Crompton Primary School

Crompton Primary School Inspection report

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133286 Unique Reference Number Oldham Local Authority 294063 Inspection number 23 May 2007 Inspection date Mike Hoban 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 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 230 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Steven Smith Chair Mr Martin Moore Headteacher 18 November 2002 Date of previous school inspection Longfield Road School address Shaw Oldham Lancashire OL2 7HD

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01706 844134 Telephone number 01706 881507 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 23 May 2007 Inspection date 294063 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 of Schools.

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Description of the school

Crompton is an average-sized primary school, where the take up of free school meals is just below the national average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above the national average, although the percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational needs is below the national average. About a quarter of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, with pupils of Bangladeshi heritage representing the largest minority ethnic group. About one-fifth of pupils have a first language other than English, which is well above the national average, although only a small proportion are at the early stages of English language acquisition.

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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: Crompton Primary School, 23 May 2007

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Grade: 2

Crompton is a good school, striving to improve further the education and care of its pupils. Overall, pupils achieve well here and their behaviour is excellent. Parents have a very high regard for the standards of education and care their children receive at Crompton and are keen to acknowledge the dedication the staff demonstrate at the school. Pupils who recently joined the school from other schools also praised the quality of education and support at Crompton. Pupils' progress is strongest in the Foundation Stage and during Key Stage 2. Pupils enter the Foundation Stage with skills below those typical for children of this age and make good progress to the end of that stage. At the end of Key Stage 1, assessments in 2006 showed that standards were just lower than the national averages, with numeracy weaker than literacy. The school has put in place measures to strengthen teaching and learning at Key Stage 1 and these are

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Grade: 2

now having an impact. Pupils leave Crompton with standards higher than the national averages. In the case of English in 2006, standards were significantly higher than the national average and this represented an improvement on the already high 2005 results. Standards in mathematics, although remaining high in 2006, slipped back compared with 2005. That picture of attainment can be set in a context of steadily improving results at Key Stage 2. It is a testimony to the effective teaching and learning at the school, along with the evident commitment that pupils show towards learning. Overall, teaching and learning are good and, where teaching and learning are strongest, they are typified by an atmosphere of teamwork and enthusiasm for learning shared between pupils and the teacher. Pupils are keen to get down to work and make progress, whether independently or working together. In less effective lessons a lack of pace is evident, although

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Grade: 2

the spread of best practice is beginning to assist improvement in this area. The school is refining the curriculum to meet pupils' needs more closely, but this work has yet to be fully embedded across the school. However, changes are beginning to have an impact. For instance, the transition between the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 is being smoothed as the revised curriculum takes much clearer account of pupils' early school experiences. Attendance has improved as a consequence of the school's efforts. Pupils are appreciative of the need for a healthy diet and all groups participate with gusto in games and other outdoor pursuits. Pupils know their learning targets and parents support the school as classroom volunteers, a practice that is welcomed by children. The school is well led by the headteacher, who has a clear commitment to greater improvement. Importantly, he has the keen support of staff, who are committed and have embraced the revisions to the curriculum. Networks of care

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Grade: 2

are in place and ready to support when necessary. Crompton is very well placed to move forward and its capacity to improve is good.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards and improve progress at Key Stage 1. • Ensure that best practice in teaching and learning is shared throughout the school, so that all teaching reaches the higher standard. • Develop numeracy further throughout the school. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Crompton Primary School, 23 May 2007

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Grade: 2

Pupils enter with skills below those typical for their age. By the time children have finished at Crompton they have secured results that are significantly higher than the national averages. That represents, overall, very good progress. By the time pupils start in Key Stage 1, the majority are working at levels expected for their age. This is because, in the Foundation Stage, effective teaching and a supportive curriculum provide a framework that enables pupils to make good progress. Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have generally improved year after year. In 2006, overall standards were just below national averages, with boys and Bangladeshi heritage pupils performing less well than girls. Standards in numeracy were below the national averages. However, action by the leadership team, including redeployment of staff and targeted support for under-performing groups, has resulted in better teaching and learning, with pupils now

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Grade: 2

making better progress in this key stage. As pupils make their way through the school, the good quality of teaching and learning in Key Stage 2 is reflected in the high standards attained by the end of that key stage. All groups of pupils make strong progress, including Bangladeshi heritage pupils. That group make better progress than pupils nationally and better than their own peer group nationally. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities also make good progress, which signals how seriously the school takes the importance of inclusion. Pupils' achievement is good. Attentive pupils are ready and willing to engage with the teacher and comment that the work is interesting and stretches them. Work is effectively differentiated and abler pupils also commented that when they complete tasks, they are set more work to support further progress. Pupils make good progress whether involved in independent study

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Grade: 2

or in group work. Marking and assessment evaluate what pupils have learned and provides them with ideas on how to make good progress.

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Grade: 1

Behaviour is outstanding at Crompton. Pupils are polite and cooperate with staff and peers and their attitudes support an atmosphere of harmony at the school, where pupils from various backgrounds play together and form friendships. Pupils feel secure here and say that bullying is very rare: pupils made clear that if such a situation arose, they would be confident enough to seek advice and support from adults at the school. The harmonious atmosphere is aided by pupils' appreciation of the spiritual dimension and they talked of the common values of the major faiths. The school's effort to improve attendance from just below the national average has borne fruit. Reminders to parents and pupils of the importance of good attendance have contributed to an improvement which has taken levels of attendance to around the national average in this academic year. Pupils at Crompton work with other local schools and that involvement has included contributing

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Grade: 1

towards a published collection of pupils' stories from schools in the local authority area, work which encouraged interest in literacy. Fund-raising for national charities provides pupils both with an idea of the concerns of others well beyond the school gates and with opportunities for 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Crompton Primary School, 23 May 2007 teamwork. The 'healthy tuck shop', run by the school council, sells fruit at break times. It is very well supported because pupils understand the need to develop healthy lifestyles. Pupils enjoy being involved in a range of sporting activities during and after school, including dodgeball, football and netball. Pupils expressed the importance of sport as part of healthy living and commented on the teamwork such activities generated. The uptake of these activities is both deep, with the majority of pupils participating, and wide, whereby all pupil groups participate

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good and these activities are undertaken within a cohesive support structure, including senior management team monitoring. The latter offers constructive comments to teachers and this has contributed to better practice within the classroom. Monitoring encompasses both observations and planning processes and staff talked enthusiastically of how such guidance had shaped their practice. Assessment promotes further learning refinements: pupils know their targets (as do their parents) and how to do better. Teaching is strongest in the Foundation Stage and upper Key Stage 2. The school is offering peer observation to ensure that the practice of the very highest quality is spread beyond those areas. The school has also redeployed resources effectively and this is having a positive effect on learning and standards in Key Stage 1. Where teaching is less effective, the pace is slower and there is less emphasis on independent learning. Pupils with

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Grade: 2

learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive supportive and well calibrated help.

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Grade: 2

The last inspection report found that provision for information and communication technology (ICT) was not meeting statutory requirements. This position has been reversed - indeed, ICT is used throughout the school to buttress teaching and learning and contribute towards pupils' good achievement. A very good lesson in numeracy involved effective use of an interactive whiteboard as well as the involvement of pupils, ensuring they contributed effectively and made good progress. The drive for improvement has led the leadership team to refresh the curriculum to meet pupils' needs more clearly. For instance, pupils in Year 5 studied the geography of Bangladesh enabling all pupils in the class to learn of the different traditions and backgrounds of their classmates. More widely, the transitional curriculum between the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, introduced at the beginning of this academic year, is making sure that there is an easier move

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Grade: 2

between these two phases for pupils. It is also enhancing and ensuring greater continuity in learning through the teaching of common themes in each phase. The curriculum is enriched by a range of activities that enable pupils from all backgrounds to engage positively with others outside the school and to develop social skills. These include trips and civic occasions as well as events within school. For instance, an excellent assembly led by Year 3 provided an opportunity for pupils to be involved in a polished performance that combined planning, team work and cross-curricular activities. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Crompton Primary School, 23 May 2007

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Grade: 2

Work here provides a constructive framework in which pupils can develop both academically and as individuals. Child protection procedures are robust and there are processes in place to support vulnerable pupils. Tracking systems to record pupils' academic progress are in place. The development of a pupil profile for each child is underway and this will enable the school to assess progress rather more accurately. Pupils and their parents are kept informed of their targets and what they must do to improve further. Pupils have been prepared well for entry to secondary schools. Pupils who entered the school recently commented that they have been well supported. Parental support in classrooms, including during the Foundation Stage, is a welcome feature of Crompton's work. There is also effective partnership work underway with the day care provider on the site.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher leads the school with authority and with a clear vision. This has resulted in the re-alignment of the school's aims to more clearly reflect the need for both pupils' care and their education to be truly at the centre of all activities. He is determined to ensure that the already good education that children receive at Crompton becomes even better. The staff, who played a central role in revising the school's aims and reshaping the curriculum, have embraced that new approach with enthusiasm and enhanced teamwork. Subject leaders reflect that general commitment and comment that their greater subject role, for instance involving peer observation, has improved their management skills and made a difference to pupils' achievement. This is because they are able to offer colleagues good advice on how their work may be improved. The governing body is experienced, knows the school very well and offers effective challenge

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Grade: 2

and support to the leadership team. For instance, it advised and supported the purchase of laptop computers, an initiative that has meant that ICT is more effectively used in the classroom to enhance pupils' learning. The school provides good value for money and its capacity to improve is good. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Crompton Primary School, 23 May 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: Crompton Primary School, 23 May 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: Crompton Primary School, 23 May 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: Crompton Primary School, 23 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You will remember that I visited your school to see how much progress you were making at school. I was very impressed by you all. Your behaviour was very good. I really enjoyed the Year 3 assembly and I saw how interested you were in your lessons. I also saw how well the school had done in last year's SATs and the good progress those pupils had made. Overall, I think Mr Moore and his staff are providing you with a good education and with good support. Crompton is a happy, learning community, where you are all encouraged to do your best. I spoke to a number of you and you told me how much you thought of the school, how you enjoyed your lessons and other activities. You are keen to do better, know your targets and how to get help if you need it. I know you want the school to do even better and I have discussed with Mr Moore some areas where things could be even better. These include better progress during Key Stage 1 and some more emphasis on numeracy. I also suggested that all lessons

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

should be as good as the best within your school. I know you are all good team members and that you will want to support these developments, so that you can receive an even better education at Crompton. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Crompton Primary School, 23 May 2007

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