Coppull Parish Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Coppull Parish Church of England Primary School

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119470 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 280567 Inspection number 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006 Inspection dates Mr Dave Byrne Reporting inspector

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

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Roe Hey Drive School address Primary Type of school Coppull Voluntary aided School category Chorley, Lancashire 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01257 791669 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01257 794840 Fax number 181 Number on roll Mr Mark Taylor Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Maria Brennan Headteacher 1 January 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280567 14 March 2006 - 4 to 11 15 March 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 over a period of two days.

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Description of the school

This is a small school. The vast majority of children are from a white British background. The proportion with learning and behavioural difficulties and/or disabilities is similar to the national average, as is the percentage eligible for free school meals. The headteacher and deputy headteacher have been in post together for less than four terms. The school has been recognised as a Healthy Eating School and has gained the FA Charter mark for football.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Coppull Parish Church of England Primary School, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features. Good leadership and management, coupled with inspiring teaching, result in children achieving well and reaching good standards. Good provision in the Foundation Stage contributes to good progress across the school. By the end of Year 6, standards are above average in English, mathematics and science and also in physical education. Children’s behaviour and attitudes are outstanding, and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is very good. They are very aware of how to live safely and healthily. The good curriculum has particular strengths in the arts and physical education. It effectively meets children’s needs, and increasing links between subjects consolidate their learning. The quality of planning for such links is, however, in the early stages and lacks precision. Good partnerships with parents, local schools, the parish and local community enrich

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Grade: 2

children’s learning. The school is a very caring place where children are safe and secure. The quality of support for children with learning and behavioural difficulties is good. This is better than the satisfactory provision made to promote high achievement for the able and talented. The headteacher and her deputy are a dynamic, visionary team that gets the best out of all staff. Together with a good governing body, they make accurate judgements about the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Given the current circumstances and the good improvement since the last inspection, the school has a good capacity to improve in future. It gives good value for money. not applicable

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What the school should do to improve further

• Refine and develop strategies for supporting and challenging the more able children across the school, especially where they have particular gifts or talents. • Improve the planning for making links between different subjects.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good and has improved since the last inspection. Children start school in the reception class with standards that are close to average. In the Foundation Stage, children make good progress and an above average number reach expected standards by the end of the reception year. In Key Stage 1, progress continues at a good rate. By the end of Year 2, an above average proportion reaches the nationally expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. In Key Stage 2, the rate of progress accelerates. Standards have risen rapidly over the last three years and at a rate that exceeds the improvement in standards seen nationally. Standards at the end of Year 6 are currently above average in English, mathematics and science. Boys tend to do better than girls, an issue that the school is successfully dealing with. In other subjects, children make satisfactory progress in information and communication

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Grade: 2

technology (ICT) and do well in physical education. Children with learning and behavioural difficulties make good progress and achieve well in relation to the targets 2 Inspection Report: Coppull Parish Church of England Primary School, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006 in their individual education plans. The progress of able and talented children is good overall but a lack of consistently high challenge across different subjects holds back the achievement of some.

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Grade: 2

Children’s personal development and well-being are good, with some outstanding features. The popularity of school is reflected in good rates of attendance. Children’s spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is particularly strong. They have a very secure understanding of right from wrong and display very good social skills. They have a good awareness of different traditions, values and cultures and a strong sense of spirituality. Children have very good attitudes to learning. They work very hard and love learning. Behaviour is outstanding. Children are polite and courteous and generally have good levels of self-esteem. They thoroughly enjoy getting involved in the excellent range of playground games. Many children state that this has improved behaviour at playtimes and helped them to learn better in lessons. Their access to such games and the good provision for sport in school develop positive attitudes to exercise and

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Grade: 2

contribute to their good understanding of how to live safely and healthily. Children cherish recognition for good behaviour and hard work. They are full of pride when their name goes on the “Wall of Success” or they are rewarded during the sharing assembly. Children’s views are valued through questionnaires and discussions with school council. The council is a recent introduction and, together with initiatives such as playground leaders, enables children to contribute well to the life of the school. Children talk with pride about the funds they have raised for charities. They have a good foundation for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good and has improved since the last inspection. Both teachers and teaching assistants are dedicated to giving the best possible quality of education and frequently give time well beyond expectations. Teachers value both the children’s personal development and their academic needs. As a result, very good relationships exist and children feel secure and cared for. Lessons are usually good fun. Children respond by working very hard and trying their best. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good and improving. A good balance is struck between adult-led and child-initiated activities, and tasks are planned to extend and develop all aspects of children’s development. Throughout the school, effective staff development and training, supported by the local authority, has improved teachers’ subject knowledge, especially in ICT. Teachers successfully share their talents and skills. As a result,

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Grade: 2

standards have risen throughout the school, and particularly in Key Stage 2 in English, mathematics, science and physical education. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to children’s education. They are vital in the good support given to children 3 Inspection Report: Coppull Parish Church of England Primary School, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006 in the Foundation Stage and for children with learning and behavioural difficulties across the school. They are not, however, as involved in helping the able and talented. Teachers make good use of assessment to measure the achievement and progress of all children. Good use of marking successfully involves children in evaluating their own progress and is a significant factor in rising standards.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum meets statutory requirements and is good overall. The Foundation Stage curriculum is well-planned and, across the school, a good emphasis is given to the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT. The curriculum is developing rapidly so that it more effectively meets children’s needs. Themes are increasingly employed to enliven learning, for example arts’ weeks and themes based on a rainforest. However, the planning of links between subjects lacks precision. Provision for arts and sport is good. Many cultural experiences are planned through educational visits, and through visitors such as grandparents, artists and musicians. A very good range of extra-curricular activities enriches children’s learning, and the formal curriculum is enhanced by French. Good provision is made for supporting children with learning and behavioural difficulties and/or disabilities. Provision for able and talented children is

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Grade: 2

not always challenging enough. Personal, social and health education and citizenship are effectively planned to meet children’s needs.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good with some outstanding features. Parents accurately judge the school to be like a “large family”. Children benefit from learning in a safe and calm atmosphere, supported by a strong team of dedicated teachers, teaching assistants and ancillary staff. Child protection is secure and risk assessments rigorous. Good guidance is provided regarding safe and healthy living. Skilled teaching assistants and teachers give very good support to children with learning and behavioural difficulties and/or disabilities. The quality of support for able and talented children is only satisfactory and prevents this part of the school’s work being outstanding. Well-organised assessment systems ensure that teachers, children and parents have an informed view of academic and personal progress. Good communication with parents gives them every opportunity to provide good support for their children at home.

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Grade: 2

Effective links with other schools ease children’s transition to the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good and ensure that children are very well cared for and reach good standards, both academically and personally. The headteacher provides a very clear vision for the school’s development. With the help of a most able deputy 4 Inspection Report: Coppull Parish Church of England Primary School, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 2006 and a supportive local authority, improvements have been made to the quality of teaching and assessment, to the curriculum, and to the accommodation and resources. As a result, standards are improving rapidly. The senior management values the expertise and skills of all staff and has created a strong team for managing subjects. A satisfactory school improvement plan sets a clear agenda for future developments. It is supported by the wise deployment of resources and effective staff training. The management of provision for the Foundation Stage and for learning and behavioural

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Grade: 2

difficulties is good, whereas that for the more able and talented is satisfactory. Resources and accommodation are satisfactory, but there is a lack of dedicated space for supporting small groups of children. Good governance, with strong leadership by the chair, ensures that the school meets statutory requirements and gets the best value from its budget. Given the current quality of management, the school has a good capacity to improve in future. 5 Inspection Report: Coppull Parish Church of England Primary School, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 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: Coppull Parish Church of England Primary School, 14 March 2006 to 15 March 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 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 2 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 1 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 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 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 2 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

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 Ofsted helpline 08456 404045 Mrs Maria Brennan Coppull Parish CofE Primary School Roe Hey Drive Coppull Chorley Lancashire PR7 4PU 14 March 2006 Dear children We really enjoyed our time in your school. We judge it to be a good school because of the good teaching, and your headteacher’s strong, caring management. We are impressed by your behaviour, which is outstanding. You treat others with respect and take a pride in yourselves and in helping each other. During lessons, you work very hard and want to do your best. You are doing well in your reading, writing, mathematics and science, and most of you seem to really enjoy sport. You are so lucky to have such a caring teaching assistant who organises such an amazing range of playground games. It is really good to see so many of you getting involved in the games and enjoying play. The range of extra-curricular clubs is very good. It seems that there aren’t enough hours in the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

day for all that you want to do! Although we didn’t have chance to see any performances, we know that you really do well in putting on plays and musical productions. A very good part of the school is the good support you get if you have difficulties with learning. We have asked the school to improve two things. Firstly, to do even more to link different subjects together so that lessons are even more exciting, and secondly, to find ways of giving more help to those of you who are particularly good at certain subjects. We wish you the best of luck with your education. If you continue to work as hard as you are and try to help others, you will certainly enjoy school life. Yours sincerely David Byrne and Heather Evans (your school inspectors)

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