Montrose School

120029 Unique Reference Number Leicester City LEA 280712 Inspection number 17 January 2006 to 18 January 2006 Inspection dates Nick Pett AI Reporting inspector

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

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Wigston Lane School address Primary Type of school Leicester Community School category Leicestershire LE2 8TN 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 0116 2832328 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0116 2832328 Fax number 489 Number on roll Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs S Sutcliffe Headteacher 2 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280712 17 January 2006 - 3 to 11 18 January 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a large primary school serving an area which is experiencing increasing levels of social and economic disadvantage, although the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is average. When the youngest pupils start school, their levels of knowledge and understanding are well below those expected. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is above average. Most pupils are of White British heritage.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Montrose School, 17 January 2006 to 18 January 2006

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Grade: 1

Montrose Primary is an outstanding school that gives outstanding value for money. This broadly confirms the school’s own view of itself, although it is modest and is continually seeking ways to improve its work. It is exceptionally well led. Pupils’ achievement is very good and standards are above the national average, although even more can be done to improve pupils’ competence in mathematics and writing. Standards and progress have been very well sustained at their high levels since the last inspection because of the effective leadership and teamwork. The provision and standards in the Foundation Stage are outstanding. Children make very good progress from their starting points to reach the nationally expected goals by the end of the Reception Year. Teaching is outstanding. All lessons seen were at least good, with some excellent lessons. Teachers plan very well and set work which consistently challenges the full range of abilities in their classes. Work is interesting and pupils

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Grade: 1

enjoy it. They say that their ‘learning is fun’. Their attitudes are very good, and their behavior and attendance are good. The care, support and guidance, and relationships between pupils and adults in the school, are a great strength. Parents recognise how good the school is and many are very well involved in supporting their children. The outstanding leadership of the headteacher and support of the staff and governors give the school excellent capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

There are no significant weaknesses in this outstanding school but to make the school even stronger: • Continue the developments outlined in the school improvement plan for writing and mathematics.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ achievement is outstanding, and national test results have been very well maintained since the last inspection. Standards were well above the national average at the end of Year 6 in 2005. This reflects teachers’ high expectations, and the very good response from the pupils. From well below average attainment on entry, especially in language and social skills, children make very good progress through the Foundation Stage to reach the expected goals for learning by the end of the Reception Year. This progress continues in Years 1 and 2, so that standards by the end of Year 2 are above the national average. Boys and girls achieve equally well and there is no difference in theprogress and standards between pupils of different cultural backgrounds. Pupils who are gifted and talented make very good progress. Those with learning difficulties or disabilities also make very good progress because of the exceptional provision that

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Grade: 1

is made for them, especially for the youngest pupils in a booster class. The challenging targets in national tests in 2005 were broadly met although there was a slight dip in mathematics. The school recognises that standards in mathematics and writing, which are above average, can be improved still further and the very good approaches are 2 Inspection Report: Montrose School, 17 January 2006 to 18 January 2006 already extending pupils to make even better progress. The richness of the curriculum and the way that it is taught ensures that pupils make very good progress and achieve above average standards in their knowledge, understanding and skills across the full range of subjects.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ personal development is outstanding. The school judgement of good, with some outstanding aspects, is too modest. Pupils welcome visitors warmly, and are very courteous and helpful. They have very positive attitudes towards their work and say they really enjoy coming to school. This is reflected in the good attendance. Behaviour is good. Any boisterous behaviour at playtimes is handled appropriately and older pupils develop their sense of responsibility by acting as carers in the playground, ensuring no children are unhappy. Pupils adopt good safety practices in lessons and around the school. The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is outstanding, and includes a quiet room which is well used by pupils who leave many prayer requests. Members of staff place a very high priority on developing positive relationships and, as a result, pupils develop a very strong sense of community and

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Grade: 1

have a clear understanding of the impact of their actions on others. There is a strong whole-school commitment towards promoting and adopting healthy lifestyles, especially in eating and exercise. Pupils make an excellent contribution to the life of the community, taking part in a wide range of local activities, for example in art, music and sport. The school council contributes to decisions about school life and its members feel their contributions are valued and treated with respect. Pupils’ very good work habits and very high standards of achievement ensure that they are developing the skills to prepare them for their future lives.

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Grade: 1

The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding. All teaching observed during the inspection was at least good, and a significant proportion excellent. The teaching is of high quality because teachers have very good skills and knowledge, and lesson planning is consistently very good. These skills are the result of the high quality support and feedback teachers receive about their work. When teachers plan lessons, they are particularly good at using information about what pupils have learned previously. This results in challenging and interesting work for all pupils. Resources are outstanding and teachers use them very well. The teaching meets the needs of the particularly able pupils very well and as a result, the levels of work seen in mathematics, for example, are well above those expected. Classes are happy and productive because relationships are very good and teachers know the academic and social needs of their pupils very

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Grade: 1

well. The teaching engages and motivates pupils so well that they consider learning is fun, and the school is an exciting place to be. Inspectors agree with pupils’ views, 3 Inspection Report: Montrose School, 17 January 2006 to 18 January 2006 which were well demonstrated in exciting lessons. Teaching assistants work very effectively alongside all pupils, and give those with learning difficulties very good support. Pupils have a good understanding of what they need to do to improve their work because teachers set targets and ensure all lessons have a clear purpose. Pupils understand and value the comments made by the teachers about their work. This shows very good improvement since the last inspection.

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Grade: 1

and this enables pupils to make very good progress in all of their skills, producing work of high quality and depth in all subjects. Creative work is outstanding, with numerous excellent examples of painting and ceramic work displayed throughout the school. Opportunities for writing in different subjects are very good. In history, for example, pupils have written moving diary accounts from their study of Anne Frank. The very good curriculum in the Foundation Stage provides a particularly good range of outdoor activities. The teachers use the curriculum so effectively in promoting healthy lifestyles, raising pupils’ awareness of keeping safe and being considerate to others. These activities meet the needs of pupils very well.There is a very good range of interesting visits and visitors which enrich the curriculum very well. Pupils love the way there is always something for them to do after school or at lunchtimes, such as the ‘movie

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Grade: 1

club’. There are excellent opportunities for pupils to perform through music, dance and drama. The clubs cover many different sporting activities. The football club, run by a governor, is very popular and well attended.

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Grade: 1

The level of care, guidance and support for pupils is outstanding and this contributes significantly to their enjoyment of school. Their eagerness to learn and the very good progress they make reflect how well they work to achieve the targets set by their teachers. Clear systems ensure that pupils work and play in a safe environment. Pupils feel that they are well looked after because all adults know them extremely well and develop strong and caring relationships with them. As a result, they are able to respond very quickly when pupils are troubled or need extra support with their work or personal skills. Child protection procedures are very effective and thorough. Links with a wide variety of external agencies ensure that pupils with particular needs receive appropriate support.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding, which is better than the more modest evaluation made by the school of ‘good with significant strengths’. The sustained high quality management has ensured there is a distinctive ethos and that consistent progress is made by all groups of pupils. The enthusiasm of headteacher is infectious, 4 Inspection Report: Montrose School, 17 January 2006 to 18 January 2006 and she uses her leadership skills to provide the inspirational direction that ensures that no stone is left unturned in giving the pupils the very best provision. She is very well supported by the senior leadership team and coordinators, but all staff share her very clear vision and feel fully involved in the leadership and management of the school. Many pupils also display a sense of responsibility for their school, and enjoy being involved in decision-making. The monitoring of teaching and learning and other

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Grade: 1

areas of the school’s work is regular, rigorous and shared, ensuring that all pupils have equal opportunities to succeed. It is used exceptionally well to show where support is needed, and then given. Links with parents and other schools are a very distinctive feature and add to the pupils’ learning opportunities. Governance is a significant strength. The governors are very capable and committed, using a wide range of approaches to inform their decision-making.They and the headteacher have a very clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and work steadfastly to improve development and pupils’ education through the very comprehensive improvement plan. Resources are used exceptionally well. The track record in improving the school provides strong support for outstanding capacity to improve further. 5 Inspection Report: Montrose School, 17 January 2006 to 18 January 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: Montrose School, 17 January 2006 to 18 January 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 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 1 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 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 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 1 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 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 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 1 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 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

Dear Pupils Thank you for welcoming us when we came to inspect your school. We enjoyed being in your lessons and talking to you. You were all very helpful in telling us how you are proud of your school and enjoy school life. What we most liked about your school was • The good way that you behaved in class and worked really hard so that you all made very good progress and reached high standards. • The fun that you had in your learning because you are so very well taught. • The outstanding way that your headteacher and all of the staff work to give you the best opportunities in so many subjects. • The marvellous displays which show so much information and encourage you to do the best you can in your work. Because your school is so good and is working so hard for you, we have asked the staff and governors to carry on with the developments that they have already planned, especially in helping you to do even

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

better in your writing and mathematics. Thank you again for being so friendly and courteous and we hope that you will all continue to do your best. Yours sincerely Nigel Pett Lead inspector Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 www.ofsted.gov.uk

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