Hornby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School

Inspection Report Hornby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School

p.1

119530 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 280584 Inspection number 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Sonya Williamson HMI Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Main Street School address Primary Type of school Hornby Voluntary aided School category Lancaster, Lancashire 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01524 221496 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01524 221496 Fax number 55 Number on roll Mr David Conner Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Nadine Scott Headteacher 1 June 2000 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280584 21 June 2006 - 4 to 11 22 June 2006 Inspection Report: Hornby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 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 two of Her Majesty’s Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

This is a small village school in the Lune Valley with mixed-age classes. Pupils have average attainment on entry but the variation within year groups is large. Although socio-economic backgrounds of families are mixed, no pupils have free school meals. Mobility levels are high. There are higher than average numbers of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, particularly in some year groups. A very small minority of pupils have English as an additional language, several began their education abroad. The school has a strong Christian ethos and strong church links. The school also works in partnership with the local authority, a regional cluster of small primary schools, the community and a nearby provider of Initial Teacher Training.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Hornby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

p.3

Grade: 3

Hornby St Margaret’s Church of England Primary School judges itself to provide a satisfactory quality of education and inspectors agree. The school is very highly regarded by parents who particularly value that their children enjoy school and feel safe. Pupils attend and behave well as a result of good opportunities for personal development and well-being. The Christian ethos is apparent in all aspects of the school. Increasing efforts are being made to consult with pupils and parents, but this does not yet contribute to self-evaluation. However, self-evaluation draws on a wide range of evidence and illustrates that staff know their pupils well. Teaching is satisfactory overall with some good aspects. The curriculum meets statutory requirements and has good enrichment opportunities, particularly through the use of adults from the local community. There is a considerable range of attainment in pupils’

p.4

Grade: 3

starting points at school but overall they reach nationally expected standards and make satisfactory progress in each age stage. However, teachers’ considerable knowledge of pupils is not always used sufficiently well to set learning objectives that are challenging enough to ensure that pupils achieve the best they can, particularly higher attaining pupils. Pupils do not always understand how to achieve their targets. The headteacher knows the strengths and weaknesses of the school and has chosen appropriate improvement priorities. However, the leadership and management of the curriculum is less secure in understanding the key issues for development as monitoring information is not fully evaluated to ensure that pupils’ needs are met. Governors discharge their duties to a satisfactory standard and the school provides satisfactory value for money. The school has the capacity to make the improvements needed.

p.4

Grade: 3

The quality and standards of the Foundation Stage are satisfactory. Children make satisfactory progress in all their areas of learning, particularly in their personal development and communication skills. They show a developing awareness of the needs of others since they have both adults and older pupils as positive role models. The teaching and curriculum are varied. Pupils’ needs are appropriately met and they are always constructively engaged. The management of the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. Support staff and other adults are deployed well to support learning. However there is insufficient emphasis on identifying priorities for development.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Make more effective use of a range of monitoring information to identify planning priorities and regularly evaluate progress against them. • Ensure that knowledge about individual pupils is used to set appropriately challenging targets for their learning and that pupils know how to achieve them.

p.4

Grade: 3

Pupils make satisfactory progress and achieve broadly average standards. 2 Inspection Report: Hornby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 The majority of pupils enter school with skills which are similar to those expected nationally, though there is a wide variation due to their range of experiences before joining the school. They make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage especially in the way they acquire communication skills. Children learn how to cooperate with each other, become more independent and develop good social skills. Standards at the end of the Foundation Stage are in line with those found nationally overall. In Key Stage 1, pupils make satisfactory progress overall, so that standards by the age of seven are similar to those expected nationally. The most recent school results show end of key stage standards that are above average in mathematics and average in

p.4

Grade: 3

reading and writing. The trends of results over three years show mathematics and writing to be about that which is expected nationally and reading standards which are above average. This is the consequence of large variations in the number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities in some year groups, and significant numbers joining the school at none standard times. While pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress, their standards are below average. The highest attaining pupils do not achieve as well as they should in science and writing. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make satisfactory progress so that by age eleven standards are average. Pupils’ standards in national tests at age eleven in English and mathematics have, over four years, been broadly in line with national expectations. In science, they have been above average during this period, whilst in 2005 they were a little below

p.5

Grade: 3

average. The school targets for this year and next continue to reflect the uneven pattern of recent years. Test results at age eleven have also been affected by the significant mobility of pupils.

p.5

Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good overall. Learners’ spiritual, moral and social development is good. They have many opportunities for reflection, particularly in religious education lessons. They take responsibility well and look after one another. The range of curriculum enrichment supports pupils’ moral and social development well, particularly through the use of visits, celebrations and community involvement. Pupils’ behaviour is considerate; they attend well and have positive attitudes. Although there are some opportunities for cultural development, pupils do not regularly experience a range of cultures through each area of the curriculum. Pupils feel safe and act safely themselves. They have a developing awareness of how to live healthily, especially due to the increased opportunities for physical education. Adequate emphasis is given to preparing pupils for their future through the focus on literacy, numeracy

p.5

Grade: 2

and information and communication technology (ICT) and they have some experience of making financial decisions about supporting charities and funding school council initiatives. 3 Inspection Report: Hornby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

p.5

Grade: 3

The school knows that teaching is satisfactory overall and correctly identifies that some teaching is good or better. In the best lessons, pupils are actively engaged in their learning, find the activities appropriately challenging and are well supported with their individual needs. Whole-class teaching objectives are planned but groups and individuals do not always have specific targets. As a result, they are unsure of how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve, despite the regular and constructive marking. Pupils with additional learning needs are quickly identified and good provision is made for them in their classes and through well planned individual teaching. Planning does not frequently address the needs of higher attaining or gifted and talented pupils. A good range of teaching and learning styles are used and these are enriched by the school’s links with Initial Teacher Training. Pupils engage positively

p.6

Grade: 3

with their work but they are not yet extensively involved in judging the strengths and weaknesses of their work or developing independent study skills. Skilled support staff are deployed well in lessons. Parents and the community provide good support for learning and relationships are positive.

p.6

Grade: 3

The school offers a broad and balanced curriculum which meets the needs of all the pupils. Subject coordinators plan together and this maximises opportunities for learning, such as the effective way the local community is used to give greater relevance to the curriculum. It is enriched by a wide range of activities, including visits to places of interest, such as libraries and museums. Visitors are invited into school to share their expertise, such as in a Year 5/6 class where the discussion on the advantages and disadvantages of wind power were lively. This very interesting talk from a local resident was a positive view of wind power; previously the pupils had heard a contrasting opinion. One pupil commented, ‘it could be good or bad because they’re (wind turbines) 100m tall and a blot on the landscape; but it’s cheap electricity’. Pupils have the chance to visit a residential outdoor centre in Year 5 or 6, and the school offers many

p.6

Grade: 3

extra-curricular clubs that have included fencing, football, computers, recorders and guitar. These are much enjoyed and have high levels of participation.

p.6

Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support arrangements are satisfactory rather than good as judged by the school. This is because although there is good personal and welfare support and child protection procedures are in place, the pupils only receive satisfactory support for their learning to help them achieve high standards. Pupils do not have a clear understanding of their learning targets and are not always sufficiently challenged or 4 Inspection Report: Hornby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 supported to do their best. Staff have good levels of commitment. They safeguard pupils and provide a listening ear in a supportive environment which pupils’ value. The needs of vulnerable pupils are addressed well. Risk assessment procedures are fully in place. The school works well with external partners to ensure that pupils are well supported when they transfer between stages in their education, but does not make

p.6

Grade: 3

specific arrangements to induct the significant numbers who join the school at none standard times, or monitor that they make as good progress as other pupils.

p.7

Grade: 3

The headteacher has a clear direction for improvement, although finances and time for leadership and management are constraints in this small school. Satisfactory progress is being made against well planned school improvement priorities. Since staff have many areas of responsibility, it is difficult for them to lead and manage a programme of continuous improvements across each phase and curriculum area. As a result, the leaders and managers do not have a clear understanding of strengths and areas for development in each curriculum area, particularly in the foundation subjects. Whole-school self-evaluation is accurate overall. It is helped by the small size of the school and the time that teachers have to get to know their pupils well. The school gathers a wide range of monitoring evidence but does not yet consult widely with pupils and parents. Monitoring and assessment information is not sufficiently well

p.7

Grade: 3

used to identify areas for improvement that would make the most significant difference to raising achievement further and supporting all learners. Equality of opportunity is promoted in terms of personal development and well-being. However, the school does not evaluate sufficiently the progress that is made by different groups of learners or whether expectations of them are challenging and support adequate. Teaching staff are experienced and support staff particularly well qualified to help meet the needs of learners. There are few formal opportunities to share good practice but the professional development of staff is improving through partnership links and the support of the local authority. The quality of the accommodation and the variety of learning resources have been significantly improved since the previous inspection despite financial constraints and the school provides satisfactory value for money. The

p.7

Grade: 3

environment for learning is good and pupils are well protected. Governors discharge their responsibilities adequately but do not always challenge the school to focus further on raising achievement. The experience of staff, their commitment and the opportunities for support show that the school has the capacity to make the improvements needed. 5 Inspection Report: Hornby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006 .

p.7

Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Hornby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School, 21 June 2006 to 22 June 2006

p.8

Inspection judgements

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

p.9

Overall effectiveness

NA 3 How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of 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 3 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

Personal development and well-being

NA 2 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 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

The quality of provision

NA 3 How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of the learners' needs? NA 3 How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? NA 3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

The quality of provision

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

Leadership and management

NA 3 How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement 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 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

Leadership and management

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

p.10

Leadership and management

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

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 Pupils Hornby St Margaret's C of E Primary School Main Street Hornby Lancaster Lancashire LA2 8JY 21 June 2006 Dear Pupils Thank you so much for the way that you made Mr Coleman and me feel so welcome when we inspected your school. You spoke to us very confidently. We liked sharing our lunchtime with you and we were pleased to hear how much you enjoy school. We agree with your teachers that your school is satisfactory. It is a safe school, you are growing up to be good citizens and behave well. The older pupils are a very good example to the younger ones. Those of you who have some difficulties with your learning are doing especially well because of the good support you get. Some of you who already do well with your work could do even better, so we have asked your teachers to challenge you even further. Get ready to

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

think even harder next year! Your school gives you many exciting opportunities through the different clubs, the visits you go on and the number of other adults who come to help you with your work in school. Your physical education activities are helping you to be healthy. We would like your teachers to ask you and your parents to give your views about what things would make the school even better when they make plans. We have asked Mrs Scott and your other teachers to gather lots of information when they are thinking about what changes to make and then to see whether the changes are making a good difference to how well you are all doing. Your teachers know a lot about what you do well and what you find difficult. We would like them to make sure that you understand what new things you are being asked to learn and that you know what you need to do to succeed. I do hope you all continue to be happy at your school with its lovely trees and beautiful views.

p.11