Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School

Inspection Report Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School

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119699 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 291507 Inspection number 22 February 2007 Inspection date 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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Stanley Grove School address Primary Type of school Penwortham, Preston Voluntary aided School category Lancashire, PR1 0JH 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01772 742331 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01772 752491 Fax number 269 Number on roll (school) Father Austin Griffin Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Cathy Stocks (acting headteacher) Headteacher

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1 March 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 291507 22 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This average-sized primary school serves the residential area of Penwortham, close to Preston. The proportion of pupils taking a free school meal is much lower than average. When they enter the Reception class, children’s development is above that usually seen in schools nationally. There is a lower proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities than in most schools. The vast majority of pupils come from White British backgrounds. The school has experienced significant staffing changes recently. At the time of the inspection, an acting headteacher and an interim leadership team were in post.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, 22 February 2007

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Grade: 3

St Teresa’s Primary is a satisfactory school with good features in pupils’ personal development. Value for money is satisfactory. This is lower than the school’s own evaluation but reflects more accurately the standards of achievement in the school. Nevertheless, records from recent self-evaluation and school development planning show that managers have a sound overview of the school’s strengths and where it needs to improve. Parents have generally positive views of the school and commend the good care shown towards their children. There is some concern about communications between school and home, particularly about changes in school; the governors accept this and have plans to improve matters. Achievement is satisfactory. When children start school, their knowledge and skills are more advanced than usually seen. The quality of education in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and children attain and often exceed the goals set for their learning.

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Grade: 3

Standards at Year 6 are above average, although they have declined over the last two years from the very high level seen previously. For the 2006 group, the decline was due to some underachievement, especially of the more able pupils, in the lower junior classes. The problem was not identified or acted upon quickly enough and, although this group of pupils made good progress in Year 6, there was insufficient time for them to catch up. Teachers now have higher expectations of pupils because of the new tracking and target setting systems introduced by the acting headteacher. However, there are still some occasions, especially in the lower junior classes, when the more able have the same work as the average attaining pupils and are not fully challenged. Teaching is therefore satisfactory overall and good in the upper junior classes. Pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities have good support and make good

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Grade: 3

progress. Pupils’ personal development is good and is a strength of the school. Pupils say that they feel safe and happy and that they enjoy their lessons. One group described St Teresa’s as a ‘happy, friendly, sporty school’. Pupils learn about responsibility by acting as ‘buddies’ to younger ones and through their school council. This helps them to develop a sense of community and prepares them well for life in the wider world. The curriculum is satisfactory and enrichment for learning through out-of-school clubs and visits is good. Special teaching groups are helping to overcome any underachievement and the older pupils benefit from setting and booster sessions which are promoting good progress. A sound emphasis on personal and health education enables pupils to make informed choices about their lifestyles. Good guidance for pupils, in the form of target sheets, is promoting better progress in writing but is not

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Grade: 3

yet extended to mathematics. Leadership and management are satisfactory. Management, staff and governors pay good attention to safeguarding pupils. Building on the good support provided by the local authority, the acting headteacher is providing renewed energy and good leadership. There is, in consequence, good morale among staff and a strong commitment to raising standards. Effective monitoring of provision and performance in English is helping to improve progress but monitoring systems for mathematics are 2 Inspection Report: Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, 22 February 2007 not as effective. Overall, improvement since the previous inspection is satisfactory, although much of the work to address the key issues has started very recently. Some initial improvements in progress are evident but the full impact, in terms of better achievement, has yet to materialise. Governors are keen to see an end to the temporary

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Grade: 3

nature of leadership and management and to consolidate the improvements recently introduced. St Teresa’s has sound capacity to improve further.

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What the school should do to improve further

Improve standards and achievement by: • improving teaching so it is consistently good across the school • developing better checking of provision, progress and standards in mathematics • providing better guidance for pupils in mathematics to help them improve • providing more opportunities for pupils to write when studying other subjects.

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Grade: 3

Achievement in the school is satisfactory and good for pupils who have learning difficulties and disabilities. From an above average start, children in the Reception class make satisfactory progress and, by the end of the year, their attainment is above expectations. After satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2, standards remain above average. Results in the national tests at Year 6 are also above average, although they have declined from a very high level in the past. The school’s assessment records show that the 2006 group of pupils did better in the upper junior classes than in the younger junior ones. Some aspects of underachievement were not identified or acted upon quickly enough, especially for the more able pupils. Although pupils made good progress overall in Year 6, there was insufficient time to compensate for all the shortcomings in previous learning. As a result, in the 2006 tests, writing was weaker than reading.

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Grade: 3

Fewer than expected pupils achieved the higher Level 5 in mathematics and the school’s target was not met in this subject. Currently, progress for boys and girls is satisfactory and often good, although there are differences between year groups and subjects. Progress in writing is now good in the older junior classes and generally satisfactory elsewhere. More pupils are working at the higher levels in mathematics and previous gaps in learning are being eliminated through focused teaching. As yet, however, there has been insufficient time to make an impact on overall standards and achievement. Good provision and extra teaching sessions for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities result in good progress for this group. 3 Inspection Report: Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, 22 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development is good and is a strength of the school. Pupils’ great enjoyment of school is clearly reflected in their good attendance, positive attitudes and good behaviour. Rules are known and followed. Pupils say that there is no bullying although ‘there are some disagreements sometimes’. They say that they feel safe and secure. From discussions with pupils, it is evident that they have a good understanding of how to follow a healthy lifestyle. Good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development stems from the school’s caring ethos and is underpinned by strong links with the Catholic church. The quality of relationships between teachers and learners and amongst learners is very good and this helps pupils to develop confidence and self-esteem. Pupils collaborate very well and have good respect for faiths and beliefs that are different from their own. The school council’s views are valued. They have generated some good improvements in

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Grade: 2

school, such as zoning the playground for different activities. Pupils are well prepared for the world of work and their roles as future citizens by carrying out a wide range of responsibilities around school. For example, they act as prefects and monitors and play an active part in raising and collecting funds for charity.

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Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory overall with some good practice, especially for the older pupils. Teaching and learning in the Reception class are satisfactory although children sometimes sit listening passively for too long. Across all age groups, relationships in lessons are very good and pupils trust their teachers. This means that they develop good attitudes to learning and a willingness to persevere with tasks. Teachers make the purpose of the lesson clear so that pupils know what is expected of them. The older pupils have good opportunities to evaluate their own work and progress which is supporting their skills of independent learning well. There is a lack of consistency in teaching which leads to differences in the pace of learning. In most lessons, tasks are set at different levels of difficulty but they do not always challenge the more able pupils fully, especially in the lower junior classes. Teachers are seeking out more opportunities for pupils to write when studying other

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Grade: 3

subjects, but worksheets are used too often, especially in the infant and lower junior classes. These require a limited response and do not promote writing skills effectively. Marking is good in English and includes useful advice to help pupils improve. This good practice is not seen in all classes for mathematics. 4 Inspection Report: Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, 22 February 2007

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory overall, with a good range of enrichment activities. Teachers’ plans cater well for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities within the lessons but do not consistently provide enough challenge for the more able. The curriculum in the Reception class is satisfactory. The staff plan a variety of practical activities around interesting themes. The main classroom is stimulating with varied opportunities for children to explore. However, this exciting provision is not available to the part of the class who are taught in an additional room at various times of the day. The school has a good range of enrichment opportunities to extend pupils’ creative and sporting talents and broaden their experiences. Pupils are inspired through the visits they make, including an annual residential trip. They especially enjoyed participating in the regional ‘Young Voices’ experience, which enhanced their

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Grade: 3

performance and listening skills. Pupils talk excitedly about the wide range of sporting opportunities and competitions, of which they take good advantage.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall. Care and support for pupils’ personal development are good and ensure that pupils are confident, happy learners. Good support for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities helps them to take a full part in lessons and to do well. Effective procedures are established for child protection and to check the suitability of staff. The staff work hard to eliminate any possible risks to pupils’ safety. New guidance has been developed to help pupils to improve their work; it is still in the developmental stage and is satisfactory. The ‘I can’ target sheets used in writing are very effective in helping pupils to develop their skills and to monitor their own progress. This good system is not extended to mathematics as yet.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory. The staff work as a strong team and are determined to improve provision, achievement and standards. A sense of pride in the school extends to the non-teaching personnel, who provide good administration and maintenance. The acting headteacher, well supported by the interim management team, is providing good leadership and driving the school forward. Managers are making good use of the help provided by the local authority and expertise from other schools. The pace of improvement for this academic year is good but has been relatively slow in the past. Measures to address the key issues from the last inspection, especially those related to increasing teachers’ expectations, are beginning to take effect and quickening pupils’ progress in lessons. In the short timescale, however, they have not 5 Inspection Report: Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, 22 February 2007

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Grade: 3

yet made an impact on standards and achievement. The lack of adequate monitoring of pupils’ progress in the past has been largely responsible for the fact that some underachievement was not rectified quickly enough. An effective system for tracking progress and setting challenging expectations is now providing detailed information for teachers and managers. The monitoring of provision and progress in English is good, but is not yet fully established in mathematics. Governance is satisfactory and all statutory requirements are met. The governors are supportive and keen to develop their role in checking standards and achievement. 6 Inspection Report: Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, 22 February 2007 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, 22 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? 3 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 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?

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. 8 Inspection Report: Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, 22 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: Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, 22 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School Stanley Grove Penwortham Preston Lancashire PR1 0JH 22 February 2007 Dear Pupils Thank you very much for the warm welcome and for helping me when I came to visit your school. I would like to tell you what I found out. St Teresa’s is a very friendly place and your behaviour is good. I really appreciated your smiles and the way you helped me to find my way around school. It was lovely to see how you get on so well and take such good care of each other. You are a credit to your teachers and families. You enjoy your learning and love the variety of clubs and visits. You enjoy your sport and have healthy, competitive attitudes and a good sense of fair play. The adults in school work hard to make sure you are happy and safe. You like your teachers and we think that encourages you to try your best. Please thank your parents for sending us lots of replies to the questionnaire. The majority of them are pleased with the school. Some

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

are a bit worried about the changes made recently so perhaps you could tell them more about what you are learning to reassure them. Your progress in lessons is getting better - well done. With continued hard work you can do even better! I saw how much you enjoy extra challenges so I have asked your teachers to make sure that these are always included in your lessons. Your writing is improving - I especially liked the way you use your ‘I can’ target sheets and take good note of the advice you are given. Your teachers agree with me that similar help would be useful in mathematics as well. We also agreed that you would benefit from doing more writing when studying subjects such as history or geography, rather than using worksheets. Thank you once again for the interesting conversations I had and for letting me know your views so clearly. I would like to express special thanks to the group who gave up their lunch-time

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

play to tell me all about your school. Please accept my best wishes for the future. Yours sincerely Mrs Lynne Read (Lead inspector) 10 Inspection Report: Penwortham, St Teresa's Catholic Primary School, 22 February 2007

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