Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School

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119414 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 280551 Inspection number 5 April 2006 to 5 April 2006 Inspection dates Roger Hartley HMI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools the authority to inspect any school in England. The inspection is to be treated as a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Booth Road School address Primary Type of school Stacksteads Voluntary controlled School category Bacup, Lancashire 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01706 877025 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01706 870 482 Fax number 289 Number on roll Mr Dale Connearn Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr John Aspin Headteacher 1 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280551 5 April 2006 - 3 to 11 5 April 2006 Inspection Report: Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School, 5 April 2006 to 5 April 2006

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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 one of Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools. The inspector met with the headteacher, members of staff, pupils and governors, scrutinised a range of documentation provided by the school, and inspected parts of lessons. The inspection also took account of national and school data.

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Description of the school

Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads CE Primary School is situated close to the small Lancashire town of Bacup in the Rossendale Valley. There are 280 pupils on roll aged 3 to 11 years, including 43 who attend the nursery class part-time. Almost all the pupils live in the immediate area, which displays some features of disadvantage. Twenty percent of the pupils are eligible for free meals, which is above the national average, while 72 pupils have been identified with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, a high number, including six with a statement of special educational need. Ninety eight percent of pupils are of white British background.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School, 5 April 2006 to 5 April 2006

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Grade: 1

Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads CE Primary School is an outstanding school. In all major respects it achieves well and reaches levels of performance that are at least good and mainly outstanding. Despite many children entering the Foundation Stage with low levels of attainment, they make rapid progress and at the end of both key stages reach standards which are above national levels. From whatever starting point, pupils make noteworthy gains in their learning with improved results year on year. The school is in the top 20 percent of schools nationally. The school is proud of the standards reached, and rightly so. However, they would not be so commendable but for the lively, stimulating and well matched work provided by the highly professional and skilled staff team, and the pupils’ healthy attitudes to learning and desire to do well. They are eager to learn, behave very well indeed, and quickly become independent and self-confident. Good foundations for learning are

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Grade: 1

laid from the word ‘go’ and built upon throughout each successive stage. By the time they leave, most pupils display all the early hallmarks of becoming mature young adults. They are introduced to the benefits of healthy living; know how to respond in different circumstances; and are appreciative of the care and challenge provided by adults. Parents are full of praise for the school and feel their children are secure, well-taught and get a ‘very good deal’. One parent writes…”bringing my children here has been the best move I have ever made”. None of this could have been achieved without the very effective and dynamic leadership and management of the headteacher, the strong team work of the whole staff, the very good quality teaching and a stimulating and interesting curriculum which meets the needs of the pupils. The school is constantly striving to find ways of doing things better; for example, introducing a refined and effective assessment

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Grade: 1

system, and finding innovative ways of enriching the curriculum. There are some aspects of the work which need strengthening further, such as improving the quality of reading in Key Stage 1 and the writing at Key Stage 2, particularly of boys, but the school has identified measures to improve matters. Overall, the school provides very good value for money.

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Grade: 1

• Children enter the Foundation Stage with levels of knowledge and understanding that are generally below those expected for their age, but they make good progress, and by the end of Key Stage 1, standards are above national averages. • The optimistic picture continues throughout Key Stage 2, where results are again above national averages with significant numbers of pupils reaching higher levels; for example, two thirds of pupils gained Level 5, a full level above the norm, in science. 2 Inspection Report: Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School, 5 April 2006 to 5 April 2006 • The pupils make at least good and often very good progress in their learning, and have done so consistently over several years. Almost all the pupils who took national tests in Year 2 and remained at the school to take Year 6 tests have achieved very well. In lessons, pupils make excellent progress in their learning.

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Grade: 1

• There are some aspects which can be improved and for which the school already has strategies in place: better reading levels at Key Stage 1; and writing at Key Stage 2, especially for boys. • Overall, the standards achieved place the school in the top 20 percent of those nationally; a healthy position which has been maintained over the last three years, representing outstanding performance.

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Grade: 1

• The provision is outstanding. • The school successfully creates a safe, happy and stimulating learning environment. Relationships between staff and pupils are excellent and pupils feel adults listen to their views. • The pupils display very positive attitudes to learning and are encouraged to be independent from an early age. They are attentive and eager to answer questions; concentrate well; and work with others or on their own for commendable periods of time, and without fuss. • The pupils are extremely well behaved and attendance is in line with national averages. • The pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strong feature threading through the school community. • Pupils are taught the importance of healthy lifestyles. There is an extensive range of sports and cultural events and healthy living permeates much of school life. Pupils make a positive contribution to the school and community by accepting

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Grade: 1

responsibility; election to the School Council; taking part in local festivals and clean up campaigns; and raising over £10,000 in six years for charities. • Pupils are encouraged to ‘aim high’ and staff frequently celebrate, praise and display their work.

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Grade: 2

• The quality of teaching is good with some outstanding features. • Lessons are well planned, the work is accurately matched to pupils’ learning needs, and they contain enough variety to keep the pupils on their toes. 3 Inspection Report: Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School, 5 April 2006 to 5 April 2006 • Teachers are skilled at using different teaching resources and techniques such as electronic whiteboards, ‘talking partners’, and asking interesting and challenging questions to find out what the pupils know. • The teachers are enthusiastic, have very good subject knowledge, and enjoy their work. They know the pupils well and there is an excellent sense of partnership between teacher and learners. • Teaching assistants are well used and provide good support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. • Classroom environments are bright and pleasant places to be, with easily accessible

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Grade: 2

resources, and good quality displays of pupils’ work.

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Grade: 2

• The curriculum is broad, well balanced, rich and exciting and meets statutory requirements. • The school is constantly striving to improve the content and planning of the curriculum. There is an increasingly strong cross-curricular flavour to much of the learning so that skills learned in one subject are used to support learning in another. These links; for example, in Information, Communication and Technology (ICT), writing, mathematics and science, are already showing much promise and are part of a much bigger plan over the coming months to further enrich the curriculum. • There is a good range of extra curricular activities to extend aspects of the daily curriculum; for example, through sporting events, visits in the local community and further afield, and a variety of cultural activities.

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Grade: 1

• Pupils are extremely well-cared for and all the staff place individual pupils at the centre of their endeavours. The pupils feel valued, safe and cared for and have excellent relationships with adults and other pupils. • Pupils know what to do and who to go to if they feel upset or threatened; the school has well-established procedures for dealing with bad behaviour and/or bullying. • The school’s arrangements for assessing pupils’ attainment and tracking their progress are very thorough and comprehensive. Information gained is used to set targets which are reviewed regularly by class teachers and senior leaders. As a consequence, pupils make brisk progress and are not allowed to ‘rest on their laurels’. • The pupils’ work is marked regularly and teachers make helpful comments to identify the next steps for the pupils. 4 Inspection Report: Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School, 5 April 2006 to 5 April 2006

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Grade: 1

• There are very strong lines of communication with parents who value the work done by the school for their children. There have been many expressions of gratitude and support for the school’s endeavours in the parents’ questionnaires.

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Grade: 1

• The headteacher is providing outstanding leadership and management, ably supported by the whole staff team. There is a clear vision for the school which is communicated very effectively, and understood by all the adults who work in the school. It focuses on encouraging each pupil to fulfil their potential through promoting their personal well-being and providing a vibrant and challenging curriculum. In both respects, the school achieves a high level of success. • A feature of the school is the way it constantly strives to improve what it is already doing well; for example, refining assessment procedures, and evaluating new curriculum ideas. • There is good team work. The headteacher is skilled at delegating tasks to different groups of teachers. Much of the success in raising standards and providing a high quality curriculum is due to the effectiveness of subject leaders. They have clear roles, work in a consistent way, and know how their contribution fits into the wider

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Grade: 1

picture. • The senior leadership team is in the process of change due to retirement, although plans are well advanced to sustain its impact across the school. • There is a comprehensive and effective system of monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning, where outcomes are shared with individuals and staff groups. • The headteacher gauges well when and how to involve the whole staff in decisions, and when to lay down how things will be done. • The governing body is very supportive of the school and knows its strengths. 5 Inspection Report: Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School, 5 April 2006 to 5 April 2006 .

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School, 5 April 2006 to 5 April 2006

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Inspection judgements

16-19 School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Inspection judgements

NA 1 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of 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 1 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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Inspection judgements

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

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Inspection judgements

NA 1 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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Inspection judgements

Personal development and well-being NA 1 How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 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 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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Inspection judgements

The quality of provision NA 2 How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs? NA 2 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? NA 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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Inspection judgements

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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Annex A

Leadership and management NA 1 How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement 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 1 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 1 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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Annex A

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 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 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

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Annex A

wider community 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 Bacup Holy Trinity Stacksteads Church of England Primary School Booth Road Stacksteads Bacup Lancashire OL13 0QW 05 Apr 2006 Dear Children I would like to say how much I enjoyed spending a day in your school. Thank you for being so polite and helping me. I spent a lot of time finding out how well you are learning by watching you work in some of the lessons and talking to Mr Aspin and your teachers. At the end of the inspection, I talked to Mr Aspin about what I had found out. This is what I said. I thought you were very well behaved all of the time. The youngest boys and girls shared things and took turns, and older children acted responsibly, taking care of books and equipment. All of you work hard, listen to your teachers and try your best to answer their questions. You told me that you enjoyed coming to school and felt that the teachers were interested in you and

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

that you were happy to talk to them and they took good care of you. One of the jobs I have to do when I inspect schools like yours is to see if there are any things which could make your school even better. Of course I couldn’t think of anything you need to do because you’re brilliant already! It was a very difficult job because your headteacher and teachers work so very hard. I suggested that they might help you get better in your reading and writing, and also to keep on finding interesting ways of teaching you new things. That will be difficult, because they are nearly as brilliant as you! I know you enjoy coming to school. So keep working hard so that Mr Aspin, your teachers and parents can be proud of you! Yours sincerely Roger Hartley HMI

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