Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection Report Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

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119541 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 291454 Inspection number 21 °22 November 2006 Inspection dates Garry Jones HMI 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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Emesgate Lane School address Primary Type of school Silverdale, Carnforth Voluntary aided School category Lancashire, LA5 0RF 3 °11 Age range of pupils 01524 701467 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01524 701467 Fax number 102 Number on roll (school) Mr Philip Hesketh Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Kevin Mingay Headteacher 1 May 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291454 21 °22 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. Inspection Report: Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 21 °22 November 2006

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools and one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This is a much smaller than average school that serves the community of Silverdale. There are well below average levels of social and economic deprivation in the village and the proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below that found nationally. There are no pupils from minority ethnic groups or who have English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well below the national average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 21 °22 November

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Grade: 2

This is a good school and provides good value for money. Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. On entry to the Foundation Stage, pupils are supported well and quickly settle into the routines of the school. They enjoy playing and learning together. Pupils attend school regularly and behave well. The social and moral development of pupils is good and the Christian ethos of the school contributes well to their spiritual development. Pupils feel safe in the school and know who to turn to if they have a problem. There are established systems to ensure the care and protection of pupils. Their enjoyment of lessons is clear and there is real enthusiasm for learning. They have a good awareness of environmental issues and of world poverty and are keen to contribute to local and international issues through fundraising for charities. Pupils are aware of how to stay healthy and the school council is discussing how to

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Grade: 2

further encourage healthy lifestyles. Pupils are very well prepared for their future life through the acquisition of high levels of basic skills and through developing good social skills. Pupils make good progress in the Foundation stage and standards on entry to Key Stage 1 are above those found nationally. Progress is maintained through Key Stage 1 and accelerates in Key Stage 2. The standards in the national tests at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2006 were outstanding. This is due to the overall good teaching in the school and some that has very good features. However, the targets for improvement shared with pupils are not sufficiently precise. Pupils’ achievement is good overall, but is significantly better in mathematics and science. The most able pupils’ attainment in writing is too low; the school has analysed the reasons for this thoroughly and is drawing on external support to improve achievement in this area. However, this has

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Grade: 2

been a priority since the last inspection. The curriculum in the school is broad and balanced. There are good links with a local special school and a secondary school to enrich the provision for music and modern languages. In addition, the school has made imaginative use of information and communication technology (ICT) to establish good partnerships with schools in France, Ghana, Pakistan and the USA to broaden the cultural awareness of pupils. Video conferencing allows pupils to work with pupils in other schools through a university project on mathematics and to access museum resources in order to enrich the curriculum. The school contributes to the local community through musical productions, which are valued by the community and there are good links with the local church. Leadership and management overall are good and there is good capacity for further improvement. Progress since the last inspection has been satisfactory. There is a clear

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Grade: 2

vision for the type of education the school wishes to provide. Good systems have been established to complete accurate self-evaluation, but these do not fully involve parents and children. While the vast majority of parents who responded to the parental questionnaire had extremely positive views of the school, a few parents felt that their opinions were not taken sufficiently into account. Systems to monitor and evaluate the quality of teaching and learning have been recently revised, but are not yet fully implemented. Governors are supportive of the school and know its strengths and 2 Inspection Report: Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 21 °22 November weaknesses well. The governors hold the school to account, but are aware that this aspect of their work is underdeveloped.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the writing of the most able pupils. • Set clear improvement targets for each pupil which describes the next steps in their learning. • Ensure that systems for self-evaluation take account of the views of parents and children and that governors are fully involved in holding the school to account.

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Grade: 2

Overall standards within the school are outstanding and achievement is good. In the Foundation Stage, children make good progress and achieve well, especially in their personal and social development, which is outstanding. In 2006, standards in national assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 improved, particularly in writing, and were well above the national average in all areas. This reversed a downward trend in previous years. In the tests at the end of Year 6, standards were exceptionally high and all pupils achieved the nationally expected level in all subjects. This represents good progress. The standards attained by the most able pupils in mathematics and science are particularly outstanding. The school has identified the need to improve the standards in writing of the most able pupils to match the very high levels in the other subjects. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress in line with their

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Grade: 2

peers. There are no differences in the progress made between girls and boys.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy attending school and are enthusiastic about learning. Attendance is well above the national average and the level of unauthorised absence is low. Children say that they feel safe in school and that they know who to turn to if they are unhappy. Pupils were seen to be keen to help and support younger pupils in the corridors and around school. Pupils’ social, moral and spiritual development is good. The spiritual development of pupils is evident in their response in assemblies and is enhanced by the Christian ethos of the school. Pupils display positive attitudes and behave very well in classes and around the school, although there is some boisterous behaviour from younger boys in the playground. Pupils are aware of how to stay healthy. There is good awareness of the importance of supporting all people and particularly those from less developed countries. This includes a strong commitment to charitable work,

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Grade: 2

which also reflects an enthusiasm for enterprise. There is a good awareness of environmental responsibility. Pupils are well prepared for their future lives through their high standards of basic skills and well developed interpersonal skills. 3 Inspection Report: Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 21 °22 November

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good overall. Lessons are well planned to provide appropriate challenge for the different ages and abilities of pupils within each class. Teachers display good subject knowledge and make very effective use of questioning to assess pupils’ learning and to extend their thinking. Pupils know what they are going to learn and activities are well matched to their abilities ensuring that good pace is maintained. Pupils talk confidently about what they are learning. The assessment of pupils’ work, including the marking of books, although regular, provides insufficient advice on what they need to do to improve. Teaching assistants are knowledgeable and are well deployed to support learners; this includes effective support for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. In the Foundation Stage, the very good teaching and range of activities provided gives pupils a very good start to their education.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and has some outstanding features. It meets the needs of pupils well, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The statutory requirements of the national curriculum are met and the taught curriculum is enhanced through links to neighbouring schools for music, foreign languages and swimming. There is effective use of a local artist and craftspeople to enrich the creative curriculum. An innovative use of ICT, including video conferencing, allows pupils to experience a range of exciting links with other schools. These include shared learning in mathematics, coordinated by a higher education institution, and links with national museums. The school has good links with schools in Ghana, Pakistan and the USA through the video conferencing to extend cultural awareness. A residential experience in France and opportunities to experience outdoor education are also valued.

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Grade: 2

Care and guidance of pupils is well developed. Teachers know pupils well and monitor their well-being carefully. There are established systems to ensure the safety and well-being of children within the school. Appropriate attention is given to health and safety requirements with required policies and risk assessments in place. Pupils value the advice they are given on how to improve their work. There are targets set for each pupil each half term, but the school recognises that these are not sufficiently precise to reinforce the next steps in their learning. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are supported well in working towards their targets and progress is reviewed regularly. 4 Inspection Report: Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 21 °22 November

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good overall. There is a clear vision for the development of the school, which is promoted by the headteacher and shared by staff and governors. There is a strong commitment to further improving the levels of achievement and to including and valuing all members of the community. The school’s staff work together effectively as a team. The process of self-evaluation was thorough and the vast majority of grades were accurate, but insufficient effort was made to fully involve parents and children in the process. The school analyses attainment and achievement thoroughly and the systems for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and learning have recently been revised. However, detailed records of evaluation are not yet consistently available. Governors are kept fully informed of issues and know the strengths and areas for development well. However, the chair of governors recognises that the process of holding the school to account is

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Grade: 2

underdeveloped. 5 Inspection Report: Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 21 °22 November .

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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: Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 21 °22 November

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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? 1 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 1 The attendance of learners 1 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: Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 21 °22 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: Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 21 °22 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Emesgate Lane Silverdale Lancashire LA5 0RF 22 November 2006 Dear Children Thank you for being so helpful and friendly on our recent visit to your school. We enjoyed talking to you about your work and listening to your views on the school. We think you attend a good school and we were impressed by a number of things. Here are some of the particularly positive things we noticed: • the very high standards you achieve and the good progress you make • how much you enjoy your learning • the good quality teaching you receive • your very good behaviour and how regularly you attend school • the use of modern technology to help you learn. We have asked Mr Mingay, the governors and the staff to help you to do even better by: • helping you to reach even higher standards in your writing • giving you clear advice on what you need to concentrate on next to improve your work

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• making sure that you, your parents, the staff and governors work together to check regularly on how well the school is doing. Best wishes for the future Yours sincerely Mr Garry Jones Her Majesty’s Inspector of Schools 9 Inspection Report: Silverdale St John's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, 21 °22 November 2006

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