Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary School

p.1

119519 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 280580 Inspection number 4 April 2006 to 5 April 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Jackie Barnes Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Garstang Road School address Primary Type of school Bilsborrow Voluntary aided School category Preston, Lancashire 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01995 640505 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01995 640505 Fax number 33 Number on roll Rev Jeff Finch Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Cathryn Wilkinson Headteacher 1 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280580 4 April 2006 - 4 to 11 5 April 2006 Inspection Report: Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary School, 4 April 2006 to 5 April 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 an Additional Inspector.

p.3

Description of the school

This is a small school serving the village of Bilsborrow. Entitlement to free school meals is well below national figures. When they start school, the children vary widely in what they know and can do but their overall attainment is above average for their age. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is a little higher than average. Almost all pupils are of white British origin and all speak English as their first language. The number of pupils has fallen in recent years. The school has two classes: one for the Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 pupils and another for Years 3, 4, 5 and 6. The headship of the school is currently being held on a temporary collaborative basis by the headteacher of a nearby school, subject to decisions about permanent arrangements for the leadership of the school.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary School, 4 April 2006 to 5 April 2006

p.3

Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school. This judgement matches the school’s own assessment of its effectiveness. Staff take good care of pupils and pay due attention to their safety. Achievement is satisfactory and standards in Years 2 and 6 are generally above average. The quality of education in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and the children attain the goals set for their learning. Although pupils in Years 1 to 6 make satisfactory progress, many could do better. Those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress. Pupils behave well and their personal development is good; they have good attitudes to school and respect each other. Pupils enjoy school and trust their teachers. They know how to live healthy and safe lives, and feel secure in school. The curriculum is satisfactory; it meets all pupils’ needs and provides a broad experience for them. The teaching is satisfactory overall. It encourages pupils to contribute to

p.4

Grade: 3

lessons confidently; however, the teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always high enough. The marking of pupils’ work and the use of assessment to plan the pace of pupils’ progress are both ineffective. Leadership and management are satisfactory and, although the present arrangements are temporary, the school is recovering from several changes of headteacher and staff over the past year. The school provides satisfactory value for money; capacity to improve is satisfactory. not applicable

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

The school should: • stabilise the leadership of the school • raise standards, ensuring that all pupils make good progress • raise the quality of teaching, especially teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve • ensure that pupils’ work is marked effectively and that accurate assessment is used to predict and plan their progress.

p.4

Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory and standards are generally above average, although they vary from one year to another. In most years, the attainment of the very small intake of children to Reception is above average, but sometimes it is average or lower. Most pupils make satisfactory progress throughout the school, and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress. The youngest children settle well in the Foundation Stage, helped by working alongside older ones. Although standards vary, most children attain what is expected for their age. The results of the Year 2 national tests vary from year to year, reflecting the pupils’ capabilities, but were well above average in 2005. The higher attaining pupils achieved well in reading and writing, but less so in mathematics because none of them reached Level 3. In Year 6, the results 2 Inspection Report: Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary School, 4 April 2006 to 5 April 2006

p.4

Grade: 3

also vary considerably but in 2005 they were below average. Nevertheless, the test results show that those pupils made satisfactory progress. Lower results in 2005 were mainly a result of a higher than usual proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in that particular year and were consistent with their Year 2 results, which were also lower than average. Even so, the inspection shows that many pupils are capable of making better progress towards higher standards. The assessment and tracking of pupils’ progress are insufficiently rigorous and this shortcoming is largely a consequence of the recent disruption caused by changes in leadership and staffing. The situation has improved recently and pupils’ progress is now being more carefully monitored. The governors’ targets for Year 6 are generally met, although they are not always challenging.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development is good. The pupils are well behaved, motivated, confident and enjoy school. Attendance is above average. Pupils collaborate well in groups and are polite and respectful to adults and to each other. The older pupils are mature and thoughtful and have a good understanding of ecological issues. They contribute willingly to the local and school communities by raising funds and sharing their time and artistic talents. Even the youngest pupils consider the feelings of others and reflect on their own actions. Pupils’ progress in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. This is well supported by the school’s links with the clergy, visits and visitors. Pupils’ knowledge of how to live safe and healthy lives is good. They report that bullying is very rare, and they know how to deal with it. Their future well-being is satisfactorily served by their good basic skills, confidence, ability to

p.5

Grade: 2

communicate, and their experience of working together.

p.5

Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. The teachers make good use of the school’s spacious accommodation to enable small groups of pupils to work at different tasks, for example, when using computers. Lessons are calm, well organised and carefully prepared. Learning resources, especially the use of the interactive whiteboards, successfully help pupils to understand what is being taught. Good relationships with staff encourage pupils across the ability range to answer questions and contribute to discussions. Teachers use national guidance effectively to plan what is to be taught in literacy and numeracy. Teaching assistants provide valuable support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and when pupils are working in small groups. Overall, pupils make satisfactory progress, but many could do better. This is mainly because assessment information is not sufficiently used to plan tasks for pupils of

p.5

Grade: 3

different ability and individual pupils are not set challenging targets. The marking of the pupils’ work is also a weakness. 3 Inspection Report: Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary School, 4 April 2006 to 5 April 2006

p.5

Grade: 3

The curriculum and other activities are satisfactory and generally meet the needs of most pupils. The curriculum includes the subjects of the National Curriculum, and pupils’ interest is stimulated by educational visits, a residential experience for older pupils, and by visitors and clubs. Themed weeks for science and health provide in-depth study across the school. Pupils are taught how to stay healthy and safe. Opportunities are provided for pupils to work alongside those from other schools in sport and environmental study, thus extending the pupils’ experiences of different people and ways of working. The school enables pupils to build relationships and work amicably and productively with others. Extra-curricular activities are limited, but well attended. Pupils confirm they generally enjoy their work in school.

p.6

Grade: 3

Pupils are well cared for by adults in school. Due attention is paid to safety procedures which are reviewed regularly. The school has a strong family atmosphere and pupils feel they can confidently share their thoughts and concerns with staff. The pupils are well known to all the adults and day-to-day relationships and guidance support the pupils’ personal development and happiness. Monitoring the pupils’ academic progress is less effective, mainly because of weaknesses in the school’s assessment system, such as target setting. The guidance for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is often good. Individuals progress well because of a planned programme with clear timescales, high expectations and interim reviews. Preparation for the transition to secondary schools is good. The school has regular contact with parents and relationships are good. Some parents report that it would be useful to have more

p.6

Grade: 3

frequent information on their child’s progress.

p.6

Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The school has a falling roll and has experienced significant changes in staffing, including three acting headteachers over the past year. This instability has resulted in a loss of momentum in raising standards. The temporary collaborative headship arrangement has provided much-needed stability. Governance overall is satisfactory. The governing body has shown recently that it is capable of making difficult decisions. Governors have become more closely involved with the school and have benefited from training. The school’s self-evaluation is satisfactory. It has included the views of parents, pupils and governors, and accurately identified areas for improvement, although priorities are not clear enough. The school’s routines run smoothly. A welcoming and orderly atmosphere provides a good environment for teaching and learning. Recent initiatives have been focused on

p.6

Grade: 3

establishing common strategies and consistent procedures for teaching and learning. 4 Inspection Report: Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary School, 4 April 2006 to 5 April 2006 All staff work well together leading to good teamwork and high morale. Many planned improvements are still at an early stage and have not yet had a measurable impact on pupils’ achievement. An example of this is the weakness in assessment and monitoring of the pupils’ progress. However, the school is now in a position to make the necessary improvements. 5 Inspection Report: Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary School, 4 April 2006 to 5 April 2006 .

p.6

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

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary School, 4 April 2006 to 5 April 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 3 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 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

p.9

Achievement and standards

NA 3 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

p.9

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

p.9

learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 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 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 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

p.9

needs and interests of learners?

NA 3 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 4 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 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

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 Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary School Garstang Road Bilsborrow Preston Lancashire PR3 0RE 4 April 2006 Dear Children Thank you for making me so welcome in your school. You helped me to see how much you enjoy school, especially your friendships, and how you trust your teachers. You are well behaved, have respect for each other and for yourselves, and are keen to succeed. The staff look after you well, and you feel safe in school. You know how to live healthy and safe lives and you care about your environment. Your school provides interesting activities which help you to learn and make progress. I think you can make even better progress, so I have asked your school to keep on making the improvements that have already been started, and to use all they know about you to plan more challenging and exciting work.

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I wish you every success in the future. Yours sincerely J M Barnes Lead inspector

p.11