Clifton Primary School

Inspection Report Clifton Primary School

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119291 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 280517 Inspection number 2 February 2006 to 3 February 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Delia Hiscock Reporting inspector

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

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Clitheroe Road School address Primary Type of school Lytham St Annes Community School category Lancashire, FY8 3PY 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01253 727664 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01253 727949 Fax number 228 Number on roll Mr David Croall Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Paul Slater Headteacher 1 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280517 2 February 2006 - 4 to 11 3 February 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 two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Clifton is an average sized primary school in the coastal town of Lytham St Annes. There are 228 pupils on roll between the ages of 4 and 11. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is lower than the national average and a small proportion are eligible for free school meals. When children start in Reception their skills are as expected for their age. A tiny number of children are from minority ethnic families, a few of whom are learning to speak English as a second language.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Clifton Primary School, 2 February 2006 to 3 February 2006

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Grade: 3

Clifton Primary is a satisfactory and improving school. Standards are above average and pupils achieve satisfactorily by the time they leave the school. It is a harmonious school that cares well for its pupils. They enjoy coming to school; a fact reflected in the good level of attendance and their satisfactory attitudes and behaviour. Teaching is satisfactory. Pupils enter the school with average level of skills. Strengths in the provision at Reception and Key Stage 1 lead to pupils making good progress to achieve well and reach above average standards by age 7. However, weaknesses in the teaching in lower Key Stage 2 slow pupils’ learning. Good teaching in Years 5 and 6 reverses this slow down. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make satisfactory progress. Although the curriculum is satisfactory overall, the range of learning experiences in Key Stage 2 is too narrow. In the last two years, there has been substantial change. Strong leadership from the

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Grade: 3

headteacher and able support of the deputy, senior team and governors have brought about much needed recent improvement, including significantly higher standards in Key Stage 1. Across the school, improvements have been achieved against a background of unavoidable staff absence. The changes ensure that the school involves parents and pupils effectively in the evaluation of its performance and provides better training for staff. The school works well with parents, other agencies and schools to support pupils’ well-being. Inspection findings are that the school’s view of itself is accurate in its evaluation of achievement, but overly positive in other areas. The school gives satisfactory value for money and has good capacity to move forward, given the recent improvements made under the current headteacher’s leadership.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the quality of teaching in lower Key Stage 2 by increasing the level of challenge and improving pupils’ attitudes to learning. • Develop the use of assessment to involve pupils in their learning and provide them with clearer guidance on how to improve. • Improve the breadth and balance of the curriculum provision in Key Stage 2.

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Grade: 3

Inspection findings agree with the school’s view that pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Children in Reception and in Years 1 and 2 achieve well. Standards have risen steadily and a high proportion attain above national levels in Year 2. By the end of Key Stage 2, standards are rising, albeit modestly, and are above average in mathematics but broadly average in English – reading being higher than writing. Even so, the progress pupils make in lower juniors is inadequate. Progress quickens in Years 5 and 6 and makes up good ground for earlier underperformance. Targets set 2 Inspection Report: Clifton Primary School, 2 February 2006 to 3 February 2006 for pupils to achieve are realistic and in the main met. It must be noted that a higher than usual proportion of pupil mobility in Year 6 was a factor that adversely affected the standards pupils attained in 2005. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities

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Grade: 3

Personal development and well-being are satisfactory, as is pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. From Reception through to Year 6, pupils enjoy coming to school; a factor reflected in their above average attendance. Behaviour in lessons, assembly and playtimes is satisfactory but an element of boisterousness pervades the school. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and adopt healthy lifestyles. The school ensures that they take plenty of exercise, eat sensibly and learn about the dangers of drugs. The newly formed student council offers pupils a say in the running of the school and they are proud of their role, although their involvement and powers are relatively underdeveloped. They would like to see their ideas put into practice more quickly. Pupils have good awareness of their responsibilities to the wider communities through their charity collections. Pupils

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Grade: 3

do not have enough opportunities to learn at first hand about the different faiths and cultures in British society. Pupils have a satisfactory basis from which to develop skills for later working life.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Children in the Reception Class and in Years 1 and 2 learn well because teaching is strong, individual needs are met and learning is fun. However, in Years 3 and 4 the quality of teaching is sometimes inadequate so by the time some pupils reach Year 5, they have lost pride in their work and many of the skills for learning that they have gained. Often, there is insufficient challenge for learners and sometimes sound teaching plans are not adhered to. Overall, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in these year groups. The school is addressing this issue through good staff training and support. These strategies are beginning to improve the quality of some teaching and learning. Teaching and learning in Year 5 and 6 is much better and often good. As a result, a lot of lost ground is made up and pupils’ learning accelerates. Good use of the interactive whiteboard generates interest and eagerness from pupils. When features

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Grade: 3

of teaching are strong, as in a Year 5 lesson, learning was brought alive by the teacher using the pupils’ own persuasive leaflet to model learning and involve all pupils. The use of target setting and assessment to inform planning is at an early stage of development and as such is not used consistently throughout the school. Marking 3 Inspection Report: Clifton Primary School, 2 February 2006 to 3 February 2006 gives guidance, but it is not always helpful in enabling pupils to know how they can improve.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory and meets statutory requirements. In Reception, much improved facilities and resources mean that children enjoy and learn from a good range of absorbing activities. These strengths in provision continue in Years 1 and 2. The enrichment activities provided are satisfactory. Pupils enjoy the many sporting activities and would like a wider choice of clubs and educational visits. A satisfactory emphasis is placed on preparing pupils’ skills of reading, writing, mathematics and information and communication technology (ICT). Inspectors agree with pupils that they would welcome more time to do subjects other than these. Although the school has good plans in place to enhance curriculum balance and provision in Key Stage 2, these are recent and do not yet do enough to create interest in order to enliven and deepen learning.

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Grade: 3

The care, guidance and support for pupils are satisfactory. The school has pupils’ welfare central to its work. They say they feel safe and happy. The climate in which pupils learn is stimulating from Reception to Year 2 but varies considerably from Year 3 onwards. Health and safety procedures are in place and thorough arrangements for child protection are known and applied by all staff. Guidance for pupils’ academic progress is satisfactory. For those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, support is sensitive and this makes learning more accessible. The school’s new comprehensive tracking system illuminates pupils’ attainment well but the use of this information is in its infancy. In Years 1, 2, 5 and 6 and the Foundation Stage, good targets for learning are starting to be formulated but pupils are not guided well enough as to how to attain them. Targets for learning have not yet been introduced in Years 3 and 4.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management of the school are satisfactory, as is the value for money provided by the school. The headteacher, senior managers and governors have successfully addressed needs identified in the previous inspection and more. For example, there is now evaluation of school performance that correctly identifies weaknesses and puts in place strategies to remedy them. The school takes regular account of the views of pupils, parents and other agencies. Pupils’ well-being is important and parents speak well of the school. Children get off to a good start to their education, but personal development and basic skills are hampered by the 4 Inspection Report: Clifton Primary School, 2 February 2006 to 3 February 2006 inadequate quality of teaching and learning in Years 3 and 4. The school has responded with urgency by increasing the monitoring of teaching and providing staff development and support; these measures are beginning to bear fruit. Effective support and guidance

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Grade: 3

by management ensures that good teaching in Years 5 and 6 accelerates pupils’ progress. This is done through setting realistic but challenging targets and monitoring progress towards these targets. Improvements made ensure that pupil performance is carefully tracked but assessment information is not rigorous enough in Key Stage 2 to accelerate progress for all pupils in order to consistently improve standards. Governors carry out their responsibilities thoroughly and perceptively. For example, their work alongside subject leaders supports evaluation, has improved provision for ICT and is forging pathways to develop racial and cultural awareness. There is satisfactory use made of the budget and resources and the school checks the difference it makes for its pupils. The school’s evaluation of its performance is accurate regarding pupils’ achievement and in determining clearly what needs to be tackled quickly. In

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Grade: 3

some areas, the school’s view is more positive than that of the inspectors. 5 Inspection Report: Clifton Primary School, 2 February 2006 to 3 February 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: Clifton Primary School, 2 February 2006 to 3 February 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 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 2 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 3 The behaviour of learners NA 2 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 3 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 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

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 Clifton Primary School Clitheroe Road Lytham St Annes Lancashire FY8 3PY 4 February 2006 Dear Children First of all, thank you very much for welcoming the two school inspectors to your school. We enjoyed talking with you and finding out about the things that you enjoy. These are the things that we particularly liked: the way that you enjoy coming to school and work hard in your lessons the way the school cares for you all the way that you want to help to make your school even better. Your teachers are pleased with the way that many of you listen and get on with your work. However, there are three things that we would like them to do to help you to improve your work. The first one is to make more of your lessons as interesting as possible. The second one is to tell you how you can make your own work better so that you can learn even better. You can

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

help by trying to improve your own work when teachers show you how you can do this. This would help you to learn for yourselves. Also, we have asked the teachers to give more time to subjects other than English, mathematics and ICT. Thank you so much for helping us with the inspection of your school. We hope that you will carry on enjoying learning and helping your teachers to make Clifton Primary School an enjoyable place to be. Yours faithfully Delia Hiscock (Lead inspector) & Carole Cressey (Inspector)

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