Freckleton Strike Lane Primary School

Freckleton Strike Lane Primary School Inspection report

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119288 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 313241 Inspection number 29 °30 November 2007 Inspection dates Michael Onyon 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 137 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Ian Marquis Chair Mrs Sarah Bamber Headteacher 1 March 2004 Date of previous school inspection Strike Lane School address Freckleton Preston Lancashire PR4 1HR 01772 632724 Telephone number 01772 632724 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 29 °30 November 2007 Inspection dates 313241 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.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average school serving a semi-rural area. Most pupils are of White European origin and none is learning English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average. The school has recently opened a Children’s Centre. The school holds a number of awards including accreditation as a Healthy School.

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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: Freckleton Strike Lane Primary School, 29 °30 November 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school where pupils achieve well. Highly effective leadership and management focus strongly on the quest for continuous improvement. As a result, the school is well placed to become even better. Because of a number of staff changes over the last two years, the school has been cautious in its own judgement of its overall effectiveness. The school has been extremely well led through this period of change. A new leadership team has been established and is at an early stage of working together. Improvement since the previous inspection has been good. The improvements to the tracking of pupils’ progress enable them to be effectively engaged in understanding their learning and how they can improve. The large majority of parents find the school to be well led and their children skilfully taught. ‘My children are extremely happy and are encouraged in all aspects of their school life,’ is a comment typical of

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Grade: 2

parents’ views. Pupils reach above average standards. Following a dip in standards, the school’s results in the 2007 national tests show standards to be above average in English and mathematics. The school’s data show that many of the current Year 6 pupils have already reached the levels expected for their age and that the school is on track to reach its challenging targets for 2008. The school’s national test results are broadly average at the end of Year 2. Pupils make good progress and achieve well during Key Stages 1 and 2. Pupils’ personal development is good. Older pupils are good ambassadors for the school. Their mature and sensible approach shows how effectively all staff support them to develop good personal skills. Behaviour is good and pupils’ commitment to learning is evident in lessons. They make a positive contribution to the school and local community, and are well prepared for the next stage in their learning. Teaching and learning are good. Pupils say one of the best

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Grade: 2

things about the school ‘is the way teachers encourage us’. Lesson planning is detailed and pupils know what they are expected to learn. The curriculum is good and there are many well attended, interesting enrichment activities. Recent improvements to planning the curriculum, based on establishing links between subjects, are beginning to have a positive impact. The care, guidance and support for the pupils are good. Pupils are actively encouraged to take responsibility for their learning and progress. The involvement of subject leaders in monitoring progress has empowered teachers and utilised their skills well. Self-evaluation gives the school an accurate picture of its strengths and weaknesses, and the whole school community contributes to the well focused school improvement plan.

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Grade: 3

Most children enter the Foundation Stage with attainment below that typical for their age. The recently established Children’s Centre aims to improve these levels of attainment. Effective links with an adjacent pre-school group enable children to settle quickly and they develop skills at a satisfactory rate. Progress is not better because learning activities do not always capture children’s imagination, there is not enough scope for children to make choices about their activities and, sometimes, activities are not well matched to children’s needs. By the end of the Reception year, most children do not reach the learning goals expected for their age. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Freckleton Strike Lane Primary School, 29 °30 November 2007 The school is currently working hard to improve the satisfactory provision in Reception and is ensuring that children's passage into Year 1 is smooth. A key feature is the way children's

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Grade: 3

progress is now being very carefully tracked. This has helped the school to recognise where children's learning slows, for example in the areas of personal and social development, as well as communication, language and literacy. Improvements already started include the systematic teaching of the sounds of letters and words. These strategies are making a difference and the effectiveness of the Foundation Stage is improving, but the actions taken and resulting improvement have yet to be sustained to ensure good progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve children’s progress in the Foundation Stage.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well and reach above average standards by the end of Year 6. The school’s 2007 national test results show above average standards in English and mathematics. Its careful tracking of progress clearly indicates that the Year 6 pupils currently in school are on track to achieve their challenging targets of above average outcomes in English, mathematics and science. The school does well for all its pupils including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The results of assessments in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 are broadly average, as a result of the good progress pupils make during Key Stage 1. In Key Stage 2, this rate of progress is maintained. Because of the school’s concentration on tracking pupils’ progress, test results have improved over the past year. The school is now beginning to raise achievement for boys in Years 1 and 2 and to enable more pupils to reach the higher levels

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Grade: 2

The majority of pupils respond with enthusiasm to the positive ethos of the school, and their personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. Pupils enjoy school, behave well, feel safe and say they like the way that everybody gets on well together. Attendance is average. The good relationships within the school ensure that boys and girls, the more able pupils, those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those from minority ethnic backgrounds have a voice in the school. School council members, team captains and prefects fulfil their roles well. They are involved in making decisions, for example, to provide a healthy daily tuck shop and improve playground fencing. Through work to achieve the Healthy School accreditation, pupils have a good understanding of healthy living. Pupils’ good basic skills and personal and social skills prepare them well for the next stage in

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Grade: 2

Overall, teaching and learning are good. The school’s ethos ensures that teachers know the pupils well. The rigorous tracking of their progress gives teachers good information to plan lessons effectively. Pupils are keen to learn and talk positively about their interesting learning 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Freckleton Strike Lane Primary School, 29 °30 November 2007 activities. They comment, with confidence, on what they need to do to improve. Teachers and support staff work closely together, particularly to enable pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to make good progress. Teachers ensure that pupils know what they are expected to learn and assess how well they have progressed by the end of lessons. Pupils’ progress is regularly reviewed and extra support effectively concentrated on the pupils who most need it to move their learning on. Occasionally, lessons are not stimulating enough and pupils have to

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Grade: 2

spend too long listening to the teacher talk.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It is enhanced by the effective use the school makes of its immediate environment and the thoughtful use of available space in order to extend learning. This helps pupils to become fully engaged in their work. Personal, social and health education gives pupils a good understanding of how to lead healthy lifestyles. Subject leaders contribute well to a review of the effectiveness of their subjects and enable basic skills to be used in all subjects. This work is in the early stages of development and is not yet embedded fully. French is taught to all classes. A strength in the curriculum is the way in which activities are adjusted to meet the needs of all pupils, particularly those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, ensuring that all pupils make good progress. Pupils are enthusiastic about the good enrichment through a wide variety of visits, visitors to school, clubs and activities. ‘There are always lots of interesting

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good. Safeguarding procedures meet national guidelines and good systems are in place to ensure the health and safety of pupils. Partnerships with parents and other professionals are good, such as the links with the Nursery and the Children’s Centre that support the transition of younger pupils. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are monitored and supported well. Key to the school’s success are the assessment and tracking of pupils’ progress to ensure that teachers, pupils and parents have a well-informed view of academic and personal progress. Pupils know their learning targets, they are aware of what they need to do to attain them and how to improve their work. All teachers have this information but occasionally it is not used well enough to ensure that all pupils’ needs are met.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides excellent leadership, has led the school through a period of transition and has developed and utilised the considerable talents of the staff. As a result, staff have quickly improved how the school tracks pupils’ progress and effectively engaged pupils in the process to have a positive impact on learning. There is a growing sense of confidence and teamwork. Checks on the quality of teaching and learning are carried out effectively, with subject leaders becoming increasingly involved in this role. Because of changes in the school’s staff, the new leadership team has only recently come 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Freckleton Strike Lane Primary School, 29 °30 November 2007 together and has not yet had time to build on the plans in place to enable them to play a full part in supporting the school’s drive to improve. The governing body is fully involved in the work of the school and monitors its performance closely. Governors use their expertise to

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Grade: 2

support the school and to carry out their role as critical friend effectively. The school is in a good position to continue to improve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Freckleton Strike Lane Primary School, 29 °30 November 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: Freckleton Strike Lane Primary School, 29 °30 November 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? 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? 3 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? 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 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 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: Freckleton Strike Lane Primary School, 29 °30 November 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 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: Freckleton Strike Lane Primary School, 29 °30 November 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

1 December 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Freckleton Strike Lane Primary School, Lancashire, PR4 1HR Thank you for making me so welcome in your school and for your help during the recent inspection. I thought you were well behaved and polite. You treated each other well and worked hard in your lessons. I enjoyed talking to you and listening to what you had to say about your school. You are in a good school where all staff work hard to help you to do your best. You told me that you liked your school and enjoy your lessons as well as the clubs, visits and visitors. You are rightly very proud of your status as a Healthy School and know a lot about staying safe and being healthy. You spoke about the exciting things you are looking forward to at Christmas, and the older children said how much they enjoyed their visit to a Shakespeare play recently. You also care for each other and take on responsibilities like the school council,

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

team captains and prefects, so helping you to become good citizens as you get older. I have asked the school to help the youngest children to do even better in the Reception class. It is also important that you welcome the new teachers to your school so that they can all work together as a team to help make the school even better. It was a pleasure to visit your school. Keep working hard so that you continue to do well. Yours sincerely Michael Onyon Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Freckleton Strike Lane Primary School, 29 °30 November 2007

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