Shadsworth Infant School

Inspection Report Shadsworth Infant School

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119220 Unique Reference Number Blackburn with Darwen LEA 280495 Inspection number 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 Inspection dates Stafford Evans Reporting inspector

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

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Rothesay Road School address Infant Type of school Blackburn Community School category Lancashire, BB1 2EL 3 to 7 Age range of pupils 01254 698002 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01254 279294 Fax number 194 Number on roll Mrs C Barnes Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs B A Booth MBE Headteacher 1 November 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280495 19 September 2005 - 3 to 7 20 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 two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Shadsworth Infant School is an average-sized school, situated near the centre of Blackburn. Many pupils come from homes that are economically and socially disadvantaged. The percentage of pupils in receipt of free school meals is well above the national average. Attainment on entry to the nursery is well below that expected for children this age. The percentage of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, and for whom English is an additional language, is below the national average. A small number of pupils are refugees and asylum seekers. The proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs is well above the national average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Shadsworth Infant School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005

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Grade: 2

Shadsworth Infant School is a good school that provides an outstanding level of care for its pupils. It gives good value for money. It is well-set to build on its successes and the good improvement it has made since the last inspection. From low attainment on entry, pupils achieve well, and attainment is satisfactory, but there is some underachievement by boys in reading. Despite good progress, children in the Foundation Stage reach standards that are below those expected of children this age. Throughout the school, pupils’ personal development is good. Most pupils leave the school with good social skills and are very well prepared for the next stage of their education. They enjoy coming to school because their lessons are interesting; they feel safe and secure and know their efforts are valued. The attendance of the vast majority of pupils is at least satisfactory, but a small minority is persistently absent.

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Grade: 2

Despite the school’s best efforts and its excellent liaison with outside agencies, some parents do not co-operate fully. This makes it difficult to improve their children’s attendance. The good teaching ensures that pupils’ learning is effective as well as enjoyable. The good curriculum puts an increasing emphasis on ways that help pupils learn through practical experiences. This has led to pupils, particularly those who find learning most difficult, achieving well. The school rightly identifies that improvements are needed in the outdoor curriculum for children in the reception classes. The school knows itself well and, through the outstanding leadership of the headteacher, has a clear view of what sort of school it wants to be. The headteacher is pivotal in the success of the school. She is ably supported by staff and governors. Most parents are very supportive of the school, and report that they are very happy with the quality of

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Grade: 2

education and care that their children receive. Grade: 2

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What the school should do to improve further

To build on its successes, the school should implement its plans to: • raise boys’ achievement in reading. To do so, it should ensure that staff hear them read more often and provide more stimulus to make them want to read; • try to improve the attendance rate of pupils who have a poor record of attendance by continuing to stress to their parents that they have a responsibility to make sure their children go to school; • improve outdoor provision for children in the reception classes, so as to increase the opportunities they have to link their indoor and outdoor learning more closely.

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Grade: 2

Inspection evidence indicates that standards are broadly average and similar to the standards attained in the 2005 national tests. In 2004, standards reached by learners were generally above average. The achievement of the learners that year was 2 Inspection Report: Shadsworth Infant School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 outstanding. The reason for the apparent dip since then is the higher number of pupils who find learning difficult. However, from a low starting point most pupils achieve well. The school analyses effectively the comparative attainment of different groups of pupils. This indicates that there is no underachievement for most groups of pupils. The exception is the underperformance of boys in reading. Inspection evidence confirms this. Pupils with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language achieve well. Pupils identified as needing very special help with their learning

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Grade: 2

achieve outstandingly in relation to their exceptionally low starting point. This is due in no small measure to the very high level of care that makes them feel very secure and valued. Pupils’ targets for the standard they should achieve are clear and soundly based on their prior learning. However, there is room for a less cautious approach to setting the targets so as to raise expectations for what some pupils should aim to achieve.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. On occasions, such as when they sit together quietly in class in a circle, they discuss sensibly a variety of issues and reflect on how they can be happy and make others happy. This is reinforced by well-planned assemblies in which they think about how to help others, whilst showing great respect during prayers. Pupils say they ‘love to come to school’. This is reflected in their good behaviour in lessons and around the school. They have good, enthusiastic attitudes to their work, and most are keen to learn. This helps them to make good progress in lessons and achieve well. Pupils feel safe and secure, and know that incidents of bullying are dealt with quickly and fairly. They try hard to adopt healthy lifestyles, and know a lot about healthy eating. They enjoy physical education lessons and know the value of exercise. The excellent relationships in the school are

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Grade: 2

the cornerstone of the provision for pupils’ personal development. Pupils know their views matter and that staff respect and try to act on what they say. This ensures that pupils play a full part in the life of the school. Pupils develop the basic skills of literacy and numeracy to a satisfactory level. They learn to work co-operatively and collaboratively, and as a team. They therefore have a good basis from which to develop further skills for later working life. Attendance for the majority of pupils is satisfactory. However, the persistent non-attendance of a small minority of pupils restricts their achievement.

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Grade: 2

Good teaching enables pupils with a wide range of needs to learn effectively and make good progress. Teachers analyse pupils’ work and test results to identify areas of weakness. Then they accurately identify strategies for improvement. Throughout the school, teachers plan and prepare interesting lessons. Their plans show what is to be 3 Inspection Report: Shadsworth Infant School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 taught and learnt. This helps the teacher and pupils remain focussed on the purpose of the lesson and ensure that pupils produce a lot of good work. A great strength of the teaching is the excellent relationships between staff and pupils. This is the main reason why the pupils’ behaviour is managed so well. Another reason is the teachers’ high expectations of good behaviour. Such behaviour is ever present in the school and it stems from the headteacher’s clear expectations of how pupils should behave. As a

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Grade: 2

result, lessons are conducted in a pleasant atmosphere and pupils’ learning is not interrupted. A reason for the slower progress in reading is that some pupils are not heard reading often enough, and book displays are not stimulating enough to motivate pupils to want to read. Teachers are aware of the needs of all their pupils. The good early identification of special educational needs enables teachers to address any possible issues and write good individual education plans. Targets are clear and measurable. In lessons, pupils with special educational needs have good support from teachers and support assistants.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good curriculum, which is designed to ensure that all pupils receive similar experiences, but also to meet their needs. Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good, although the outdoor area needs developing to create a closer link between indoor and outdoor learning. Literacy and numeracy provision is good; for information and communications technology (ICT) it is satisfactory. The school has good plans for improving the use of computers to help pupils learn. It is well on its way to adopting an approach that ensures that pupils learn through practical activities and first-hand learning experiences. This improves pupils’ achievement and their enjoyment of learning. A well-structured programme of personal, social and health education strongly influences the progress pupils make in their personal development. Pupils’ participation in a good range of activities outside lessons enhances

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Grade: 2

their learning, increases their enthusiasm for school, and helps develop their good social skills and relationships.

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Grade: 1

The school is an outstandingly caring and harmonious place where all pupils feel very secure and very well cared for. Child protection procedures are securely in place. The school successfully eliminates or minimises hazards within the school. Health and safety decisions are based on thoughtful risk assessment. The school does a great deal to promote healthy eating and living. The care, guidance and support for the most vulnerable pupils are outstanding, and make a major contribution to how well they achieve in lessons. This success is based on excellent relationships with support agencies that provide specialist help and advice. Pupils identified as having special educational needs receive very good care and support from their assigned helpers and are fully integrated into school life. Pupils who join the school from other countries are made to feel extremely welcome. They receive first-class support so that they achieve at

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Grade: 1

4 Inspection Report: Shadsworth Infant School, 19 September 2005 to 20 September 2005 least as well as their classmates. Procedures for monitoring academic achievement and personal development are good. Teachers use this information well to help pupils towards the next steps in their learning.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher’s outstanding leadership and management ensure that the school is a place where every individual is made to feel valued. She is accessible and approachable. This sets a climate in which pupils learn harmoniously together and staff know their contribution to the school is appreciated. During the long-term absence of a permanent deputy headteacher, staff ably support the headteacher. A new deputy headteacher will soon start at the school. This will improve the senior management structure by distributing responsibilities, and further increase the school’s capacity to improve. Everyone at the school is strongly committed to ensuring that all pupils have an equal chance to do their best. The school’s monitoring and evaluation of its performance are good. Staff know what pupils’ standards are and whether they vary across groups of pupils. The headteacher has a very clear picture of how well pupils

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Grade: 2

are taught. In discussion with the headteacher, staff reflect critically on what they can do to improve learning and develop more effective ways of working. From this, the right priorities are set. The school’s good self-evaluation reflects this and accurately recognises the school’s strengths and weaknesses, with a perceptive identification of the areas for improvement. The governors fulfil their responsibilities effectively. They keep themselves very well informed about the school and play an active part in its life. They have a very clear picture of how the school performs. Parents report that the school seeks their views and takes account of their suggestions and concerns. 5 Inspection Report: Shadsworth Infant School, 19 September 2005 to 20 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: Shadsworth Infant School, 19 September 2005 to 20 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 1 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 2 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 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 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 3 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 2 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 1 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 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 2 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

Shadsworth Infant School Rothesay Road Blackburn Lancashire BB1 2EL 21 September 2005 Dear Children, Mrs Davenport and I really enjoyed our visit to your school. Thank you very much for being so friendly and talking to us about all you do in school. We would like to tell you what we thought about your school. You are right, it is a good school. All the teachers and adults in the school care a lot for you and make sure you do well in your lessons. The teachers do a good job of making your lessons interesting and fun. Your behaviour is good and you care a great deal about each other. You really enjoy school. You are taught lots of good things. You know about staying safe, keeping fit and eating the right foods to make you healthy. We were pleased to hear that you enjoy visits out of school, visitors to school and your school plays. There are many great things about your school, especially the way everyone cares for each

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

other. To help make sure that everyone can do their best, we have asked Mrs Booth to: help the boys read better; try to make sure all of you come to school all the time; make the outside play area better for the children in reception. Yours sincerely, Stafford Evans Lead inspector Annex B

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