Coppull Primary School and Nursery

Inspection Report Coppull Primary School

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119206 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 280491 Inspection number 16 November 2005 to 17 November 2005 Inspection dates Mr Michael Onyon Reporting inspector

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

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Park Road School address Primary Type of school Coppull Community School category Chorley, Lancashire 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01257 791237 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01257 795314 Fax number 246 Number on roll Mr Richard Toon Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Judith C Stallard Headteacher 1 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280491 16 November 2005 - 3 to 11 17 November 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 is an average size primary school providing education for boys and girls aged between 3 and 11 years. It is situated in an area of mixed socio-economic circumstances. Overall attainment as pupils start school is similar to that usually seen. A small number of pupils come from minority ethnic groups. An average proportion of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school has recently reorganised the internal layout of the building, accommodating the Reception class next to the Nursery in a designated Foundation Stage area. The school is working in partnership with the local authority to raise standards in mathematics and is participating in the primary leadership programme.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Coppull Primary School, 16 November 2005 to 17 November 2005

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Grade: 3

The school is providing a satisfactory education for its pupils. This judgement matches the school’s own evaluation of its effectiveness. Parents speak highly of the school and particularly its strong links with the local community. It is a welcoming school; pupils are friendly and sensitive to the needs of others. They are eager to improve their work although they are not clear about the steps they need to take to extend their skills. Teaching is satisfactory and enables pupils to make satisfactory progress and leave school with standards normally expected at the end of Year 6, in English and science. More progress needs to be made in mathematics where standards are below average. The outstanding and good teaching in the Foundation Stage encourages children to settle quickly and meets the needs of these young children well. The school has overcome many of the previously identified weaknesses; standards have risen in

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Grade: 3

English and in design and technology. There is good support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and clear information is provided for parents about the curriculum. The leadership team has focused effectively upon improving provision in mathematics but the impact is yet to be seen by the end of Year 6. All staff and governors work together as a team and the school has the capacity to improve. Value for money is satisfactory. not applicable

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What the school should do to improve further

• Implement its clear plans to raise standards and accelerate pupils’ progress in mathematics. • Involve pupils in setting learning targets and regularly track their individual progress in order for them to make the necessary improvements to improve their work.

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Grade: 3

Children start school with standards typical for their age, with weaknesses in their personal and social skills. They enjoy school and make good progress and reach the standards expected by the end of the Reception class. Results in national tests at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 have fluctuated, but are average in English and science. Weaknesses in mathematics, identified at the time of the previous inspection, have been tackled but there remains more to do to raise standards. Whilst standards have risen they remain below average in the subject. Higher attaining pupils have not always made enough progress to reach an above average level. Consequently, the school has not always met its challenging targets. In contrast progress in English has been good, with significant numbers of pupils reaching the higher National Curriculum levels by Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 1 to 6 in English and

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Grade: 3

science with boys and girls doing equally well. Many of the pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress to reach challenging targets set in their individual education plans. 2 Inspection Report: Coppull Primary School, 16 November 2005 to 17 November 2005

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Grade: 2

The school successfully promotes pupils’ personal development and well-being. This means that personal and social skills improve as pupils get older. By Year 6, pupils take a pride in their work and in their school. A parent wrote of ‘well adjusted and happy children’. Pupils behave very well. They are polite and courteous and work hard in lessons, even when teaching lacks challenge. Relationships are harmonious. Bullying and racism are very rare and pupils agree that if they do occur, they are dealt with very quickly. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. Pupils learn to consider the needs of others, for example, in their current collection of Christmas presents for disadvantaged children. An active school council makes a positive contribution to school life and was recently successful in bidding for funding to increase the number of benches in the playground. They are encouraged to adopt healthy and safe lifestyles and learn to make safe and

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Grade: 2

sensible decisions. For example, the school cook meets regularly with the school council to discuss healthy meal options. Pupils have recently worked with the parish council in considering the future of the village and requesting better road safety facilities close to the school.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, with much good teaching and some outstanding. However, the quality varies too much. Discussion with senior managers and scrutiny of the school’s monitoring of teaching confirm that there is an understanding of where improvement is needed. By working alongside colleagues and modelling good teaching, the school’s advanced skills teacher is beginning to have an impact on teaching. Outstanding teaching in the Reception class and good teaching in the Nursery helps children to progress well in their first year in school. The very high expectations of the teacher and support staff and the very good pace to learning means that time is used well. Children are engaged in purposeful learning. In mathematics, pupils are often working on similar work, regardless of their previous attainment and are sometimes uncertain of what it is they need to do to improve their skills. Expectations are not always high enough. Consequently, there are occasions

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Grade: 3

when some pupils learn too slowly. Teachers are highly skilled in helping pupils to behave well. Potentially challenging pupils are managed well so that they can be fully included in lessons. Well-trained teaching assistants work well with pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and pupils learning English as an additional language. The introduction of targets for 3 Inspection Report: Coppull Primary School, 16 November 2005 to 17 November 2005 pupils in literacy and numeracy has increased their enthusiasm to improve their work. They now need to be personally involved in setting their own learning targets to understand what they need to do to improve.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum mainly meets the needs and interests of learners. A strong emphasis is put on personal development and this is effective, but opportunities are sometimes missed for pupils to use their literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. This holds back the pace at which basic skills can improve. Information and communication technology is not exploited in all subjects and computers in class are underused. The school provides a satisfactory range of visits and visitors. Other activities, such as coaching sessions in various sports, also enrich the curriculum. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 spoke very positively about what they had learned on their visit to a local museum during the inspection. The recent initiative introducing French to pupils has been popular and they are keen to learn more. The curriculum for children in the Nursery and Reception classes covers all the nationally recommended areas of learning and well planned activities make good use of the

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Grade: 3

outdoor area. The recent relocation of the Reception classroom, alongside the Nursery has had a positive impact on children’s learning. The organisation of the curriculum is adapted well to enable learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to receive the additional help they need.

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Grade: 3

The school provides satisfactory care, guidance and support for pupils. It maintains comprehensive and detailed records of children’s progress but does not sufficiently use these in order to set and share with children challenging individual targets for improvement. It has a high level of commitment to the promotion of health and safety. Provision for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good so that these children make good progress. Individual education plans are clear and manageable. This enables children and staff to know what needs to be done in order to improve. Teachers are very experienced. They know the children well and are effectively supported by teaching assistants. The school has clear procedures for dealing with any instances of bullying or harassment, and child protection procedures are well established. It has good links with parents so that they are well informed about children’s progress. They are provided

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Grade: 3

with opportunities to increase their understanding of work in school and to extend their own learning through programmes provided in conjunction with a local college. 4 Inspection Report: Coppull Primary School, 16 November 2005 to 17 November 2005

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Grade: 3

Inspectors agree with the school’s judgement that the leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have the children’s academic achievement and personal development at heart, and these priorities are shared by teachers and support staff. In the time since the previous inspection the school has attempted to tackle weaknesses in mathematics, but improvements introduced have yet to impact upon results by Year 6. A successful partnership has been established with the local authority support team. The partnership targeted areas for improvement in English that have raised standards. The school’s self-evaluation realistically and accurately identifies the key areas for improvement. There is a commitment to raising standards. Governors have a clear and accurate picture of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Subject leaders have demonstrated that they can respond to weaknesses and improve attainment, but they

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Grade: 3

are not yet fully involved in monitoring the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects. The monitoring of teaching is helping to improve learning but there is more to do to iron out inconsistencies. The school collects a wealth of data on pupils’ standards and progress, but this is not always used well enough to set targets, monitor the progress of different groups and identify key priorities for improvement. As a result the school does not always respond to weaknesses quickly enough. 5 Inspection Report: Coppull Primary School, 16 November 2005 to 17 November 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: Coppull Primary School, 16 November 2005 to 17 November 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 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 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

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 www.ofsted.gov.uk Coppull Primary Park Road Coppull Chorley PR7 5AH 17 November 2005 Dear Children Thank you for welcoming us and helping us to look at the things that you do, during our recent visit to your school. We very much enjoyed talking to you about your work and watching you learn. Your school is a happy place where everybody is included. You are friendly and welcome visitors to your school. You are very kind and polite to each other when you are learning and when you are playing outside. You get involved in things going on in your local community. You take the opportunities that your school gives you to help make decisions. Children who have difficulties in learning are getting on well. What we have asked your school to do now: encourage you to do as well in mathematics as you are doing in English by the end of Year 6 check the progress you are making in your work and to talk to you to help you understand

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

what it is you need to do to improve. Yours sincerely Mr Onyon Annex B

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