Whitefield Primary School

Whitefield Primary School Inspection report

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119293 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 313244 Inspection number 8 °9 May 2008 Inspection dates John Heap 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 370 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Julian Edwards Chair Mrs Eileen Stubbs Headteacher 1 April 2004 Date of previous school inspection Oaklands Drive School address Penwortham Preston Lancashire PR1 0RH 01772 744449 Telephone number 01772 750605 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 8 °9 May 2008 Inspection dates 313244 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This larger than average-sized primary school serves a mainly White British population and small numbers of pupils from a range of minority ethnic backgrounds. A very small proportion are at the early stages of learning English and their main first language is Hungarian. There are few signs of social and economic disadvantage. The number of pupils entitled to free school meals is below average, as is the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. However, the number of pupils with a Statement of Special Educational Needs is broadly average. Children’s attainment on entry to the Foundation Stage is above expected levels. The school provides extended services, such as before and after-school clubs. The following awards have been gained: Healthy School; ActiveMark; Basic Skills Quality Mark; Lancashire Learning Excellence Award for anti-bullying; and Investors in People. The school has recently gone

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Description of the school

through a period of change that led the current headteacher to seek added support from the local authority.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Whitefield Primary School, 8 °9 May 2008

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school that provides sound value for money. This judgement is a little lower than the school’s own. The main reason for this difference is the fact that new, improved systems for managing and monitoring pupils’ academic achievements have been introduced but have not yet shown enough impact on the outcomes for pupils. Pupils’ personal development, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. The curriculum is enriched by a wide range of activities that support pupils’ good knowledge and understanding of why it is important to lead healthy and safe lifestyles. Robust procedures for safeguarding pupils and ensuring their welfare foster the pupils’ feelings of being safe and secure. Good provision for social and moral development, together with effective monitoring, leads to excellent attendance and good behaviour. Pupils say they enjoy school, and they make a good contribution to the day-to-day life of school and the local community.

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Grade: 3

Their basic skills and personal development give them a satisfactory preparation for the next stage of learning. Standards are above average and achievement is satisfactory. The excellent start in the Foundation Stage means that many of the children make good progress and reach or exceed expected levels in the areas of learning by the time they reach Key Stage 1. These young children benefit from first rate teaching and provision. By the end of Key Stages 1 and 2, standards are above average and pupils have made satisfactory progress. Results in the national tests for both key stages have been consistently above average over many years and pupils are on course to meet their current high targets. However, national data shows that the rate of progress slows in Key Stage 2 due to a lack of challenge in some lessons and marking which does not provide a clear enough picture of what the pupil needs to do to improve. Pupils with additional learning

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Grade: 3

needs benefit from the satisfactory support they receive and make at least sound progress. Overall, the quality of education provided by the school is satisfactory. Teaching and learning are best in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. In these classes, pupils benefit from interesting and challenging work and opportunities to learn independently. The curriculum encourages pupils to use and develop their basic literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills in other subjects. Good quality systems for assessing and tracking pupils’ progress are in place. However, more needs to be done to use the information gained, to set challenging work in Key Stage 2. Leadership and management are satisfactory. The headteacher and senior staff have recognised the need to improve pupils’ progress, particularly in Key Stage 2. The partnership with the local authority has brought rigour to the tracking of pupils’ achievements but there remain

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Grade: 3

inconsistencies in aspects of teaching and learning, especially at Key Stage 2. The school improvement plan identifies the right priorities, although the measures of success lack rigour, as do the school’s self-evaluation procedures. Governors are supportive of the school and provide satisfactory challenge.

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Grade: 1

Provision in the Foundation Stage is outstanding, and the children make an excellent start to their school lives. Attainment on entry is above that typical for their age. The high quality teaching and enriching curriculum enable learners to make at least good, and usually very good 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Whitefield Primary School, 8 °9 May 2008 progress. Consequently, children leave Foundation Stage already working within the early levels of the National Curriculum. Standards on entry to Year 1 are well above those expected. Rigorous use of tracking and assessment data provides the staff with a very accurate picture of each child’s progress which is used skilfully to identify the next steps in learning. Leadership and management in the Foundation Stage are outstanding. Challenging targets are set for the children’s learning, relationships are extremely warm and the children are encouraged and supported by all the adults. Outdoor play supports the curriculum well.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Increase the rate of progress for the most able pupils, particularly in Key Stage 2.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that marking informs pupils of their achievements and identifies areas for improvement.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make sure that leaders and managers at all levels are rigorous in their monitoring and evaluation.

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Grade: 3

By the end of Key Stage 1 standards are above average in all subjects, especially in reading and mathematics. This continues a trend in national test results seen over the last five years. By the end of Key Stage 2, standards are still above average, particularly in English and mathematics but pupils only make satisfactory progress between Key Stage 1 and 2 with too few reaching the higher levels. Across the school there is no significant difference in the attainment of boys and girls. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, those from minority ethnic backgrounds and those learning English as an additional language make satisfactory progress. In some cases where there are specific extra learning needs pupils benefit from good support and make brisk progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ well-being is an important feature of the school. They enjoy attending and feel safe and secure. They report that on the few occasions inappropriate behaviour occurs, it is taken seriously and dealt with effectively. Learners know and understand the need to be healthy and enjoy taking a lead in physical activities like Wake and Shake. They are keen and successful in playing an active role as citizens and take responsibilities very seriously, such as wet playtime monitors, being school council representatives and leading ‘Huff and Puff’ for younger children. This enables them to make a positive contribution to school life. The vast majority of pupils are well behaved, relationships are mostly warm and positive, and the pupils know who will help them if they are in need.

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Grade: 3

The best teaching and learning takes place in the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 where lessons are consistently interesting, contain plenty of challenge and a variety of activities to engage the pupils. The pace of learning is brisk and pupils are encouraged to become independent learners. Pupils respond well and enjoy being involved in the cut and thrust of 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Whitefield Primary School, 8 °9 May 2008 the lesson. Across the school, lesson and classroom management are good and there are few disruptions to learning. Teachers use ICT well to challenge pupils thinking and illustrate teaching points. Where teaching and learning lacks the same sparkle, it is because expectations of pupils could be higher, and where there are inconsistent approaches to target-setting and marking. As a result, there is not a clear enough picture of how well pupils are doing and what they need to do next to improve their learning. Pupils with additional learning needs make sound gains

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Grade: 3

The curriculum meets statutory requirements. It is enriched by a varied programme of activities, with extra curricular sports a particular strength. Visits and visitors are used to support learning, and the pupils talk enthusiastically about these experiences as an enjoyable part of school life. Basic skills are being applied across the curriculum, especially in ICT and writing. Work to modify the curriculum for higher attaining pupils is underway in some areas of the school, although it is recent and has yet to have a major effect on progress.

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Grade: 3

Care guidance and support is satisfactory. Health and safety procedures are well established and the pupils work in a safe, stimulating and secure environment. Procedures and practices for safeguarding pupils, child protection and monitoring attendance and behaviour are robust and meet national requirements. Academic guidance is only satisfactory because information about how well pupils are doing is not used effectively or consistently to support pupil’s different academic needs. There are some examples of good marking and where this occurs teachers celebrate the pupil achievements and set clear targets for improvement. However, there are major inconsistencies across the school and in all subjects.

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Grade: 3

After a prolonged period of change, particularly to the senior leadership of the school, the headteacher is stabilising matters. She has undertaken a detailed review of the management structure, made effective appointments in key roles, and enlisted the support and guidance of the local authority. As a result, the good academic standards and strengths in pupils’ personal development have been maintained, and the Foundation Stage has been improved further with new leadership. Consequently, improvements are satisfactory and the capacity for further gains are sound. This cannot be judged higher until there is greater rigour in the self evaluation and in the measures of success in the otherwise satisfactory school improvement plan. Governance is satisfactory. Governors are supportive and work hard to successfully meet statutory responsibilities. However, their approach to monitoring and evaluating the work of the school

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Grade: 3

lacks a formal and independent gathering of evidence. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Whitefield Primary School, 8 °9 May 2008 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Whitefield Primary School, 8 °9 May 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? 1 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? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 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 1 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?

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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Whitefield Primary School, 8 °9 May 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Whitefield Primary School, 8 °9 May 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

13 May 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Whitefield Primary School, Lancashire, PR1 0RH The inspection team enjoyed their time in your school. We wish to thank you all for your warm welcome, happy smiles, courtesy and the help you gave us. Here are some of the main findings about your satisfactory school. What we particularly liked about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the way that Year 2 and 6 national test results are consistently well above the expected levels; ■ the excellent start to school life that you get in the Reception class;

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your excellent attendance record, good behaviour and good attitudes to school and work;

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the way that you appreciate the work the school does for you and the enjoyment you get from your time in school; ■ the good contribution made by pupils to the day-to-day running of the school and out in the community; ■ the good range of activities that enrich the curriculum and, in particular, the very strong sports programme. To make your school even better the staff will help you to make quicker progress in English, mathematics and science, particularly in Key Stage 2. Part of this will be through the better use of marking to give you good guidance on how well you are doing and what you need to do next. You can be a great help by always doing your best work and by continuing to show great attitudes to your work and school. Finally, the staff will improve the way they check on how well the school is doing. The school council may be able to play a part in this work. Good luck, and we wish you well for the future.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Yours sincerely John Heap Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Whitefield Primary School, 8 °9 May 2008

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