Haverigg Primary School

Haverigg Primary School Inspection report

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112157 Unique Reference Number Cumbria Local Authority 301956 Inspection number 3 °4 July 2007 Inspection dates Pat Kime 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 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 128 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs June Wheatley Chair Mrs Janice Brockbank Headteacher 1 October 2003 Date of previous school inspection Atkinson Street School address Haverigg Millom Cumbria LA18 4HA

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01229 772502 Telephone number 01229 771628 Fax number

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4 °11 Age group 3 °4 July 2007 Inspection dates 301956 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.

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Description of the school

Haverigg is a smaller than average primary school. It serves a village on the isolated south west Cumbrian coast, an area of some social and economic disadvantage. Pupils come mainly from the village but also from other villages to the north and from the nearby town of Millom. Year groups vary significantly in size, currently from 11 to 23. Pupils are taught in five classes, each of which caters for pupils from two year groups. Most pupils are of White British heritage with only a very small number from minority ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is a little lower than average. An above average proportion of pupils, almost a third, has learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD).

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Haverigg Primary School, 3 °4 July 2007

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Grade: 2

Haverigg Primary School is a good school. It is at the heart of the local community. It makes the most of its location as a starting point for pupils’ learning and provides many opportunities to broaden pupils’ horizons. The school provides a good quality of care and a good academic education in a positive and supportive atmosphere. Pupils enjoy school. They make very good progress in developing personal attributes that should stand them in good stead for the future. Teaching is good and, as a result, pupils make good progress in their learning. By the time they leave, they reach standards that are above average overall. The headteacher’s very good leadership motivates and enthuses the staff. Teamwork is strong and the staff are constantly seeking ways to enrich the school’s curriculum; improve their teaching; and raise pupils’ achievement academically and in their personal development. This thoughtful commitment to

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Grade: 2

development and improvement, along with what has been achieved since the previous inspection, show the school is very well placed to go from strength to strength. Parents have a positive view of the school and value its work. Children get a very good start in Reception (Foundation Stage). Their attainment when they start the school varies from year to year and has risen in recent years. Overall, it is lower than is typical for children of their age in key aspects. The school’s records show that last year’s Reception children made very good progress, particularly in early reading, writing and mathematics. In Key Stages 1 and 2, pupils generally build well on their early achievements. They do particularly well in English where Year 6 test results were above average in 2006 and standards this year are even higher. Standards in mathematics were slightly below average in 2006. Last year’s leavers did not make the progress they should have in this subject during Key

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Grade: 2

Stage 2. The school provides a rich curriculum that ensures pupils cover all they should and their work becomes more demanding year-on-year. Pupils learn a lot about the local area. There are some good examples of work that links several subjects but such cross-curricular work is not consistently planned. Staff are keen to develop this approach and a good start has been made on whole-school planning for it. There is much good teaching but the effectiveness of marking of pupils’ work and the setting of targets for them varies between subjects and teachers. These elements are particularly good in English in upper Key Stage 2 and this is a significant contributory factor to the high standards achieved.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve pupils’ achievement in mathematics to match that in English. • Spread the good practice in day to day assessment of pupils’ learning and target-setting more widely across classes and subjects. • Further develop the whole-school planning for cross-curricular work.

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Grade: 2

All groups of pupils achieve well at Haverigg. Test results are carefully analysed and staff adapt the balance of work as necessary, giving extra attention to aspects of subjects at which pupils are least successful, such as problem solving in mathematics and investigative work in science. 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Haverigg Primary School, 3 °4 July 2007 Also, pupils who need it are given extra help; for instance, to help them to develop the confidence to tackle demanding work or because they have particular difficulty learning. Children’s attainment when they start the school varies from year to year. Taken over all it is a little below what is typical for their age. It is often weakest in communication skills and early literacy and numeracy. Last year’s Reception group made very good progress and, by the end of the year, standards were above expectations for the children’s age. Pupils achieve well in Key Stage 1. The Year 2 pupils’ results in the national tests in 2006 were

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Grade: 2

above average in reading and mathematics. In writing, they were a little below average, reflecting the limited language skills and vocabulary of many pupils. Achievement is also good overall in Key Stage 2 because pupils do so well in English. The Year 6 pupils’ results in the national tests in 2006 were a little above average overall. However, they varied between subjects. Standards were significantly above the national average in English. They were average in science and a little below average in mathematics. More significantly, the gains these pupils made in during Key Stage 2 were considerably greater in English than mathematics and this reflects variations in the quality of teaching. In the current Year 6, standards are very high in English and broadly average in mathematics. Year groups are small so caution is needed in comparing test results from different years. Nonetheless, some trends are revealing. For example, in Key Stage 1, over the last five years,

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Grade: 2

standards have risen considerably in reading and mathematics but not in writing. In Key Stage 2, standards in English have improved more over the same period than in mathematics and science. Work of a good standard for the pupils’ age was seen in art, music and information and communication technology (ICT).

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Grade: 2

Staff are well-attuned to pupils’ individual needs in relation to their personal development and take great trouble to provide for them. As a result, pupils make very good progress in this aspect of their learning and development. They are well-behaved and thoughtful and they willingly contribute to school life. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Nonetheless, several lack confidence personally and as learners and a few have behavioural difficulties. Pupils say they enjoy school and parents confirm this. Attendance is above the national average for primary schools. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. Several pupils said that mathematics is now their favourite subject and they like the mathematics games they take home from school. Most of the lessons observed engaged pupils and they worked hard. Pupils appreciate the good range of clubs and extra activities. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep safe and healthy. They recognise the

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Grade: 2

importance of safety at the beach. They follow safety routines in lessons; for example, wearing goggles when appropriate. They have a good awareness of the health risks of smoking and misuse of drugs. Pupils’ physical fitness benefits from the school providing the nationally recommended allocation of time for physical education (two hours each week) and a fair number of pupils attend sports clubs after school. Their understanding of a healthy diet is sound. They know they should eat plenty of fruit and vegetables and drink water regularly. 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Haverigg Primary School, 3 °4 July 2007 The school’s close links with the local community ensure that pupils make a good contribution to community life. For example, they are well involved in the local Heritage Week and contribute to improving the local environment. They develop a good awareness of the history, geography and cultural heritage of the area.

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Grade: 2

Pupils have some very good opportunities to develop enterprise skills. For instance, they sell plants that they have grown and they plan fundraising for charitable causes. They learn about the world of work through links with local employers. These experiences, along with their good personal skills and academic achievements, equip them well for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

The good quality of teaching and learning is confirmed by pupils’ good achievement. Throughout the school, staff have positive relationships with pupils. They are clear about what pupils are to learn and they manage behaviour well so lessons are orderly and purposeful. Staff are enthusiastic and, for the most part, they have good knowledge of the subjects they teach, though this is stronger for English than mathematics. Teaching assistants are deployed very effectively. They work in close partnership with the teachers and make a strong contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly in Reception and for pupils with LDD. In the most effective lessons, pupils are fully involved and are challenged to tackle problems, extend their thinking, and explain their ideas. In less effective lessons, learning does not push on as rapidly as possible and explanations of new work are not always entirely clear. The quality and effectiveness of marking and the setting of targets for pupils varies. For example,

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Grade: 2

in writing in upper Key Stage 2 pupils are set very clear targets for their work. The marking, whilst encouraging, also challenges pupils and gives frequent pointers for improvement. By contrast, for some pupils in mathematics, targets are set considerably less frequently and marking is less focused on how to improve.

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Grade: 2

Pupils benefit from a rich curriculum, which is carefully planned and adapted as necessary to meet pupils’ learning needs. Repetition is avoided, every pupil covers all that they should and work is pitched at the right level for all pupils in the mixed age classes. The staff work hard to broaden pupils’ horizons and develop their critical faculties. The curriculum is enriched well with a good range of educational visits in the local area and further afield and with lessons in philosophy. The number and range of activities beyond lessons is good. The curriculum in Reception makes good use of the outdoors for learning; for example, the beach, the school’s gardens and its well-equipped outdoor play area. The curriculum in the early years takes good account of the learning needs of the boys who are generally less ready for school work when they start. The resources of the local area are used very well to support and enrich the curriculum. For

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Grade: 2

example, pupils learn about the work and life of the poet Norman Nicholson, who lived locally and was inspired by the landscape, and they learn about the place of iron ore mining in the history of the village. The school provides a good range of experiences and visitors to help pupils develop an awareness of cultural diversity. 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Haverigg Primary School, 3 °4 July 2007 Some activities are well-planned to link several subjects effectively. For instance, pupils have used ICT to produce good quality leaflets about the history of the local area and, in several subjects, teachers create opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills. However, such approaches are not yet planned rigorously across subjects throughout the school.

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Grade: 2

Pastoral care is very good. The inconsistencies in marking pupils’ work and setting targets for them reduce the quality of academic guidance and support which is, nevertheless, good. The arrangements for safeguarding pupils fully meet requirements and the school provides an orderly and safe environment for learning. The school is a major player in multi-agency work to support vulnerable pupils. Pupils’ social development is promoted well in lessons and through displays that reinforce shared values. The staff set up specific activities for small groups of pupils who need additional support to develop particular personal skills or attributes, such as self-confidence. The provision and support for pupils with LDD are good and enable them to achieve well in relation to the capabilities.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides very good leadership. She is strongly committed to doing the best for pupils and continuing to improve the school. She knows the pupils well and has a very clear picture of how they are doing and the priorities for improvement. All the areas for improvement identified by the inspector had been recognised by the school and plans were already in place to tackle them. Staff share the headteacher’s vision for the school’s development and play their part in realising it. For example, they saw the need to improve certain aspects of mathematics. In the current school year, much has been done on this front and there is already clear evidence of improvements in how the subject is taught. In English, the range of styles of writing that pupils undertake has been extended. The headteacher encourages staff to be outward-looking, countering the school’s isolation; to reflect on their work and to seek continuous improvement.

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Grade: 2

The results of this high quality leadership are clear: • Standards are rising. • The school takes a leading role in local partnerships aimed at improving educational provision and care in the area. • Staff are innovative. They attend many courses and they are continually improving what the school provides for pupils and adapting its provision to meet pupils’ needs. Their work as consultants to a British school in Shanghai has boosted their professional confidence. • The school makes a good contribution to the promotion of community cohesion locally and globally. It does this through its strong local partnerships and its links with schools abroad. The school is well-managed. The analysis of data at whole-school level is effective and the findings affect plans for improvement. However, some of these plans are not sharply focused on their impact on pupils’ achievement. Governance is good. Governors have benefited from

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Grade: 2

training. They have a sound knowledge of the school’s work and are well involved in planning for school improvement. The governing body is developing its role as a critical friend of the school. 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Haverigg Primary School, 3 °4 July 2007 This is a self-improving school. Its track record, combined with the staff’s commitment to continuing improvement, put it in a very strong position to continue moving forward. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Haverigg Primary School, 3 °4 July 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. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Haverigg Primary School, 3 °4 July 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 1 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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Haverigg Primary School, 3 °4 July 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Haverigg Primary School, 3 °4 July 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

5 July 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Haverigg Primary School, Cumbria, LA18 4HA As you know, I came to your school recently to find out how well all the children are learning. Miss Mallinson came with me to learn more about how schools are inspected. Thank you for welcoming us and helping me find out about your school. I am especially grateful to the children who had a meeting with us. They helped me learn about what it’s like to be a pupil at your school. Haverigg is a good school. You are very well looked after and you make good progress. The staff enjoy teaching you and they are good at it. Mrs Brockbank really inspires them all. The staff and governors are always looking for ways to improve the school. They work hard to help every one of you to grow up well and progress in your school work. I couldn’t look at everything in just two days but I saw lots of good things at your school. Some of the art on display is of

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

a very good standard and pupils have good IT skills. I noticed how hard pupils think in some lessons, for instance in philosophy for children (P4C), and in mental mathematics. Children get a really good start in Reception where they have lots of very good opportunities to learn out of doors. I enjoyed looking at the photographs of their activities. Teachers plan your work well. They make sure it gets harder each year as you move up the school and you have lots of opportunities to learn about the area where you live. You do some interesting work that covers several subjects, like when some of the juniors used their good IT skills to produce leaflets on local history. The teachers want to do more of this kind of work and I have suggested they develop their plans for it. The staff have worked hard to improve standards in English and their efforts have paid off. In Year 6, standards in English were high in last years SATs and this year the Year 6 pupils are

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

working at an even higher level. You do not do quite so well in mathematics and I have asked your teachers to try and get standards in mathematics as high as in English. They have already started on this and I saw that you are doing more problem solving. In the books I looked at, I noticed that marking and setting targets for pupils was not always as good in mathematics as in English. This is something for the school to improve. Thank you again for the welcome I received at Haverigg. I am confident that the staff and governors of your school can make it even better and you will be able to contribute good ideas. You have my very best wishes for the future. Yours sincerely Pat Kime, Her Majesty’s Inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Haverigg Primary School, 3 °4 July 2007

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