Great Harwood Primary School

Great Harwood Primary School Inspection report

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119162 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 313203 Inspection number 19 June 2008 Inspection date Kathryn Dodd 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 303 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Lesley McCreedy Chair Mrs Zoe Turner Headteacher 1 June 2004 Date of previous school inspection Rushton Street School address Great Harwood Blackburn Lancashire BB6 7JQ 01254 884549 Telephone number 01254 880811 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 19 June 2008 Inspection date 313203 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 Additional Inspector. The inspector evaluated the overall effectiveness of the school and investigated the following issues: the rate of progress that pupils make from their differing starting points, the quality of the teaching and learning, particularly the use of assessment data to provide work that matches pupils’ varying learning needs, and how well middle leaders and governors are involved in self-evaluation, monitoring and review of schools’ performance. Evidence was gathered from the school’s self-evaluation, nationally and locally published assessment data, the school’s records of pupils’ progress, observations of lessons, playtime, class assembly and the school’s plans for further improvement. Discussions with staff, pupils and governors were held, and questionnaires returned by parents were considered. Other aspects of the school’s work were not investigated in detail, but the inspector found no evidence to suggest that the schools own

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Introduction

assessments, as given in its self-evaluation, were not justified, and these have been included where appropriate in this report.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average sized school. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds, mainly of Pakistani heritage, is well above average and is increasing. Many of these children are at an early stage of learning to speak English on entry to Nursery. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is above average. Although the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average, the proportion with statements of special educational need is above average. The school has been accredited with the Healthy School and Investors in People awards. It operates in three separate buildings, and an on-site Children’s Centre has recently opened.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 9 Inspection Report: Great Harwood Primary School, 19 June 2008

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Grade: 3

This satisfactory school has an accurate view of its own effectiveness and provides satisfactory value for money. Some aspects of the school are good, such as the quality of education provided in the Foundation Stage (Nursery and Reception class), and the caring for and nurturing of pupils. Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. Positive relationships between staff and pupils encourage pupils to have a go and to do their best. As a result, behaviour is good and pupils learn and play together in harmony, grow in self-confidence and are happy playing an active part in school life. They talk knowledgeably about keeping themselves safe and healthy. These personal qualities provide a positive platform upon which to improve their academic achievement, and prepare them to become responsible young adults. Most parents think highly of the school. They particularly appreciate the support offered when

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Grade: 3

children need additional help with their learning. Staff know pupils well as individuals, and this helps them to provide caring and sensitive support at the right time. For example, a good range of additional support programmes and effective partnerships with support agencies ensure that pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress. Procedures for safeguarding pupils are in place. Achievement is satisfactory. Children enter school with skills that are much lower than is usual for their age. Between Years 1 and 6, pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. Results of national tests and current standards at the end of Year 6 are below average. This reflects the satisfactory quality of teaching and learning, and a satisfactory curriculum. Warm relationships, good use of computerised teaching boards, interesting and purposeful activities, along with good support from teaching assistants, all

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Grade: 3

make a strong contribution to pupils’ progress. Recent initiatives, aimed at accelerating pupils’ progress, have resulted in improvements in some of the teaching and learning, particularly with regard to pupils’ understanding of how well they are getting on. Although there are examples of good teaching and learning, these best practices are not used consistently well in all classes. Procedures for ensuring that pupils’ achievements are recorded regularly and accurately have recently been strengthened. This is helping teachers to spot more swiftly and precisely where pupils’ learning needs to quicken. Teachers do not always use this information effectively enough to plan further work that matches the range of ages and abilities within each class. As a result, learning pushes forward at a steady pace, rather than the good rate for which the school strives. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher makes a strong contribution to

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Grade: 3

moving the school forward. She is well aware that pupils’ progress across the school could speed up. This is why improving the quality of teaching and learning, keeping a closer eye on pupils’ progress and enabling pupils to reach more challenging targets, are all high on the school’s agenda. It is also the reason why the headteacher has enlisted additional support, for example from the local authority. Staff welcome and value the many opportunities they have for further training and this is improving the quality of teaching. New senior managers apply their increasing leadership skills with growing confidence. At present the headteacher and senior staff shoulder much of the responsibility for finding out how well the school is doing. This is because the skills of middle managers and governors, particularly their understanding of the school’s performance, are still evolving. Consequently, they do not contribute fully to the school’s

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Grade: 3

self-evaluation and to influencing the way forward. This, along with the remaining inconsistencies 4 of 9 Inspection Report: Great Harwood Primary School, 19 June 2008 in teaching and learning, makes it difficult for the school to move forward at a good pace. Nevertheless, managers have a realistic and sensible view of the way ahead with a clear priority to speed up pupils’ progress. Improvement since the previous inspection is satisfactory, and there is a satisfactory capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 2

Good provision in the Foundation Stage enables children’s learning to get off to a successful start. When children start in Nursery, their skills are mostly well below those typical for their age. Their communication, language and literacy and their personal, social and emotional skills are particularly low. This is why staff place high priority on improving children’s skills in these areas. Adults look for every opportunity to help children to get along together, talk about learning and behave well. This, and the good range of stimulating activities, good teaching and learning and additional language support for the increasing proportion of children at an early stage of speaking English, ensures that children quickly realise that learning is fun. Staff make regular checks on how well individual children are doing in order to tailor activities to meet their varying needs. When children transfer to Year 1, although many do not attain the targets

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Grade: 2

set for their learning, their skills have improved. This effective provision stems from a combined effort of staff working together as a team to identify how provision can be improved further. They are well aware, for example, that their next steps include extending provision for outdoor learning for children in the Reception class.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure all teachers implement the new teaching and learning practices to improve progress for pupils in Years 1 to 6. ■ Improve teachers’ use of information about pupils’ progress so that the work they plan matches pupils’ varying learning needs more closely. ■ Extend the skills of middle leaders, managers and governors to include a fuller contribution to finding out how well the school is doing and to influencing the way forward. 5 of 9 Inspection Report: Great Harwood Primary School, 19 June 2008 .

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What the school should do to improve further

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 of 9 Inspection Report: Great Harwood Primary School, 19 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 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

3 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 extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 How well learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 3 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?

3 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 of 9 Inspection Report: Great Harwood Primary School, 19 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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 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? 8 of 9 Inspection Report: Great Harwood Primary School, 19 June 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

20 June 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Great Harwood Primary School, Lancashire, BB6 7JQ Thank you for the warm welcome you gave me when I visited your school. You were keen to talk to me and answered my questions thoughtfully. Your behaviour is good, and you are well mannered and polite children. It was good to hear that you feel safe and happy at school. All the adults care about you a good deal. I was particularly impressed with just how much you know about how to keep your bodies healthy. It was also pleasing to hear about how proud you are of the medals that you receive when you have done something well. Your school is a satisfactory school. Your learning gets off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes. Although the standards you reach at the end of Year 6 are below the standards that most pupils in other schools reach, the rate at which you are learning is satisfactory. Those of you who need extra help with your learning do particularly well because of good support

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

from teaching assistants to complete programmes of work that are just right for you. Some of you told me, however, that your work is sometimes too easy or too hard. Your school knows that your learning could sometimes speed up. This is why changes to teaching and to your learning are being made. To help you further, I have asked your school to make sure that:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ all adults work in the same way when they make changes to how they teach and how they want you to learn, such as helping you to understand how well you are getting on and how to improve further ■ the work that you are given is just right for you so that it is never too easy, or too hard, and always gives you the chance to show what you are capable of ■ all the adults who are responsible for checking how well the school is doing share in the job of finding out where and how things might get even better for you. You can help your school by always asking how well you are getting on and what you still have to do to reach your learning targets. Of course you should continue to try your best in everything that you do. I wish you all the very best for a successful future. Yours sincerely Kathryn Dodd Lead inspector 9 of 9 Inspection Report: Great Harwood Primary School, 19 June 2008

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