Burscough Village Primary School

Burscough Village Primary School Inspection report

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119328 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 313259 Inspection number 10 °11 October 2007 Inspection dates Jean Kendall HMI 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 212 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Joan Spencer Chair Mrs Gillian Serjeant Headteacher 1 January 2004 Date of previous school inspection Colburne Close School address Burscough Ormskirk Lancashire L40 4LB 01704 895403 Telephone number 01704 895403 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 10 °11 October 2007 Inspection dates 313259 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 of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) and one Additional Inspector. As part of Ofsted’s induction programme another HMI was present observing the inspection.

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Description of the school

Burscough Village Primary school is a smaller than average school situated in the centre of Burscough. Children come from a range of social and economic backgrounds. The number of pupils on roll has been steadily increasing due to increased demand for places. Pupils are currently taught in mixed age classes in Years 3 to 6. The majority of pupils are White British. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for a free school meal is below the national average. The percentage of pupils with special educational needs is below average although a higher than average proportion of pupils has a statement of special educational need. The school has achieved the Healthy Schools Award, Active Mark Gold and Eco Schools Bronze Award.

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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: Burscough Village Primary School, 10 °11 October 2007

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Grade: 2

Burscough Village Primary School is a good school. It has some outstanding features. It provides a consistently good quality of education and good value for money. This matches the school’s own accurate evaluation of its overall effectiveness. Pupils make good progress in their learning throughout the school and their achievement is good. Pupils reach above average standards in National Curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2 in English, mathematics and science. Teachers and teaching assistants work hard to provide a stimulating environment and learning opportunities that are well matched to pupils’ needs. The quality of teaching is consistently good; pupils enjoy learning and are proud of their achievements. The curriculum is good and is enriched by an excellent range of visits, music and sport and after school activities. The school has recently reorganised the curriculum into a topic based approach. This is already providing

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Grade: 2

meaningful links between subjects and pupils are enjoying the range of new, exciting learning opportunities. Good foundations are in place to develop this initiative further although the impact has yet to be fully monitored and evaluated to ensure consistency and progression in all subjects and for all pupils. The way in which staff and governors work together to nurture and support individual pupils, is outstanding. Strong teamwork and excellent care, guidance and support help pupils to achieve personal success and develop as confident, secure and caring individuals. The school has a good relationship with parents, who are very supportive. Over half responded to the inspection questionnaire and their views are overwhelmingly positive. ‘Staff are welcoming and supportive and have helped my child settle in,’ is a typical comment. The headteacher has provided outstanding leadership, through a period of staff change and increasing pupil numbers to

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Grade: 2

maintain high standards. Senior leaders are working effectively with the headteacher and staff to lead developments. The headteacher, all staff and governors have a clear view of the school’s strengths and what could be improved and have good capacity to bring about further improvements.

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Grade: 2

Children enter the Nursery with knowledge and skills generally in line with those expected for their age. The school’s very welcoming atmosphere, strong partnership with parents and effective induction arrangements enable children to settle very quickly. Many parents commented on how much their children enjoy attending the nursery classes. For example, one parent wrote, ‘My daughter enters the nursery full of smiles.’ Good teaching and a stimulating curriculum give children a good start in the nursery. This is developed further in the reception class and as a result they make good progress in the Foundation Stage. Where the teaching is very good the teachers and assistants provide a good blend of direct teaching and opportunities for the children to explore and work independently. A high priority is given to developing basic skills of literacy and numeracy. As a result, most children are working well within the early learning goals by the end of the Foundation Stage,

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Grade: 2

achieving standards just above those expected for their age. Children are enthusiastic learners and make good gains in all areas. The Foundation Stage leader is providing good leadership. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Burscough Village Primary School, 10 °11 October 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Monitor and evaluate the impact of the revised curriculum to ensure that progression routes are clear and consistent across all subjects and for all pupils.

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Grade: 2

Standards in national curriculum tests at the end of Key Stage 2 in English, mathematics and science are above average. Pupils’ achievement across the whole school is good. Children are well prepared to begin the National Curriculum when they move into Year 1 and they continue to make good progress in Years 1 and 2. Many pupils achieve above average standards at the end of Year 2. The school’s very good systems to identify individual learning needs ensure that all pupils build on their skills and make consistently good progress across Key Stage 2. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good and very good progress because their work and level of support is well matched to their needs. Higher ability pupils also make good progress and many exceed the standards expected in Year 6. Pupils generally achieve well in subjects across the curriculum and have good opportunities to practise and improve their

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Grade: 2

literacy, mathematical and information and communication technology skills across the curriculum.

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Grade: 1

Parents value the excellent attention the school gives to pupils’ personal development. Pupils’ personal development is outstanding. A typical comment from one parent, supported by many, is ‘I feel that this school brings out the best in my child.’ Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Behaviour is exemplary in lessons and as pupils move around the school. Pupils regard staff with respect, and say, ‘Teachers are really friendly and they are there for you if you have a problem.’ Pupils know right from wrong and draw up simple class rules. By the time they reach Year 6 they have developed outstanding attitudes to learning and eagerly take on responsibilities such as ‘playground buddies’, dinner and library monitors. School councillors take their role seriously and make a significant difference to the school through ideas such as ways to become more ‘Eco friendly’. Pupils participate in local events

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Grade: 1

and organise fundraising for charities. High rates of attendance by most pupils reflect their enjoyment of and enthusiasm for school. Pupils eagerly embrace a healthy lifestyle and are fully aware of the benefits of healthy eating and regular exercise. Pupils respond beautifully to the ethos of respect that runs through the school and are welcoming and helpful to new pupils who join the school.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress in their learning because teaching is consistently good throughout the school. Teachers have high expectations and make every effort to ensure lessons are fun. Humour is used to very good effect. As a result pupils enjoy learning. In the best lessons teachers skilfully challenge pupils’ thinking using very good questioning techniques to engage and elicit a thoughtful response. Pupils are encouraged to talk their ideas through with each other, 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Burscough Village Primary School, 10 °11 October 2007 ensuring that all pupils participate fully and become confident learners. Support for pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is excellent, helping them to be confident in their learning and achieve well. Teachers have good subject knowledge and make effective use of specialists within the school to enhance learning. Relationships are strong and pupils work

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Grade: 2

productively as a result. Teaching assistants play a key role in supporting learning for all abilities and are a significant factor in enabling pupils to achieve well. Pupils’ progress in English and mathematics is carefully tracked. Teachers use this information effectively to help them provide intervention programmes. Marking shows pupils how to improve their work and effective steps are being taken to ensure that marking is of consistent quality across the school.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good with outstanding opportunities for enhancement and enrichment. It meets pupils’ needs effectively. To strengthen aspects of the curriculum the school has recently introduced a more creative approach, establishing meaningful links between subjects. Good foundations are in place to develop this initiative further although the impact has yet to be fully monitored and evaluated to ensure consistency and progression in all subjects and for all pupils. These changes are appreciated by parents and pupils who say that lessons are more exciting now. Pupils’ excellent personal development owes much to the school’s very good programme for personal, social and health education, supporting the curriculum very well. The curriculum is enriched by an excellent range of exciting activities, including music and sport. Music is a strength, particularly opportunities for children to play instruments and perform to

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Grade: 2

a wider audience. The Year 5/6 pupils enthusiastically talked about their involvement in the wider opportunities music ensemble project. Visitors in school, visits and residential experiences all make an exciting contribution. For example, pupils in Year 1 spoke enthusiastically about their visit to a local safari park. Pupils also benefit from learning to speak Spanish.

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Grade: 1

Outstanding care, guidance and support have a significant impact on pupils’ all round development and personal achievements. Pupils are extremely well cared for in a happy and friendly environment. Relationships are outstanding, pupils feel safe and secure and say that ‘adults listen and help you if you have a problem’. Bullying is extremely rare and pupils have absolute confidence that if it were to occur it would be sorted out. Child protection and other checks to safeguard pupils’ health, safety and well being are in place. There is outstanding support for vulnerable pupils and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Pupils' progress is monitored regularly and appropriate action taken if anyone is seen to be falling behind. Staff respond by providing extra support or involving other agencies when appropriate. As a result these pupils are fully included in all activities and make good and

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Grade: 1

sometimes very good progress. The way that all staff work together to nurture and support individual pupils of all ability is outstanding. Academic guidance is of a very high standard. Pupils are set challenging learning targets which ensure that they know what they need to do to improve their work. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Burscough Village Primary School, 10 °11 October 2007

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management of the school at all levels are good. The headteacher’s leadership has aspects which are outstanding including dynamic vision which promotes high aspirations for all pupils. High standards have been maintained through a period of staffing change and increasing pupil numbers. As a result, pupils of all ability make consistently good progress in their learning and excellent progress in their personal development. The involvement of all staff and governors in decision making promotes a strong sense of teamwork and high level of commitment. This is evident through the purposeful and collaborative approach to school improvement. The whole school focus on improving writing, for example, has resulted in improved performance by pupils. Staff are enthusiastically driving forward developments in the teaching of mathematics and the recently adopted themed approach to curriculum planning.

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Grade: 2

The school uses rigorous tracking processes to check pupils’ progress towards their challenging targets and the quality of teaching and learning across the school. Self evaluation is accurate and leads to well targeted school development planning. Effective performance management and continuous professional development opportunities enhance the skills of teachers and teaching assistants to provide exciting learning opportunities for pupils. The deputy head teacher and core subject coordinators are developing their skills through additional training and are effectively working with the headteacher to lead improvement. Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and play a full part in monitoring and improvement planning. The school’s finances are efficiently managed and funding has been secured to improve accommodation and resources to meet the demand of the increasing number

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Grade: 2

of pupils on roll. The school has successfully dealt with issues from the previous inspection and school leaders have good capacity to improve it further. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Burscough Village Primary School, 10 °11 October 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: Burscough Village Primary School, 10 °11 October 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? 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? 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?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 3 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: Burscough Village Primary School, 10 °11 October 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: Burscough Village Primary School, 10 °11 October 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

12 October 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Burscough Village Primary School, Lancashire, L40 4LB Thank you very much for welcoming us into your school. We really enjoyed talking with you, visiting your lessons and looking at your work. You were very polite and interesting to talk to. Burscough Village Primary is a good school and it is clear that you enjoy being there. There are some outstanding features that you can be really proud of. Here are the things that really impressed us:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your excellent behaviour in lessons, around the school and in the playground

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your kindness and consideration towards each other and the good relationships you have with the adults in your school ■ your love of learning, your hard work and the good standards that you achieve

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the way you are involved in helping to run your school through the school council and your participation in local events and fundraising for charities ■ how well you take responsibility through the monitor and buddy systems and the support you give to new children who come to your school ■ the way that you keep healthy by eating healthy food and taking exercise.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We found that your headteacher and all your teachers provide excellent care and support for you. They work very hard to make your lessons enjoyable and interesting and want you to achieve the best you possibly can. We know that you are finding the new topic approach to learning fun and we have suggested that the school checks that this is working well and helping you to make even better progress. They are going to make sure that you all carry on making good progress across all subjects. Please thank your parents for sending back so many of the questionnaires. They are very happy with the school. You should be very proud of yourselves and of your school. We wish you all the very best for the future. Jean Kendall Her Majesty’s Inspector Jean Havard Additional Inspector and Amraz Ali HMI (who came to watch the inspection) 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Burscough Village Primary School, 10 °11 October 2007

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