Park View Primary School

Inspection Report Park View Primary School

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105307 Unique Reference Number Bury Local Authority 287189 Inspection number 29 °30 January 2007 Inspection dates Robert Robinson 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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Park View Road School address Primary Type of school Prestwich, Manchester Community School category Lancashire M25 1FA 3 °11 Age range of pupils 0161 7987632 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 7986081 Fax number 451 Number on roll (school) Mr P Clarke Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs K Yarnall Headteacher 10 September 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 287189 29 °30 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average primary school. Most pupils are of White British backgrounds and no pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. The socio-economic circumstances of the area are about average. The headteacher took up her appointment in September 2004 and the assistant headteacher in January 2006.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Park View Primary School, 29 °30 January 2007

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Grade: 3

This is a larger than average primary school. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and no pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. The socio-economic circumstances of the area are about average. The headteacher took up her appointment in September 2004 and the assistant headteacher in January 2006. The school considers that it is a good school and that all aspects of its work are good. The inspection does not agree with this view. The school's overall effectiveness is satisfactory, because overall satisfactory teaching and learning is leading to satisfactory achievement for most pupils. Children join the school with attainment that is similar to that expected for their age. Their achievement in the Foundation Stage classes is satisfactory although they have too few opportunities to extend their learning outdoors

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Grade: 3

in all areas of learning. Pupils' progress in Years 1 to 6 is satisfactory and they maintain broadly average levels of attainment, reflected in the school's national test results. Although some teaching is very effective, the quality of teaching and learning is too variable to sustain good progress throughout the school. In particular, many lessons lack sufficient challenge because teachers do not make full use of the detailed information available about each pupil when planning lessons.Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is satisfactory. Relationships are harmonious between pupils, including those of different ethnic backgrounds. A substantial majority of parents have a positive view of the school. However, a minority express concerns, particularly about pupils' behaviour. Inspectors found that behaviour is satisfactory overall. Pupils generally behave well

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Grade: 3

in lessons, but the behaviour of a few older boys at playtimes and lunchtimes is not always good enough. The limited range of organised games and supervised small-group activities for older pupils starkly contrasts with the better provision for younger pupils. As one pupil said, 'More play stuff would be great on the back playgrounds... anything that will make playtimes more fun.' Governors, senior managers and other staff have worked successfully over the past year to implement a new policy and improve behaviour. Records are kept of behavioural incidents but are not precise enough. They have not been analysed sufficiently to enable the leadership to fully address the small amount of inappropriate behaviour. Leadership and management, including governance, are satisfactory. The headteacher and governors have carefully identified the right priorities for development. However, they have had too rosy a view of the school's

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Grade: 3

strengths and need to be more vigilant in evaluating and tackling weaknesses. New senior and middle management teams have now been set up to move the school forward at a faster pace and speed up pupils' progress. Initial evaluations are positive, suggesting a stronger team approach to improvements. However, it is too early to judge the full impact of this new organisation on pupils' achievement. The school has plenty of accurate data that shows pupils' progress linked to levels of the National Curriculum and small steps of learning in the Foundation Stage. However, this wealth of information is not used enough to check pupils' progress closely and set challenging targets to raise standards further.When account is taken of recent positive developments, such as the establishment of the computer suite and the broader 2 Inspection Report: Park View Primary School, 29 °30 January 2007 leadership teams, satisfactory improvement has been made since the last inspection.

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Grade: 3

The school provides satisfactory value for money. The new leadership, supported by governors, provides the school with satisfactory capacity to improve. As a parent stated, 'There is great potential at Park View Primary.'

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What the school should do to improve further

• Take a more rigorous approach to monitoring and evaluating the school's performance in order to improve pupils' progress. • Improve the consistency and challenge of teaching through effective use of assessment data so that all pupils achieve as well as they can. • Improve the monitoring and evaluation of records of behaviour, and extend organised activities at playtimes and lunchtimes for all pupils in order to raise standards of behaviour. • Provide more opportunities for outdoor education in the Foundation Stage classes in order to maximise children's learning and progress.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory. Pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage and in Years 1 to 6. Children start Nursery with a wide range of attainment although, overall, it is broadly average. Standards by the end of Year 6 are around the national average. The school's past results in the national tests for Year 6 pupils have shown consistently broadly average performance. However, the 2006 results showed variations with English performance better than mathematics, reflecting these pupils' abilities.

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Grade: 3

Most pupils enjoy coming to school and attendance rates are broadly average. Members of the school council stated that they like their teachers and enjoy learning a variety of different subjects and participating in sporting activities. But they also expressed some concerns about what they felt was the unsatisfactory behaviour of a small minority of their fellow pupils.Pupils know right from wrong. Almost all behave appropriately and often well in the classroom and around the school. In some lessons they work constructively together on different tasks, such as in a Year 4 mathematics lesson in which different groups were analysing prisms and pyramids. Pupils demonstrate pride in their successes and develop an appropriate understanding of their community and the lifestyles and beliefs of others. They say that they like sport and that they are encouraged to develop healthy lifestyles; the school's walking bus is testament to this

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Grade: 3

aspect of personal development. Pupils report that they find planned opportunities to sit with staff and other pupils to share their feelings beneficial. Assemblies include positive elements of spirituality with the inclusion of a lighted candle and the playing of some very calm and peaceful classical music. 3 Inspection Report: Park View Primary School, 29 °30 January 2007

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory, rather than good, as judged by the school, because pupils make satisfactory, rather than good, progress. In the lessons seen, the quality of teaching was too variable, ranging from outstanding to inadequate, to sustain good progress through the school. In all classes, teachers manage pupils' behaviour well and positive relationships aid pupils' learning. Teaching assistants successfully assist pupils in small-group work but are often used less well during whole-class teaching. In good or better lessons, pupils are very well behaved and keen to learn because the lessons are organised well to interest them. Teaching assistants take an integral part in the teaching and are used skilfully to support learners at all levels of attainment. Occasionally too much time is spent on whole-class teaching, resulting in some pupils losing concentration. Weaker teaching does not capture pupils'

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Grade: 3

interest, the pace of learning slows and pupils do not make fast enough progress. Teachers' planning is insufficiently linked to pupils' prior attainment, and questioning does not consistently provide enough challenge to ensure good progress. Marking is generally positive but rarely suggests enough how pupils can improve.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum and other activities are satisfactory. The school has just begun revising the curriculum, linking learning in different subjects to add enjoyment and purpose while maintaining a strong emphasis on basic skills. A new approach to personal, social, health and citizenship education has recently been introduced which is successfully promoting pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. New developments, such as teaching mathematics in Years 3 to 6 in ability groups, are well considered but have not raised standards fast enough. This is because planning has not focused closely enough on the prior attainment of individuals and groups of pupils. A satisfactory range of extra-curricular clubs is appreciated by pupils, although planned activities at playtimes and lunchtimes are too few, particularly for older pupils. In the Foundation Stage activities are planned carefully to provide ample opportunities indoors for children

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Grade: 3

to develop skills in all the areas of learning. However, limited outside education in the Nursery and Reception classes restricts children's progress.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall. Secure health and safety measures, risk assessments and adequate child protection procedures ensure a safe environment for pupils. Good use is made of the expertise of staff and external support agencies to support vulnerable pupils and those with specific learning difficulties. Systems for assessing pupils' attainment are thorough and recorded for each year group. Class-based 4 Inspection Report: Park View Primary School, 29 °30 January 2007 targets for improvement are set but individual targets for pupils linked to levels of the National Curriculum are not set. This limits pupils' understanding of the next steps in their learning.The school has introduced stronger and more effective strategies to promote good behaviour, which are having a positive impact. Aware of the concerns expressed by a minority of parents, the school records any incidents linked to the

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Grade: 3

occasional unsatisfactory behaviour of a small minority of pupils. However, these records have not been evaluated sufficiently to identify specific further actions.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher, supported by the governors and other senior managers, has a clear vision of how the school needs to improve. Through her monitoring, she is fully aware of the inconsistencies in teaching and has accurately identified the staff's professional development needs. However, the school's process of weighing up the evidence to judge quality and identify the success of developments is insecure. The recent appointment of an assistant headteacher has strengthened and widened the management roles, creating a stronger team approach to tackle such weaknesses. There are now detailed plans and a determination to raise standards and to promote pupils' personal development. Capable teaching assistants are deployed well to support the inclusion of all pupils. This inclusive approach is also reflected in the school's practice of seeking pupils' and parents' views. Strong links between governors and school managers ensure that governors are well informed and aware of the school's

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Grade: 3

areas for improvement. They have dealt satisfactorily with a range of management challenges that have confronted the school. However, too few governors visit the school during the school day to seek pupils' views and to work alongside teachers to find out for themselves the success of initiatives. 5 Inspection Report: Park View Primary School, 29 °30 January 2007 .

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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. 6 Inspection Report: Park View Primary School, 29 °30 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? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 4 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 3 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 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?

3 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: Park View Primary School, 29 °30 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: Park View Primary School, 29 °30 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for welcoming Mr Anderson, Mr Rigby and me to your school. We enjoyed our discussions and the time we spent with you. Our findings are that your school is providing you with a satisfactory education. The standard of most of your work by the time you leave the school is about average. Teaching and learning are satisfactory although they vary from class to class. We want the staff to make sure you all learn well in every lesson. We agree with you that the behaviour of a small minority of pupils is not good enough, particularly in the playgrounds. As most of the behavioural incidents happen at playtime and lunchtime, we have asked the school to provide more organised games and activities to make 'playtimes more fun', as one of you asked. We know that most of you behave well but a few pupils do need to improve their dealings with others. We have also asked the school to provide more opportunities for

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

children in Nursery and Reception to work outdoors.We want you to make better than satisfactory progress and so we have asked senior staff and governors to make more detailed checks on what the school does well and what it needs to do to improve. We have asked teachers to use the detailed information they have about how well you are doing to set you challenging targets so you can do even better. Senior staff can then check your progress towards these targets so that, if necessary, help can be given for you to reach higher standards. We want you to do your best to meet your targets. We appreciated talking to you about your work and watching you learn. We trust that you will continue to work with the headteacher and other staff to help them to improve the school. We wish you well for the future. 9 Inspection Report: Park View Primary School, 29 °30 January 2007

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