Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham

Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham Inspection report

p.1

119363 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 313267 Inspection number 6 °7 December 2007 Inspection dates Yvonne Clare Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 192 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Chris Teague Chair Miss Pam Carter Headteacher 1 November 2003 Date of previous school inspection Cop Lane School address Penwortham Preston Lancashire PR1 9AE 01772 743131 Telephone number 01772 752844 Fax number

p.1

4-11 Age group 6 °7 December 2007 Inspection dates 313267 Inspection number .

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

Cop Lane CE School is a popular, smaller than average Church of England Voluntary Aided school, which is organised into 7 single aged classes. There are far fewer pupils entitled to free school meals than in most schools nationally. The great majority of the pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds or with English as an additional language is about half that found nationally. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is low, however there are slightly more pupils with a statement of special educational need than is usual. The school holds the Activemark, accreditation certificates for Healthy Schools and the Investor in People award.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham, 6 °7 December 2007

p.3

Grade: 2

This is a good school that provides good value for money. It is clean, warm and welcoming, with bright displays to motivate the pupils. Its partnerships with other local schools, through networks and links with external agencies, are good and this enhances the provision for pupils well. The school is valued highly by the parents, who are supportive and feel it is a happy and safe community. One parent remarked that she had ‘no doubt that both her children were looked after, nurtured and encouraged into becoming clever and confident little people.’ The pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. Pupils enjoy their time at the school and speak of the variety of activities available to them and the help they receive from the staff in school. They speak highly of the teachers, who make their lessons ‘fun.’ They happily take on positions of responsibility around school, and the work of the school council contributes

p.4

Grade: 2

well to the development of the school. The school has worked in partnership with other local schools to achieve the innovation award for ‘Pupil Voice’. Behaviour is good. At breaks and lunchtimes, pupils play happily together and respond well. A range of playground equipment is available to them. Incidents of bullying are rare and are dealt with effectively. Most pupils are courteous, friendly and helpful to visitors and represent the school well. Pupils feel safe and the good relationships with adults ensure they have someone to talk to if they face difficulties. Attendance is good, with no unauthorised absence. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is good. There are links with a school in Uganda and opportunities to study the Vikings in Lancashire, making culture meaningful for them, through visits and first-hand experiences. Assemblies and links with the church, promote spirituality

p.4

Grade: 2

well. The pupils are well aware of the importance of healthy lifestyles and enjoy taking part in the range of physical activities available. Opportunities for collaborative working, and ‘talk partners’, are effective in encouraging good interpersonal skills. The school’s emphasis on the basic skills prepares the pupils well for future learning. Pupils’ positive attitudes reflect the outstanding care they receive. Support for the most vulnerable pupils is particularly strong. Children’s skills and capabilities on entry to school are slightly above what is typical for their age, and pupils achieve well throughout the school. In the 2007 National Tests, the school’s results show that standards were in line with the national averages in English, mathematics and science. However, this is not typical: the school generally attains significantly above average standards by the end of Key Stage 2. The quality of teaching is good, and there are well established, clear assessment systems in

p.4

Grade: 2

place. Pupils’ progress is tracked carefully, and appropriate intervention strategies and well planned support are available for pupils who underachieve. Individual Education Plans set for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are very effective in helping the pupils to make good progress and to recognise how well they are doing. All pupils receive encouraging feedback about their work, and focussed marking in some classes ensures that all pupils know what they must do to improve. However, this is not yet consistent throughout the school. The curriculum is good and meets the needs of all pupils well. There is a good range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities to support pupils’ academic and personal development and well-being. The leadership and management of the school are good. The headteacher provides strong and influential leadership. She has a clear vision, shared by all staff, of a school where all pupils are

p.4

Grade: 2

expected to achieve well. She receives good support from a committed leadership team and a 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham, 6 °7 December 2007 dedicated staff. Monitoring systems are firmly embedded within the school and these result in priorities for action. These priorities now need to be evaluated more rigorously and regularly in order to assess the impact they are having on raising standards of achievement. Self-evaluation is effective and accurate and the school has good capacity for further improvement.

p.4

Grade: 3

Provision in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory with some good features. Children’s skills and knowledge at entry are generally above those typical for their age, especially in speaking and listening and personal development. The accommodation has been improved so that a wider range of activities are available; some led well by adults and others that enable pupils to play on their own initiative. Outdoor provision has also been improved and is used effectively. Teaching and progress are good when children are occupied in learning through productive activities. It is slower when the whole class is taught together for too long and children do not have enough opportunities for active learning. Children make steady progress and reach just above expected levels on entry to Year 1. Leadership and management are satisfactory and the experienced staff work together to plan tasks and activities and assess how well children are

p.5

Grade: 3

doing. Children are safe, very well cared for and enjoy their work and play. Parents say that children settle well.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Evaluate the impact of strategies for improvement more regularly and rigorously.

p.5

What the school should do to improve further

■ Shorten whole class sessions and engage children more in learning actively in the Foundation Stage, to accelerate progress.

p.5

Grade: 2

Children enter school with skills slightly above those typically seen in children aged four. They make good progress throughout the school and achieve well, leaving the school at the end of Year 6 with standards significantly above national averages for the last four years. However, in 2007 standards were in line with the national average, missing the school’s higher targets. Because pupils left and joined this year group, only ten of the pupils remained from Key Stage 1 to take the Key Stage 2 tests. Besides this, the school suggests that the Year 2 assessments for this group were too high, and that subsequent assessment underestimates the headway that pupils made. The school’s progress monitoring data supports this view. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are supported well and make good progress. Pupils with Statements of Special Educational Needs do particularly well. Internal monitoring data and observations

p.5

Grade: 2

during the inspection show that progress for pupils in the current Year 6 is good and they are on course to meet their challenging targets in English, mathematics and science.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good, as is their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are safe, behave well, concentrate on their work, and really enjoy what the school offers. Their attendance is good. There are many occasions for pupils to reflect on faith, beauty and the impact of people’s actions on others; this helps them to understand their place in the world. Good links with a school in Uganda also allow some pupils to correspond 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham, 6 °7 December 2007 with children there and compare lifestyles. The school has the national Healthy School award, and this shows in the pupils’ understanding of how to live healthily and their take-up of the good out-of-school physical and sporting activities. The school has also achieved the Activemark for its work in physical education, which is linked well with other local schools in a sports

p.5

Grade: 2

partnership. Through the school council, taking on specific jobs and their involvement in local and church activities, pupils make a good contribution to the school and local community. They also develop their cultural understanding well through such activities as visiting the National Football Museum and learning how the Vikings settled in Lancashire. With their well developed social skills, honed in the many school drama presentations, and their good academic performance, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

p.6

Grade: 2

Teaching is good, and sometimes outstanding, leading to good progress in learning. There are good working relationships at all levels in the school, and the staff provide good role models for pupils in co-operative teamwork. Pupils work well together in pairs and groups so that lessons flow smoothly and enjoyably. The many supporting adults are skilfully deployed, often in support of pupils with learning difficulties. They do this well so that these pupils are fully involved in activities and make good progress, as do pupils from minority ethnic groups. Most lessons are well planned to meet the needs of different groups of pupils and have a clear, shared focus enabling pupils to know what is expected of them. They are often absorbing, such as when Year 1 pupils spent money in the café, Year 4 pupils made parachutes, or where Year 6 were learning about the abolition of slavery. Teachers’ marking is generally good, but does not

p.6

Grade: 2

always show pupils how they might improve. Pupils are also increasingly encouraged to assess their own and other pupils’ work. Occasionally, pupils are taught for too long as a whole class and this slows their progress.

p.6

Grade: 2

The curriculum is good, and meets all statutory requirements. There is a good concentration on the core subjects of English, mathematics and science, and information and communication technology (ICT) is also well provided for. The staff plan to make learning more connected between subjects, and this is working well in developing such skills as note-writing in history. Individual music tuition is offered as well as music lessons, and pupils all have the chance to learn the recorder. There is a specific focus on physical activity and links through the sports partnership provide valuable opportunities to take part in a wide variety of sports. There are themed weeks in art and music and specific days to showcase learning, such as a ‘Viking Clothes Show’. The curriculum is adapted well to meet different children’s needs, and the new Foundation Stage curriculum is in progress for adoption in September.

p.6

Grade: 2

This is a good aspect of the school’s work, and care is outstanding. All the required child protection and safeguarding procedures are in place. From the well managed care for Reception children to the very good support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, staff 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham, 6 °7 December 2007 are vigilant in looking after pupils’ welfare. Parents say that they feel very comfortable leaving their children with the school, as they know they will be looked after very well. Academic support and guidance are good, and older pupils know what their targets are and what they need to do to improve. There are good monitoring systems to check pupils’ progress and these are used effectively to set challenging targets. Whilst some pupils are involved in assessing their own and others’ work, this aspect of assessment is not yet consistent across the school. A good

p.6

Grade: 2

feature is that staff assess how well pupils achieve in all subjects, not just the core subjects, and use the information well to plan new work.

p.7

Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. A strong ethos and sense of purpose have been established by the headteacher. There is a clear focus on improvement and high quality provision to support pupils’ personal development. She is supported well by a committed senior leadership team who work hard to bring about improvement. There are good partnerships with other schools, agencies and organisations that support pupils’ learning well. There is a strong sense of teamwork and staff at all levels, both teaching and non-teaching, together with governors, are actively involved in planning for improvement. The process of monitoring is well established and involves subject leaders in reviewing their areas of responsibility. These monitoring systems and the issues they raise, result in strategies for action. These strategies now need to be evaluated more rigorously and regularly in order to assess the impact they are

p.7

Grade: 2

having on raising standards of achievement. The process of self-evaluation is good and the school’s judgements are accurate. The governors are supportive of the school and are well aware of the strengths and areas for development. They hold the school to account effectively for its progress. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham, 6 °7 December 2007 .

p.7

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: Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham, 6 °7 December 2007

p.8

Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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 2 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.9

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: Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham, 6 °7 December 2007

p.9

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: Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham, 6 °7 December 2007

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

10 December 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham, Lancashire, PR1 9AE Thank you so much for being friendly and helpful when we visited your school a short time ago. We enjoyed talking with you. We were pleased to hear you say you enjoy school because the teachers make your lessons fun. It was especially pleasing to know that you didn’t think there was any bullying in your school and that if there was your teachers would very quickly sort it out. You really behave well and are kind and caring to each other. That was really nice to see. You know lots about the importance of eating sensible food and taking exercise. Keep that up because it is really important if you want to stay healthy and happy. All the staff work very hard to help you do your best and all of you work as a team to make your school the good school that it is. We were pleased to see so many of you with your badges at your celebration assembly and how lovely

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to be invited to ‘be my guest’ on Friday lunchtimes. We have asked the teachers to check on how well you are doing at different times through the year, so that they know if you need any extra help. We’ve also mentioned that sometimes some of you are on the carpet for a long time and need to be doing and finding out things more. Both of these, with your help, should make your school even better. Keep working hard and coming to school regularly, that will help you to continue to do well. Very best wishes for the future. Yours sincerely Yvonne Clare and Eric Jackson Inspectors 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Cop Lane Church of England Primary School, Penwortham, 6 °7 December 2007

p.11