Moor Park Primary School

Inspection Report Moor Park Primary School

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134967 Unique Reference Number Blackpool Local Authority 294230 Inspection number 3 °4 October 2006 Inspection dates Delia Hiscock 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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Moor Park Avenue School address Primary Type of school Bispham, Blackpool Community School category FY2 0LY 3 °11 Age range of pupils 01253 353034 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01253 596658 Fax number 485 Number on roll (school) Cllr Kath Rowson Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Barbara Ivell Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 294230 3 °4 October 2006 3°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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This new school, opened in September 2005, serves an urban seaside population. An above average proportion of pupils are eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is also above average. Nearly all the pupils are of White British heritage. A few are from minority ethnic families and a small number speak English as an additional language. The school is larger than average. The number of pupils on roll is steadily reducing as the school moves from three to two form entry. Children generally start school with levels of attainment below that of children their age in other schools.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Moor Park Primary School, 3 °4 October 2006

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Grade: 2

This is an effective school that provides good value for money. This is because it has built sensitively on the strengths and successes of the two schools from which it was formed and valued the expertise of staff, governance and outside agencies. Accurate but cautious evaluation has triggered rapid improvements and ensured that all the pupils achieve well. The headteacher is inspirational in her leadership, undaunted by the difficulties triggered by change and skilled in communicating the vision for the school. Everyone is happy to subscribe to the words ‘Learning for Life’ on the school badge. There is an unequivocal aim that each child should achieve their highest potential and very clear plans are in place to bring this about. With this in mind, leadership has begun to equip staff at all levels with the tools and resources to enable them to implement agreed approaches to school improvement. The strong, upbeat

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Grade: 2

leadership team and well motivated staff have forged common ways of working and a good capacity to move forward. Weaknesses have already been tackled effectively. The school’s unreported national test results at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2006 indicate that standards were below average, mainly because of many boys’ underachievement in English. This was a result of factors the school inherited that could not be fully addressed in these pupils’ final year in the school. Provision in Key Stage 2 has accelerated the progress pupils make from the end of Key Stage 1; progress is good and standards are average. Monitoring, perceptive analysis of progress by leadership, and some staff changes have led to teachers taking better account of pupils’ potential. In turn, they now have a greater understanding of how to move pupils on by setting work better matched to their needs. In some instances, boys who were identified as

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Grade: 2

underachieving have made exceptional progress. Imaginative pieces of writing on display around the school demonstrate some of these improvements, although not all of the older pupils enjoy writing. The good quality and standards in the Foundation Stage have been boosted by some outstanding features of the new Nursery provision. The school’s information shows that children reach similar standards to others of their age by the time they start Year 1, although a small but significant number do not attain the standard expected in language and mathematical development. Pupils continue to make good progress in Key Stage 1 where they reach average standards. Pupils are interested in learning and they work with confidence and ease with each other. An effective range of curriculum activities meets the pupils’ needs and equips them well with the skills and knowledge they need for the future. Pupils say that: ‘Everyone is happy here,’ that they are listened to, and that they have the chance to

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Grade: 2

take on some responsibility in the school. The care, guidance and support the pupils receive are good. It is the excellent care that pupils receive and the support in their day-to-day lives that makes Moor Park a ‘really friendly’ place to be. Although pupils are guided to understand what they might attain, they are not as fully supported through the marking and feedback of their work. That said, parents and carers are very positive about the school and their child’s education. 2 Inspection Report: Moor Park Primary School, 3 °4 October 2006

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve marking and feedback so that pupils know more precisely how to evaluate their own progress and improve their work.

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Grade: 2

Unreported results of the 2006 national tests for the Year 6 pupils indicate that standards are below average. These results are explained by the features of this year group inherited from the previous school, in which many of the boys, some of whom started the school late in their junior years, were underachieving in English. Consequently, the school did not meet the targets set for this cohort of pupils. Pupils’ current work and that from the end of the last academic year show that progress in Key Stage 2 is now good. Standards are as expected for pupils’ age. Leadership intervention and good teaching have much improved the achievement of many boys who have leapt forward in the progress they have made since the end of Key Stage 1. Importantly, the remnants of underachievement in English within Key Stage 2 have been tackled rigorously. In Year 3, pupils are currently working above the expected levels for their age in mathematics and there are some delightful examples of

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Grade: 2

imaginative writing around the school. For a few boys in Year 6, achievement in writing is satisfactory rather than good because they do not have enough confidence to value their own work, a factor that the school is addressing. The children make good progress in the Foundation Stage, reaching similar standards to children of their age in other schools. A small but significant number do not achieve the goals expected of them in communication skills and mathematical development by the time they enter Year 1. The average standards in Key Stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics are the result of continued good progress. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities do as well as their classmates.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. Pupils look forward to coming to school and enjoy their learning. Attendance is broadly average. Pupils say that they feel safe and well cared for. Very positive relationships and good spiritual, social, moral and cultural development have a positive effect on pupils’ attitudes to learning and the courteous ways in which they work together and behave well. Their self-esteem grows. Plenty of worthwhile opportunities are provided for reflection and for visits and visitors to contribute to pupils’ experiences of life outside school. The school council enables children’s voices to be heard across all age groups. They speak proudly of the fundraising they have undertaken and of the responsibilities they and others take on. Pupils gain a good range of skills for the future and are well aware of how food and exercise contribute to being healthy. 3 Inspection Report: Moor Park Primary School, 3 °4 October 2006

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Grade: 2

The good quality of teaching and learning found throughout the school is underpinned by very good relationships. Teachers sustain a disciplined working atmosphere in the classroom whilst maintaining a friendly, good- humoured approach which is appreciated by both pupils and parents. Consequently, pupils are keen to learn and enjoy doing so. Work is usually well matched to their needs and in Years 4 to 6 is helped by the fact that they are taught in groups of similar prior attainment. Teaching assistants are well briefed and work effectively to ensure that the individuals or groups of pupils for which they are responsible make similar progress to others in the class. Teachers acknowledge that their improved understanding of assessment information helps them to plan work better to meet the needs of different ability groups within their class. Marking of pupils’ work and feedback are regular but do not explain clearly enough

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Grade: 2

to pupils what they need to do to improve their work.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum meets the needs and capabilities of all learners well. The school is actively seeking to develop pupils’ talents by further enriching the provision. Outdoor pursuits, work in music and fun activities in history are just some of the interesting features provided. The school’s new Nursery displays some exemplary provision that has added much to the good Foundation Stage curriculum. Pupils enjoy the wide range of extra-curricular activities, including sport, music and art. Provision for literacy and numeracy is good. It is satisfactory in information and communication technology (ICT) where pupils have lots of activities to develop their skills but less chance to apply them in other subjects. Provision for personal, social, health and citizenship education is good.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. The care that pupils receive is excellent. The school is very supportive of all the pupils and is proactive in ensuring that pastoral needs are met for those who are facing difficulties. The requirements for the safety and protection of children are in place, including those for risk assessment. Good support is provided for those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Guidance for pupils’ academic progress is satisfactory. Effective new procedures are beginning to help pupils to understand what they might aspire to and how they might improve their own work. 4 Inspection Report: Moor Park Primary School, 3 °4 October 2006

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The leadership of the headteacher is outstanding. She has a clear vision for the future of the school and very effective skills and knowledge to bring about improvement. This is demonstrated in the very smooth amalgamation of the two schools, their staff and all the pupils. Governance is strong and supports the school effectively. Leadership places the highest priority on the personal development and well-being of all the pupils so everyone has the care of pupils at the heart of their work. The staff have blended into an effective team that strives to improve pupils’ achievement and to encourage them to do their best, whatever their talents, worries or circumstances. Leaders at all levels are effective, optimistic and keen to move forward. The staff say that they have benefited from training and professional discussion, particularly in their understanding of assessment information.

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Grade: 2

As a result, the outcomes of effective monitoring have been swiftly transformed into actions to make improvements in provision. Shared approaches have already paid dividends in developing pupils’ skills in writing. Staff are now better placed to plan for pupils to reach challenging targets and their highest potential. 5 Inspection Report: Moor Park Primary School, 3 °4 October 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: Moor Park Primary School, 3 °4 October 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 NA 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? 3 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 3 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: Moor Park Primary School, 3 °4 October 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: Moor Park Primary School, 3 °4 October 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Moor Park Primary School Moor Park Avenue Bispham Blackpool FY2 0LY 3 October 2006 Dear Pupils We really enjoyed our visit to your school. Thanks so much for all the interesting conversations you shared with us. It was great talking with you. We found you to be really polite and helpful children. This letter is to tell you what we think about your school. We found your school to be a good one. We can see that you are doing well in your work. The reasons for this are that you behave well, you show respect for each other and for your teachers and you try hard in your lessons. We also found that you are trying hard to make your writing better. In fact, some of your writing displayed on the walls is really interesting to read! The teachers and all the other staff work hard to make lessons just right for you. It would be super if you could try to improve your work further with some more help from your teachers.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We could see also that you have learned such a lot about how to keep safe and healthy, and to care about others. Good luck for the future. Yours sincerely Mrs Delia Hiscock, Mrs Jean Havard, Mr Anthony Pearson, School Inspectors 9 Inspection Report: Moor Park Primary School, 3 °4 October 2006

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