Ingol Community Primary School

Inspection Report Ingol Community Primary School

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119239 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 280503 Inspection number 15 June 2006 to 16 June 2006 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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Whitby Avenue School address Primary Type of school Ingol Community School category Preston, Lancashire 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01772 727383 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01772 760886 Fax number 98 Number on roll Mrs Sylvia Dobson Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Carol Ann Aspden Headteacher 1 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280503 15 June 2006 - 4 to 11 16 June 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Ingol Community Primary is a small primary school. In the past, the school has experienced a falling roll but this has stabilised and numbers have started to rise. An increasing proportion of the school population joins or leaves during the course of the school year. Large parts of the area served by the school are socially and economically disadvantaged and the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well above average. Attainment on entry to Reception is well below average overall and the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. Most pupils are of White British heritage.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Ingol Community Primary School, 15 June 2006 to 16 June 2006

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school which is improving and gives satisfactory value for money. Parents are pleased with the standard of education the school provides. The provision in Reception is satisfactory and the children make steady progress, particularly in their personal development and in their speaking. However, few of the children achieve the expected standards for their age by the time they join Year 1. Pupils continue to make satisfactory progress throughout the school, but standards are still below average in Year 2 and Year 6. Teaching and learning are generally satisfactory and good teaching in Key Stage 2 has raised standards in recent years. Nevertheless, standards should be higher in English, mathematics and science throughout the school. Most pupils work hard in lessons but the work set for the higher-attaining pupils is too easy for them in mathematics and science, and these pupils do not achieve as well as they should. The school has a high proportion of pupils

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Grade: 3

with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, which partly explains why standards remain below average. These pupils are supported well and make good progress. Pupils enjoy a broad range of extra-curricular activities and benefit from educational visits. Pupils' personal development is good. Their behaviour is good and has improved. The school ensures a satisfactory level of care and well-being of pupils. The learning mentors make a significant contribution to the quality of the pupils’ academic guidance. Parents appreciate the information they receive about their children's progress. Although attendance levels are satisfactory overall and the school is working hard to improve them, the attendance of a small number of pupils is consistently poor. The school’s leadership, management and governance are satisfactory. The school’s own assessment of its effectiveness is accurate and shows a clear picture of its strengths

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Grade: 3

and weaknesses. Improvement since the last inspection has been satisfactory. More recently, the work of the subject leaders has improved and is beginning to have a major impact on pupils' progress; pupils make use of computers more confidently; and, overall standards are rising in Year 6. This record of improvement shows that the school has the capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

The school should: • raise standards in English, mathematics and science • ensure that the work set for the more able pupils is at the right level to challenge them, particularly in mathematics and science • take steps to ensure better attendance. 2 Inspection Report: Ingol Community Primary School, 15 June 2006 to 16 June 2006

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Grade: 3

Pupils' achievement is satisfactory. They make satisfactory progress throughout the school. Many pupils join the school with very low standards, particularly in language and personal and social skills. All children make satisfactory progress in Reception because teaching is effective and play activities are planned carefully to meet their needs. They quickly improve their speaking and listening skills and learn how to cooperate with other pupils and with their teachers. However, few pupils reach the standards expected nationally for their age by the time they join Year 1. Although pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 1, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are below average by the end of Year 2 and should be higher. Pupils generally make satisfactory overall progress in Key Stage 2, although improvements in the quality of teaching are leading to better progress in lessons. The school’s most recent results in national tests for pupils in Year 6 show that standards

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Grade: 3

are still below average. Although the results have been rising steadily and faster than the national picture, standards should be higher still in English, mathematics and science. The pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress throughout the school because teachers and teaching assistants make very effective use of learning resources and support the pupils well during whole-class activities and group work. On the other hand, the more able Year 6 pupils are not reaching the higher National Curriculum levels in mathematics and science, of which they are capable, because the work set is not hard enough for them.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy school. They take great care of each other and feel safe because they know that the staff value them and care about them. They report that there is little bullying and that upsets are usually the result of the occasional falling-out of friends. Pupils are confident that their personal problems will be dealt with promptly by their teachers. Their attendance is satisfactory and overall rates are improving but, despite the school’s considerable efforts, a small minority of pupils are poor attenders. In and around school, pupils behave well though some pupils are occasionally slow to settle after moments of excitement. As a result of the school’s special focus on behaviour, the pupils have positive attitudes to learning and work hard in lessons. They have a good knowledge of what to eat in order to stay healthy and understand that regular exercise is important for their well-being. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Grade: 2

development is good. The school’s positive ethos pervades all its work. The pupils are keen to raise funds for charity and have a say in managing their school through the school council. Pupils' positive attitudes to learning and their ability to support and cooperate with each other help to prepare them for the next stage of their education. 3 Inspection Report: Ingol Community Primary School, 15 June 2006 to 16 June 2006

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall but inconsistent. Teaching and learning are satisfactory and improving in Reception and the children enjoy structured sessions and well-planned play activities. There is a good balance between learning in the classroom and outside. In Key Stage 1, teaching is satisfactory but is not yet leading to standards rising quickly enough. Pupils willingly answer questions but some teachers are too ready to accept responses which are too brief and this does little to encourage the pupils’ independent thinking. On the other hand, some good teaching in Years 3 to 6 has contributed to an upturn in the older pupils’ achievement. Although the work set for the more able pupils is not always hard enough for them in mathematics and science, the school is improving the consistency of lesson planning and this is leading to better progress. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

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Grade: 3

receive effective support because practical tasks are well matched to their abilities. Teachers generally discuss with the pupils ways of improving further and involve them in marking each other’s work; consequently, the pupils know what to do to improve.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory and is planned to meet the needs of most pupils. The Foundation Stage curriculum covers the requirements of the national guidelines fully. There has been a significant improvement in the provision for information and communication technology (ICT) so that pupils are much more confident in using computers to support and extend their learning. Pupils' experiences are enriched by a number of planned activities, especially ‘golden time’ each Friday afternoon, and a coordinated introduction of personal, social and health education. A recent positive initiative has been themed weeks, related to the social and emotional development of pupils. These have brought the school and its community together. Individual programmes for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are effective because good use is made of assessment information. Pupils enjoy a good range of additional activities which give them chances to be

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Grade: 3

creative and to enjoy organised games. Visits to places of educational interest fire pupils' imagination as a source of inspiration for their work in class. Older pupils look forward to an annual residential visit to Tower Wood Outdoor Pursuits Centre, which helps to raise their self-esteem and to develop their teamwork.

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Grade: 3

This school cares well for all its pupils. The induction of new pupils is very effective. The most vulnerable pupils and their parents receive strong support. Regular risk 4 Inspection Report: Ingol Community Primary School, 15 June 2006 to 16 June 2006 assessments ensure the safety and security of the site. Child protection policies are in place. Parents appreciate the school's community ethos and feel that they have good information from their children’s reports and newsletters. The parent-teacher association, the school council and regular questionnaires give parents and pupils a voice in decision-making. There is good guidance and support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the school makes very effective use of outside agencies. Learning mentors play an important part in guiding the pupils’ academic progress and their work has a positive effect on achievement. The school monitors pupils’ progress but

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Grade: 3

this is not as effective as it needs to be in raising their achievement. The headteacher's monitoring of lessons and analysis of test results are helping the staff and governors to set challenging targets for the national tests in Years 2 and 6. However, this monitoring needs to lead to stronger action to improve pupils’ learning opportunities.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. The leadership provided by the headteacher is good. She has an accurate picture of the strengths and weaknesses of the school from her monitoring of teaching and learning and high quality analysis of data. As a consequence, the school is tackling the inconsistencies in teaching and standards are rising in Key Stage 2, although the same success is not yet evident in Key Stage 1. The school is working hard to improve teaching through training and the sharing of good practice. The headteacher, in association with the local authority, is training subject leaders to perform their work more effectively. The provision for vulnerable pupils and the high proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is managed sensitively. The school promotes positive values of equality of opportunity within an ethos that values all. Governance is satisfactory and governors take a keen interest in the life of the school.

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Grade: 3

With the guidance of the headteacher and local authority, they are improving their effectiveness and becoming more involved in the drive to raise standards. 5 Inspection Report: Ingol Community Primary School, 15 June 2006 to 16 June 2006 .

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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: Ingol Community Primary School, 15 June 2006 to 16 June 2006

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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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 To the pupils of: Ingol Community Primary School Whitby Avenue Ingol Preston Lancashire PR2 3YP 15 June 2006 Dear Pupils Thank you very much for being so helpful and friendly to me when I visited your school. Your headteacher and her staff work very hard for you. One of the best things about your school is that grown-ups care very much about each and every one of you. From your happy faces and the way you welcome visitors I could see that you enjoy school. You behave well and have good attitudes towards your work. When talking to me you said that you know about your learning targets and what you need to do to improve. Your school council representatives listen to your suggestions and join in with decisions about how to make improvements. You told me that school clubs, visitors to school and visits were really good and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I agree. The headteacher, staff and governors are committed to providing the best for you and know that there is more to be done. I have asked the school to do these things to help you to do as well as you possibly can: to make sure that standards get better in English, mathematics and science to set harder work in mathematics and science lessons for the most able pupils to ensure that all children attend school regularly. Yours sincerely Michael Onyon Lead inspector

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