Padiham Primary School

Inspection Report Padiham Primary School

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119164 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 291342 Inspection number 22 °23 February 2007 Inspection dates Mary Sewell 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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Burnley Road School address Primary Type of school Padiham, Burnley Community School category Lancashire, BB12 8SJ 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01282 772496 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01282 770681 Fax number 300 Number on roll (school) Mr John Greenwood Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr John Hughes Headteacher 1 April 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291342 22 °23 February 2007 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Padiham is a larger than average split-site primary school which serves the local area of Padiham near Burnley. A larger than average proportion of pupils has learning difficulties and disabilities, four have English as an additional language and two are in the care of the local authority. The school also has a higher than average proportion of pupils who either join or leave the school during the academic year.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Padiham Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Grade: 3

Padiham School is a satisfactory and improving school. It gives satisfactory value for money. Standards are below average. Achievement, although satisfactory, was not as good in 2006 as it had been in previous years. Up until 2005, pupils made good progress, from a below average start on entry, to attain standards which were average by the time they left the school. In 2006, standards by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 were below the national average and pupils made satisfactory progress between these years. Pupils make similar satisfactory progress in Reception but many of them do not attain their early learning goals by the time they reach Year 1. Teaching and learning are satisfactory and improving, and pupils’ progress, although a little erratic, is satisfactory. Where learning slows, especially among the more able pupils, learning targets do not provide enough challenge or give pupils clear enough

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Grade: 3

guidance to show what they need to do to improve their work. Personal development and well-being are good. Pupils behave well, feel safe and are aware of what to do to stay healthy. They enjoy attending school and have good attitudes to learning. Pupils take part in projects which raise awareness of economic issues and life in the community but they are keen to have further opportunities to have their views listened to. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are well supported by teaching assistants. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall. Although the school has some attainment data and is able to predict pupils’ performance, it does not use this information well enough to focus on individual pupils’ needs. The systems for monitoring teaching and learning are not frequent or rigorous enough to identify inconsistencies in practice and, as a result, pupils in some classes are making better

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Grade: 3

progress than others. The school’s self-evaluation is satisfactory but not yet firmly rooted in evidence. The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection and has a sound capacity to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Set pupils realistic learning targets in order to raise standards of achievement. • Ensure monitoring procedures are effective, in order to identify weaknesses in teaching and then to remedy them.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory and pupils attain broadly average standards. Children make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage but attain below nationally expected standards by the time they enter Year 1. In Key Stage 1, pupils continue to make 2 Inspection Report: Padiham Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007 satisfactory progress and attain standards that are below average in reading, writing and mathematics. In Key Stage 2, pupils make satisfactory progress in most lessons and good in other lessons. In the 2006 Year 6 national tests, pupils attained below average results in English, mathematics and science. Up to 2005, standards have fluctuated between average and above average with mathematics and science results consistently better than those for English. Overall, the trend is very similar to the national trend. Achievement is satisfactory. Writing standards, particularly those that boys attain, are

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Grade: 3

lower than standards in other subjects. The school’s leaders have put in place sound strategies to improve writing standards and in lessons pupils now make good progress. As a result, standards in writing are rising. Apart from writing, there are no significant differences in the attainment of boys and girls. They make similar progress in lessons. Pupils who learn English as an additional language make satisfactory progress in lessons and attain standards similar to their classmates. The very small number of vulnerable pupils makes slower progress than most pupils in the school. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make satisfactory progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. Pupils enjoy coming to school, have positive attitudes to their work and behave well. The good relationships between pupils and staff produce a positive learning environment. Pupils say they feel safe and they are noticeably considerate of other pupils around the school and in the playground. They are aware of the importance of a healthy diet and some of them take part in a project to prevent obesity. The spiritual, moral and social development of pupils is good. Attendance has improved significantly since the last inspection and is now satisfactory. Most pupils attend regularly but, despite the school’s best efforts, there is still a core group of pupils whose attendance is poor. Pupils’ confidence develops during their time in the school but they would like more opportunities for their views to be listened to. Year 6 pupils take pride in their

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Grade: 2

responsibilities as prefects. They develop enterprise skills, contribute effectively to the community and take part in fund-raising activities and in the ‘Enterprise Challenge for Primary Schools’.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall, and not as good as the school believes. In all classes, pupils are clear about what they are going to learn because teachers take care to introduce the work in small units. 3 Inspection Report: Padiham Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007 Teachers’ relationships with pupils are good, they raise pupils’ self esteem through regular encouragement and praise. Teachers’ planning is generally satisfactory; it accommodates learners of all abilities, makes good use of resources and promotes concentration. In one such lesson on Hinduism an enthusiastic Year 2 group had some fun recalling the story of Rama and Sita and learned well. However, in some lessons, the most able children are not sufficiently challenged and as a result fail to achieve the high standards they are capable of. Pupils' work is regularly marked and strengths are highlighted, but there is some

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Grade: 3

inconsistent practice across the school. Frequently, marking fails to identify what pupils need to do in order to improve, and does not provide pupils with an individual target to aim for. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are well supported by teaching assistants.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory and, although it meets the needs of the vast majority of pupils, it is not as good as the school believes. There is an understandable focus on raising standards in literacy and numeracy and planning has been adjusted to promote the development of key skills in reading, writing and mathematics in all subjects. The school provides a structured personal, social, health, and emotional curriculum. Every effort is made to develop pupils’ awareness that they live in a multicultural society and there are diverse faiths in Britain. The school has correctly identified the need to develop speaking and listening skills and has established extra time for drama and discussion work. The curriculum is enriched by some sporting activities but currently not by residential experiences, or by effective links with the nearby high school.

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Grade: 3

The quality of care, support and guidance is satisfactory and not good as the school believes. Staff and pupil relationships are good; pupils feel cared for and feel that their teachers help them. Reward schemes to support pupils’ attitudes to work are having a positive effect. Child protection and health and safety procedures are understood by all the staff. Risk assessments for educational visits are in place and the headteacher reports that staff follow health and safety procedures to keep pupils safe for other areas of school life. The majority of pupils say that they are confident that any incidents of bullying and racism are dealt with quickly. Pupils’ academic guidance is weak. Pupils do not know how they are progressing or what they need to do to improve their work, and the practice of setting targets for improvement is inconsistent. Consequently progress is not as good as it could be. 4 Inspection Report: Padiham Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Grade: 3

Overall leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher is ably supported by a deputy headteacher who works hard to ensure the smooth running of the school. Considerable time is lost by senior teachers moving from one site to another and this affects the accessibility of the headteacher. The school was too generous in its judgements about its own effectiveness, which is satisfactory and not good. This is because, although senior managers are able to identify underachieving pupils, their systems for monitoring the work of the school are not rigorous or robust enough to identify weaknesses in teaching and learning. Subject leaders are keen to bring about improvement but are not given sufficient time to monitor standards across the school. Governors know the school well and are supportive, but not vigilant enough to ensure that the quality of progress is as good as it should be. Parents think well of the school

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Grade: 3

and feel that the information about their child’s progress is satisfactory. Links with outside agencies are satisfactory. 5 Inspection Report: Padiham Primary School, 22 °23 February 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: Padiham Primary School, 22 °23 February 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 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? 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?

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 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: Padiham Primary School, 22 °23 February 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: Padiham Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Padiham Primary School Burnley Road Padiham Burnley Lancashire BB12 8SJ 23 February 2007 Dear Pupils, Thank you very much for welcoming us and answering all our questions so politely. We were really impressed with how well you all work and play together. You look after each other, enjoy your learning and your behaviour is good. You told us you really appreciate being part of the school, doing jobs for your teachers and would like to be even more involved. We think that overall your school provides a satisfactory standard of education and your headteacher, governors and teachers work well together to take good care of you and help you learn about keeping healthy and safe. We have asked your school to help you do even better by setting targets for you to reach. We have also asked the headteacher and the teachers who are responsible for different subjects to find out what is happening in their subjects across the school so that they can help to make

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

your lessons even better. We agree with your parents that your school helps you to develop into confident young people who are well prepared for the next stage in education. You can play your part in this by attending school regularly. We wish you all the very best for the future. Yours sincerely, Mary Sewell (Lead inspector) 9 Inspection Report: Padiham Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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