Middlewich Primary School

Inspection Report Middlewich Primary School

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131727 Unique Reference Number Cheshire LEA 282249 Inspection number 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005 Inspection dates Mrs Marguerite McCloy HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Park Road School address Primary Type of school Middlewich Community School category Cheshire CW10 9BS 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01606 738880 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01606 737979 Fax number 372 Number on roll Mr T. Bailey Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr J Kenyon Headteacher 15 January 2001 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 282249 7 December 2005 - 4 to 11 8 December 2005 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Middlewich Primary is a large, two-form entry school which was formed six years ago following the amalgamation of separate infant and junior schools. Following a rebuilding programme, pupils were transferred over a six-month period in 2004 to the new school building which was completed by September of that year. The school is situated in Middlewich, in an area of mainly owner-occupied residential housing. The majority of pupils are of white British background. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is below average, as is the number with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. However, there are 15 pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Need, which is above average. This is because of the school's additional provision of two hearing impaired units (HIUs) with five pupils in Key Stage 1 and nine in Key Stage 2. When they begin school in the reception classes, children's skills are broadly average, representing the full range of ability.

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Description of the school

The school holds the Eco School Outstanding Achievement Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Middlewich Primary School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005

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Grade: 3

Middlewich Primary school provides a satisfactory education for its pupils, and has a number of strengths. The personal development and well-being of pupils is good. They enjoy their education and benefit from the high quality of care and support and the very positive relationships which exist in the school. Very effective provision is made for pupils in the HIUs, who make good progress in their learning as a result. The school is committed to inclusion, and all pupils are fully involved in all lessons, both within the units and in mainstream classes. The headteacher provides sound leadership overall with a particular dedication to the care, safety and well-being of all pupils, and to promoting good communication and positive relationships between the school and the community. Parents and governors have commented on his exemplary work in this area, which had not been a positive feature before the amalgamation of the two schools or at the time of the previous

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Grade: 3

inspection. The judgements of the inspection team closely match those of the school. The senior management team is aware of the need to improve the school's monitoring and evaluation systems in order to use assessment information more rigorously to set challenging targets and improve outcomes for pupils. Teaching is good across the school, although the progress pupils make is not always as good as it should be due to inconsistency in teachers' expectations of what they should be able to achieve. The school gives sound value for money. It has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection in 2001 and is in a strong position to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Establish more rigorous assessment procedures to track pupils' progress more effectively and set challenging targets for them to improve their standards of work. • Sharpen the role of middle managers to focus on their contribution to raising standards and expectations of what pupils can achieve, especially at Key Stage 2.

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Grade: 3

Achievement and standards in the school are satisfactory. Test results in Year 2 show that standards have been maintained at above national averages over the last five years. This represents good progress in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Pupils come into the school with average abilities overall but with a particular need to develop their speaking and listening and pre-writing skills. By the end of Year 2 the proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels in writing, reading and mathematics is above average. 2 Inspection Report: Middlewich Primary School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005 The school's results in Key Stage 2 tests at the end of Year 6 in 2005 were disappointing. In all three core subjects, English, mathematics and science, results fell just below the national average. This represented a dip in standards compared with 2004, which was a very high achieving year for the school. This was particularly true

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Grade: 3

of English, where achievement had been significantly above average in 2004. Not enough Year 6 pupils reached the higher levels in the 2005 tests which represented insufficient progress since they were in Year 2. However, the school identified mitigating circumstances for a group of pupils who had not performed to their capabilities, which had a negative effect on the school's overall results. The school's targets for the current Year 6 are over- ambitious, although achievement is on line to match national averages. The school gives close attention to meeting the needs of vulnerable pupils and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities so that they make good progress. Higher achieving pupils are given additional challenge in lessons, although there is scope for this to be even better. Expectations of what these pupils should be able to achieve are not high enough in Key Stage 2.

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Grade: 2

Pupils really enjoy coming to school and have very positive attitudes towards learning. They say that '.teachers make their lessons fun.' They also particularly enjoy the 'Multiflex' sports, drama and dance activities. The good relationships between pupils and staff, and amongst the pupils themselves, ensure that they are happy and confident with high self-esteem. They show respect and care for others and consequently, behaviour is good. As an Eco School, members of the Agenda 21 Environmental Group have been influential in promoting recycling and helping clean up the local environment. They recently successfully campaigned to have the pedestrian walkway into the school cleaned. Pupils take responsibility well and are keen to serve the community. For example, some act as 'playleaders' in supporting other pupils at break times. Pupils in reception and Key Stage 1 classes adopt a healthy eating policy, although

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Grade: 2

this has yet to be incorporated into Key Stage 2. As a result, not all pupils are making informed choices about healthy eating. The pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory and their reflective thinking is encouraged particularly through personal, social and health education. However, they do not learn enough about life in a diverse multicultural society. Pupils are aware of the importance of achieving good academic standards as a means to obtaining future employment. Good attendance, punctuality and pupils' ability to collaborate well with others are good starting points for future success in the workplace. 3 Inspection Report: Middlewich Primary School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005

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Grade: 2

While the school considers teaching and learning to be satisfactory, inspectors judge them to be good overall. On occasions where teaching is outstanding, the content is imaginative and stimulating. The teaching moves along at a brisk pace and is well matched to the needs of all pupils, challenging them to achieve their best. In a minority of lessons pupils' progress is only satisfactory rather than good, despite strengths in the teaching. This occurs when expectations of what the pupils should achieve are insufficiently high. The school is aware of the need to raise expectations and levels of challenge for all learners. The senior leadership team is beginning to establish a strong system for tracking children's progress in class, but this has yet to have a positive impact by ensuring a consistently high challenge for all. All teachers have very good relationships with their classes and use praise and

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Grade: 2

encouragement well. In return, the pupils' response and their standards of behaviour are good. Adults are good role models for the pupils who, in turn, have positive attitudes to their learning. These are strong features that characterise the school. Good teaching in Foundation Stage classes, based on learning through practical activities, helps the children to make good progress. The activities are well planned to meet the needs of all children. Teaching assistants are well deployed to make an effective contribution to children's learning. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are taught well and included in activities effectively. Pupils in the two HIUs are well supported in class by well-trained and highly effective staff so that they make good progress and are also fully included in what the school has to offer.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum provision is satisfactory with some good aspects. It meets statutory requirements. The school increasingly provides a good range of experiences for pupils by planning activities that enrich the curriculum, such as developing links between subjects, which raises the enjoyment in learning. Residential courses at outdoor pursuit centres and day visits to venues such as Styal Mill add an extra dimension to pupils' experiences. In addition, visitors' contributions and close links with the community enhance learning opportunities. The use of an external provider to supplement the sport, drama and dance provision has been particularly successful. Many pupils take part in the extensive range of extracurricular activities provided by the school. This serves to augment well their learning experiences and develop their self-confidence. 4 Inspection Report: Middlewich Primary School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005

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Grade: 3

The curriculum allows pupils to acquire a good range of skills but there is not always enough challenge for pupils in Key Stage 2 in literacy and numeracy. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage provides good opportunities for children in all areas of learning. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well provided for. Very good provision is made to meet the learning requirements of the hearing impaired. Effective personal, social and health education has a positive impact on children's personal development and self-esteem, including their understanding of how to stay safe, although healthy eating has yet to be fully embraced in Key Stage 2. The school's good accommodation and resources, for example the facilities for sports and information and communication technology, contribute well to pupils' learning and enjoyment.

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Grade: 2

The school takes good care of its pupils. All staff pay good attention to pupils' health, safety and welfare, ensuring that pupils feel safe and secure. Child protection and health and safety procedures are firmly in place. Pupils report that there is always someone to talk to if they have a problem. The headteacher is a very good role model in this aspect of school life through his knowledge of pupils and their families. The school has developed close links with parents and outside agencies in order to support all pupils. Guidance for pupils in their academic progress is satisfactory overall. Vulnerable pupils and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities have clearly defined targets that enable them to build effectively on their previous achievements. While other pupils are generally aware of how well they are doing, targets for improvement are not always shared with them consistently and effectively in order to improve the rate

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Grade: 2

of progress that they make. Staff praise pupils' efforts and achievements, which are often celebrated in school assemblies. The school effectively promotes the health and well-being of the pupils. It provides them with good opportunities for physical exercise through the curriculum and constructive playtime and lunchtime activities. There are plans to do more to promote healthy eating in Key Stage 2.

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Grade: 3

The school judges leadership and management to be satisfactory overall and inspectors agree. The headteacher is wholly committed to the school and its local community and his determined efforts and dedication have been a driving force in the planning and construction of the new building. He has successfully managed ongoing issues from this, which have only recently been resolved. 5 Inspection Report: Middlewich Primary School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 2005 This has, however, taken attention away from securing improved standards of achievement for all pupils. Governors and parents recognise the headteacher's invaluable contribution to the very good ethos of the school, and his commitment to the inclusion, care and development of every pupil. The recently appointed deputy headteacher has brought new expertise in specific areas which the school wishes to develop, and this complements the headteacher's strengths well.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher and his staff have the overwhelming support of the parents, as reflected in the questionnaires returned to the inspection team. This has evolved as the result of a commitment to working closely with parents as partners in their children's education. Governors are well informed and aware of the school's strengths and areas for development. They are beginning to take a more strategic role in evaluating the impact of actions to raise standards. The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection. Although the key areas for improvement at that time have not yet been fully addressed, other developments identified as priorities by the school itself have been achieved successfully, not least of which was the new building project. Some areas for development remain. For example, the leadership and management of subjects are not as advanced as they could be. They are not sufficiently focused on the whole

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Grade: 3

school sharing responsibility for raising standards and deciding whether actions make a positive difference to the pupils. Data on pupils' standards and progress is maintained but not utilised well enough to sharpen teaching, raise expectations and make a useful contribution to target-setting. The school is aware of this and is already taking action to remedy the issue. Subject leaders and all staff have the willingness and capability to make good progress in this area. There is good capacity for further improvement due to the senior leadership team's knowledge and understanding of what needs to be done, and the combined skills and commitment of all staff to see it through. 6 Inspection Report: Middlewich Primary School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 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: Middlewich Primary School, 7 December 2005 to 8 December 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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Inspection judgements

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 2 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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Inspection judgements

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

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Inspection judgements

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

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Inspection judgements

Personal development and well-being NA 2 How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners? NA 3 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 3 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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Inspection judgements

The quality of provision NA 2 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 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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Inspection judgements

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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Annex A

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 2 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

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Annex A

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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Annex A

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

As you know, inspectors visited your school recently. We liked joining your lessons and were very interested to hear about all the things you do and what you thought about your school. There are a lot of good things in your school. Here are some of the things we found: - your behaviour in lessons and around school is very good, and you get on well with each other and with the adults - your school takes good care of you and you tell us that you feel safe and happy and enjoy learning and helping each other - you have lots of enjoyable after-school clubs to choose from, and you told us how much you particularly enjoy the 'Multiflex' activities in school time - your headteacher is very dedicated to the school and everyone who works and learns there. He has worked really hard to get the lovely new building that you are in now - teaching is good, and you do particularly well in the lessons where you are really challenged

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to achieve the best you possibly can - as an Eco-school, you are learning to take good care of the environment. You are also learning to take good care of yourselves, to take exercise and eat healthily, although some of you don't always make good choices about what you eat! We know that you couldn't really think of any ways in which your school could be improved, you are so happy there! However, we have asked the headteacher and his staff to make sure that you are given challenging targets so that you are expected to learn even more and reach even higher levels, especially those of you in the junior classes. You can help by making sure you know your targets and by working even harder to reach them! Thank you again for being so friendly and helpful.

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