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Intack Primary School is larger than average and serves an area of high social deprivation. It is operating under very difficult circumstances and has been led by an acting headteacher since September 2005. A new headteacher is due to take up post in the summer term. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is much higher than that found nationally. One third of the pupils have been identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities. One quarter of the pupils are from minority ethnic groups and one fifth do not, or are believed not to have, English as their first language. These proportions are higher than those found normally. More pupils than average join or leave school during their primary education. Pupils enter school in the Foundation Stage with abilities well below average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006

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Grade: 4

In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. The acting headteacher has made important changes, including measures to raise attendance and significantly improve pupils’ behaviour. Attendance remains stubbornly low but behaviour is now satisfactory. However, achievement and standards across the school, including the Foundation Stage, have declined markedly since 2001 and are well below national averages. Overall, the school has made inadequate progress since its previous inspection. It is not providing value for money. The school does not have a thorough understanding of its strengths and weaknesses;

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Grade: 4

monitoring and evaluation are insufficiently rigorous to enable it to improve quickly enough. As a result, there are many good intentions but not enough focused and followed-through actions. For example, systems for tracking pupils’ progress and informing future targets are not fully developed or evident in all classes. Teaching and learning are inadequate overall as expectations of what pupils can do are not high enough and teachers are not using questioning skills, differentiated activities or marking effectively enough to help pupils move on to the next stage of learning. Pupils are not being taught to be independent learners. The guidance and support pupils receive are unsatisfactory. Not all staff have received training in child-protection procedures. Too often, important intervention programmes designed to raise achievement have been delayed. However, pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are now making better progress.

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Grade: 4

Although the acting headteacher, the recently appointed deputy and governing body have begun to act upon support from the local authority, leadership and management overall are inadequate. The school’s leadership team is newly established and the members’ roles and responsibilities are not yet developed. As a result, they do not have a thorough understanding of how to tackle the weaknesses of the school nor the capacity by themselves to put into place measures to secure rapid improvement. However, the school deeply cares for its pupils and, under the leadership of the acting headteacher, now provides a calm and orderly environment where the personal development and well-being of pupils have improved significantly.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Significantly raise standards and pupils’ progress in literacy and numeracy throughout the school. • Improve the quality of teaching and learning and raise teachers’ expectations of what pupils are able to do, including their capacity to work independently. 2 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006 • Ensure systems for marking pupils’ work, tracking their progress and informing future targets are in place and consistently used across the school. • Ensure work set meets the needs of pupils and programmes to raise achievement are put into place. • Develop the capacity of the school’s leadership, and implement monitoring and evaluation to provide an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. • Urgently ensure all staff are trained in child-protection procedures. • Continue to raise levels of attendance.

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Grade: 4

Achievement and standards are inadequate, as acknowledged by the school. Pupils enter the Foundation Stage with abilities and skills well below those found nationally. They leave at the age of 11 having achieved standards in English, mathematics and science that are significantly below national averages. They are making insufficient progress in their learning. Girls and pupils with a Pakistani heritage particularly underachieve, although this varies from year to year. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are making better progress than other pupils owing to the high level of support they receive. However, despite evidence of very recent improvement, over time progress has been poor and, since the last inspection, standards across the school have declined. This is a result of some poor behaviour in the past, low expectations of what pupils can achieve and the lack of a developed and

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Grade: 4

consistently applied system for tracking each pupil’s progress.

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Grade: 3

Provision for the pupils’ personal development and well-being has improved and is satisfactory. The acting headteacher and deputy headteacher have made necessary changes and made use of a range of support agencies. Pupils’ behaviour has significantly improved and is satisfactory. Pupils now enjoy school. They are polite and well mannered and show respect for adults and one another. Their self-esteem has grown. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory overall, with increasing strengths in promoting pupils’ social skills. Pupils’ understanding of other people’s cultures is good. Regular time is set aside for class discussions on social skills and health and safety. There has been a good focus on eating sensibly, and regular exercise is encouraged within a good range of sporting activities before and after school. The acting headteacher and deputy headteacher have used a variety of strategies

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Grade: 3

which have led to good improvements in attendance and punctuality. However, overall attendance remains unsatisfactory. Pupils’ contributions to the school and wider community are satisfactory. The newly formed school council is beginning to make an impact on school life; for example, 3 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006 pupils recently suggested the introduction of a new school logo, and this has been adopted. The wider community is supported through charity work and involvement in sporting activities. The foundations for the pupils’ economic well-being are not being secured. They are not achieving well enough in English and mathematics. Problem-solving is weak and not preparing pupils sufficiently for decision-making and enterprise in future life. They are not encouraged to think hard for themselves and learn effectively. This is closely linked to some poor questioning and low expectations and challenge in the teaching.

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Grade: 4

Teaching and learning are inadequate overall. Recently improved systems are allowing teachers to plan together and share expertise. However, teachers’ expectations of what the pupils can do are often too low and tasks lack challenge, especially for the more able. While emphasis is placed on the teaching of literacy and numeracy, teachers’ plans do not always show clearly what different groups in the class will learn. Opportunities are missed through questioning to develop pupils’ speaking and reasoning skills to the full. Too much time is spent listening to the teacher. The overuse of worksheets, particularly in Key Stage 1, restricts the opportunities for pupils to show initiative and take responsibility for their own learning. Teachers’ written marking praises what pupils have done well, but gives them little guidance about how to improve their work.

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Grade: 3

Curricular provision is satisfactory. National guidelines are used to ensure that pupils’ learning is built on year on year and pupils say they enjoy the practical activities planned for them. However, there are insufficient opportunities for them to use their skills in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) to help their learning in other subjects. The school recognises that, due to its lack of resources, the provision for ICT is underdeveloped. However, opportunities are provided for pupils to improve their ICT skills at a local city learning centre. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and there are plans to make the outside area a more attractive learning environment. Personal, social and health education is satisfactory and has begun to promote pupils’ awareness of safe and healthy lifestyles and citizenship. Pupils say they enjoy the good

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Grade: 3

range of after-school sporting activities, clubs and visits and visitors which make the curriculum more interesting. Parents are very appreciative of this aspect of the school’s work. 4 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006

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Grade: 4

Although the school cares deeply for its pupils, guidance and support, overall, are inadequate. Recent improvements in behaviour management and personal development have resulted in pupils feeling safe and secure in school. They know who to turn to with any worries. Staff promote the pupils’ self-esteem. New measures are ensuring the health and safety of pupils. However, most of the staff have not had recent training in child-protection procedures. Further measures, including the use of teaching assistants, have been put into place to help pupils with learning, physical or emotional difficulties. Newly established links with outside agencies have provided a further level of support. However, important programmes of work to help pupils catch up with their learning are only just being introduced. Teachers’ marking does not give the pupils enough guidance to help them improve their work. The school is establishing systems of recording what pupils can

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Grade: 4

do but these are not fully developed. It is not using the information it has consistently or well enough to meet individual needs. Pupils are unsure about their individual targets.

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Grade: 4

The acting headteacher has had an enormous job to do since his arrival in September 2005. Parents appreciate recent good improvements to the fabric of the building, attendance and behaviour, and the establishing of day-to-day systems throughout the school. However, leadership and management overall are unsatisfactory; they are not leading to equality of opportunities for all pupils across the school. Improvement since the previous inspection has been unsatisfactory. The acting headteacher and deputy headteacher have created a clear vision for the personal development and well-being of the school community. Staff, pupils and governors are enthusiastic and committed to the school’s future success but improvement measures and plans recommended some time ago by the local authority are, in the main, only just beginning to bed down. The school has many good intentions but there have not been enough focused and followed-through actions.

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Grade: 4

The school’s systems for self-evaluation are underdeveloped; they are insufficiently regular or rigorous. The school is therefore not fully aware of its strengths and weaknesses and has a more positive view of itself than inspectors have found. The roles of the leadership team and subject co-ordinators are underdeveloped; they have not been given sufficient opportunities to judge the quality of teaching or scrutinise pupils’ work. Performance management is not yet fully established and teachers are not formally made aware of their strengths and how they can improve. The role of governors is also underdeveloped and they are only just beginning to hold 5 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006 the school to account. Consequently, the school’s leadership is not yet demonstrating the capacity to make the significant improvements required. 6 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006

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Grade: 4

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006

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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 3 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 4 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 4 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA No 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 3 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 4 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 4 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 4 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 4 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 4 How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners? NA 4 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 4 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 4 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 4 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 4 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA No 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 Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe No 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 No There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills No 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 Intack Primary School Whitebirk Road Blackburn Lancashire BB1 3HY 14 March 2006 Dear Children, As you are aware, Mrs Davenport, Mrs Mawer and I visited your school recently. We wish to thank you very much for the way in which you welcomed us and helped us during the course of the inspection. We also wanted to let you know what we found out about your school. We very much liked the way you behaved around school and the good manners you displayed. We also liked to see so many of you getting to school and getting in on time. We were impressed by the ‘welcomers’ who showed us around school on the first morning. We can see you now enjoy coming to school and appreciate the clubs and activities on offer to you all. We know you are now “proud to belong” to Intack. We know you have worked very hard with Mr Leighton since September last year to make all

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

these things possible. However, we do not think you are doing as well as you can in your learning. We appreciate your school is currently going through a time of great change. We have decided ‘special measures’ are needed to help you to do as well as you possibly can. This means that your school will receive extra help and inspectors will visit regularly to see how well things are going. We want to make sure your teachers give you work that will really make you think hard and let you know what you must do to get even better. We have also asked that checks are made more often to find out what the school does and doesn’t do well. Very soon you will have a new headteacher. We know you will want to work with her as closely as you have done with Mr Leighton. We wish you every success for the future. Mark Williams Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools

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