Lostock Hall Community Primary School

Inspection Report Lostock Hall Community Primary School

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119159 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 280476 Inspection number 5 December 2005 to 6 December 2005 Inspection dates Mr Simon Camby Reporting inspector

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

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Linden Drive School address Primary Type of school Lostock Hall Community School category Preston, Lancashire 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01772 338289 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01772 728043 Fax number 449 Number on roll Mrs Pamela Cooke Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Ian Kirkland Headteacher 1 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280476 5 December 2005 - 3 to 11 6 December 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

This large primary school serves a mixed community with children living in owner occupied and rented accommodation. The school is on two sites and has a nursery. Almost all children are white British. An average proportion of children have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Six children have a statement of special educational needs, a number that is below the national average. Attainment on entry is below that expected for children of this age. At the time of the inspection the school had four teachers on maternity leave.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lostock Hall Community Primary School, 5 December 2005 to 6 December 2005

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school providing satisfactory value for money. The school views itself as good whilst the inspection team judge the school to be satisfactory overall. On entry to the school children’s knowledge and skills are below average for their age. As a result of good provision in the Foundation Stage the children make good progress and by the end of the reception achieve above average. Achievement by the end of Year 6 is satisfactory because not all children build on the good start given to them. The school has worked hard to improve behaviour since the last inspection and this has had a positive impact on learning. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The work does not always match the needs of the children closely enough. Standards in writing are below average. Personal development is good and most children show good attitudes and behave well. The school needs to further develop the use of basic literacy and numeracy skills in all

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Grade: 3

areas of the curriculum to ensure that all children are fully prepared for their future. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The leaders need to develop some of their systems to check more closely that all children are making the best progress possible. The school demonstrates satisfactory capacity to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Use assessment information to ensure that work suitably challenges children of all abilities. • Raise achievement in writing by paying particular attention to improving children’s use of Standard English in written and oral work. • Improve the rigour of monitoring to ensure a greater focus on checking that all children have made the maximum progress possible.

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Grade: 3

Children achieve satisfactorily although standards attained by 11 year olds in English are below the national average. Standards in mathematics and science are broadly in line with national averages. The 2005 national test results were lower than previous years. Assessment data shows the school should regain its position in line with, or above, standards from the previous two years. Standards in writing are not high enough where there is underachievement amongst the more and less able children. Children’s progress in writing is being hindered by their inability to use Standard English correctly and consistently. Standards seen in other curriculum subjects are satisfactory, although there is too little emphasis on the development of basic literacy and numeracy skills in all subjects to equip children for later stages of education. Children achieve well in the Foundation Stage with many exceeding the learning goals expected of them. The

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Grade: 3

standards children reach by the age of 7 have been above average in reading, writing and mathematics for the past two years. This reflects satisfactory achievement in Years 2 Inspection Report: Lostock Hall Community Primary School, 5 December 2005 to 6 December 2005 1 and 2. However, throughout the school more and less able children sometimes do not make the progress expected of them because teachers do not always provide work which is properly matched to their needs. The achievement of boys is slightly behind that of girls.

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Grade: 2

The personal and moral development and well-being of the children are good. Their spiritual, social and cultural development are satisfactory. Children are friendly, confident and courteous around school and generally attentive in the classroom. The school promotes these values and has improved on them since the previous inspection. Children respond well to initiatives which help them to feel safe and happy, such as the ‘Friendship Stops’ in the playground, and the ‘Playground Buddies’ system. The school’s efforts to raise children’s awareness of healthy lifestyles are well rewarded by their understanding of healthy eating and the value of exercise. However the school does not yet ensure that children have full opportunities to use basic literacy and numeracy key skills in all areas of the curriculum and develop these for their future schooling and later life. Attendance is good, and above the national average. Through

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Grade: 2

the school council children regularly get actively involved in local and national projects and in fund-raising for charity. The school does not yet fully evaluate all of its work in this area to find out the impact it has on the children.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. There are strengths in the way staff promote children’s behaviour and help children understand what is expected of them. Effective teaching helps children to develop good learning habits and this is seen in the way children apply themselves and have positive attitudes. Classrooms are well organised, ensuring resources are easily accessible. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good. There are very effective methods used to support children’s academic and personal skills. In other classes, there is a tendency for the teachers to take too long to introduce new learning leaving only a limited amount of time for children to complete tasks. This, together with work not always being matched to the needs of children of different abilities, hinders the progress being made. Despite good systems of assessment being in place the use made of this assessment information is not as

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Grade: 3

strong as it could be. This results in some children not being as effectively challenged as they could be. The needs of children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are identified early and they are well supported. 3 Inspection Report: Lostock Hall Community Primary School, 5 December 2005 to 6 December 2005

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Grade: 3

The school’s curriculum meets the learners’ needs satisfactorily although more needs to be done to help children improve their use of Standard English and apply this to their written work. The curriculum has been adapted to give greater attention to developing pupils’ personal and social skills. Children have a good understanding about living healthy lifestyles; and a strong focus on moral values helps children to feel safe and establish the school’s positive reputation in the community. The school has moved some way in reorganising its curriculum to give greater emphasis on developing children’s basic literacy and numeracy skills in all subjects. However, this needs further work. The youngest children in the foundation stage are provided with a stimulating and exciting curriculum which gives good attention to improving individual skills. All children have access to a full programme of additional activities beyond the planned

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Grade: 3

curriculum. The school is quick to take advantage of outside experts to help establish a full range of enrichment activities for all children.

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Grade: 3

The care, guidance and support provided for children are satisfactory with particular strengths in the way their personal development and well-being are being promoted. As a result children’s self-esteem is high. They are confident when communicating with adults and know that their contributions are valued. The school gives a high priority to help children know what they need to do next in order to improve, although this is not always impacting on the progress children make. Through the very effective school council all children are encouraged to make a contribution to school life. Child protection procedures are very good with the school being very clear about handling any issue that arises. The very few incidents of bullying are dealt with quickly and effectively. Arrangements for children to start school and the support provided for them when they leave are also strong features of the school’s work.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. Good leadership of the Foundation Stage results in good achievement for children by the end of Reception. The systems the school has to check on its work need improving to ensure a tighter focus which would provide a more accurate picture and help the school to know whether all children are achieving as much as possible. By improving these systems the school could check whether children of lower and higher ability are making increased progress. The school listens to the views of parents, carers and children and acts on them to make improvements, for example the substantial involvement of children in implementing the school travel plan. Staff training is a strong aspect of the school and this has resulted in staff being full of confidence to try new ideas. The headteacher and governing body have managed recent staff absence effectively to ensure continuity

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Grade: 3

4 Inspection Report: Lostock Hall Community Primary School, 5 December 2005 to 6 December 2005 of care for children. There is effective communication between the headteacher and governing body, as a result governors fulfil all their duties. The significant improvement in behaviour and ethos shows that the school has the determination and capacity to make improvements. 5 Inspection Report: Lostock Hall Community Primary School, 5 December 2005 to 6 December 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: Lostock Hall Community Primary School, 5 December 2005 to 6 December 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 3 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 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 3 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 3 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

Lostock Hall Community Primary School Linden Drive Lostock Hall Preston Lancashire PR5 5AS 6 December 2005 Dear Children Thank you for being so friendly and welcoming when we visited your school. We enjoyed watching you learn and talking to you. These are some of the things that your school does well: you have worked hard to improve behaviour. This means that you and your parents think that your school is a safe and happy place to learn and play. Your school councillors could explain what goes on every day to make your playground is a safe place for all children your school council helps you by making sure that the adults in your school know what you think needs to be done to improve your school children in the nursery and reception learn well and this helps them to have a really good start to being at school you work hard to keep healthy by exercising and eating healthy foods. To make your school even better your headteacher and your teachers will be working on the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

following things: make sure that different groups of children sometimes get different work to help everyone learn as much as they can make sure that you know when it is important to use correct English especially in your writing find better ways to find out how well you are all doing and then use this to decide on the best ways to help you all to improve further. We were very impressed by the amount of exercise you take and how you enjoy keeping healthy – keep it up! Yours sincerely Simon Camby Inspector

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