Oxford Grove Primary School

Inspection Report Oxford Grove Primary School

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105160 Unique Reference Number Bolton Local Authority 287141 Inspection number 16 January 2007 Inspection date Michael Onyon Reporting inspector

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

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Shepherd Cross Street School address Primary Type of school Bolton Community School category Lancashire BL1 3EJ 3 °11 Age range of pupils 01204 333380 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01204 333381 Fax number 203 Number on roll (school) Linda Thomas Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr P Kelly Headteacher 17 September 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 287141 16 January 2007 3 °11 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 Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is an average sized school, serving an area with higher than average deprivation. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds form 37% of the roll. A larger than average proportion of pupils is entitled to free school meals. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average and the proportion with statements of special educational need is average. The school holds the Investors in People award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Oxford Grove Primary School, 16 January 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. It is warm and welcoming and provides its pupils with a good education. As a parent said, 'Our son loves going to school. We feel he is well looked after and is learning very well.' Some features of the school's work are outstanding. Pupils' personal development is excellent. Pupils are proud of their school and enjoy every minute of the day. This is because the teachers plan a rich curriculum, which makes learning exciting and leads to pupils' very positive attitudes and an enthusiastic approach to their work. Behaviour is very good and pupils make many friends. Excellent attention is given to keeping pupils safe and healthy; they are keen to keep fit and, when weather permits, enjoy using the adventure play facilities. They take their responsibilities in school seriously and are keen to share their skills in the wider community, conserving the environment by recycling and raising funds for several

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Grade: 2

charities. Older pupils act as mediators, helping to resolve pupil disputes and encouraging younger pupils to take responsibility for their own actions. Pupils grow in confidence and independence and these qualities, combined with their well developed academic skills, ensure that they are well prepared for the future. Pupils achieve well because teaching is good and results in high standards. Provision in the Foundation Stage is good; children get off to a flying start because of the strong focus on promoting personal development and basic literacy and numeracy skills within appropriate activities, including play. From an average starting point, with some weaknesses in language and social skills, most children reach the learning goals expected at the end of Reception and a minority exceed them. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2. Teachers' accurate assessment at the end of Year 2 shows that standards are above average in

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Grade: 2

reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers use assessment information successfully to group pupils according to their ability. This is most effective for the lower and middle ability groups and for some pupils in the top ability groups. It enables the majority to exceed the level expected for their age so that by the end of Key Stage 2 standards are above average. Nevertheless, more of the most able pupils have the potential to reach the higher level in mathematics, an area the school is beginning to focus on. The school has introduced a number of very successful strategies to improve attendance, which is now average. However, inconsistent attendance slows the progress of a few pupils. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides outstanding leadership and is very ably supported by the deputy headteacher. They have a clear vision for the school and successfully maintain a balance between promoting pupils'

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Grade: 2

academic and their personal development. This enables the school to fulfil its mission 'to be a caring school where respect is important and all are treated equally.' Links with outside agencies, such as those to support pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those at an early stage of learning English, are outstanding, and support these pupils' good progress. The quality of self-evaluation is good. Processes are thorough and rigorous but sometimes lead the school to be too modest about its performance. Governors are supportive and well informed. Subject leaders manage 2 Inspection Report: Oxford Grove Primary School, 16 January 2007 their subjects well and are fully involved in evaluating the school's strengths and areas for development. The school provides good value for money and is well placed to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Provide greater challenge in mathematics lessons to enable all of the more able pupils to reach the level which they are capable of. • Improve the attendance of the minority of pupils.

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Grade: 2

Children enter Nursery with levels of attainment expected for their ages. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage, particularly in developing language and in their personal, social and emotional development, and the majority achieve the expected early learning goals by the time they start Year 1. Pupils make good progress in Key Stage 1 and standards overall are above average by the end of Year 2. Pupils continue to make good, and in some cases better, progress in Key Stage 2 and reach above average standards by the end of Year 6. However, standards in English and science are better than those in mathematics because not enough pupils reach the higher levels in mathematics. In 2006, challenging targets were met in English and science and were just missed in mathematics. Pupils' achievement is good because the school regularly tracks progress and makes effective provision to support those they find are

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Grade: 2

not making the expected progress. Pupils learning English as an additional language do well, and reach or exceed the expected standards at Year 2 and Year 6. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported and make good progress.

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Grade: 1

Personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils show their enjoyment for school in their eagerness to get on with the day. This is a major factor in the good progress made by pupils and prepares them exceptionally well for the future. Pupils appreciate the importance of healthy lifestyles and their efforts are being recognised in preparations for a Healthy School award. Pupils learn about possible dangers and, as one pupil said, 'We feel safe because there are grown-ups to help and to show us how to do things.' Membership of the school council, fulfilling a range of duties, and a willingness to raise funds for charity are just some examples of the outstanding way pupils learn about their role in the community. Pupils' personal qualities reflect exceptional support for their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Teachers have successfully encouraged children to accept responsibilities for their

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Grade: 1

own personal development and that of others, for example, in the work of the 'Solving Squad': older pupils who act as mediators in disputes between others. All are encouraged to take responsibility for their actions. Respect and consideration are central to the work of the school and lead to good behaviour and a caring school. 3 Inspection Report: Oxford Grove Primary School, 16 January 2007 While attendance has improved considerably and is now average, a few pupils are not attending regularly enough and this is affecting their achievement.

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Grade: 2

The good quality of teaching is the major reason for pupils' good achievement. Teachers plan carefully and start lessons by telling pupils exactly what they want them to learn. Classrooms are stimulating, with many useful visual prompts to guide learning. Good relationships ensure that pupils are confident to participate. The grouping of pupils according to their ability for literacy and numeracy lessons is generally very effective but a few of the more able pupils are not always challenged as well as they could be in mathematics. A key factor in the good progress made by pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and those learning English as an additional language, is the skilled input from the teaching assistants and bilingual support. Detailed individual programmes and well planned intervention ensure that they receive the help they need.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum provides a range of interesting experiences. This supports pupils' good academic and personal achievement. The curriculum is adapted well to integrate different subjects and meets pupils' needs well. The Foundation Stage curriculum is good. Provision for English, mathematics, science and information and communication technology (ICT) has improved since the last inspection. The school offers pupils a good range and variety of activities to enhance the curriculum. Pupils particularly enjoy extra-curricular activities such as judo, music, drama, football and rugby. They say lessons are fun, especially sport and creative subjects such as art and music. They are proud of their work towards the Healthy School award and an ICT award.

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Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support are outstanding. The ethos of the school is focused on safeguarding pupils and enabling them to achieve as well as they can. The school's motto refers to 'pride' and this is evident in every aspect of its work. This is striking in the happy and caring atmosphere, which enables pupils to feel safe and secure. All essential safety procedures are carried out. Thorough checks are conducted to see that all working in school are suitable to be involved with children. Close links with external agencies enable staff to offer well informed guidance, especially to pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school uses assessment information well to track pupils' progress. Pupils understand what they have achieved and precisely what they need to do next and this is helping to accelerate their progress. While 4 Inspection Report: Oxford Grove Primary School, 16 January 2007

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Grade: 1

assessment procedures are good, the information is not always used well enough to challenge the more able in mathematics.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher's leadership, vision and dedication are exemplary. A parent commented, 'The headteacher leads by example and encourages others to gets things done.' The headteacher's partnership with the deputy headteacher is very effective. Both are well supported by the senior leadership team and all staff in a determined approach to raise standards by providing an extremely caring and inclusive community. This leads to good and improving achievement and pupils' excellent personal development. Subject leaders are further developing their skills in monitoring teaching and learning to help to make further improvements. Rigorous and well focused self-evaluation of the school's strengths and weaknesses is closely linked to the school development plan and is focused on raising standards. Governors are supportive and, because they know the school well, they hold it to

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Grade: 2

account for its performance. Issues from the previous inspection have been successfully tackled and standards have risen consistently. There is no complacency and the school has a good capacity to continue to improve. 5 Inspection Report: Oxford Grove Primary School, 16 January 2007 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Oxford Grove Primary School, 16 January 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Oxford Grove Primary School, 16 January 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Oxford Grove Primary School, 16 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I really enjoyed my visit to your school. Thank you for making me so welcome. I was pleased to see that you care about your school and the people in it and that you are very polite and courteous. I was very impressed by the way in which you talked confidently about your school because this helped me with the inspection. For example, I learned that you feel safe and secure in school and that teachers are very friendly and give you interesting things to do so that you work hard and enjoy coming to school. These are some of the things that your school does well: • you benefit from good teaching because your teachers work hard to make lessons interesting so that you make good progress • all of you are really helpful to those children who are learning English as an additional language or who find their learning hard • the school looks after you extremely well and makes sure that each one of you is valued

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• the headteacher leads the school extremely well and all the staff and governors work hard to improve the school. Here are some of the things that I think could be better: • more of you could reach the higher level in mathematics by the end of Year 6: you can help by working as hard as you can to achieve this • a small number of you could attend more regularly: do try to get to school every day to ensure that you benefit as much as possible from the good things your school is providing. Thank you again for your kind welcome. 9 Inspection Report: Oxford Grove Primary School, 16 January 2007

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