St Peter's CofE Primary School Chorley

Inspection Report Chorley St Peter's Church of England Primary School

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119806 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 280668 Inspection number 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005 Inspection dates Jim Bennetts Reporting inspector

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

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Eaves Lane School address Primary Type of school Chorley Voluntary aided School category Lancashire, PR6 0DX 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01257 262625 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01257 261608 Fax number 297 Number on roll Father L Atherton Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr S Whittaker Headteacher 1 October 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280668 20 September 2005 - 4 to 11 21 September 2005 Inspection Report: Chorley St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005

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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 three members of Her Majesty’s Inspectorate: Jim Bennetts, Elisabeth Linley and Mark Williams. They were joined by Margaret Baines who inspected pre-school and after-school care arrangements, for which there is a separate Report.

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Description of the school

The school has 297 pupils. They come mainly from low cost or rented housing in the north east of Chorley. The proportion of pupils who take free meals is similar to that found nationally. The school’s assessment of pupils when they start shows that they have similar attainment to pupils nationwide. The school has a nursery which operates in the spring and summer terms only. There is a care club catering for about 20 pupils before school and 40 pupils after school.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Chorley St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005

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Grade: 4

The school has many strengths, but it is not as effective as it should be. The school acknowledges past and continuing areas of weakness. Nonetheless, there have been significant and successful management interventions and others are currently being introduced. The school takes a more favourable view than inspectors of its present effectiveness. In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform. The school is therefore given a Notice to Improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to the progress of older and more able pupils, provision for mathematics, and the way the school gathers and uses assessment information. Financial management is good and money is spent wisely, particularly with the provision

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Grade: 4

of additional adult help in the classroom. However, in view of the school’s overall unsatisfactory effectiveness it does not give satisfactory value for money. The school has brought about substantial improvement in behaviour and attitudes over recent years. Problems of teaching quality that have handicapped the school have largely been resolved. Points for improvement from the last inspection have been dealt with effectively. Assessment has very recently been improved. There are some strategies to improve the weak position with numeracy, though these are at an early stage of development. The school is a friendly community and pupils enjoy coming to school. The very youngest pupils are well taught and make good progress. However, recent standards in national tests have been falling and some pupils in junior classes are not as well advanced as they should be. More needs to be done to correct the underachievement of more able pupils and ensure that low expectations do not creep

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Grade: 4

in. Inspectors firmly judge that the school has the resolve and the capacity to make further necessary improvements. •

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What the school should do to improve further

Raise standards and improve progress in Key Stage 2 Rectify the underachievement of more able pupils Manage improvement in mathematics more effectively Improve the use of assessment 2 Inspection Report: Chorley St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005

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Grade: 4

At the time of the last inspection in 1999, standards were found to be above average. Standards have declined and are now inadequate. Inspectors agree with the school that a significant minority of pupils underachieve. • The school judges pupils’ capabilities to be average when they start in Reception. The school considers that they make good progress in this Foundation Stage. Inspectors agree with these judgements. Over the last few years, standards have been erratic in the Infants, sometimes falling below average. In 2005 they were mostly in line with those found nationally, except that the most able pupils did not do as well as they might have done. In 2004 the standards of Year 6 pupils in mathematics were weak, rendering standards overall below average. The 2005 results showed little improvement in mathematics and decline in English and science. More able pupils did not do well enough. However, those with learning

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Grade: 4

difficulties made satisfactory progress. Progress is much the same for boys and for girls. School records show that there is underachievement in the present Year 6 in relation to the targets set for pupils on the basis of their past attainment, particularly in mathematics. Tests at the end of Year 4 and work by more able Year 5 pupils show some underachievement in literacy. • Grade: 4

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development is effective and is underpinned by their good behaviour and attitudes to learning. Parents and pupils had expressed concerns about bullying, but pupils now feel that bullying is rare and is dealt with well. Pupils develop good relationships with each other and with adults. They enjoy coming to school and their attendance is in line with that in most other primary schools. Exclusions are very rare. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good. Pupils are provided with a wide range of experiences that include consideration of personal, social and health issues. As a result, they know the importance of keeping fit, healthy and safe. From an early age children are positively involved with the community through the church and other organisations. As they mature, pupils are involved in initiatives to raise funds for worthy causes. Such projects enable them to contribute to the well

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Grade: 2

being of others and so develop their economic awareness. 3 Inspection Report: Chorley St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005

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Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory overall, with some strengths. Pupils are generally keen to learn. Where teaching is good, teachers have clear objectives and plan tasks that enable pupils to make good progress. However, in a few lessons there is not enough challenge for more able pupils. Occasionally, tasks set for the more able, whilst challenging, are unrealistic with regard to the jumps in thinking that pupils can make without prompts. Of the lessons seen during the inspection, most were good, with outstanding practice in a Reception class. The main limitations to progress are insufficiently effective assessment, and coordination of mathematics and writing which have insufficient impact to make good weak provision in the past. The planning of some lessons in mathematics has insufficient challenge for more able pupils; and sometimes the activities planned have insufficient prompts for pupils to enable them to get on

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Grade: 3

productively. Lesson plans should have sufficient detail for the coordinator to be able to check them for such weaknesses, and checking needs to be carried out systematically before lessons are taught. The headteacher monitors the teaching of English, mathematics and science in every class twice a year, and gives teachers feedback on evident strengths and weaknesses. A scrutiny of work takes place in most subjects, which provides the headteacher and coordinators with an overview of the standards that pupils are achieving. However this practice is inconsistent and sometimes occurs only once a year. Moreover, remedial action does not always follow immediately after concerns are raised. Occasionally, records show that a pupil’s attainment has slipped back and it is not clear what has been done to tackle the issue. Progress is not checked-up on in all subjects; therefore it is difficult to establish a full picture of standards of teaching and learning across

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Grade: 3

the school. A further inconsistency occurs with the implementation of the school’s policy for marking. Some work was observed as unmarked and other samples included no feedback to pupils on how they could improve. Where practice is good, comments for pupils are focused and clear and appreciated by the pupils.

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Grade: 3

Improvements have been made to the breadth and balance of the curriculum, particularly with the foundation subjects, since the last inspection. This is especially so in information and communication technology, which is taught discretely and supports other subjects effectively. However, issues still remain over the organisation of the whole curriculum in the split age groups: it is possible for one Year 6 pupil, for example, to experience a different history curriculum from another. The school is giving attention to such problems. Pupils in upper Juniors are underachieving in mathematics and writing and the school has not yet modified the curriculum sufficiently to rectify this. The plans that the school has for intervention later in the year are unlikely to impact sufficiently on this weakness. 4 Inspection Report: Chorley St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005

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Grade: 3

Provision is enhanced by a variety of extra curricular activities including a popular residential week for older pupils which enables them to put skills acquired into practice. They are also involved in a number of extra curricular activities such as a gardening club, sports and quiz teams. The pre-school and after school care clubs (that are the subject of a separate inspection report) are well organised; pupils are well looked after and they enjoy what they do.

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Grade: 3

Support for pupils’ safety and their educational welfare is good and enhanced by effective communication with parents and external agencies. When children start school they join the secure environment of the Reception classes. Their independence develops well and as pupils move through school they enjoy taking on more responsibility. Pupils of all ages are suitably prepared for their next stage of education. The school’s tracking of pupils’ progress is beginning to improve. However, the information gathered to guide pupils who are more able is currently unsatisfactory and so they do not achieve as well as they should. The quality of care, guidance and support for pupils overall, therefore, is satisfactory. Nonetheless, the school provides effectively for personal, social and health education. Child protection procedures are in place and pupils feel safe and secure. Parents are appreciative of the care their

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Grade: 3

children receive and the fact that account is taken of their views. Grade 3

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Grade: 3

The school’s self evaluation is candid and helpful. The headteacher and governors accept that in the recent past there have been elements of weak teaching, affecting junior classes, which have now been rectified. They have high aspirations for the school and the pupils, and the will to do whatever may be necessary to achieve successful outcomes. Pupils and parents agree that the poor behaviour and attitudes that were a concern a couple of years ago have been tackled very effectively, and that the school is now a hard working and harmonious community. Provision in the Foundation Stage and arrangements for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are well managed. Changes have taken place so that teaching is now improved. However, the backlog from weak learning in the past now requires strenuous intervention to remedy underachievement. The recent close focus on mathematics is helpful and recently

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Grade: 3

introduced assessment and tracking systems enable staff to identify problems. However, at the level of classroom teaching for the more able, expectations, time allocation and teaching strategies are sometimes not as adroit as they need to be. Lesson planning for mathematics should be more detailed so that managers can tell whether the more able are being developed and challenged enough. The governors have supported the school well through difficult times over the last two years; they are aware of what needs to be done to make this once again an effective school. Necessary steps to limit 5 Inspection Report: Chorley St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005 deterioration have been taken in the recent past; more is underway; yet more needs to be done. Points for improvement at the time of the last inspection have been attended to. The school considers leadership and management to be good; at the

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Grade: 3

present time, inspectors judge them to be satisfactory. Inspectors firmly judge that the school has the resolve and the capacity to improve. • 6 Inspection Report: Chorley St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Chorley St Peter's Church of England Primary School, 20 September 2005 to 21 September 2005

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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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Overall effectiveness

NA 4 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 2 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

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Achievement and standards

NA 4 How well do learners achieve? NA 4 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 4 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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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 3 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

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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?

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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.

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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 4 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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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

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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

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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 www.ofsted.gov.uk St Peter’s CE Primary School Eaves Lane Chorley Lancashire PR6 0DX !2 October 2005 Dear Pupils We were impressed by a lot of what we found when we visited your school: you get on very well together and you work hard in lessons; many of you, particularly the younger ones, are doing really well; a great deal of what the school does is well organised by your teachers, the headteacher and the governors; the pre-school and after-school clubs are good and those who go are well looked after; some of you, particularly the older ones, have not always got on with learning as well as you might have done over the last few years - some older pupils and their teachers will have to work hard to catch up. These are the things that we think need to be done to make the school even better: some of the older and cleverer pupils will have to work just a bit harder - their teachers will

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

help them all they can; for some of you it will be important to make a bit more headway with numeracy and writing; teachers will try to keep closer tabs on how well you are doing. Thank you for welcoming us to your school and for all the help you gave us. Yours sincerely Jim Bennetts Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools Annex B

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