Euxton Primrose Hill Primary School

Inspection Report Primrose Hill Primary School

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119309 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 291379 Inspection number 19 °20 October 2006 Inspection dates Jackie Barnes 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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Primrose Hill Road School address Primary Type of school Euxton, Chorley Community School category Lancashire, PR7 6BA 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01257 276688 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01257 276688 Fax number 153 Number on roll (school) Mr Andy Oddy Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Christopher Shields Headteacher 1 March 2003 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291379 19 °20 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school serves a residential area north of the town of Chorley. Most families live within reasonable distance of the school and have at least one parent in paid work. Entitlement to free school meals is low. Most pupils start school with the skills and understanding expected for their age, although individuals vary considerably in what they know and can do. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is about average. More than usual have statements of special educational need. The school community is stable. Almost all pupils have English as their first language, with a few from backgrounds other than British who are confidently bilingual. The school has extended provision for the pupils at the beginning and end of the day.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Primrose Hill Primary School, 19 °20 October 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school, in the process of further improvement, in which parents have a high level of confidence. Pupils are well behaved. Standards are above average and achievement is good by the time the pupils transfer to secondary school at the end of Year 6. Pupils are proud of their school and enthusiastic about the wide range of opportunities it provides. They bring to their lessons a willingness to learn, good personal development, and respect for staff and each other. This helps them to make the best of what the school offers and their enjoyment is clearly evident. They know how to make choices that keep them safe and healthy. They rightly trust the staff to help them when needed and to keep them safe. Care and support are good, and the guidance pupils receive is improving as the new assessment arrangements influence the quality of teachers’ marking and the setting of pupils’ targets for improvement. This positive

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Grade: 2

environment contributes well to pupils’ confidence and high self-esteem. Many are sufficiently mature to benefit from the self-sustained, independent learning that is occasionally evident in lessons. The school does not have a nursery so pupils start school in the Reception year. On average, their skills and understanding are as expected for their age. However, their individual experiences of pre-school education vary widely with some pupils being very competent for their age and others at a much earlier stage of learning. All settle quickly into school routines and friendships. Overall, they make satisfactory progress, with a few making good progress. Most reach the goals expected for their age by the end of the Reception year. By the end of Year 2, standards are average and progress is satisfactory. A few pupils are capable of brisker progress and higher standards. The school’s self-evaluation has identified the raising of standards for this year group as

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Grade: 2

a priority. Through the next four years, pupils’ progress accelerates and, by Year 6, overall standards are above average and most pupils achieve as well as they can, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Teaching and learning are good overall. In English, mathematics and science, teachers know their subjects well. In lessons, resources are carefully prepared and the teaching points well sequenced. This successfully helps most pupils to understand the key points in lessons and know what tasks they are expected to complete. Teachers recognise that each class includes pupils with different capabilities and various levels of competence. Where both the teaching and learning are planned to take account of these differences, pupils learn effectively and teaching assistants are well briefed to be an integral part of the teaching team. This approach is most effective in accelerating

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Grade: 2

pupils’ progress in the oldest year groups, where the school’s recent developments in the use of assessment information in planning learning are clearly evident. It is less effective where the planning of learning does not indicate what different groups of pupils are expected to achieve. The school has a good curriculum which contributes well to pupils’ enjoyment and learning. The provision made to encourage healthy eating is outstandingly successful. 2 Inspection Report: Primrose Hill Primary School, 19 °20 October 2006 Pupils report that learning is fun on most occasions, especially in practical lessons such as science and music, and in the clubs and sports activities after school. Changes have had to be made recently in the organisation of groups of children in the Foundation Stage and Years 1 and 2. These classes now include mixed age groups. Despite the best efforts of staff, the school’s approach to the early years’ curriculum and its

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Grade: 2

implementation are not yet fully effective in providing for the wide range of pupils’ needs in their first years in school. Leadership and management are good. Improvements in national test results at Year 6 have been established over recent years and now exceed the national trend. The budget is used well and governors keep a close eye on finance. The school is a welcoming place for parents and pupils, and the routines run smoothly. The school has good systems for self-evaluation that include a range of views from parents and pupils that contribute to the priorities for future development. The improved assessment systems have begun to provide useful data on pupils’ progress. Although not yet fully evaluated and used for planning pupils’ learning, this development provides a useful addition to the school’s current systems for setting strategic priorities.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards by the end of Year 2. • Improve learning by identifying in written planning what pupils in different ability groups are expected to attain, and check their progress particularly in Key Stage 1. • Develop a clear view of how the curriculum, teaching and learning are to be organised and supported in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 to enable all pupils to make the best progress they can.

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Grade: 2

Overall, pupils achieve well and standards are above average by the end of Year 6. Progress is good overall. When pupils start in the Reception year, individuals are at very different stages of learning although, overall, the intake is about average. Their progress is satisfactory by the end of the year. Most achieve the expectations for their age, although assessment scores in communication, language and literacy tend to be lower than other areas of learning. National assessment results in 2005 were about average at Year 2. The results of assessment information, as well as pupils’ work in lessons, indicate that, although most pupils achieve well, not all have made consistently brisk progress from the time they entered school to Year 2. The school attributes this in part to limitations in previous teaching, which have now been resolved. Standards could be higher for these pupils. In Years 3 to 6, pupils’ progress accelerates, mainly

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Grade: 2

due to good teaching. The 2005 national test results for Year 6 were significantly above average and similar results were attained in 2006. Almost all pupils attained at least the Level 4 expected for their age in English, mathematics and science. The proportion of pupils attaining the higher Level 5 was well above the national figures. 3 Inspection Report: Primrose Hill Primary School, 19 °20 October 2006 Improvements from the pupils’ results when they were in Year 2 was good. Those pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities achieve well by Year 6.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good. There is a strong programme of personal, social and health education. Pupils enjoy school and the majority attend well. They are keen to learn and behave well in lessons and around school. Most take part in extra-curricular activities. They have a very good understanding of what they need to do to stay healthy through regular exercise and sensible eating. They know how to act safely both in and out of school. Pupils are friendly, helpful and show respect to adults and to each other. They voice opinions confidently and are ready to accept responsibility. The school council has made a positive contribution to improving the school environment. Older pupils often take it upon themselves to act as ‘buddies’ to younger ones. Pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education and beyond because of their good acquisition of basic skills and their positive attitudes to all

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Grade: 2

aspects of school life. Their spiritual, moral and social development is good. They are well informed about other religions and cultures, but have a limited awareness of what it is like to live in a multicultural society.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are calm and orderly. Pupils have good relationships with staff which help them to learn, especially when sharing ideas, needing clarification or completing their tasks. Most pupils are confident learners. Teachers prepare lessons carefully and systematically use the guidance in the national literacy and numeracy strategies. In most lessons, pupils’ motivation is maintained well. They like to be actively involved in lessons, but generally listen patiently when teaching points are being introduced. Lessons often include different methods of organising pupils, such as working in groups or with a partner, and pupils respond well to this variety. In the oldest classes, pupils are given more responsibility for their own learning and are familiar with what they need to do to improve. They respond well to the high expectations of the teaching staff and are able to show their capabilities, resulting in

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Grade: 2

accelerated progress and good achievement. The planning of clusters of lessons or units of work, although detailed in terms of activities and teaching points, is often not precise enough about what the different ability groups are expected to achieve. This occasionally leads to some pupils finding their work too hard or too easy and impedes the assessment of how well they are achieving. 4 Inspection Report: Primrose Hill Primary School, 19 °20 October 2006

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Grade: 2

The school’s curriculum provides all the required subjects and extends these with French and a good range of clubs, visits and visitors. Pupils make good use of the provision for their personal development. Additional provision is also made for those pupils who need support in literacy, and for the most able or gifted pupils. Generally the curriculum is well organised, with time blocked for subjects such as art and science, so pupils can sustain their involvement over a concentrated period of time. This works well. The Foundation Stage and early years’ curriculum are undergoing changes as numbers fluctuate in these year groups. These arrangements for mixed age classes are at an early stage so are being constantly reviewed by staff who work hard to provide suitable experiences for the children. However, it is not yet clear if the curriculum is to be planned and organised for different age groups, which is evident on some

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Grade: 2

occasions, or linked to the pupils’ competence in a specific area of learning, such as reading, or to the practical and investigative nature of learning for younger pupils. As a result, although most pupils are making at least satisfactory progress, some learning experiences are too brief or too lengthy, and not always well matched to the wide range of competence and maturity of the pupils in the early years.

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Grade: 2

The good care and support for pupils are strengths of the school, particularly for pupils with learning difficulties. Parents are particularly appreciative of this care. Procedures for safeguarding pupils are in place. New assessment arrangements have improved the marking of pupils’ work and targets are set that help pupils see what they need to do next. Behaviour is usually good but on the occasions when pupils need to be counselled to improve, they receive correction well and quickly get on with their work.

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Grade: 2

Document reference number: HMI 2507 19 October 2006Inspection Report:Primrose Hill Primary School, 19 °20 October 20062Document reference number: HMI 2507 19 October 2006The school runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis and is a welcoming place for pupils. Most of the recent improvements in standards of attainment, the involvement of parents, the systems for assessment, the training of staff and the positive environment for pupils’ learning and enjoyment, have been well led by the headteacher with support from the deputy headteacher and staff. The school has good capacity to improve. The recommendations from the last inspection to improve writing and the use of information and communication technology (ICT) have been dealt with effectively. Governors are actively involved in the school, keen to support further improvement and conscientiously fulfil their statutory duties. The budget is carefully planned to meet the school’s needs and priorities. The school has good procedures

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Grade: 2

5 Inspection Report: Primrose Hill Primary School, 19 °20 October 2006 for monitoring its performance and an increased amount of data are now being generated. This data has already been used successfully to manage the learning of the pupils needing additional support. The current strategic planning for improving pupils’ achievement has not been fully informed by the new assessment data, so the success criteria are often too general for the school to evaluate its effectiveness accurately. However, the data are now available and the school is well placed to improve self-evaluation further.

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Grade: 2

procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Primrose Hill Primary School, 19 °20 October 2006 .

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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. 7 Inspection Report: Primrose Hill Primary School, 19 °20 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

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 1 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. 8 Inspection Report: Primrose Hill Primary School, 19 °20 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? 9 Inspection Report: Primrose Hill Primary School, 19 °20 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Primrose Hill Primary School Primrose Hill Road Euxton Chorley Lancashire PR7 6BA 20 October 2006 Dear Pupils Thank you for making me and my colleague so welcome in your school. You helped us to see how well behaved you were, and how keen you were to do your work well. You rightly trust your teachers to care for you and help you learn. You contribute well by paying attention and working hard. It was good to see how much you enjoyed school and meeting your friends. We were very impressed by how much you knew about healthy eating and how to keep safe and fit. By Year 6, the standards you attain are above average, which is good news. Your headteacher and governors make sure the school is constantly getting better, that you are kept safe and that your parents know how well you are doing in school. They have lots of plans for further improvements. We agree with them that the school can be even better, so we have asked that a special watch

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

is kept on the youngest pupils to make sure they are all able to be as successful as possible by the time they are in Year 2. The results of the tests and assessments that you have done are being carefully considered by the teachers, so they will be able to make sure that you have lessons and work that give you just the right level of challenge to be sure that you all make the best progress you can in every year group. We send you our best wishes for your future success. Yours sincerely J M Barnes Lead inspector 10 Inspection Report: Primrose Hill Primary School, 19 °20 October 2006

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