New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School

Inspection Report New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School

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119569 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 291467 Inspection number 22 °23 February 2007 Inspection dates Michael Haynes 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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Hugh Barn Lane School address Primary Type of school New Longton, Preston Voluntary aided School category Lancashire, PR4 4XA 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01772 613470 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01772 617479 Fax number 192 Number on roll (school) Mr Mark Smith Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Miss Nicola Duggan Headteacher 1 March 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291467 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average size school serving its immediate village community. Almost all the pupils have English as their first language and come from White British backgrounds. The proportions of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, with English as an additional language and those eligible to receive free school meals are well below the national average. There is a breakfast and after school club which is separately managed. During the inspection, Year 6 pupils were on a residential visit with their teacher and it was not possible to observe the teaching and learning in that year group. Samples of pupils’ work and teachers’ records were inspected. Building work is in hand to improve and extend accommodation, which meant some classes and resources were in temporary locations. After several years without a permanent appointment, the school has had a new headteacher since summer 2006.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school giving pupils a good quality of care and education underpinned by a strong Christian ethos. Pupils thoroughly enjoy attending school and they have extremely positive attitudes to learning. Their personal development, well-being and behaviour are good. Pupils have excellent spiritual, moral and social and cultural awareness with good understanding of healthy lifestyles. They feel safe in school because provision for their care, guidance and support is good. The school’s results are in the top 12% of primary schools nationally. Pupils reach standards that are above the national average in English, mathematics and science at the end of each key stage. Foundation Stage children meet or exceed the national early learning goals. This strength has been sustained since the previous inspection. Overall achievement is good, although the pace slows for some pupils in Years 3 and 4 before accelerating in Years 5 and 6. This arises as some work insufficiently matches

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Grade: 2

pupils’ learning needs and they are unclear about what they have to do to improve. The school has correctly identified this dip and put in place actions to set it right. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those learning English as an additional language make satisfactory and sometimes good progress underpinned by effective support from well deployed teaching assistants. Teaching and learning are good. The best lessons are brisk with challenging questions, practical activities and very effective teacher presentations using information and communication technology (ICT) that catch pupils’ attention and take learning forward well. The curriculum in the Foundation Stage and throughout the school is good with outstanding features. Good links are made between subjects that make pupils’ learning come alive. Innovative opportunities encourage social responsibility and excellent themed learning weeks, after school clubs and residential visits enrich the curriculum

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Grade: 2

making it relevant to the pupils. Leadership and management are good. The new headteacher is an enthusiastic and highly effective leader. Staff are clear about their roles, which underpins their strong commitment to pupils’ well-being and progress. Working closely with the senior management team and very effective school governors she has set a clear agenda based on accurate evaluation of the school that shows a good capacity to build on its many existing strengths.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve progress and achievement in Years 3 and 4, to ensure that all pupils have clear targets that explain what they have to do next to build consistently on their previous achievement. 2 Inspection Report: New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good overall. The school is in the top 12% of primary schools nationally, with standards at the end of each key stage are well above national averages, and have been sustained since the school’s previous inspection. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and those who learn English as an additional language make good progress. Most children join the school with attainment that is above that typical for their age. They make good progress through the Foundation Stage to achieve or exceed the national early learning goals when they go into Key Stage 1. Pupils continue to make good progress in Key Stage 1 and achieve above, and sometimes significantly above, the national average in English, mathematics and science. At Key Stage 2, pupils’ results are also above and sometimes significantly above the national average because the school meets its challenging targets. Recent national tests show that boys do better than girls in mathematics and science, but are

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Grade: 2

outperformed by them in English. Pupils make good progress at Key Stage 2. That said, for some middle and lower attaining pupils, pace slows as their work in Years 3 and 4 lacks sufficient challenge and they are unclear about what they should do to improve. The pace accelerates in Years 5 and 6 because they have work that is more demanding. The school recognises this dip, and has in place well considered action to rectify it.

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Grade: 2

Personal development and well-being make a good contribution to the pupils’ progress. They thoroughly enjoy coming to school, have extremely positive attitudes to learning and behaviour is good. They have an excellent spiritual, moral and social awareness and a very good knowledge of their own and other cultures. Pupils have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles and understanding of safety issues. They talk knowledgably about the need for regular exercise; for instance, they talk about results of their investigations into the effect of too much sugar in their food. They thoroughly enjoy learning and talk about their work with real enthusiasm, often making clear links between their learning in different subjects. These excellent attitudes reflect good attendance and their eagerness to participate fully in the wide range of experiences available to them. School council members contribute ideas to

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Grade: 2

improve aspects of the school. They are developing good links with other school councils to share ideas and learn from each other about ways they can take a more active role in the life of the school. Pupils are responsible, thoughtful and show great concern for the care and welfare of each other. They value the contributions of others through praise. Pupils say that there are no racist incidents and that any isolated incidents of bullying are resolved promptly and very effectively. Good basic skills and opportunities to use ICT contribute significantly to their future economic well-being. 3 Inspection Report: New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good in the Foundation Stage and Key Stages 1 and 2. In the Foundation Stage, careful planning, interesting activities and close collaboration between staff underpin pupils’ good progress. Good teaching elsewhere similarly stems from teachers building effectively on pupils’ previous learning, setting a brisk pace and making sure they are clear about what they have to do. In the best literacy and numeracy lessons, probing questions, a careful blend of oral, practical, individual and class activities catch pupils’ interest and leads to good progress. These lessons are planned well and informed by teachers’ good subject knowledge. However, where teachers take insufficient account of pupils’ learning needs, a typically satisfactory lesson lacks pace or too much teacher talk means pupils are passive and lose interest. However, in these lessons, when opportunities then arise to work together, investigate

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Grade: 2

and ask questions, for instance in a numeracy lesson about symmetrical shapes, pupils immediately come alive with enthusiasm, are eager to share ideas and make progress. Teachers mark pupils’ work well, which takes their learning forward. In Years 3 and 4 and for those pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, however, the identification of the steps they should take to improve their work is not always clear enough.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum in the Foundation Stage and throughout the school is good. It meets statutory requirements and thorough plans identify good links between learning in one subject with that in another. For example, pupils’ learning about Tudors in history has strong links to design and technology and literacy. This ensures that pupils’ work is immediately relevant and gives a good context for them to apply their literacy and mathematics in relevant and meaningful ways. The curriculum provides some excellent opportunities to encourage social responsibility. An innovative approach to teaching care and well-being provides an excellent introduction to the school’s work on developing relationships. The curriculum is enriched through a good range of activities to promote pupils’ learning and enjoyment. Extended visits and regular ‘themed weeks’ very effectively bring learning alive and introduce pupils to new ideas; for example,

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Grade: 2

consideration of their own Christian values in the context of life in other societies and cultures. A week devoted to mathematics contributed significantly to pupils’ economic understanding through buying and selling and using money. A very good range of out of school clubs, residential visits and activities provide a rich variety of experiences to build upon pupils’ interests including sport, adventurous and recreational pursuits, and the arts. Good standards in literacy and mathematics, curriculum content such as ‘themed weeks’ along with easy access to computers prepare pupils for their next stage of learning. 4 Inspection Report: New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Provision for care guidance and support is good. Very good arrangements ensure a smooth transition from pre-school into the Reception class. Children settle quickly and are ready to learn. Mainly good account is taken of pupils’ learning needs through each key stage and consequently they make good progress in their learning. Individual plans and targets are agreed with pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities and those who learn English as an additional language. However, sometimes the actions to help staff ensure that these pupils’ gaps in learning are overcome are not always sufficiently detailed. Consequently, work sometimes does not always meet their needs as well as it should. Careful attention is paid to child protection, health and safety issues and national safeguarding requirements are in place. Good links are in place with outside agencies. Teaching assistants are deployed well across the school to

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Grade: 2

support pupils’ in literacy and numeracy work. Teachers make effective use of an increasing amount of performance data to set pupils targets and check their progress. Even so, some pupils, mainly in Years 3 and 4, remain unsure about the steps they need to take to reach their immediate targets to improve their work. These data have recently been used to identify pupils who are at risk of underachieving and to introduce strategies to accelerate progress. Very good systems are in place to keep parents informed about the work of the school. Parents remark very strongly on the caring atmosphere and the strong Christian ethos that prevails. All staff use praise well and value the efforts of those who try hard. This has a significant impact on the general ethos of care and on pupils’ self-esteem.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher is an enthusiastic and highly effective leader. Staff are clear about their role and strong commitment to care for pupils, provide a relevant inclusive curriculum, and help them to reach high standards. The newly formed senior management team work together very effectively and are a strength of the school, bringing a wealth of experience to their roles. This underpins their transparent, honest, and accurate evaluation of the school and its aspects for improvement. It means they have set a clear agenda to take the school forward and build on its many existing strengths. The outcome of their efforts is evident in improved achievement monitoring, and an enthusiastic, committed staff. In turn, the existing above average standards of pupils’ performance at the end of each key stage and the school’s quality of provision is sustained. The leadership team has motivated staff to

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Grade: 2

extend further their knowledge and skills, very successfully developing their roles to lead subjects and monitor curriculum provision and pupils’ progress. Consequently, decisive action is in hand; for instance, to improve pupils’ progress and achievement, and extend the already effective use of the ICT across the curriculum. 5 Inspection Report: New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007 Good procedures for improvement planning take account of the positive views of parents and pupils. The strong governing body is active in evaluating and challenging the school about its results and provision. In turn, it gives staff good support to drive forward agreed improvements. All statutory requirements are met. Issues from the last inspection are tackled very successfully, the capacity to make future improvements is good, and the school provides good value for money. 6 Inspection Report: New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School, 22 °23 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. 7 Inspection Report: New Longton All Saints CofE 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? 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 2 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. 8 Inspection Report: New Longton All Saints CofE 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? 9 Inspection Report: New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School Hugh Barn Lane New Longton Preston Lancashire PR4 4XA 23 February 2007 Dear Children Thank you very much for welcoming us to your school. We had a very enjoyable time talking to you and looking at your work. We agree with you that the school is a happy, caring place and can see why you told us that you enjoy your time there so much. Please thank your parents and families for telling us how pleased they are with your school. We think your school is good because there are many things it does very well that include: • your hard work in lessons and eagerness to do what your teachers ask so you can make progress to reach high standards • your good behaviour and consideration for each other • teachers and teaching assistants that give you interesting work and take good care of you • the good headteacher, staff, and governors who are working hard to make the school even

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

better for you. However, we think that some children especially in junior classes could make better progress and so we have asked the headteacher and staff to: • give children clearer instructions on what they need to do to improve their work We hope that you will carry on working hard and taking part in all the exciting opportunities in school. Best wishes, Michael Haynes Paul Wagstaff (Lead inspector) (Additional inspector) 10 Inspection Report: New Longton All Saints CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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