Captain Shaw's CofE School

Inspection Report Captain Shaw's C of E School

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112290 Unique Reference Number Cumbria Local Authority 289238 Inspection number 10 October 2006 Inspection date John Heap 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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Main Street School address Primary Type of school Bootle, Millom Voluntary controlled School category Cumbria, LA19 5TG 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01229 718279 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01229 718386 Fax number 26 Number on roll (school) Ms Debbie Collinson Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Helen Webber Headteacher 1 March 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 289238 10 October 2006 4 °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 a very small school with two classes, each of which has more than one age group. A small proportion of pupils is entitled to a free school meal and this reflects a local area that has little social and economic disadvantage. Pupils enter the school with broadly average attainment, but the very small numbers often include a wide range of abilities. All pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is broadly average. The teaching staff of the school has changed completely in the last two years. Very few pupils move in or out of the school at other than the usual times, but the population is falling.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Captain Shaw's C of E School, 10 October 2006

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Grade: 3

Inspectors agree with the school’s own evaluation that it is satisfactory. Furthermore, the school is right to identify pupils’ personal development as a strength that is promoted by the good care shown for all its pupils. As a result, pupils feel safe and secure and show a caring and considerate attitude to one another. They recognise that this is fostered by the good adult role models in the school. A school councillor put it clearly: ‘Everybody is nice and on their best behaviour.’ She is absolutely right because behaviour and relationships in the school are excellent. Pupils enjoy school and attendance is good. Children have a sound start in the Foundation Stage (Reception) and make satisfactory progress. Standards reached by Year 6 pupils are average. Care needs to be exercised in interpreting this information because of the very small number of pupils in a typical year group. One pupil often represents a quarter of the pupils in that year. More

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Grade: 3

important is how well pupils are doing from their various starting points: school records and national data show pupils to be making satisfactory progress. The strongest areas are reading, mathematics and science, but standards and progress in writing are not good enough. In particular, the inconsistent use of assessment data means that pupils’ learning targets are not as clear as they should be. Furthermore, teachers are not marking work strictly to the targets so that pupils know how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve further. As a result, the quality of teaching and learning is no more than satisfactory. Pupils’ sound basic skills and good attitudes to school and work ensure that they are well prepared for future schooling and the world beyond. The good curriculum is particularly effective in developing pupils’ knowledge and understanding of their personal needs, such as developing a healthy lifestyle. The

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Grade: 3

result is the school being awarded Healthy School and Activemark status. The school is developing a good team approach that includes a wide range of contributors, such as governors who provide skills in areas such as music and information and communication technology (ICT). Parents are highly supportive of the school and appreciate the way that pupils make a good contribution to the close-knit local community. Satisfactory leadership and management are playing an increasingly important role in identifying the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Leaders are also correct in their view that the school has developed strong systems for assessing pupils’ achievements but that these have not had enough time to impact on the quality of teaching and learning and pupils’ achievement. The reorganisation of the staff means that staff are making better use of their strengths and having a positive impact on learning. The

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Grade: 3

school development plan has appropriate priorities, but the measures of success do not often focus on the impact initiatives are intended to have on pupils’ standards and achievements. This has led to the overestimation of some areas, such as the quality of teaching and learning. 2 Inspection Report: Captain Shaw's C of E School, 10 October 2006

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in writing. • Quickly implement the consistent use of target-setting in lesson planning and marking, in order to inform pupils of how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve. • Sharpen the success criteria in the school improvement plan so that they focus on the intended impact on pupils’ learning.

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Grade: 3

Across the school, pupils’ progress and achievement are satisfactory. Children make satisfactory progress in Reception and most reach the nationally expected early learning goals by the time they enter Year 1. Those children with language or maturity delays who do not reach the expected level make good progress from their starting point. These children benefit greatly from the school’s supportive ethos. Progress is steady for the vast majority of pupils as they move through the school. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are supported well and often make good gains from their various starting points. Good support from outside agencies, such as the speech therapist, also plays a key part in their achievements. By the end of Year 2, pupils reach expected levels and make satisfactory progress. Results are weaker in writing. By the end of Year 6, standards are average. In English, the good standards in reading

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Grade: 3

make up for the weaker showing in writing. Provisional results from the 2006 national tests show that pupils made the expected gains from their previous results in Year 2. Boys did better than girls.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Particularly strong are social and moral developments that foster high quality behaviour and relationships. Older pupils have good opportunities to take care of the younger ones and show a good sense of responsibility. This leads to safe play and a sense of belonging. Pupils say they like to contribute to the village community and they recognise the hardships faced by many people in other parts of the world. As a result, they raise funds for places in Africa, for example. Pupils eat healthily and take part in vigorous exercise from an early age. Pupils’ future economic prospects are enhanced by their positive attitudes and the sound acquisition of basic learning skills. 3 Inspection Report: Captain Shaw's C of E School, 10 October 2006

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Grade: 3

Pupils say that they enjoy their lessons and learning. This is because they benefit from the hard work of staff who seek to improve their practice. Typical features in lessons are: • detailed planning and clear learning objectives that ensure pupils know what they are expected to learn • helpful use of the much improved ICT facilities, particularly for pupils with extra learning needs who progress well • good classroom management that leads to good concentration and few disruptions • effective work from classroom assistants, particularly for the youngest children and the most vulnerable. The information from the good procedures for assessing pupils is used adequately in subjects like mathematics and science. Consequently, recent evidence shows that pupils make most progress in these subjects. In writing, such data are not being used consistently, or well enough, to set learning targets that will promote good progress.

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Grade: 3

Where targets are identified, they are not sharp enough to promote good progress, or form a good basis for marking.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is broad, balanced and meets requirements. Reception children benefit from the full range of Foundation Stage activities. Many aspects of the curriculum make a significant contribution to pupils’ personal development and these are further enhanced by the contributions from external providers. Pupils’ all-round development is enhanced by their effective learning in music and art. Pupils rightly praise the good enrichment activities and they thoroughly enjoy visits and visitors. Provision for ICT has improved markedly and standards are rising. The use of ICT in learning about other subjects is becoming a strength.

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Grade: 2

Procedures for safeguarding the children are good, including child protection practices. Parents and children welcome greatly the safe and secure environment. The effective monitoring of behaviour, attendance and individual needs means that challenges are identified quickly and overcome. Teachers know their pupils well. Strong support is received from a range of outside agencies when the need occurs. The good procedures for monitoring pupils’ achievement are beginning to contribute well to teaching quality. A developing area is the way that pupils’ targets for improvement are becoming more influential in teachers’ planning, particularly in mathematics. Analysis of pupils’ answers 4 Inspection Report: Captain Shaw's C of E School, 10 October 2006 on national test papers are highlighting common shortcomings in their learning. However, individual targets are not applied consistently, for example in areas such as

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Grade: 3

This is a school that is going through change, including changes in management, staffing and falling rolls. Effective leadership by the headteacher has maintained the strengths the school, such as its very positive ethos. In addition, clear improvements are evident in ICT, assessment and the greater focus on improvement planning. The headteacher is well supported by governors and hard-working staff who want to improve. The priorities identified in the school improvement plan are the right ones. As a result, improvement is well established and the capacity to improve further is good. Some of the criteria for measuring success are weak, such as those about improving pupils’ progress. The school’s effective self-evaluation procedures and plans show clearly that there is more to do. The process of review benefits from the regular input of parents, pupils and the local authority. Financial management is prudent.

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Grade: 3

Governors are knowledgeable about the school and bring a great deal of relevant expertise to their role but they do not have sufficiently robust formal procedures to contribute independently to the school improvement plan. 5 Inspection Report: Captain Shaw's C of E School, 10 October 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. 6 Inspection Report: Captain Shaw's C of E School, 10 October 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 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

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 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 2 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?

2 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: Captain Shaw's C of E School, 10 October 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? 8 Inspection Report: Captain Shaw's C of E School, 10 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Captain Shaw's CofE School Main Street Bootle Millom Cumbria LA19 5TG 10 October 2006 Dear Children Thank you for making me feel so welcome in your school. I enjoyed talking to you about your work and hearing your views about the school. It was good to see you hard at work in lessons. I believe it is important that you know what the judgements are about your school and what the report will be telling your parents and the government. What I really liked about your school: • the good progress made by children with learning difficulties and disabilities • your good attitudes to school and the work that you are given • your excellent behaviour and relationships you develop • the way you play safely and know how to keep fit and healthy • the important contribution that you make to the running of the school and the contribution that you make through donations to charity • the good art and music teaching throughout the school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• the strong support that your parents give to the school. There are a few ways that will help you to achieve even better standards. • You need to improve your writing skills. • The marking of your work should do more to help you understand how well you are doing and what you need to do to improve further. • The school improvement plan needs to be clearer about how successful teachers want you to be. You can help by working hard and making every effort to do your very best. Good luck for the future. Yours sincerely John Heap Lead inspector 9 Inspection Report: Captain Shaw's C of E School, 10 October 2006

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