Gillibrand Primary School

Gillibrand Primary School Inspection report

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119324 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 313258 Inspection number 4 °5 February 2008 Inspection dates Sue Sharkey 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 156 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Simon Thain Chair Mrs Sharon Franklin Headteacher 1 September 2004 Date of previous school inspection Grosvenor Road School address Chorley Lancashire PR7 2PJ 01257 274983 Telephone number 01257 274983 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 4 °5 February 2008 Inspection dates 313258 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

Gillibrand Primary School is smaller than average. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is above average and almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average.

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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: Gillibrand Primary School, 4 °5 February 2008

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Grade: 3

The school provides a satisfactory quality of education and gives satisfactory value for money. It has several good features. It is a very caring place in which pupils grow in confidence. This contributes well to the pupils’ good personal development. Parents are positive in their praise, a typical comment being, ‘The school puts the children’s best interests first.’ Pupils say they enjoy coming to school because lessons are fun and teachers are well organised. Good relationships between staff and pupils underpin the good behaviour. Consequently, pupils are confident to express their views and develop good personal skills that equip them well for the future. Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and standards are broadly average. Pupils enter Year 1 with standards that are in line with those expected for their age. Progress in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory. By the end of Year 2 standards are in line with national averages. In Key Stage 2

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Grade: 3

pupils’ progress continues to be satisfactory. The trend has been for standards at the end of Year 6 to be broadly in line with national averages; however, standards in 2007 fell below this. The school has put strategies in place to address this dip. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because their needs are effectively managed. Pupil’s personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good. Pupils say that they enjoy school, feel safe and are well cared for. Pupils know they have a responsibility towards those who are less fortunate than themselves and raise money for many charities. Pupils develop an awareness of taking responsibility in the community through, for example, participating in the school council. Pupils know about the importance of staying healthy because the school provides a wide range of activities to encourage a healthy

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Grade: 3

lifestyle. Attendance is satisfactory and the school has systems in place to improve this. Teaching and learning are satisfactory and there are some good and outstanding lessons. Good support is provided by teaching assistants who work with pupils of all abilities. In many lessons there is good pace, teachers plan exciting activities and ask good questions to move pupils on. However, work is not always well matched to different abilities so that some pupils are not fully challenged. Teachers’ marking does not always give precise enough guidance to pupils on how to improve. The curriculum is satisfactory and pupils have a range of opportunities to extend learning beyond the classroom. A wide variety of exciting clubs is available for pupils. These include sports, German, French and Mandarin. Many pupils are eager to show off their language skills. Leadership and management are satisfactory. School leaders are very caring and foster an ethos

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Grade: 3

in which pupils achieve well in their personal development. The senior leadership team are committed to raising standards. Governors work closely with the school and ensure that links with the community are good. Senior and key subject leaders check the work of the school and identify the correct priorities for improvement. Recently improved systems for tracking pupils’ progress are helping to identify where children need support and challenge. However, checks on how this information is used across the school are not yet robust enough. Consequently, not all staff are making the best use of the information on pupils’ progress to help pupils to achieve their best. Nevertheless, due to the commitment of most staff and leadership’s drive to raise standards there is satisfactory capacity to improve. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Gillibrand Primary School, 4 °5 February 2008

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Grade: 2

Children enter the Foundation Stage with levels of skills that are below typical expectations for their age, but this does vary from year to year. During Reception they make good progress so that by the end of the Foundation Stage most children have the knowledge, skills and understanding expected for their age, and a few exceed this. Children show increasing levels of confidence and independence and make particularly good progress in language skills. For example, they talked confidently about how to cook their salt dough biscuits so that no one burns their fingers when they are put in the ‘oven’. Children behave very well and are keen to learn. They enjoy the many good opportunities to learn and play outside. They wrap up warmly and activities include writing their name in chalk and developing number work started in the classroom. The school is aware of the need to improve the range of large outdoor equipment

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Grade: 2

in order to fully challenge all children. Leadership and management of the Foundation Stage are good. Children who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities are supported effectively by teaching assistants and achieve well.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that work in lessons is well matched to pupils’ different abilities.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve teachers’ marking of work so that pupils have more precise guidance on how to improve. ■ Monitor lessons to ensure that teachers are using assessment information consistently to improve learning. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

When pupils start in Year 1 they have reached the learning goals expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2. The school’s assessments for pupils at the end of Year 2 in 2007 showed that standards overall were in line with average. They were above average in mathematics. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Key Stage 2. By the end of Year 6, standards are usually broadly average. However, standards in the 2007 national tests for Key Stage 2 fell below average because fewer pupils than in previous years exceeded the level expected for their age. The school’s renewed focus on writing is evident throughout the school, and as a result the quality of writing is improving in both Key Stages 1 and 2. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported and they make good progress towards the targets set for their learning.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good and make a positive contribution to their achievement. Attendance is satisfactory and pupils are usually punctual, reflecting that they enjoy coming to school. Behaviour is good because relationships between pupils and teachers are positive. Pupils are confident in making their views known through the school council. Pupils say they feel safe and that staff care for them. They have a clear understanding 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Gillibrand Primary School, 4 °5 February 2008 of what it means to have a healthy lifestyle. There is plenty of opportunity to exercise, learn to swim and know about a sensible dietary balance. Pupils benefit from developing respect for the wider community through, for example, German lessons, that are supported well through links with a local school. Pupils appreciate the environment as shown by their involvement in developing the school grounds and collecting recyclable materials. Pupils are successfully

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Grade: 2

acquiring the key skills that will equip them well for the next stage in their education and to be successful in later life.

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Grade: 3

The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum that satisfies the range of pupils’ interests and abilities. Provision for teaching literacy is raising standards after a recent dip, because curriculum planning is targeting weaknesses in pupils’ achievement. However, on too many occasions work is not matched carefully enough to pupils’ needs. Provision for teaching ICT is good and computer skills are taught effectively in a discrete lesson. However, there are limited opportunities for pupils to use computers on a daily basis across subjects. The curriculum provides well for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities through the use of appropriate intervention work. A broad range of extra-curricular opportunities is offered. Pupils enjoy especially the Year 5 and 6 residential visit and the wide range of sporting activities available.

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Grade: 3

Pupils’ progress through the school, from the start of the Reception class to the move to high school, is marked by the good standard of pastoral care and support. All the required procedures for safeguarding, including child protection, are in place. The Start Right pedestrian training and cycling proficiency course adds to the school’s safeguarding provision. Pupils’ academic progress is tracked but this information is not used well enough by all teachers to ensure that every pupil achieves their best. Pupils appreciate the targets they work towards that help guide their learning. Parents feel overwhelmingly that the school is very supportive and provides a good education for their pupils. The school makes good use of outside help to support pupils and maintains good links with schools in the town. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/ or disabilities is carefully managed and effective.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management is satisfactory overall. The headteacher works well with the local authority and is focused on raising achievement. This is exemplified by the rapid action taken by the school in response to the dip in standards in 2007. Self-evaluation is accurate. Subject leaders are developing their role. They check the work in their areas of responsibility and identify the right priorities for improvement. Recently improved systems to track pupils’ progress are 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Gillibrand Primary School, 4 °5 February 2008 helping leaders to identify where pupils need support. Senior leaders have improved systems to check provision in classrooms. However, these systems are not yet robust enough to ensure that every teacher is making the best use of information on pupils’ progress to ensure that all pupils are working to their full potential. Governors are supportive of the school but are not

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Grade: 3

yet extending their involvement enough in helping with the raising of standards. Parents have a positive view about the school with a few expressing their desire for after-school care. Progress since the last inspection has been satisfactory. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Gillibrand Primary School, 4 °5 February 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. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Gillibrand Primary School, 4 °5 February 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 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Gillibrand Primary School, 4 °5 February 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Gillibrand Primary School, 4 °5 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

5 February 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Gillibrand Primary School, Lancashire, PR7 2PJ We are writing to thank you for making us feel very welcome when we visited your school. We really enjoyed talking to you and have good memories of how friendly you are, not just towards us but towards each other and your teachers. Your school provides you with a satisfactory quality of education and there are some good parts. We were impressed with how keen you were to talk to us, telling us how much you enjoy school and how you help other people and raise money for charities. We saw how well behaved you are in lessons, in the playground and as you moved around school. We looked at other parts of school life, including how teachers help you to understand about being healthy. When we asked you about this you were pleased to tell us how much you knew about the importance of healthy food, regular exercise and how to keep safe. We agree with

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

you that your headteacher and teachers help you feel safe and secure in school and help you when you have problems. We liked the way some of you help in school by being buddies or serving food at lunchtime, but we are sure you all help in different ways. When we came into lessons and looked at the work you were doing we could see how much you enjoy learning. We could see how hard the teachers and their assistants work to help you to learn and make lessons enjoyable. There are some things we think your school could do better to help all of you to achieve your very best. Some of you are capable of doing harder work in lessons. You should then be challenged to think harder and work things out even more. Don’t worry, this can be fun! Sometimes you need more detailed help with how to improve your work. Those of you who could be doing a little better need to be spotted quickly and helped to achieve your very best.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you again ° what is this in German? ° for being friendly and very helpful. Keep enjoying school and having fun! Best wishes Sue Sharkey Andrew Stafford Lead inspectorAdditional Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Gillibrand Primary School, 4 °5 February 2008

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