Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School

Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School Inspection report

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119434 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 291418 Inspection number 13 °14 March 2007 Inspection dates Lynne Read 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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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 194 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Rev. Michael Hartley Chair Mrs Hilary Wood Headteacher 1 March 2001 Date of previous school inspection Skipton Road School address Foulridge Colne Lancashire BB8 7NN

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01282 861338 Telephone number 01282 861338 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 13 °14 March 2007 Inspection dates 291418 Inspection number .

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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. 13 °14 March 2007

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This average sized primary school serves the church parish of the same name in the area of Foulridge near Colne. Pupils come from a range of backgrounds and the percentage who claim free school meals is lower than that in most primary schools. The vast majority of pupils are of White British backgrounds but a few have Asian heritage and a very small number speak English as an additional language. When they start school in the Foundation Stage children’s development is broadly average. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average overall, although the numbers with statements of special educational need is above average. The school makes provision for before and after-school clubs.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 °14 March 2007

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Grade: 3

St Michael and All Angels provides a satisfactory standard of education with several strengths and gives satisfactory value for money. This judgement is lower than the school’s evaluation but reflects more accurately the pupils’ achievement. Records from recent self-evaluation and school development planning show that senior managers have a sound overview of the school’s strengths and where it needs to improve further. Parents have generally positive views of the school. However, some expressed concerns about the fast pace of change and the governors accept that communication with parents has not always been effective and have plans to improve it. The headteacher was appointed following a period of instability and provides good leadership. She embarked on a concerted programme of improvement following a thorough evaluation of provision and pupils’ achievement. While the improvements have not yet made a difference to

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Grade: 3

standards, they have resulted in a number of strengths, including higher standards in reading, good provision in the Foundation Stage and in pupils’ personal development and well-being. Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage and exceed the learning goals expected by the end of the Reception year. During Key Stages 1 and 2 pupils achieve satisfactorily and standards are above average by the end of Year 6. Progress is good in reading and science. Staff are working hard to overcome some underachievement from past years in writing and mathematics. Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. New monitoring systems clearly identify pupils who are not making the progress they should and they receive extra support. Higher expectations of pupils’ progress are now set and regular assessments monitor their progress termly. Teaching is satisfactory overall and good in the Foundation Stage. There are good, trusting

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Grade: 3

relationships in all classes so pupils are well motivated and enjoy their learning. During the inspection some good lessons were seen but teaching is inconsistent and there is insufficient good practice to boost pupils’ achievement in Key Stages 1 and 2. Some improvements in teaching include better matching of work to pupils’ abilities and prior learning but there are inconsistencies in practice. Leadership and management are satisfactory and managers ensure that children are safe in school. Subject management for English and mathematics has been introduced but the managers do not observe lessons and cannot therefore make sure that pupils consistently have the challenge that they need. Personal development and well-being, including behaviour, are good and a major strength of the school. Pupils say they feel safe and secure. They willingly carry out a range of jobs; for example, older ones make sure that playtimes are happy experiences. Such support helps to

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Grade: 3

maintain a strong community feel and this, together with their good social and academic skills, prepares pupils well for life in the wider world. The curriculum is satisfactory and is enhanced by an exciting range of out-of-school activities and visits. Lessons include a good emphasis on personal and health education and, as a result, pupils make well-informed choices about their lifestyles. Good links with the church and other schools contribute well to pupils’ learning and well-being.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in writing and mathematics. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 °14 March 2007 • Improve the consistency of teaching so that work is always challenging enough to ensure that pupils make good progress. • Widen the subject managers’ role to include the monitoring of teaching and learning.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory although standards are above average. When children start school in the Foundation Stage their development is broadly average. They make good progress so by the end of the Reception year attainment is above the standard expected for their age. After satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 standards are above average but the proportion of Year 2 pupils exceeding the level expected for their age is not high enough. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 2 and standards are above average by the end of Year 6, as shown by the results of the national tests. There are, however, differences between subjects and groups of pupils. Pupils’ progress is slower in writing and mathematics than in reading and science. Extra support is now given to pupils who are not making the progress expected of them, but this has not been the case in the past. Progress in mathematics is inconsistent because weaknesses in provision have not been tackled quickly enough, leaving

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Grade: 3

gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the few who are at an early stage of learning English make satisfactory progress. Improvements in teaching, the curriculum and resources have helped to boost boys’ progress and their standards are now closer to those of the girls.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being are good and are effectively encouraged through a good teaching programme. Pupils enjoy being at school; this is evident in above average attendance rates and a very good take-up of out-of-school activities. One pupil encapsulated the views of others when he said, 'This is a happy school where we all care for each other.' Behaviour and relationships are good because pupils feel valued. Pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is good and cultural development is satisfactory. The school's Christian values underpin its work. Children value and celebrate each other's achievements. Assembly themes, visits and visitors enhance the pupils' understanding of their own and others’ cultures; however, this aspect of their learning is at an early stage. Pupils make good contributions to the school and wider community. They undertake a variety of responsibilities and enjoy participating in church

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Grade: 2

and local events. The school council provides good opportunities for pupils to contribute to the running of the school, for example in setting up the healthy tuck-shop. This reflects their very good knowledge of what constitutes safe, healthy lifestyles. The pupils' good social and academic skills help to prepare them well for their future.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Good teaching in the Foundation Stage includes sessions led by teachers which enable children to make good progress, and an interesting variety of free-choice activities. As a result, the children become confident, independent learners. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 °14 March 2007 Teachers ensure that pupils know the aims of the lesson and relationships are good in all classes. Teaching assistants provide good support for pupils. Many improvements have been made in teaching, for example, in the assessment of pupils’ progress and planning work at different levels of difficulty. However, the plans are not consistently applied across all classes and sometimes pupils do not have the correct level of challenge or support to enable them to do their best. On occasions, progress is slowed because the more able pupils are set too much

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Grade: 3

average-level work before moving on to harder tasks. Teachers sometimes accept work that is untidy while others have higher expectations of presentation. There is effective, sensitive support for pupils who have learning difficulties. Marking sometimes includes helpful comments to guide pupils forward but this varies too much between classes. Pupils are increasingly encouraged to evaluate their own work and take responsibility for their learning; for example, by using ‘marking ladders’.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory and is well enriched. The planning of the Foundation Stage curriculum provides a stimulating learning environment both indoors and out. This enables staff to provide exciting activities, planned around a theme, so that children consolidate what they have learned. In Key Stages 1 and 2 there are plentiful opportunities for pupils to learn about art, music and physical education and to use their computer skills. Teachers are currently looking for ways to increase the application of pupils’ writing across all subjects. Pupils take good advantage of an interesting and broad range of out-of-school activities and events. They speak enthusiastically about sport provision and competitions. Events such as ‘science week’ or ‘art days’ are highlights in pupils’ learning and they enjoy many opportunities for making music. Close links with the community also extend their experiences; for example,

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Grade: 3

through taking part in activities such as the Pendle Schools’ Festival.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall. Pupils receive good pastoral support and guidance for their personal development which helps them to grow in their self-esteem and confidence. Staff are diligent and very effective in ensuring the pupils' safety and well-being and rigorous procedures for protecting and safeguarding pupils are in place. The school has good systems for rewarding conduct, effort and success. A variety of awards, such as ‘star of the week’, underpin good personal development and pupils work in teams to secure their ‘golden time’ sessions. Good arrangements at lunchtimes and breaks ensure that pupils are well supervised and happily occupied. The new targets for writing show pupils what they need to do to improve and provide a goal to aim for. Pupils use these in lessons and say they find them useful. At present, there is no similar system for mathematics. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School,

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher provides good leadership and works hard to ensure that pupils’ personal development is good. She has instigated a much-needed drive for improvement and removed several barriers to learning that existed previously. The appearance of the school has been much improved and is stimulating. Administration is very effective and maintenance of the buildings is good. These factors reflect a shared sense of purpose among all adults at the school. Systems for evaluating the performance of the school now provide a clear overview of what should be improved. Managers check pupils’ progress and identify those who are not making the progress they should or who need extra help. As yet, the school does not make full use of the expertise of subject managers to check the quality of teaching and learning in their subjects. Consequently, some plans are not fully acted upon and, for example, the level of challenge is

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Grade: 3

insufficient in some lessons, and necessary support planned for pupils is not given in others. Improvements since last inspection have been satisfactory overall although most have been achieved since the appointment of the present headteacher. Important improvements include better progress in reading and the Foundation Stage but some other improvements in provision have yet to make an impact on the overall standards achieved. Nevertheless, the school has satisfactory capacity to improve further. The governors are anxious to develop a strong management structure and are working to that end. This is important because there is presently no permanently appointed deputy nor assistant headteacher in post. Governance is satisfactory and all statutory requirements are met. The governors are supportive and play an active role in the day-to-day life of the school. They are keen to develop their role further, especially in improvement planning and communicating with parents.

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Grade: 3

7 of 11 Inspection Report: Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 °14 March 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 °14 March 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 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? 2 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 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?

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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 °14 March 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 °14 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Foulridge St Michael and All Angels CofE VA Primary School Skipton Road Foulridge Colne Lancashire BB8 7NN 13 March 2007 Dear Pupils Thank you very much for the warm welcome and for helping my colleague and me when we came to visit your school. I would like to tell you what we found out. St Michael and All Angels Primary is a very friendly school. Your behaviour is good and you take really good care of each other. Your teachers and families can be proud of you. You enjoy your learning and love the wide variety of clubs and competitions, especially those for sport. It was nice to see many of you at the early morning coaching session. Your headteacher and staff work very hard to make sure you are happy and safe. You like your teachers and I think that encourages you to try hard. Please thank your parents for sending us lots of replies to the questionnaire. Most are pleased with the school but some would like more

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

information about the changes that have been made. Perhaps you could help by telling them all about your school council and how your teachers are taking notice of your views. Your progress in reading and science has improved but you still need to do better in writing and mathematics. Your teachers agree and so will be making some changes to make sure that you always have the right kind of work to help you make the best possible progress. Thank you once again for the interesting conversations we had and for letting us know your views so clearly. Please accept my best wishes for the future. Yours sincerely Mrs Lynne Read (Lead inspector) 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School, 13 °14 March 2007

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