Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Warton

Inspection Report Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Warton

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119590 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 280605 Inspection number 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Jackie Barnes Reporting inspector

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

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Lytham Road School address Primary Type of school Warton Voluntary aided School category Preston, Lancashire 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01772 633623 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01772 633625 Fax number 104 Number on roll Mrs Mary Wilson Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Austin Manfredi Headteacher 1 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280605 27 June 2006 - 4 to 11 28 June 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a small Catholic school which is reaching the final stages of refurbishment. It serves the parishes of Warton and nearby Freckleton. Most families have at least one parent in paid work and entitlement to free school meals is low. The pupils come from a variety of backgrounds, and almost all speak English as their first language. When they enter school in the Reception year, children vary considerably in what they know and can do, but in most years the intake is good. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities has increased slightly in recent years and is now about average. In common with most small schools, the number of pupils in each year group varies, and the roll is falling in line with the national trend. Currently, all classes except Year 6 include more than one age group. The headteacher is the only senior manager at present, pending the filling of an additional senior post in the very near future.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Warton, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school which is emerging from a period of significant change and development. It has the confidence of its parents and the capacity to improve further. This judgement matches the school’s own evaluation. Pupils are well cared for and feel safe. Standards are above average by Year 6 and most pupils achieve well overall. Children make satisfactory progress in the Reception year and, by Year 2, standards and progress are satisfactory, with some pupils making good progress. In Years 3 to 5, progress accelerates and is very good in Year 6. Pupils’ personal development is good. The school community benefits from pupils’ care for each other, their pride in the school and their willingness to learn. Most behave very well and attendance is good. In lessons where their motivation is not maintained, some pupils become inattentive; when this is not quickly dealt with, it slows their progress. Teaching is

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Grade: 2

satisfactory overall. Lessons are carefully prepared but sometimes the teaching and tasks do not sustain the involvement of all the pupils. Improvements in the school’s assessment procedures are already beginning to address this issue, and have been especially successful in Year 6. The school offers a good range of experiences for pupils, and parents particularly value the attention given to developing their children’s personal skills as well as their learning in the subjects of the National Curriculum. The school is well led by an experienced headteacher, with the active support of governors. As the headteacher is the only senior manager the role is currently overburdened. The teaching team work well together and now have the capacity to develop their management roles further. The school gives good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards by using assessment information to plan lessons which ensure pupils of different ages and abilities make suitably brisk progress. • Enhance the quality of teaching and learning by providing experiences which maintain pupils’ motivation and enthusiasm. • Improve pupils’ behaviour by establishing a consistent approach and common expectations for managing behaviour through the school. • Develop the roles of subject leaders to increase their impact on, and accountability for, the achievement of pupils in their subjects.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ achievement is good overall and standards are above average by Year 6. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress. Within this positive picture, some pupils could make better progress, mainly in the younger year groups. By the end of the Reception year, the progress of most pupils is at least satisfactory and many attain the goals expected for their age. However, a minority of pupils are capable of better progress. In Years 1 and 2, progress and standards are satisfactory overall. The more capable pupils achieve well in reading, but less so in writing. The 2 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Warton, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 school’s assessment information indicates that a few pupils make less than the expected progress. This is mainly because some lessons are not matched well to the wide range of pupils’ competence and ability in each class. In the older year groups, the pace of

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Grade: 2

progress quickens and is good for most pupils, especially in Year 6, where both teaching and tasks match pupils’ needs well. In the 2005 national tests for 11-year-olds, the school’s results were significantly above average overall, with the most capable pupils achieving very good results. The school met its challenging targets in English and mathematics, especially for the most capable pupils, and is set to do so again in 2006.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development is good. They appreciate their friends, contribute well to the school and local community, and show a good level of maturity by the time they are ready to move on to secondary school. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, being well supported by the faith community and the school’s curriculum. They are knowledgeable about how to live safe and healthy lives, self-esteem is high and they feel safe. Most have good basic skills to support their future well-being. Pupils enjoy school, especially practical work, and attendance is good. Most pupils behave well, but when lessons are not well matched to their needs or they have to listen for extended periods, some become restless and inattentive; this slows their progress. On occasions when pupils do not behave as well as they could, the response from adults is not always consistent with the school’s behaviour policy.

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Grade: 2

However, relationships with staff are usually good and provide good support and personal example for pupils.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning varies throughout the school, although it is satisfactory overall. In the main, it varies because the teaching team does not include staff with substantial experience, although all are committed to developing their own skills and further improving the school. In addition, as one senior leadership post is vacant, the leadership of the team is also limited in its effectiveness. The Foundation Stage teacher is newly qualified, and there is no designated leader for this stage. As a result, the teaching overall has relied heavily on the skills of individual staff. In the circumstances, and with support from the local authority and others, this has worked reasonably well, but needs to be much better if learning is to be as consistently good for pupils of all abilities and ages as it is for those in Year 6. At present, the preparation of lessons and resources is good, as is the planning of the

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Grade: 3

sequence of teaching points. However, pupils often have to listen for too long and, in some lessons, their work is either too easy or too hard. This is mainly because the assessment information about what pupils know and can do is not sufficiently 3 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Warton, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 influencing the planning of lessons and the teaching strategies to be used. The school has accurately identified the need for improvement, and its plans to ensure better consistency across the year groups are well based and likely to be in place for next term. They include an additional appointment with senior management responsibility, and the better use of assessment information in planning lessons.

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Grade: 2

The school has a good basic curriculum which includes the statutory subjects and is enhanced by a range of additional activities. These include sport and residential experiences that are particularly successful in helping pupils to develop their personal skills and widen their understanding of different cultures and beliefs. Care has been taken to ensure that pupils have the knowledge to make good choices about living safe and healthy lives. The headroom for improvement lies in checking and making sure that all pupils are making the best of what the school offers.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are well cared for by staff, and due attention is given to security and safety. Both pupils and parents recognise the value of the family feeling that is evident throughout the age groups and encourages pupils to do their best. The improvements in the school’s assessment procedures are already helping pupils to improve their work and set their own targets in addition to those set by the school. It is early days, but most pupils are becoming more knowledgeable about what they are expected to achieve and are rising to the challenge.

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Grade: 2

The school is well led and effectively managed by an experienced headteacher who is currently the only senior member of staff. As a result, the role of headteacher tends to be overburdened. However, a second senior post is to be filled shortly. As this is a small school, most members of the staff team hold more than one responsibility, and all are in the early stages of their career in teaching. Despite these challenges, the school has successfully undertaken significant developments in recent years. These include not only alterations to the building, which have improved the environment for teaching and learning, but also a review of the school’s effectiveness in key areas such as the development of staff, involvement of parents and the school’s assessment procedures. In addition, the resources in the Foundation Stage and the library have been improved in response to the findings of the last inspection. The governors are

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Grade: 2

actively involved in the school, and its self-evaluation and strategic plan for further developments have had the benefit of consultation with parents, pupils and others involved in the school. The teaching and learning are not as well led and monitored as they need to be to raise standards further. This is mainly because the role of the 4 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Warton, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 2006 subject leaders is not fully developed. The school has already recognised this, and has generally suitable plans for improvement and the capacity to carry them out. 5 Inspection Report: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Warton, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 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: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Warton, 27 June 2006 to 28 June 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 3 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 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 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 3 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 To the pupils of: Holy Family Catholic Primary School, Warton Preston Lancashire PR4 1AH 27 June 2006 Dear Children Thank you so much for making me welcome in your school. You helped me to understand that you enjoy school, and that you value your friends and appreciate your teachers. You showed me how keen you are to learn, and that you usually behave well, although sometimes you find it hard to listen and you lose your concentration. When this happens, some of you become restless and are not able to do your best work. You are very proud of your school, and by the time you are ready for secondary school, you attain high standards and are confident young people. To help you to work as well as you possibly can, I have asked your teachers to make sure that your lessons are interesting and your work is just challenging enough to make sure that you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

learn quickly. You can help by working with the teachers to make sure that your lessons run smoothly and are not slowed down because of restless behaviour. I am sure you can do it! Best wishes for the future, Yours sincerely, J M Barnes Lead inspector

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