Lynnfield Primary School

Inspection Report Lynnfield Primary School

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111590 Unique Reference Number Hartlepool Local Authority 288996 Inspection number 30 November °1 December 2006 Inspection dates Lynne Read 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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Grosvenor Street School address Primary Type of school Hartlepool Community School category TS26 8RL 3 °11 Age range of pupils 01429 275122 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01429 275124 Fax number 355 Number on roll (school) Cllr Carl Richardson Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Joy Lowe Headteacher 1 June 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 288996 30 November °1 December 2006 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 larger than average school serves an area of high social deprivation. A high proportion of pupils enters or leaves the school part way through their education. The proportion of pupils claiming free school meals is much higher than average. There is a higher percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities than in most schools. Most pupils come from White British backgrounds and some have Asian heritage. Around 20% of pupils are learning English as an additional language.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lynnfield Primary School, 30 November °1 December 2006

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Grade: 3

Lynnfield Primary is a satisfactory school that gives satisfactory value for money. Parents have confidence in the school and appreciate the good care that their children receive. Managers and staff have developed good partnerships with other schools and agencies that provide additional experiences and expertise to support and broaden pupils’ development. Although standards are significantly below average, achievement is satisfactory overall. However, this is not good enough to raise the attainment sufficiently for those pupils who enter the nursery with low levels of development. This is because progress is variable and not good enough in writing and for the more able pupils. Progress in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory overall. It is good in personal and social development but children’s language and communication skills and their understanding of the world are well below expectations when they enter Year 1. In July 2006, results for Year 6

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Grade: 3

pupils improved slightly in science and mathematics at the expected Level 4. The improvements were due to higher expectations in lessons and the introduction of special sessions to boost learning. Similar good measures were taken in English, together with better guidance to help pupils improve. However, attainment in this subject did not improve because there was insufficient time to address in full the unsatisfactory progress and past under-achievement in writing. The numbers of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 in all three subjects were well below average. Pupils’ personal development is good and a strength of the school. Staff go to great lengths to involve families and specialists in overcoming issues that might adversely affect pupils’ academic or personal development. Pupils say they feel safe and happy within this very caring environment and that they enjoy their lessons. Much work has been done to improve teaching. It is satisfactory overall with much

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Grade: 3

that is now good. The good assessment information and new system of setting targets are helping most teachers to set higher expectations of what pupils can achieve. Some teaching, however, does not fully challenge the more able pupils and there are inconsistencies in practice. The curriculum has also undergone recent development in order to link subjects together and provide more opportunities for pupils to practise the skills they are learning. It is satisfactory with a good range of enrichment activities. In the Foundation Stage, planning does not provide enough active learning opportunities for children to consolidate new language skills and a general understanding of their world. Throughout school, a good emphasis on personal and health education ensures that pupils understand how to stay safe and maintain a healthy lifestyle. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Managers and governors pay good

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Grade: 3

attention to checking the qualifications and suitability of staff. The new senior managers share a strong commitment to raising standards and have made some important changes to the provision. Some initial improvements in attainment are evident but the full impact, in terms of higher standards, has yet to materialise. Overall, improvement since the previous inspection has been satisfactory and staff are making 2 Inspection Report: Lynnfield Primary School, 30 November °1 December 2006 good use of the support provided by the local authority. Lynnfield has sound capacity to improve further. Although the school’s overall effectiveness is satisfactory, its performance in a couple of aspects is inadequate. Before its next section 5 inspection, Ofsted inspectors may visit the school to monitor the progress that it has made in remedying these weaknesses. The school would receive two to five days notice of such a visit.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve standards and achievement, especially in writing and for the more able pupils. • Increase the achievement of children in the Foundation Stage, especially in language skills and in general understanding of the world. • Raise the overall quality of teaching to the good standard seen in some lessons.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory overall although standards are significantly below average. Children enter the Nursery with low levels of knowledge and skills for their age. In personal and social development, they make good progress in this and the Reception classes. Progress in language skills and in their understanding of the world is not good enough. By the end of Reception, their abilities remain very low in these two areas. After satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2, standards are still well below average; the strongest area being mathematics and the weakest in writing. From a low start on entry to Year 3, pupils make satisfactory progress in the juniors but this is not good enough to raise their overall level of attainment. School data shows that in 2006 the proportion of pupils attaining the expected Level 4 improved slightly in mathematics and science, halting the recent decline. The proportion doing

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Grade: 3

so in English remained well below average because writing is weak. Across the subjects, few pupils attain the higher Level 5 because the more able ones are not stretched enough in all lessons. There are some differences in progress between subjects. Progress in mathematics is satisfactory and improving due to higher expectations in teaching and a stronger start in the Foundation Stage. In reading, pupils make sound progress but their skills in writing are not as well developed as they should be. Pupils have a sound level of scientific knowledge but their work in investigation and experimentation is not developed well enough. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, those who transfer from other schools, and those from different ethnic groups progress satisfactorily. Those who are learning English as an additional language have good support and make as much progress as their peers. 3 Inspection Report: Lynnfield Primary School, 30 November °1 December 2006

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good and are strengths of the school. Pupils are attentive in class and enjoy their lessons. Behaviour is very good; pupils say they feel safe. In discussions, pupils speak knowledgeably about faiths and cultures that are different from their own and are sympathetic to the needs of others. The happy and friendly atmosphere within the school community derives from the effective promotion of racial harmony and equality. Pupils know how to follow a healthy lifestyle and, for example, they take good advantage of the out-of-school sporting activities and competitions. Attendance figures have improved due to the hard work of the school’s inclusion officer who has forged productive links with families. The attendance rate is just below average. The underlying trend is better than this if the many absences taken to celebrate religious festivals or for extended visits to homelands during the year are

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Grade: 2

taken into consideration. The school has very good systems in place to reward positive attitudes and discourage absence. Pupils’ moral, social and cultural development is good and promoted by visits and visitors as well as by teaching. Spiritual development is satisfactory. Pupils follow the school rules and clearly know right from wrong. Many opportunities for collaborative work and play help to develop good social skills. Although pupils’ language and mathematical skills are below average, an understanding of economic well-being is soundly supported through opportunities for decision-making, for example through the pupil council, and by taking responsibilities around school. These measures also ensure that pupils take an active role within the school community. Document reference number: HMI 2507 01 September 2006Inspection Report:Lynnfield Primary School, 30 November °1 December 20067Document reference number: HMI

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Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory overall with some good practice, especially for the oldest pupils. Teaching and learning in the Foundation Stage are satisfactory. Across all age groups, relationships in lessons are very good and pupils trust their teachers. This means that they develop good attitudes to learning and a willingness to persevere with tasks. Many worthwhile improvements have been made in teaching but they are not all embedded as yet. In some classes, the new guidance and marking systems are promoting good progress and helping pupils to evaluate their own work. In most lessons, tasks are set at different levels of difficulty but they do not always challenge the more able pupils fully. In science, work is too often set at one level and 4 Inspection Report: Lynnfield Primary School, 30 November °1 December 2006 there is not enough emphasis on developing pupils’ investigative and experimental skills. Many lessons include a good amount of practical and oral work which appeals

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Grade: 3

to the more active learners and promotes enjoyment generally. In some lessons, including those in the Foundation Stage, pupils listen passively to the teacher for too long. Teachers are seeking out more opportunities for pupils to write when studying other subjects, but there is scope to increase these opportunities. Presentation is good for the older pupils but teachers sometimes accept work that is crossed out or is untidy in the infant and younger junior classes.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory overall with a good range of enrichment activities. New planning arrangements cater for pupils’ different needs within the lessons but do not consistently provide enough challenge for the more able. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. Staff plan a variety of activities but these are not sufficiently well linked together nor do they make enough use of the outdoor learning area. This reduces opportunities for children to consolidate their vocabulary and language skills and develop greater understanding of the world. The school has developed a good range of links with organisations and individuals that provide effective enrichment opportunities and a creative approach to learning. Because of this, pupils enjoy their work, particularly in subjects such as art and design and physical education. Pupils are inspired through the visits they make and their work

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Grade: 3

with authors, artists and sports people. Close links with the secondary school provide additional experiences in computer work, physical education and science. They help to prepare pupils for the next phase of their education.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall. Care and support for pupils’ personal development are good and ensure that pupils are confident learners. The school puts great emphasis on teaching about healthy lifestyles which is recognised by the Healthy Schools Award. Effective support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities helps them take a full part in lessons. New guidance has been developed to help pupils to improve their work; it is still in the developmental stage and is satisfactory. The ‘success criteria’ cards used in writing are very effective in helping pupils to develop their skills and to evaluate their own work. Very helpful marking in writing is focused on the main aims of the lesson; it clearly tells the individual what is good and what needs improving. These good systems are not extended to mathematics as yet and are not consistently applied in all classes.

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Grade: 3

5 Inspection Report: Lynnfield Primary School, 30 November °1 December 2006

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The new leadership team includes ‘raising achievement’ coordinators and has introduced important improvements in teaching, learning, assessment and guidance. Managers are in the process of monitoring and evaluating the new systems. They clearly know the strengths and weaknesses in school and are fully aware that not all improvements are fully embedded. Among staff, there is a strong commitment and determination to raise standards and improve achievement. The headteacher is instrumental in maintaining the good, caring ethos shared by all adults. Parents commend the approachability of staff. The school development plan is clearly focused on improving pupils’ academic development, but action to improve unsatisfactory progress has not been effective enough in the past. The resulting pockets of underachievement have caused the decline in standards. Governance is satisfactory and all statutory requirements are met. The governors are

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Grade: 3

supportive but are aware that they need to take a more active role in monitoring standards and achievement. 6 Inspection Report: Lynnfield Primary School, 30 November °1 December 2006 .

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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: Lynnfield Primary School, 30 November °1 December 2006

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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 3 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? 4 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?

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 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 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. 8 Inspection Report: Lynnfield Primary School, 30 November °1 December 2006

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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? 9 Inspection Report: Lynnfield Primary School, 30 November °1 December 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Lynnfield Primary School Grosvenor Street Hartlepool TS26 8RL 30 November 2006 Dear Pupils Thank you very much for the warm welcome and for helping my colleagues and me when we came to visit your school. I would like to tell you what we found out. Lynnfield School is a very friendly place and your behaviour is good. We really appreciated your smiles and the way you helped us to find our way around school. It was lovely to see how children from different faiths and cultures get on so well and take such good care of each other. You are a credit to your teachers and families. You enjoy your learning and love the variety of clubs, visits and visitors. The adults in school work very hard to make sure you are happy and safe. You like your teachers and we think that encourages you to try hard. Please thank your parents for sending us lots of replies to the questionnaire. They are very pleased with the school and have hardly any

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

criticisms to make. Your progress in lessons is getting better ° well done! With continued hard work you can do even better! We know that some of you enjoy extra challenges so we have asked your teachers to make sure that these are always included in your lessons. For example, we believe you would benefit from more work on solving problems and investigating, especially in mathematics and science. Your teachers agree and so will be making some changes. Your writing is beginning to improve - we especially liked the way you use your ‘success criteria’ cards and take good note of the advice that some of your teachers give in their marking. We think that if the children in the Nursery and Reception classes spent more time on early writing skills, as well as learning about their world, this might help them as they progress through the school. Thank you once again for the interesting conversations we had and for letting us know your

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

views so clearly. Please accept my best wishes for the future. Yours sincerely Mrs Lynne Read Lead Inspector 10 Inspection Report: Lynnfield Primary School, 30 November °1 December 2006

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