Lancaster Ryelands Primary School

Inspection Report Lancaster Ryelands Primary School

p.1

119132 Unique Reference Number Lancashire LEA 284579 Inspection number 29 June 2006 to 30 June 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Delia Hiscock Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Torrisholme Road School address Primary Type of school Lancaster Community School category Lancashire, LA1 2RJ 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01524 64626 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01524 842723 Fax number 307 Number on roll Mr Peter Rivet Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Headteacher 1 February 2004 Date of previous inspection

p.1

Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 284579 29 June 2006 - 4 to 11 30 June 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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 three Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

This large popular school situated in Lancaster, Lancashire, serves an urban population with significant disadvantage. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is very high. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is also very high and includes many with complex needs. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. The number of pupils on roll has increased in the last two years and the proportion of pupils entering or leaving the school in different year groups is high.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lancaster Ryelands Primary School, 29 June 2006 to 30 June 2006

p.3

Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school that provides satisfactory value for money. Despite standards being below average, the pupils are now making satisfactory progress, which is an improvement on the past two years when there was substantial underachievement and low standards in Year 6. Prolonged staff absences and unavoidable temporary teaching brought much turbulence into the school. Quality and standards in the Foundation Stage are satisfactory. The quality of pupils’ work and unreported test results show steadily improving achievement in Years 3 to 6 in reading, mathematics and science but progress is weaker in writing. The pupils in Year 6 are doing well and meeting their challenging targets. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, but not all teachers and subject leaders use the existing assessment systems to help pupils achieve their highest potential. Pupils’ personal development and well-being

p.4

Grade: 3

are satisfactory. Most pupils like coming to school, though attendance is below average. Leadership and management are satisfactory, although the school’s self-evaluation is rather generous. The dedication and strengths of the headteacher and deputy have previously focused effectively on the care of pupils rather than on progress and standards. They work very closely with outside agencies to overcome the significant barriers to learning that many pupils experience. The school is improving in the first year of an intensive support programme, and has the capacity to continue to improve. New staff have been recruited by a committed governing body who work closely with the school. The school environment and resources for information and communication technology (ICT) are much improved since the previous inspection.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Improve achievement and in particular raise standards in writing. • Improve teachers’ use of assessment information to match work more accurately to pupils’ abilities. • Ensure subject leaders’ work is focused on promoting the pupils’ progress. • Improve attendance.

p.4

Grade: 3

Although standards are below average by the end of Year 6, the pupils’ achievement, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, is satisfactory. Children start in Reception with low levels of development. They make satisfactory progress but start Year 1 well below the expected attainment for their age. By the end of Year 2, standards remain well below average. Standards attained at the end of Year 6 are improving. Test results in 2004 and 2005 reflected low achievement, the result of extensive and prolonged staff absences and consequent interruptions to pupils’ progress. Staffing has now stabilised. The completion of the first of a two year programme of intensive support for the school, 2 Inspection Report: Lancaster Ryelands Primary School, 29 June 2006 to 30 June 2006 leadership determination and new staff have tackled the underachievement in Key Stage 2. Attainment is rising steadily and this is reflected in the pupils’ work this

p.4

Grade: 3

academic year, unreported test results and the school’s detailed assessment information. Attainment in reading and mathematics is better than in writing. However, challenging targets are met and in some instances, exceeded, largely because strong teaching in Year 6 has accelerated pupils’ progress.

p.5

Grade: 3

The personal development and well-being of children are satisfactory. Pupils say they enjoy coming to school and meeting up with friends. They particularly like ‘golden time’, where they can make choices about what they would like to do. In the Foundation Stage, and throughout the school, relationships are nurtured very well and children generally work amicably together. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory overall. Pupils behave well. They know the school’s ‘golden rules’ and the reasons behind them. Pupils have some responsibilities in school and take part in events that raise money for charity. They know how to keep safe and can always find a playground ‘buddy’ if they feel lonely. The school is considering developing ways in which the views of children can be sought in a democratic way. Pupils know they need to eat well and exercise to stay healthy. They enjoy the ‘pick and mix’ lunches and like

p.5

Grade: 3

eating fruit and vegetables. They know regular exercise is good for you and look forward to their turn on the adventure play equipment. Pupils say, ‘teachers look after you and when you are scared, you never keep it to yourself’. Pupils gain some workplace skills through the weekly tuck shop and through gardening and cookery clubs. Attendance is below average.

p.5

Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory and enables pupils to make satisfactory progress. Teachers’ care and good relationships help pupils to work hard and enjoy lessons. Teachers are confident in their subject knowledge and question pupils well to extend their learning. Good teaching challenges the pupils and computer technology is used imaginatively. Where teaching is satisfactory, the expectations of what pupils can achieve, although adequate, are not always high enough. As a result, in these lessons they learn at a slower pace. Improved assessment detail now provides accurate information about how well pupils are doing, but the information is not used enough by some teachers to plan for different ability groups. Sometimes teaching assistants are not used effectively to support groups of pupils. Marking provides little guidance for children on how well they are doing or what they need to do to improve.

p.5

Grade: 3

3 Inspection Report: Lancaster Ryelands Primary School, 29 June 2006 to 30 June 2006

p.5

Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. The new intensive support programme has focused on basic skills, ensuring that the curriculum meets the needs of all groups of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. All statutory requirements are met. The curriculum for children in the Nursery and Reception is satisfactory. Although outdoor play is restricted, a spacious and well equipped outside area is being developed. The curriculum is made more interesting by linking subjects together, but writing is not developed well across all subjects. Opportunities for enrichment are good, with a wide range of extra-curricular activities, visits and visitors. Special themed weeks add interest and enjoyment for pupils, who benefit from a very good focus on healthy eating and grow their own fruit and vegetables. For example, children in Reception designed a healthy lunch box and used the lettuces they had grown to make their sandwiches. Close partnership with other

p.6

Grade: 3

schools results in a good range of sporting and other activities as well as the sharing of ideas and expertise.

p.6

Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. The quality of care is very good and is central to everything the school does, enabling children to make a positive start to their schooling. Pupils have a lot of say in many of the decisions made about their school. They are excited about the plans underway for elections to the new school council. Child protection procedures are well established and understood by all staff. Procedures for risk assessment are good and children feel safe and secure in school. Close supervision of the extensive outdoor play areas promotes good behaviour. Support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well organised, as is the good support from external agencies, communication with parents and transfer arrangement to secondary schools. The school now tracks pupils’ progress termly and with greater accuracy. However, this information is not used to let individual pupils know what

p.6

Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory, although the school judges them to be good. The school’s evaluation of what needs to improve is largely accurate but the focus has been too much on care and personal development and not enough on academic achievement. The turbulence of the last two years has contributed in part to this and understandably, the school has tried to make sure that pupils come happily to school. There have been good improvements to the environment in which the pupils learn and play, keeping them safe, happy, and very much cared for. The school now has new and effective systems for assessment, monitoring and evaluation that build 4 Inspection Report: Lancaster Ryelands Primary School, 29 June 2006 to 30 June 2006 on the leadership strengths and work of the headteacher and deputy. The school now has the tools and knowledge to move forward and raise standards. The headteacher, well supported by diligent governance, is very much focused on

p.6

Grade: 3

overcoming the barriers to learning that many pupils experience. Whilst this has been essential, the effectiveness of provision faltered because teaching became weak. A variety of activities enrich the curriculum and pupils’ understanding of lifestyles choices, but the basic skills of literacy and numeracy were insufficiently developed and progress became inadequate in Years 3 to 6. A turnover of staff and refreshed teamwork has brought in effective teaching methods and subject knowledge. Consequently, teaching and learning have improved, although writing continues to be weak across the school. Subject leaders are set to use the skills they have acquired to improve the subjects they lead. Parents have lots of good things to say about the school and say that the school acts on their concerns, as they do on pupils’ views. 5 Inspection Report: Lancaster Ryelands Primary School, 29 June 2006 to 30 June 2006

p.7

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Lancaster Ryelands Primary School, 29 June 2006 to 30 June 2006

p.8

Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

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 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

NA 3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 3 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

needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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.

p.9

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

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

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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 To the pupils of: Lancaster Ryelands Primary School Torrisholme Road Lancaster Lancashire LA1 2RJ 29 June 2006 Dear Pupils We really enjoyed our visit to your school. Thank you for being so polite and helpful. This letter is to tell you what we think about your school. We think you are very lucky to be in such a caring school. We liked the way that you all get on well together and do your best to behave. You work hard in your lessons. We really liked your class fruit and vegetable gardens. What a lovely way to learn how to eat healthily! We can see that the school has worked hard to make your outdoor play equipment and playground areas good places to be. All the teachers and classroom staff try hard to make lessons right for you and we know that many of you in the juniors have had quite a few different teachers. We know that this has made learning a bit hard for some of you. Your headteacher

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

and the staff are working really hard to help you to do well. We think it would be great if you could get better at writing (and the other subjects too). We have asked teachers to set work for you that will help you to learn faster. We have also asked them to use some new ways of teaching in lessons that make learning exciting and fun. It would be really good if all of you could come to school every day. Some of you don’t get to school often enough. Perhaps your new candidates for the school council elections could think about how to encourage everyone to come to school as often as possible? Keep up your good efforts! We wish you good luck for the future. Yours sincerely Mrs Delia Hiscock, Mrs Sheila Mawer, Mrs Gianna Ulyatt School Inspectors

p.11