Roseberry Primary and Nursery School

Inspection Report Roseberry Primary and Nursery School

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114208 Unique Reference Number Durham Local Authority 289835 Inspection number 8 °9 November 2006 Inspection dates Linda Buller 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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Pelton Lane School address Primary Type of school Pelton, Chester le Street Community School category County Durham, DH2 1NP 3 °11 Age range of pupils 0191 3700182 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0191 3702996 Fax number 218 Number on roll (school) Cllr Joe Knox Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Gordon Jones Headteacher 1 November 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 289835 8 °9 November 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Roseberry is an average sized Primary and Nursery school. The school is in an area that is socially and economically disadvantaged. The proportion of pupils claiming a free school meal is twice the national average. A similar proportion to that seen nationally has learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Most pupils are of White British heritage with a few who are from a minority ethnic origin. None of these pupils speaks English as an additional language. Numbers at the school have fallen significantly over recent years and are now approximately half those seen at the last inspection.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Roseberry Primary and Nursery School, 8 °9 November 2006

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Grade: 3

Although the school’s overall effectiveness is satisfactory, its performance in a few respects 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. From a low base when they enter the Nursery, children make good progress in the Foundation Stage as a result of good quality provision. However, when they leave Reception, standards remain below those expected. Pupils achieve satisfactorily in Key Stages 1 and 2 but continue to attain standards below the national average. In the 2006 national tests, results for Year 6 pupils improved following a significant decline in 2005 from the high levels achieved in 2004. This is the result of recent improvements in teaching and the curriculum, which are both satisfactory with some strengths. The improved consistency of teaching is beginning to raise standards,

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Grade: 3

particularly in writing. Mathematics remains a weak aspect of pupils’ performance, because the work provided is not matched closely enough to the needs of all pupils, especially those in the middle ranges of ability. Imaginative teaching and learning activities, including the good use of interactive whiteboards, are raising pupils' expectations and adding to their enjoyment of lessons. The school has recently introduced a new system to check on how well pupils are doing. This has resulted in much quicker intervention for those pupils who are experiencing difficulty in their learning and additional challenge for those who are gifted or talented. Curricular provision for pupils' personal development is a school priority; thorough attention is given to moral development and issues such as healthy eating. Consequently, pupils have a strong awareness of how to adopt a healthy lifestyle. They feel safe and have a good understanding of the need to be aware of the safety

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Grade: 3

of others. Pupils, in the main, enjoy coming to school, although a significant minority have too many absences. In 2006, attendance in Year 6 often fell below 90%. Missing one in ten lessons has a significant impact on pupils’ progress and the standards they attain. Pupils’ development as responsible citizens is good through their contribution to the school and wider community. Although satisfactory, opportunities are missed to contribute to pupils’ future economic well-being, for example, in the effective development of pupils’ numeracy skills. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The school accurately judges most areas of its work to be satisfactory. Although the school was initially slow to make improvements following the last inspection, there are now clear signs that the school has the capacity to improve further. Phase leaders have begun to track pupils’ progress and this is beginning to pay dividends. Areas of underachievement have been

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Grade: 3

recognised and a number of initiatives have been put in place to help pupils close the gaps in their learning. However, there is still no whole-school system to monitor the impact of its work or the progress pupils make from one key stage to another. As a result, plans to improve the school are not yet focused clearly enough on raising standards. Governors are supportive and ensure that pupils are well cared for and 2 Inspection Report: Roseberry Primary and Nursery School, 8 °9 November 2006 happy in school; they have not, however, held the school sufficiently to account for its performance.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Establish a whole-school system to effectively monitor the progress made by pupils. • Establish a clear vision for improvement based firmly on a rigorous approach to raising standards. • Quicken the progress of Key Stage 2 pupils in mathematics. • Improve levels of attendance. • Improve the rigour of governance.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory and, although standards are below the national average by the end of Year 6, they are similar to those found at the time of the last inspection. Children start school in the Nursery with skills and knowledge well below those typical of three-year-olds. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage but standards remain below those expected when they reach Year 1. In the 2005 national tests at both key stages, the results fell because of poor assessment systems leading to provision that did not meet the needs of all pupils. Action taken by the school to improve standards has had some success and in 2006 standards in Key Stage 2 improved. Currently pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, make satisfactory progress. The progress that the current Year 6 pupils made in mathematics slowed after they left Year 2. Because of this, they still have

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Grade: 3

some ground to make up to match the above average standards for their age that they attained in mathematics when in Year 2.

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Grade: 3

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is satisfactory. Most pupils say they enjoy school; despite this, attendance is inadequate. Too many pupils do not attend regularly and this limits their learning and progress. Behaviour in lessons is good. Behaviour at breaktime, though good-natured can become boisterous because there are insufficient activities for pupils and they don’t have enough opportunities to enjoy the quiet quadrangle area within the school. Pupils are very aware of the importance of a healthy diet and this is reflected by the long queues of pupils waiting to buy fresh fruit for their midday snack. The pupils are well informed about how to keep themselves safe and value the ‘safety carousel,’ which equips them well to be aware of the dangers of illegal drugs and smoking. Pupils have a mature knowledge of their responsibility to their own locality

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Grade: 3

and to the wider global community. They are very proud of efforts to raise funds for 3 Inspection Report: Roseberry Primary and Nursery School, 8 °9 November 2006 Children in Need and the NSPCC. Equally, they realise the importance of learning about the culture and faiths which are different from their own. This prepares them well for their future lives in a multi-cultural Britain.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Teaching is characterised by the use of a variety of techniques to arouse the interest of pupils and making learning enjoyable, especially through the use of interactive whiteboards. Throughout the school, lesson planning is good because it shows clearly what pupils are expected to learn. The sharing of this information with pupils helps them to stay focused on what is important and to make at least satisfactory progress. Until recently, teachers did not have enough information about the progress that pupils were making and this is the key reason why progress has not been quick enough to raise standards. This is improving and, in the main, work is well matched accurately to pupils’ varying needs. This is particularly effective in literacy for higher attaining pupils and those who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities; as a result, standards in writing, for example, have improved. In mathematics, the teaching does not always

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Grade: 3

provide work that is well matched to the needs of all pupils, in particular those in the middle ranges of ability. Consequently, these pupils do not consistently learn well enough or make the progress of which they are capable.

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Grade: 3

Although its curriculum is satisfactory, the school recognises that in the past it has not been as responsive to the needs of the pupils as it should have been in order for standards to rise. Recent changes to the school day, more time for pupils to develop their writing skills and more focused support for pupils are beginning to improve learning. There is an effective programme of social and health education, which provides the pupils with the necessary tools to develop personal safety, care and healthy living. The school provides pupils with good opportunities to learn how they can become responsible citizens who respect and care for each other and their environment. This is evident by how much pupils enjoy the special projects such as ‘World Cup week’ and ‘International week’ and their visit to the Houses of Parliament and BBC Radio. There is a suitable range of out of school clubs, which are well attended.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Appropriate procedures are used to safeguard pupils’ welfare, health and safety. Pupils who are particularly vulnerable receive sensitive care and support from teachers and assistants, which enables them 4 Inspection Report: Roseberry Primary and Nursery School, 8 °9 November 2006 to take a full part in the life of the school. The support for higher and lower attaining pupils is effective; it has improved as a result of the school having a more accurate picture of their standards and progress. In most lessons, pupils have a clear understanding of how they can improve their work and know what they need to do to move on to the next stage in their learning. The school provides a breakfast club, which has been successful in improving punctuality, but the school’s strategies to improve attendance have not been sufficiently rigorous and attendance remains well

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The school’s evaluation that this is a satisfactory school is accurate. They have, however, been slow to recognise that it is weaknesses in their systems for tracking pupils’ progress that have prevented effective action to raise standards. The school’s leaders have responded well to advice and support from external consultants and they are implementing significant changes, which have been successful in raising standards in writing. Nevertheless, there is still no whole-school overview of how well pupils are doing and, as a result, the vision for future improvement is still not firmly enough concentrated on raising standards. The school’s priority of creating a school where both staff and pupils are happy and safe has been more successful with improvements in teaching and pupils’ enjoyment of their education. This has also been a key priority for governors but, as a result, their

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Grade: 3

actions to hold the school to account for achieving appropriate standards of attainment have been inadequate. 5 Inspection Report: Roseberry Primary and Nursery School, 8 °9 November 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: Roseberry Primary and Nursery School, 8 °9 November 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? 2 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 No 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 4 The attendance of learners 3 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. 7 Inspection Report: Roseberry Primary and Nursery School, 8 °9 November 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: Roseberry Primary and Nursery School, 8 °9 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Roseberry Primary and Nursery School Pelton Lane Pelton Chester le Street County Durham DH2 1NP 8 November 2006 Dear Pupils Thank you for all your help during my recent visit to your school. It was good to see how well your teachers take care of you and that you know so much about how to keep yourselves safe and healthy. Most of you said that you enjoyed school but some of you do not attend as regularly as you should. You could help to improve your school by coming every day. Your favourite lessons are clearly the ones where you are given the chance to join in, especially when using the interactive whiteboards, and your teachers are trying hard to make your lessons interesting and fun. I have asked the school and your governors to keep a careful check on how well you are doing and to think more carefully about how the standards of your work could be better. I have also asked your teachers to give some of you more challenging work because, at the moment, some

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

of you are not doing as well as you should, especially in mathematics. Thank you once again for the time you spent telling me about your school and I wish you every success for the future. Yours sincerely Linda Buller Lead inspector 9 Inspection Report: Roseberry Primary and Nursery School, 8 °9 November 2006

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