Glenaire Primary School

Glenaire Primary School Inspection report

p.1

107280 Unique Reference Number Bradford Local Authority 287777 Inspection number 14 °15 March 2007 Inspection dates Kath Halifax Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 217 School

p.1

The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Geoff Margetson Chair Mrs S Naylor Headteacher 25 February 2002 Date of previous school inspection Thompson Lane School address Baildon Shipley West Yorkshire BD17 7LY

p.1

01274 582514 Telephone number 01274 588397 Fax number

p.1

3 °11 Age group 14 °15 March 2007 Inspection dates 287777 Inspection number .

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 two Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

The school is situated on the outskirts of Bradford and serves an area of high unemployment. Most pupils are of White British heritage with a small number from mixed race families, all of whom speak English. The number of pupils in receipt of free school meals is above average, as is the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Two pupils are in the care of the local authority. The school has had considerable staffing changes over the past year.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Glenaire Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007

p.3

Grade: 2

Pupils are full of praise for the staff and activities at this good school. They say how much they enjoy attending and struggle to find anything they dislike. The majority of parents are of a similar opinion.Since the last inspection, standards have risen year on year in Key Stage 1. Whilst results have been variable in Key Stage 2, taking account of pupils' learning difficulties and/or disabilities and personal circumstances, other than in science, achievement was good. Standards are on track to continue to rise for a further three years. It is because of the good leadership and management that the school has raised standards and made progress since the last inspection despite difficult circumstances and a high staff turnover. Well-established procedures and mentoring have helped new staff, particularly the high proportion of newly qualified teachers, establish themselves quickly and make a considerable contribution to pupils'

p.4

Grade: 2

progress and school life. Teaching is good. Teachers are confident and work very closely with skilled support staff. This, combined with the good curriculum, contributes well to the good achievement. Teachers mark pupils' work conscientiously. Where the practice is best, as well as praising success, the marking provides suggestions for pupils to improve, but teachers do not do this consistently. The attainment of children entering the Nursery is significantly below average. As a result of the good provision, especially the high quality support staff, children make good progress in the Foundation Stage, but few achieve the expected levels by the time they enter Year 1. Nevertheless, pupils make good progress in Years 1 to 6, so by Year 6, standards in lessons are broadly average, other than in science. While pupils make satisfactory progress in science, standards are below average in all age groups. Pupils make good gains in

p.4

Grade: 2

their personal development because of the good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. They are justifiably proud of their achievements in school and in the community. Through the excellent provision for physical education (PE) and work towards the Healthy Schools Standard pupils have a very good understanding of keeping safe and healthy. Even the youngest children comment, 'fruit makes you healthy' and, 'it gives you energy'. Furthermore, the PE programme has had a substantial effect on pupils' behaviour, especially boys. Care, support and guidance are good. The pastoral care given to pupils and families is excellent. Parents appreciate the work of staff. Remarks such as, 'they are more like friends of the family', are representative of the feelings of many. Action by the parental involvement worker has been instrumental in improving attendance and punctuality. Having been an issue

p.4

Grade: 2

at the last inspection, attendance is now satisfactory and for this year is above the national average. Pupils receive useful guidance but, although all have targets for improvement, these are not used consistently and records in pupils' books are not up to date. Leaders are accurate in their evaluation of the school's performance. With the balance of experience and knowledge of longer serving staff, and the aspirations and enthusiasm of new appointments, the school is in a good position to continue to improve. It provides good value for money.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in science. • Make better use of marking and target setting so pupils know what they need to do to improve. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Glenaire Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007

p.4

Grade: 2

Taking account of prior learning, achievement is good for all abilities. Though there are variances in each year group, attainment on entry is well below average. From a very low baseline, especially in communication, language and literacy, mathematics, and social development, children make good progress in the Foundation Stage because of effective teaching and a well-planned programme. The good progress continues in Key Stage 1 so standards have risen to below average by the end of Year 2. Progress in reading is very good in this age group. Pupils continue to make good gains in Key Stage 2 with achievement in English being especially pleasing. Leaders acknowledge that the focus on literacy and numeracy has been at the expense of science. While pupils make satisfactory progress, standards were affected by the way the subject was taught. This was especially so in Year 6 where the subject was taught in isolation.

p.5

Grade: 2

In many classes, there is too little practical work. The key issues of the previous inspection to raise standards in information and communication technology (ICT) and art have been met. Achievement in PE is very good because of the range of sports available and a very good programme. Similarly, achievement in music is high. Pupils who have a gift in these subjects are readily identified and helped to develop their talent. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve equally as well as others because of early identification and good provision, including small group work and individual programmes.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy school and the majority are very well behaved. They are enthusiastic about their learning, becoming animated when, for example, describing the 'Flying Slug' project. From starting in the Nursery pupils are sociable, outgoing and welcoming to visitors. 'I like school because we make good friends and help each other out.' said one. Through good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development they learn to share and to respect and care for others. Pupils of all ages have a very good awareness of the responsibilities of citizenship. From a young age they raise funds for charity and make considerable contributions to the school and wider community. Work with the elderly and addressing a local meeting on the subject of 'Respect' are just two examples of the outstanding contribution made to the village. Recognising that breaks were problem times for behaviour, through the school council,

p.5

Grade: 2

pupils have redesigned and raised funds to equip the playground to relieve boredom and improve behaviour. The life skills pupils learn, together with their improving basic skills, ensure that they are well prepared for life beyond school.

p.5

Grade: 2

The good quality of teaching is reflected in pupils' good learning and good progress. Teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects they teach and the pupils in their care. Specialist teaching in music and PE has resulted in very good progress in these subjects. Support assistants are well-trained and contribute considerably to the progress of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Most lessons are conducted with urgency and a variety of activities, but, on occasion, introductions take too long so pupils' concentration wanes. Teachers plan their 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Glenaire Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007 lessons conscientiously and mark work regularly. The quality of marking, however, is variable. While work is suitably praised the marking does not indicate what pupils need to do to make greater progress. Teachers are now more confident in using ICT to support learning. The skilled

p.5

Grade: 2

use of interactive white boards fascinates pupils and has raised standards in ICT. Furthermore, technology is used well to draft, refine and present work.

p.6

Grade: 2

The good curriculum contributes well to pupils' achievements and well-being. Good use is made of small group work and additional sessions to boost pupils' confidence and increase progress. A range of visits, visitors and clubs make learning interesting and meaningful. Some teachers are adapting well to making the links between different subjects, but leaders recognise the curriculum is still too compartmentalised. The provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good, as is that for those who are gifted. A particularly successful venture, 'learning through landscapes', has captured pupils' imagination and is carried through in the work of the gardening club in the allotment.

p.6

Grade: 2

Pastoral care is an outstanding feature of this school. All staff show a very strong concern for the well-being of pupils and their families. 'There is always someone to help you,' said one pupil. Others say they feel safe and confirm that the school is a community where bullying is not tolerated. The learning mentor and the parental involvement worker play key roles in supporting individual pupils and their families. Arrangements for health and safety, including those for child protection, are rigorously implemented and links with external agencies are effective. Pupils receive good guidance and are well prepared for secondary education. Their progress is checked carefully so extra help can be provided when needed. All have learning targets in literacy and numeracy, but the way these are used varies between classes. Not all pupils are clear enough about how well they are doing and how they can do even better.

p.6

Grade: 2

Strong leadership and good management have resulted in an effective school that is clear about its strengths and accurate in its areas for improvement. Leadership has built an effective team that is contributing to raising standards. Working with governors, they have made some very good appointments. The high staff turnover has meant subject management is still an area for development, but leaders have ensured the important areas of numeracy, literacy, ICT and support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are very well managed. Rigorous systems to track pupils' progress are especially effective in bridging gaps in learning and in producing challenging end of year targets for pupils and for the school. Governance is satisfactory. For the first time in many years, all the positions are filled. Governors provide good moral support for the school and visit whenever time allows. They are enthusiastic, but many

p.6

Grade: 2

are new and still finding their feet. Useful weekly discussions between the chair of governors and headteacher ensure governors are kept abreast of all that is happening. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Glenaire Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007 .

p.6

Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Glenaire Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007

p.7

Inspection judgements

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

p.8

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

p.8

Achievement and standards

2 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 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.8

learners?

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

p.8

and interests of learners?

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

p.8

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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Glenaire Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007

p.8

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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Glenaire Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007

p.9

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Mr Allen and I enjoyed visiting your school. We thought the tour of the school by school council members was very informative. Thank you for taking time to talk to us and for sharing lunch with us. Glenaire gives you a good education and some things are especially pleasing. These are the main ones. • You have a good attitude to school, are well behaved and work hard. • You make good progress and achieve well. • You make very good progress in physical education and are learning to keep safe and healthy. • You achieve very well in music. Your singing is of a high standard. • Staff at Glenaire take very good care of you and provide very good support for your families. Here are the things we have asked to be done to make the school even better. • Raise standards in science. • Make sure you are clear how you can make even better progress through clearer marking in books and better target setting. We enjoyed our short time with you and wish you well for the future.

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

10 of 10 Inspection Report: Glenaire Primary School, 14 °15 March 2007

p.10