Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 14 Jul 2006

Inspection Report Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary School

p.1

119283 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 280515 Inspection number 13 July 2006 to 14 July 2006 Inspection dates Mr Alastair Younger Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Low Lane School address Primary Type of school Torrisholme Community School category Morecambe, Lancashire LA4 6PN 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

p.1

01524 410799 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01524 415132 Fax number 419 Number on roll Mr Phil Huddart Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Susan Fielden Headteacher 1 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280515 13 July 2006 - 4 to 11 14 July 2006 Inspection Report: Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary School, 13 July 2006 to 14 July 2006

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

This is a large primary school in a residential area. The social and economical circumstances of most families in the area are favourable. Most pupils enter the school with pre-school or nursery provision experience and attainment overall is as expected for their age. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is lower than average. Very few pupils are from minority ethnic families. The school is a popular choice and is oversubscribed. Mobility is low.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary School, 13 July 2006 to 14 July 2006

p.3

Grade: 2

This is a good school hovering on the brink of being outstanding. It is a much better school than when last inspected and, with excellent leadership and management, is extremely well placed to improve further. It gives good value for money. The school is unduly cautious in its self-evaluation. It recognises that it is a good school, that standards are above average and achievement is good. It underestimates pupils’ personal development and well-being, the care and guidance they receive, the wonderful curriculum and the vision and effectiveness of the headteacher and senior leadership team, all of which are outstanding. The huge response to the parents’ questionnaire confirmed almost unanimous support and confidence that the school is providing exactly the sort of education they want for their children. Pupils love attending and absence is very low. Quality and standards in the Foundation Stage are good with many outstanding

p.4

Grade: 2

features. Thorough, accurate assessment shows that attainment on entry is very broad ranging but average overall. Classrooms are safe and very well organised to support all areas of learning. Teaching and learning are good and children are given excellent opportunities to learn and develop through play and experience. As a result, children made good progress and leave the Foundation Stage at an above average standard. Throughout the school, teaching and learning are good. About a third of that seen was outstanding. Teachers have a tremendous awareness of the importance of making links between learning in different subjects but occasionally miss opportunities to use skilled classroom assistants more effectively.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Make more efficient use of additional adults in classrooms.

p.4

Grade: 2

Achievement is good. Pupils make good progress throughout the school and for the past five years, standards on leaving have been significantly above average. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress against their individual targets. Higher attaining pupils make good progress and this year the school comfortably exceeded targets for the number of pupils reaching the above average Level 5 in English, mathematics and science. Children enter Reception with broadly average standards. The make good progress and attain above nationally expected standards for children this age. By the end of Year 2, overall results have been significantly above average in four of the past five years. There has been an overall upward trend in standards for five years, except for writing standards that have been in decline. The 2006 results for writing show that this decline has been halted and this year’s targets have been met.

p.4

Grade: 2

2 Inspection Report: Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary School, 13 July 2006 to 14 July 2006

p.4

Grade: 1

These are outstanding. The school has a tremendous reputation for helping pupils develop into delightful young people. The happiness and contentment of pupils is clearly evident in their enthusiasm to attend and the wonderful atmosphere of the school. Virtually every parent says that the school’s values and attitudes have a positive effect on their child. Misbehaviour is extremely rare. There have been no exclusions this year. Well established routines and the consistent implementation of ‘golden rules’ contribute significantly to promoting the highest moral and social values and a keen awareness of safety. Pupils show kindness and consideration in abundance. Year 6 pupils, for instance, volunteer to help and support younger pupils during playtimes. Pupils respond particularly well to the outstanding curriculum, benefiting greatly from the excellent opportunities it generates to promote their spiritual and cultural

p.5

Grade: 1

understanding. There is great enthusiasm for working and playing hard. School teams meet with tremendous success in sporting events. The school was one of the first in the county to achieve the Healthy Eating Standard. Pupils have raised considerable sums for local and national charities. A Second World War street party during the inspection showed how well the school involves and entertains senior citizens and others in the community.

p.5

Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. This reflects the views of nearly all parents, the results of monitoring by the school and local authority, and the opinions of all the pupils who spoke to inspectors. Almost a third of teaching seen during the inspection was outstanding. Examples of teaching of such quality were seen in both key stages and in the Foundation Stage. There are records of weaker teaching, but mainly from the past and it is clear that teaching has improved over the course of this year, greatly aided by prudent appointments and good training. Teachers have an excellent awareness of how to encourage learning through a series of themes which cover many subjects. For instance, when using a poem from the Year 5 Aztec theme as a source for teaching pupils how to redraft or modify text, pupils learned as much about history as literacy. Teachers mark pupils’ work very carefully and frequently add perceptive

p.5

Grade: 2

comments to help pupils see where they have gone wrong and how they can improve their work. Great care is taken at the start of lessons to ensure that pupils understand what needs to be learned and again at the end of lessons, to check whether it has. Teaching assistants offer good support to individuals and small groups but are not always used to the best effect. For instance, there are long periods in some lessons when teachers are talking to the class and assistants serve no clear purpose. 3 Inspection Report: Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary School, 13 July 2006 to 14 July 2006

p.5

Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding. The way in which it is enriched is memorable and exciting. The Foundation Stage curriculum is very effective, outstandingly so in personal, social and emotional development, opportunities for developing writing and outdoor play. In Years 1 to 6, all subjects of the National Curriculum are taught. Many are linked under common themes, which make superb use of time. Themes are routinely enhanced through visits, visiting speakers and special events. During the inspection, a Roman feast, the culmination of a Year 4 topic, provided stunning evidence of how a spirit of excellence and enjoyment can be generated through imaginative, intelligent curriculum planning. Spanish has been introduced with huge success. Weaknesses in information and communication technology (ICT), identified by the last inspection, have been fully remedied. The personal, social and health education curriculum is

p.6

Grade: 1

outstanding and makes a very strong contribution to pupils’ personal development and well-being.

p.6

Grade: 1

Outstanding care, guidance and support contribute enormously to pupils’ personal development, well-being and progress. The high and rapidly improving quality of assessment underpins the guidance offered to pupils. This helps staff to identify pupils whose progress might be slipping and subjects where standards are not as high as they could be. Prompt action is taken in either instance. The school has a growing reputation for helping pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Many staff have special expertise with close working relationships with parents and special schools and strongly promoting inclusion. Great care is taken to ensure that risk to pupils is minimised and that they are kept healthy and safe. The school works exceptionally well with other parties to make pupils’ lives better. It also listens carefully to pupils’ views and is increasingly involving them in discussions about what, and how, they learn.

p.6

Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding and governance is good. Inspired leadership has created a school that parents want to send their children to, where pupils and staff are happy, standards are high and pupils’ personal development is outstanding. A strong sense of pride has been created. The school is immaculately maintained inside and out and the community is grateful to have such a good school in its midst. Managers have an acute understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. This is borne out of thorough analysis of pupils’ progress, careful monitoring of teaching, care and the curriculum and close consultation with parents and pupils. Monitoring paints a good picture of the overall quality of teaching but could benefit from focusing more closely on specific aspects, for instance, the effectiveness of deployment of classroom assistants. Inaccuracies in self-evaluation 4 Inspection Report: Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary School, 13 July 2006 to 14 July 2006

p.6

Grade: 1

reflect exceptionally high expectations and a touch of modesty rather than misjudgement. Improvement since the last inspection has been relentless and a strong commitment to further improvement is clearly evident. The school is eager to help all pupils achieve equally and does so very effectively. For example, a small group of underachieving pupils in Key Stage 2 has been quickly identified and steps taken to remedy the situation. Finance is carefully managed, with governors making a good contribution but there is a minor inefficiency in the way that classroom assistants are not always used to best effect. Recent training is helping governors to take a more active part in monitoring school improvement. 5 Inspection Report: Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary School, 13 July 2006 to 14 July 2006 .

p.7

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary School, 13 July 2006 to 14 July 2006

p.8

Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

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

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

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

p.9

learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 1 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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.

p.9

and supporting all learners?

NA 1 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 1 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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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 The School Council Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary School Low Lane Torrisholme Morecambe Lancashire LA4 6PN 17 July 2006 Dear Pupils Some of you may remember us visiting your school a while ago. It was very hot and you were getting ready to break up for the summer holidays. You all made us incredibly welcome. We had a memorable time. We especially enjoyed the Roman feast and the Second World War street party. We came to see how well you were getting on in school and were delighted with what we saw. You are growing up into charming, hard working, young people. You also do well in lessons, you’re well taught, work hard and most of you make good progress. We could easily see why you enjoy coming to school. The school day is a wonderful mix of subjects which all link together and playtimes are fun because hardly anyone spoils things by misbehaving. All in all, you’re

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

amazingly well looked after. It doesn’t happen by accident by the way. It is handy that you have an outstanding team of senior staff keeping a close eye on everything that goes on in school and making little adjustments to keep making it better. The one thing we thought might help you do even better was to suggest that teachers look more carefully at how all the different adults in each classroom work. We know that you are being asked about how and what you like to learn, so you have got a good chance to talk about how people, other than teachers, can help you in class. All the best and good luck to you all in the future. Alastair Younger (Lead Inspector)

p.11