St William's Catholic Primary School, Pilling

Inspection Report St William's Catholic Primary School, Pilling

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119630 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 291486 Inspection number 7 °8 November 2006 Inspection dates Michael Onyon 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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Garstang Road School address Primary Type of school Pilling, Preston Voluntary aided School category Lancashire, PR3 6AL 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01253 790389 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01253 790925 Fax number 50 Number on roll (school) Father George Pennington Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Ela Wort Headteacher 1 June 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 291486 7 °8 November 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This small village school serves a rural community. Most pupils are of White British backgrounds. Fewer than usual come from disadvantaged backgrounds or have free school meals. Attainment on entry to the school is broadly average. A small number of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities but the proportion with statements of special educational need is well above average. A number of pupils enter the school in Key Stage 2. The school has Investors in People, Healthy School status and the Basic Skills award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St William's Catholic Primary School, Pilling, 7 °8 November 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. The school's evaluation of its overall effectiveness is too modest and it is better than it believes to be the case. Based on its Christian ethos, it provides good opportunities for pupils’ personal development and well-being. Pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is good. Pupils value their own culture but have limited understanding of the diverse nature of modern Britain and the wider world. Parents speak very highly of the school and of the leadership of the headteacher: ‘She really has had a big impact. The school has a warm environment and feels alive ° it makes children want to explore more.’ Overall achievement is good and standards by Year 6 are above average. Children enter the school already reaching average expectations. They are well supported in their early years to settle well into school. By the end of Reception, they reach the expected early learning goals. Pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2 and standards are

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Grade: 2

above average at the end of Key Stage 1. The school has a positive trend of good standards and achievement by Year 2. The results of the 2006 tests and lesson observations show progress made by pupils in Years 3 to 6 to be good. Pupils achieve well. In 2006, pupils achieved best in English and mathematics and made least progress in science. This good achievement is a reflection on the school’s encouraging ethos which, based on strong Christian principles, leads to positive attitudes to learning and good behaviour amongst pupils. Teaching and learning are good and teachers meet the needs of individual pupils well. Teachers make effective use of assessment strategies to involve pupils in their learning and enable them to explain what they need to do more of. This is beginning to have a positive effect on lesson planning but pupils are not consistently involved in discussions about learning targets and do not always understand precisely what it is

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Grade: 2

they need to do to improve. The teaching of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good. The school has taken appropriate steps to safeguard pupils by checking the suitability of all adults who work in the school. Pupils have good awareness of risks and how to check that they are safe. They know that exercise and proper food help them to stay healthy and that a healthy lifestyle is a good thing to have. Good leadership has brought the school through a difficult time of staffing changes. This slowed the progress of some pupils in the school. Effective support from governors and firm decisions on the employment and deployment of staff have improved the position. The new headteacher has had a significant impact in improving planning and the rigour of self-evaluation. The school has effective plans on which to base further development and a good capacity to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Explain more precisely to pupils what they need to do to improve their work. • Help pupils to develop a full understanding of the diverse nature of modern Britain and their place within it. 2 Inspection Report: St William's Catholic Primary School, Pilling, 7 °8 November 2006

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Grade: 2

By the end of Year 6, pupils achieve well, given their starting points. Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage. They enter the school with standards around those expected. The vast majority of children meet, or exceed, the goals expected of them, doing particularly well in language and mathematical development. Pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2 and by the end of Year 2 standards are above average. Basic skills in reading, writing and number are strong throughout the school. Standards by Year 6 are above average in English and mathematics and are average in science. The school exceeded its challenging targets in English, mathematics and science in 2006. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher national curriculum levels in Year 6 improved in 2006. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported and make good progress.

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Grade: 2

The pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are a credit to them, their parents and the school. Their good attendance underlines this view. They understand and follow the school’s expectations, work hard and help each other in a friendly manner. Because older pupils readily care for younger pupils, often working together in class, as helpers at lunchtimes and as leaders of playground activities, relationships between pupils and with adults are good. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. All pupils learn to be safe and healthy, and to look after one another, including as members of the effective school council. Pupils join in spiritual occasions with reverence and enjoyment, qualities they bring to most of their work and illustrated in their thoughtful contributions when visiting the ‘Life Education Centre’ during the inspection. Their spiritual, moral and social development is nurtured well by the school and is good.

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Grade: 2

Pupils have a good understanding of their own culture but not of other cultures found in modern Britain. Through curriculum visits, charitable giving and links with other schools, they grow in maturity and understanding of their role in society. Their preparation for the development of further life skills is good. The school is proud of its award for being a healthy school and is working hard towards the next level.

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Grade: 2

The good quality of teaching is making a positive contribution to above average standards and good achievement throughout the school. Teachers use a good range of teaching methods and styles, including the use of interactive whiteboards, to make lessons interesting for pupils. Pupils in turn are motivated and inspired to produce good quality work. Pupils make good progress according to their ability. The school 3 Inspection Report: St William's Catholic Primary School, Pilling, 7 °8 November 2006 has introduced a common approach to checking pupils’ understanding, which encourages them to reflect on their progress. They are not involved in considering precisely what it is they need to do to improve their work. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported, often by teaching assistants, and also make good progress. The staff have adapted the major national strategies for English and mathematics well so that, for example, pupils have enough time to solve

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Grade: 2

problems or complete a piece of writing in a lesson. There are real strengths in relationships. Teachers know their pupils well and plan effectively to meet individual learning needs.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. What is taught in lessons is enriched by the contribution of visitors and the many opportunities for visits that pupils have. It is carefully planned and organised and the strong ethos of inclusion helps all the children, whatever their needs, to effectively build on their skills and knowledge. The good personal, social and health education programme provides work to teach pupils about their community responsibilities, growing up and the dangers of drug abuse. Pupils and parents value the wide and varied range of extracurricular activities. At the time of the inspection, pupils experienced a visit from the Life Education Centre, presenting good opportunities to develop personal and social skills. Residential opportunities for all are offered to pupils in Years 5 and 6. Information and communication technology (ICT) was an issue in the previous inspection. Since that time the school has improved resources; however,

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Grade: 2

the impact on pupils’ standards and attainment is not regularly assessed.

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Grade: 2

The school judges care, guidance and support to be outstanding. Inspection judges the level of care and support to be good because pupils are not involved in discussing the outcomes of assessment to help them understand what it is they need to do to improve. Pupils assess their understanding of their work and the school plans to extend their involvement in setting targets for their future learning. Procedures for ensuring the suitability of those working in the school are in place, as are child protection procedures. The school has considered the potential risks in any activities that involve pupils and works hard to reduce these risks. Adults in school create and work in a caring Christian ethos. This is a key factor in ensuring that pupils lead healthy lifestyles, feel safe, enjoy school and achieve well. The school’s good partnerships with a range of agencies, including the local authority, help to provide guidance to vulnerable pupils

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Grade: 2

and support the achievement of all. 4 Inspection Report: St William's Catholic Primary School, Pilling, 7 °8 November 2006

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher has quickly identified areas for improvement and her clear vision and understanding of the school's priorities has had a considerable impact on the strategic and operational running of the school. Because the staff have worked effectively to create an ethos where the pupils' personal development is carefully nurtured and every child matters, there has been a strong impact on learning and the standards reached. The headteacher has introduced a new approach to teachers’ planning that is widely adopted across the school. This has improved the way teachers plan and deliver lessons. She has set clear targets for the school and introduced good procedures for monitoring and tracking progress. Governors support the headteacher and the school well, and have a good understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development. There is a genuine collegiate

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Grade: 2

approach to improvement. Arrangements to gather parents' and pupils' views are firmly in place and both groups value the school highly. Good partnerships help the school review and check the quality of what it provides for pupils and their families. These partnerships support the school’s improvement and help it to raise standards. As a result, it is in a good position to move forward and has a good capacity to improve. 5 Inspection Report: St William's Catholic Primary School, Pilling, 7 °8 November 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. 6 Inspection Report: St William's Catholic Primary School, Pilling, 7 °8 November 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? 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: St William's Catholic Primary School, Pilling, 7 °8 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: St William's Catholic Primary School, Pilling, 7 °8 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

St William's Catholic Primary School, Pilling Garstang Road Pilling Preston Lancashire PR3 6AL 7 November 2006 Dear Children Thank you very much for making me welcome when I visited your school recently. I enjoyed coming to your lessons, talking to you about your work and the interesting things that you do. I am pleased to tell you that your school provides a good education for you. What I particularly liked about your school: • the good results and your good achievement • the good quality of teaching and learning • the way that everybody feels valued and part of the school community • your enjoyment of your happy school • your good behaviour and the way that you willingly take responsibility and help others • the good guidance and support you receive to keep you safe and help you learn. The adults in your school look after you well. I have asked your school to tell you precisely what it is you need to do to improve your work and to help you understand the diversity of life in

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

modern Britain. I wish you well and good luck for the future. Yours sincerely Michael Onyon Inspector 9 Inspection Report: St William's Catholic Primary School, Pilling, 7 °8 November 2006

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