St Luke's Church of England Primary School

St Luke's Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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105805 Unique Reference Number Rochdale Local Authority 308955 Inspection number 25 °26 June 2008 Inspection dates Janette Corlett 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 Voluntary controlled School category 5 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 210 School The governing body Appropriate authority Rev G Turner Chair Mr Peter Baddeley Headteacher 25 April 2005 Date of previous school inspection Queen's Park Road School address Heywood Lancashire OL10 4XB 01706 369443 Telephone number 01706 620191 Fax number

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5-11 Age group 25 °26 June 2008 Inspection dates 308955 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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This average sized school is situated in an area of social and economic disadvantage. Children's attainment levels on entry to the Reception are low in comparison to national expectations. A small number of pupils speak English as an additional language. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is in line with the national average. The school holds a variety of nationally accredited awards including Healthy School status, Activemark Gold, ICT Mark, Basic Skills Quality Mark and the Eco School Silver.

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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: St Luke's Church of England Primary School, 25 °26 June 2008

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Grade: 2

St Luke's is a good school which makes exemplary provision for pupils' personal development through outstanding care, guidance and support. Pupils love coming to school where they feel safe and have exceptional opportunities to prepare for their future in education and to adopt healthy lifestyles. Adults in the school have high aspirations for the pupils. They treat them with kindness and respect and this results in pupils' excellent behaviour and real enthusiasm for learning. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. They comment on the school's welcoming atmosphere, open communication and on how hard staff work to give children the very best start in life. From their low starting points at the start of the Foundation Stage, pupils make good progress and reach standards at the end of Years 2 and 6 which are broadly in line with the national averages. Pupils make the greatest progress during Key Stage 2 and in the Foundation Stage

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Grade: 2

because the work set is more closely matched to their needs. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress throughout the school because of the quality of support they receive. The quality of teaching is good. Teachers have good subject knowledge and display exceptional skill in questioning pupils to secure their understanding. In Years 3 to 6, teachers make sure that all pupils are involved in their learning and know how to improve. An example of this is the way pupils are asked to think carefully about how they will recognise their progress at the end of each lesson. This means that pupils are sharply focused on the areas they need to work on and develop real independence as learners. Similarly, they develop self-esteem and confidence, because success is instantly identified and teachers are always willing to give further guidance and support for any areas of difficulty. In Years 1 and 2, teachers do not always fully

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Grade: 2

explain the purpose of the lesson and the tasks set are not always sufficiently challenging for more able pupils. The curriculum is good. It is rich and varied, with particular strengths in the way the school uses information and communication technology (ICT) to enhance learning and prepare pupils for their future adult lives. Leadership and management are good. School leaders and managers are well aware of the school's strengths and those areas which require improvement because of the rigorous systems they have established to check on the academic and personal development of every child in the school. They have developed a school-wide climate for continuous improvement, willingly taking on new initiatives which help to make things even better for the children in their care. Many parents comment on the strong leadership of the headteacher. Subject leadership is good and has had a positive impact in improving pupils' standards in writing and mathematics. This

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Grade: 2

is an improvement since the last inspection and demonstrates the school's good capacity to make necessary improvements.

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Grade: 2

Provision in the Foundation Stage is good. The Foundation Stage leader is improving the classroom environment to ensure that it provides a vibrant atmosphere where children can play and learn together. Whilst there is a range of ability, most children enter the school with levels of skills and development which are below those expected for youngsters of this age, especially 4 of 11 Inspection Report: St Luke's Church of England Primary School, 25 °26 June 2008 in relation to communication and language. Good teaching ensures a healthy balance between structured play activities where children decide how they will learn, and those which are led by adults with a particular learning focus. All the children are eager to learn, feel really safe and make good progress. By the end of the Reception year, children reach expected levels in most areas of learning, although their language skills in relation to reading and writing are less well

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Grade: 2

developed. The school's outdoor provision is not stretching children. The outdoor area is spacious, and it lends itself to a wider variety of learning opportunities than are currently available for the children. At present it does not give the children sufficient opportunities to play and learn outside. Adults in the classroom are friendly and approachable. Children chatter happily with them, thoroughly enjoying opportunities to engage them in their play and share their ideas. There is a good partnership with parents, who appreciate the 'open door' policy which fosters effective communication and means that any concerns they may have can be swiftly addressed.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that tasks and activities set in lessons are well explained and match the needs of the more able pupils in Years 1 and 2. ■ Improve the quality of outdoor provision in the Foundation Stage.

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Grade: 2

Standards in the school are broadly in line with the national averages. In mathematics they are above the national average at the end of Year 6 due to good teaching and purposeful subject leadership. This represents good progress from pupils' initially low starting points when they join the school in the Reception class. Progress is slower in Years 1 and 2 because the tasks and activities set in lessons are not always well matched to the full range of pupils' abilities, and are not always explained fully to them. Achievement in ICT is particularly good and the subject is used very well to promote high standards of presentation in other subject areas.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. The school is committed to giving pupils a voice in all aspects of its provision. For example, the active school council contributes to the development of a whole-school behaviour policy. The impact of this high level of pupil involvement is seen in pupils' exemplary behaviour, courtesy towards all those in the school community and strong levels of support for one another in lessons as well as during playtimes. Pupils report that bullying is very rare. They recently decided to discontinue the system of playground buddies as 'everyone cares for each other' and they felt that the role is no longer necessary. There is a huge variety of opportunities for pupils to take responsibility in school. A much sought after position is that of 'IT technician' which involves checking the computers are operational and setting up equipment for lessons and assemblies.

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Grade: 1

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe from harm because the school teaches them about road safety, drug and alcohol abuse, and the importance of making sure they are never alone when they are out of the home or school environment. Similarly, the school's excellent range of sporting activities and encouragement to eat a well balanced diet promote a healthy future. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: St Luke's Church of England Primary School, 25 °26 June 2008 Pupils' obvious enjoyment of all aspects of school life secures their excellent attendance. They say school is fun, lessons are interesting and that all the teachers are great. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is outstanding because the school constantly reinforces values of tolerance and respect in all aspects of its work and fosters understanding of cultural diversity. Assemblies provide time for spiritual reflection, and pupils reach out to

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Grade: 1

the wider community through local events and fundraising for a range of good causes. They take their responsibility for sponsoring the education of children in a school in India very seriously, and benefit from the link through sharing news and interests with children from a very different cultural background. Involvement in the Eco-school project means pupils understand the importance of recycling waste and caring for the environment.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good with some exemplary practice in helping pupils to understand and identify the next steps in their learning. Other strengths relate to the cracking pace in most lessons. No time is wasted and pupils are kept far too busy to disengage from the tasks set for them. Teachers' marking is thorough and their comments on pupils' writing give good guidance and support for improvement. Similarly, planning is detailed and identifies the different ability groups within each class. However, in Years 1 and 2 the activities planned for different groups are not always fully explained to the pupils and sometimes are the same for all of them. In these lessons, the expectation is that more able pupils will either produce a greater quantity of work or complete an extension activity on completion of the main task. This leads to some unnecessary repetition of prior learning.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good, offering a broad range of activities with a strong focus on helping pupils enjoy learning and develop important skills for life. It is supported by a wide range of interesting outside visits and visitors to the school. Year 6 pupils have the chance to go on a residential trip to an outdoor education centre. Before and after-school sports clubs are very popular extensions to the school's high quality of provision for physical education. The school's provision for pupils to develop competency in ICT is of a very high standard. Pupils are encouraged to gain accreditation for their skills through nationally recognised adult qualifications. Music and creative arts feature strongly in the life of the school, adding to pupils' enjoyment and enriching their experience in education.

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Grade: 1

The school's care for its pupils and support for their personal and social development is outstanding. Pupils receive good guidance on the next steps in their learning. Teaching assistants are very effectively used to help children with particular learning difficulties. At the heart of the school is the strong determination to include all pupils in all aspects of school community. This means that pupils with a wide range of learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language receive outstanding support and make good progress along with the other pupils. Targets for improvement are set for every individual. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: St Luke's Church of England Primary School, 25 °26 June 2008 Pupils understand these targets and receive clear guidance from teachers on how to achieve them. In Key Stage 2, pupils are encouraged to assess their own work and that of their friends

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Grade: 1

in class, and this means they become confident learners who understand that making mistakes is a valuable part of learning. All current statutory safeguarding procedures are in place. The school's combination of support for pupils and ambition for their future, make a real difference to their chances in life.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The headteacher retires at the end of the summer term 2008. He has ensured that secure systems for self-evaluation are in place to enable his successor to continue the school's strong drive for excellence in every area of its performance. School senior leaders are experienced in their roles and have had a clear role in improving pupils' progress through setting challenging targets and ensuring that the great majority of pupils achieve them. The school has established good links with other schools and outside agencies, which support pupils and their families. The governors are fully involved in the life of the school and offer good levels of challenge and support to school leaders. They are well informed on all aspects of the school's performance, ensure sound financial management and that the school continues to provide good value for money. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: St Luke's Church of England Primary School, 25 °26 June 2008

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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: St Luke's Church of England Primary School, 25 °26 June 2008

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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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 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?

1 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: St Luke's Church of England Primary School, 25 °26 June 2008

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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: St Luke's Church of England Primary School, 25 °26 June 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for making us feel so welcome in your school during the inspection. A special thank you goes to those of you who gave up your time to have lunch with us and tell us so many good things about your school. We were very impressed with your excellent behaviour, your courtesy and kindness towards one another and the way you really love coming to school. We think that your school is good, and has some outstanding features. Your teachers care for you exceptionally well. They make your lessons interesting and fun, and provide lots of activities to help you be fit and healthy. Your school is a safe place to be, and you told us how much you know about keeping yourselves safe from harm. Your skills in ICT are amazing. One of the best things we found was the way in which you are all so thoughtful towards each other. All those grandmas and granddads had a wonderful afternoon with you in school whilst we were visiting.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We could see their feet tapping in time to your dances and know that they will always remember the event. Part of our job as inspectors is to see if there are any things in school which could be even better and help you learn more. We have asked your teachers to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure that the work they give you to do in Years 1 and 2 is a bit more challenging to help more of you to reach the very highest standards ■ improve the outdoor area for children in the Reception class so that they can spend more time playing and learning outdoors. You can help your teachers by continuing to try very hard and always listening to their advice on how to improve your work. I wish you all the best of luck for the future. You are very fortunate to have a school which looks after you all so well and gives you such a flying start to your education. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: St Luke's Church of England Primary School, 25 °26 June 2008

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