Oulton Broad Primary School

Oulton Broad Primary School Inspection report

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124676 Unique Reference Number SUFFOLK Local Authority 293071 Inspection number 13 March 2007 Inspection date Robert McKeown 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °9 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 270 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Michael Scrivener Chair Mr C E M Harrison Headteacher 5 November 2001 Date of previous school inspection Christmas Lane School address Oulton Broad Lowestoft Suffolk NR32 3JX

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01502 565930 Telephone number 01502 514970 Fax number

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3 °9 Age group 13 March 2007 Inspection date 293071 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty's Inspectors over one day.

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Description of the school

Oulton Broad is an average sized community primary school situated to the west of Lowestoft, in Suffolk. The number of pupils on roll has risen since the last inspection. Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds. The percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals is lower than average. There are fewer pupils with learning difficulties than is typical for this size of school. One pupil has a statement of special educational need. Children begin school in the Nursery and enter the Reception class in the term in which they are five. Children start school with standards and skills which match those expected for their age. The headteacher has led the school for ten years.

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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: Oulton Broad Primary School, 13 March 2007

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Grade: 2

Oulton Broad Primary School provides its pupils with a good quality education. It is well regarded by parents and the overwhelming majority are pleased with the all round education their children receive. The school has worked hard to improve its communication and partnership with parents since the last inspection and this is now good. Pupils make good progress from the time they start school until they leave in Year 4. The standards reached by pupils in Year 2 have been well above national averages for several years. Standards are high and pupils achieve well because the teaching is consistently good. Teachers work well together to ensure the learning experiences pupils receive are well planned and matched to their needs. Teaching assistants and parent volunteers provide very good support for groups of pupils during lessons. There is a strong emphasis on ensuring pupils make good progress in English, mathematics and science. The school has recognised that some pupils in

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Grade: 2

Years 3 and 4 need to make more progress in mathematics and is taking action to secure this. Pupils' personal development is good. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are extremely well behaved, polite and friendly. Relationships between staff and pupils are good and pupils' attitudes to learning are very positive. The school has recently gained a healthy schools award, consequently pupils know about the importance of adopting healthy lifestyles. Becoming a member of the school council is well regarded by pupils and they enjoy taking part in discussions on how they might improve the school and which charities they should support through fundraising. Care and support for pupils is very good. Pupils regard the school as a safe place and know that staff will always listen to any concerns they may have. The attractive displays of pupils' work illustrate well the full range of experiences provided in a good curriculum. The

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Grade: 2

school recognises that pupils could have more opportunities to use computers to support their learning. Leadership and management of the headteacher and key staff are good. All staff are valued and effective teamwork is an important factor in securing the school's success. There is a collective commitment to improving provision and ensuring that all pupils achieve well. Subject leadership is good overall and recently improved in music and physical education (PE). The school does not have a nominated subject leader for information and communication technology (ICT). Currently the tracking of pupils' progress is satisfactory but left to individual teachers. There is no whole school system for tracking pupils' progress from year to year in mathematics. The Governing Body supports the school well and contributes effectively to maintaining its success. The school achieves good value for money and it has a strong capacity to improve

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What the school should do to improve further

• Establish a whole school system for tracking pupils' progress in mathematics from year to year to enable leaders and managers to keep a tight check on pupils' progress. • Strengthen leadership and management of ICT and increase pupils' use of computers in their learning in other subjects 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Oulton Broad Primary School, 13 March 2007

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Grade: 2

Standards and achievement are good. Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage and they achieve well in most aspects of learning. The Foundation Stage profile records show that children usually attain higher standards than is typical for schools in the local authority and nationally. In 2006, children's achievement in two aspects of learning, calculation and linking sounds and letters were not as strong. Teachers in the Foundation Stage are taking suitable action to strengthen learning in these aspects this year. Pupils' good progress continues in Years 1 and 2. In 2006, pupils' attainment at the end of Year 2 was well above national levels in reading, writing and mathematics. Boys' attainment was particularly good. Attainment at the end of Year 2 has been consistently high for several years. Most pupils achieve well in Years 3 and 4. The school's own records indicate that many pupils attain high standards particularly

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Grade: 2

in English by the end of Year 4. Achievement for some pupils in mathematics is not as good. The school has recognised this and is taking action to strengthen pupils' mental calculation skills. Pupils' progress in mathematics is not tracked as thoroughly as it is in English. Pupils with learning difficulties make good progress and many achieve very well. Standards and achievement in science are good and the subject leader monitors pupils' progress thoroughly.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Pupils feel safe in the school and show very positive attitudes to learning. They enjoy receiving star awards for their efforts and achievements. Attendance is good and behaviour is very good in lessons and around the school. Pupils get on well together. They know that bullying is unacceptable and believe rightly that any incidents will be dealt with promptly. There is a continual focus on anti bullying and staff have high expectations for good behaviour and positive relationships. The school has recently been awarded 'healthy school' status and this is reflected in pupils' good knowledge of the importance of eating healthy foods and taking exercise. Pupils' spiritual, moral and social development is good. Cultural development has improved since the last inspection and is now good. There are many more opportunities for pupils to learn about other cultures and world

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Grade: 2

religions. A good link has been developed with an elementary school in Korea. The school council represents pupils' views well and regular elections enable many pupils to take their turn as councillors. Improvements to the playground environment and raising funds for charities are important outcomes of the council's work. Older pupils have the chance to take responsibility such as acting as play leaders supporting playground games at lunchtime.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher and deputy headteacher undertake regular lesson observations and they accurately judge teaching and learning to be good. Teachers' planning is very detailed and consistent across the classes in each year group. In the parts of lessons observed during the inspection, learning was purposeful, challenging and conducted at a good pace. Teachers used their interactive whiteboards effectively to support their explanations and end of lesson plenaries were used well to assess pupils' learning. Lessons in the Foundation Stage included practical 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Oulton Broad Primary School, 13 March 2007 learning in all aspects of the curriculum. Teaching assistants and parent volunteers supported pupils' learning very successfully. Teachers carry out regular assessments of pupils' progress and keep detailed records of their achievements. Marking in English and mathematics books is very thorough, with positive comments for work done well and periodic recording of pupils'

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Grade: 2

learning outcomes. It is less effective in helping pupils to know what to do next to improve. Pupils have learning targets in English and mathematics but some of these are not easily understood by younger pupils. However, the writing targets for pupils in Year 4 are particularly good because they provide precise and accessible pointers for improvement.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It is carefully organised in the Foundation Stage to ensure a smooth transition from the Nursery into Reception. Pupils enjoy a full range of experiences across all the National Curriculum subjects. Strong emphasis is placed on pupils developing good literacy, numeracy and science skills. Provision in ICT has improved since the last inspection but there are too few opportunities particularly for younger pupils to use computers to support their learning in other subjects. Recent improvements in provision have also strengthened the curriculum in PE and music. Pupils have had the experience of playing Indonesian percussion instruments and Year 4 pupils have taken part in a local dance festival. An increasing number of pupils are attending the good range of enrichment activities organised after school and regular educational visits extend learning beyond school. Provision for pupils with lower

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Grade: 2

attainment and those with learning difficulties is good. This enables them to make good and sometimes very good progress. Pupils' individual education plans are clearly focussed on helping them to improve mostly in reading and writing. Less emphasis is given to mathematics. The school recognises that some pupils have special talents and teachers provide them with extension activities to ensure they are fully challenged.

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Grade: 2

All staff care for pupils very well and the support they receive from teachers and teaching assistants makes an important contribution to their learning. Safeguarding procedures are robust and staff undertake regular training for child protection and administering first aid. Supervision at break-times is good and regular health and safety inspections are undertaken. The school works well with other agencies to ensure that pupils get the help they need. Links with parents to engage them in helping to support their children's learning are excellent. The 'helping your child in school' courses are very popular and give parents good guidance on supporting learning. Regular homework, a home-school agreement and family learning courses are also positive features. Parents believe that their children settle well in school because of very good induction provided for Nursery children. The school acknowledges that a smoother

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Grade: 2

transition is required for pupils moving from Year 2 to Year 3. Tracking pupils' progress is managed well by teachers especially in reading and spelling. Tracking progress in mathematics is less effective and the school recognises that it does not have a system in place which monitors progress efficiently as pupils move through the school. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Oulton Broad Primary School, 13 March 2007

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher provides strong and purposeful leadership and parents have confidence in the way the school is managed. The headteacher receives good support from the deputy headteacher and leadership team. All staff work very well together and are committed to ensuring pupils reach high standards and achieve well. Staff enjoy working in the school and believe rightly that their contributions are valued. They receive good support and training opportunities. Newly appointed staff settle in quickly, just like new pupils. Leaders and managers have a good understanding of what the school needs to do to improve further and this is set out in a clearly defined improvement plan. Subject leaders check the effectiveness of teachers' planning and interview children to assess the quality of their learning. However, they do not have enough opportunities to observe their colleagues'

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Grade: 2

lessons to enable them to evaluate more fully the quality of teaching and learning. Currently there is no subject leader for ICT. Good improvements in indoor and outdoor accommodation have been achieved since the last inspection. Consequently the learning environment is very good. Governors give the school good support. They keep a check on the work of the school through their regular meetings but do not have a formal system of making visits and reporting their findings to the Governing Body. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Oulton Broad Primary School, 13 March 2007 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Oulton Broad Primary School, 13 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 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 1 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Oulton Broad Primary School, 13 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: Oulton Broad Primary School, 13 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

March 2007 Dear Children, Oulton Broad Primary School, Christmas Lane, Oulton Broad, Lowestoft, Suffolk NR32 3JX Thank you for making me feel so welcome when I visited your school. I really enjoyed my day at Oulton Broad. Everyone was very friendly and you all get on well together. I like the idea of having playground buddies and a friendship stop on the playground. I was impressed with your behaviour and the way you listened well and worked hard in your lessons. I think having star rewards for all the good work you do is a great idea. The displays of your work around the school are really attractive and I could see that you have been learning about many interesting things. It must have been fun trying out the gamelan instruments from Indonesia. The school council is doing a good job thinking of ways in which the school can be improved. I thought the quiet shaded area on the playground and the new flower planters looked very attractive. You also do a lot

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to help other people by raising money for charities and the school councillors were looking forward to 'red nose day'. Mr Harrison and all the adults at the school care for you very well. Your teachers, the other adults and parents who work with you are doing their very best to make sure you learn as much as you can and also live happy, healthy lives. Most of you do very well in your English, mathematics and science tests. Overall your school is a good one and your parents are very pleased that you attend it. Before I left, I asked Mr Harrison and your teachers to keep a close check on how well you are doing especially in mathematics. I also asked them to try and give you more opportunities to use computers in your lessons. You have a lot to look forward to in the years ahead. Make sure you do your best and enjoy every minute. With best wishes, Rob McKeown Her Majesty's Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Oulton Broad Primary School, 13 March 2007

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