Sharneyford Primary School

Inspection Report Sharneyford Primary School

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119192 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 291352 Inspection number 1 °2 February 2007 Inspection dates Geoffrey Yates 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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Todmorden Road School address Primary Type of school Bacup, Lancashire Community School category OL13 9UQ 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01706 873955 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01706 874361 Fax number 53 Number on roll (school) Mrs Carol Gooder Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Victoria Milne Headteacher 1 February 2003 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291352 1 °2 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school is much smaller than most primary schools. It serves a rural area of mostly private housing. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is above average. A broadly average number of pupils receive free school meals. There are no pupils at an early stage of learning to speak English. Overall attainment on entry to school is average.

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Key for inspection grades

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

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Good improvements have been made since the previous inspection, not least in standards of attainment that have improved year on year from well below average to now being above average. The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and the headteacher is very clear about where key improvements are needed in the drive to raise standards further. Pupils in this small rural school get on well together and respect each other’s views. Good attendance is testimony to the way the school encourages pupils and celebrates their successes through activities such as reward assemblies. The school provides a good level of pastoral care and support for its pupils. Parents value the school highly. One parent commented, ‘The school is excellent. I can not think of one bad thing to say about it.' Children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage. With such small numbers of children involved, overall standards vary from year to year but are broadly in line with

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Grade: 2

those expected for children of their age. They make good progress and meet expectations by the end of the Reception year. Pupils make good progress overall in Years 1 to 6 so that by the time they leave, standards in English, mathematics and science are above average, both at the expected level and at the higher level. However, work is not always presented well. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep safe. Their knowledge of healthy eating and the importance of exercise is also good. Inspection evidence supports the school's assertion that, 'pupils see healthy eating has a habit not an issue.' Teaching and learning are good overall with particular strengths in the Reception class, which also contains Year 1 pupils. However, there is some inconsistency in the rest of the school in the way that assessment information is used. For example, the good work done in Year 1 is not always built on successfully in Year 2. Teachers manage their

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Grade: 2

classes well. Relationships in lessons are good and pupils show consideration towards each other and are keen to try new ideas. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities receive good support from classroom assistants. The curriculum is good. The school makes every effort to provide pupils with worthwhile learning opportunities. The shortly to be opened outside play area for Reception children adds further to the quality of the provision. The school is well led and managed by a headteacher who is determined to provide the pupils with the best possible education. She has involved governors effectively in the leadership and management of the school and as such they provide good governance. The monitoring of teaching and learning is underway and useful information is now being gathered. The school has good capacity to improve and provides good value for money.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Make better use of assessment information to ensure that work is matched accurately to pupils’ varying needs. • Ensure that pupils throughout the school present their work well. 2 Inspection Report: Sharneyford Primary School, 1 °2 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Standards are above average and achievement is good. Children join the school with skills that are typical for their age although standards fluctuate year on year because of the small number of children involved. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage and meet what is expected in all areas of learning. Good progress continues in Year 1 because of the good teaching pupils receive. While progress from Years 2 to 6 is good overall, it slows in Years 2 and 3 but then picks up again. This is because assessment information is not always used well to match work to pupils' needs. In the 2006 tests, most seven-year-olds, achieved the expected levels, but standards at the higher levels were below average. The National Curriculum test results for 11-year-old pupils in 2006 placed the school in the top ten percentile nationally with regard to value added. Inspection evidence shows that the above average standards

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Grade: 2

pupils achieved have been maintained in English, mathematics and science. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) have improved since the previous inspection and are now broadly average. Throughout the school, pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress and achieve well because the support they receive is of a good quality.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress in their personal development. In this safe and friendly small school environment, pupils respond well to all aspects of the provision. Pupils enjoy coming to school, behave well and work hard. Pupils talk sensibly about eating healthy food and keeping fit. They collaborate well and help each other in lessons, but as yet are not consistently involved in setting targets to help them improve further. They show a good understanding about the needs of those less fortunate than themselves. This, combined with their good basic skills, prepares them well for their future economic well-being. Social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is good overall. Although provision is satisfactory, more still needs to be done to increase pupils' understanding of cultures different from their own. Pupils have a clear sense of right and wrong and are keen to take responsibility. For example, by helping look after younger pupils. The school council members are

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Grade: 2

enthusiastic about having the opportunity to make their school better. They take their responsibilities very seriously and are proud that their decisions, for example, to improve play equipment, are adopted by the school. They have a good sense of social responsibility; for example, they plan and carry out money-raising events for charity. 3 Inspection Report: Sharneyford Primary School, 1 °2 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good overall and are especially strong in the Reception class and Year 1. While teaching in the other classes is good overall, at times the pace of learning is sometimes too slow and assessment information is not always used well to plan the next stages in learning. This means that work, particularly in Years 2 and 3, is sometimes too easy for some and too hard for others. Throughout the school, good features in lessons include the effective way pupils are managed and the good relationships that exist between the teachers and pupils. As a result, pupils settle to their tasks despite the potential disruptions caused by one class being situated in the school hall. Marking is not used consistently well across the school to tell pupils clearly how they might improve. Teaching assistants support pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities well.

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Grade: 2

The school ensures that pupils are provided with a good curriculum that is supplemented by a good range of extra-curricular activities. Links with the community are good, including strong curriculum links with other schools. Children in the Foundation Stage benefit from a good range of activities that meet their needs well. As a result, children are provided with the foundations for the skills and attributes to become good learners. In the rest of the school, there is a good focus on the basic skills of literacy, numeracy and science that has led to greatly improved standards in recent years by the time pupils leave. However, work is not always presented well and opportunities are sometimes missed for pupils to use their writing skills in subjects other than English. Pupils successfully use their ICT skills to support other subjects. The school is now considering ways to further extend links between subjects. The personal, social and

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Grade: 2

health education programme, which includes circle time, is effective. The after school multi-skills club and lunch-time library clubs are much looked forward to by pupils and help extend their learning.

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Grade: 2

Pupils receive good support from their teachers and teaching assistants. All members of staff show good levels of guidance and support for pupils. A strength of the school is the good personal development programme. The strong emphasis on this aspect is confirmed by one pupil, who stated, ‘… all our teachers look after us well’. Procedures for safeguarding children are firmly in place and clearly understood by all staff. The systems for tracking pupils’ progress have improved since the previous inspection. However, this useful information is not used consistently across the school. Therefore, pupils are not always clear about their targets and what they have to do to improve 4 Inspection Report: Sharneyford Primary School, 1 °2 February 2007 their work to reach them. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are supported well in classes.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher’s strong, determined and purposeful leadership and management skills have ensured that the school provides a good quality of education. The school has improved considerably since the previous inspection when standards compared with similar schools were in the bottom 5% nationally. Despite having to endure speculation about its future, the school has flourished. New members of staff have taken on the role of subject leaders but the school recognises that subject leadership is at an early stage. Through its accurate self-evaluation procedures, the school has a good understanding of how well it is doing. The views of parents and pupils are sought, valued and responded to. Governors are far more involved in the school and carry out their duties well. Much has been done to improve resources and the building, although the headteacher still has to share an office with the school clerk. The well-written

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Grade: 2

school development plan is displayed for all to see in the staff room. It is a key tool in the school’s efforts to strive for continuous improvement. Under the leadership of the headteacher the school is well placed to move even further forward. 5 Inspection Report: Sharneyford Primary School, 1 °2 February 2007 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Sharneyford Primary School, 1 °2 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? 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

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 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 2 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: Sharneyford Primary School, 1 °2 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: Sharneyford Primary School, 1 °2 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Sharneyford Primary School Todmorden Road Bacup Lancashire OL13 9UQ 3 February 2006 Dear Pupils Thank you for helping me during the inspection. I would like to tell you about my findings. You will not be surprised to know that I found your school to be a good school. I enjoyed being with you, watching you learn and talking to you. The list below shows some of the many things I liked about your school. • You work hard and get on well with everyone. • The school council members enjoy having a say in what goes on. • You like your headteacher, teachers and other members of staff. • Teachers expect you to behave well and work hard. All the adults in school work very hard to care for you. • You enjoy the visits you make to different places and the multi-skills club after school. I have asked your teachers to look at two things to make your work even better. • To make sure that the information they have of what you know, understand and can do is

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

always used well to ensure the work you do is sometimes a bit more challenging. • To make sure your handwriting and the way you present your work are as neat as they possibly can be. Yours sincerely Geoff Yates Lead inspector 9 Inspection Report: Sharneyford Primary School, 1 °2 February 2007

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