Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School

Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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119425 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 313289 Inspection number 31 October °1 November 2007 Inspection dates Garry Jones 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 Voluntary aided School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 179 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Fred Birch Chair Mrs Julie Bradley Headteacher 1 February 2004 Date of previous school inspection Moor Lane School address Padiham Burnley Lancashire BB12 8HT 01282 771470 Telephone number 01282 777626 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 31 October °1 November 2007 Inspection dates 313289 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. 31 October °1 November 2007

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors and an additional inspector who is seconded to Ofsted.

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Description of the school

This is a smaller than average school which serves the community of Padiham, although pupils also travel from a number of surrounding communities. It is an area of considerable social and economic disadvantage and this is reflected in the above average proportion of pupils that is eligible for free school meals. The pupils are overwhelmingly from White British families and the number of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is slightly above that found nationally, but the number with statements of special educational need is well above the national average. A greater number of children join and leave the school at times other than is normal than is found nationally. The school has the Investors in People Award and the National Healthy Schools award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, 31 October °1 November 2007

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Grade: 1

St Leonard’s provides an outstanding quality of education for its pupils. The parents and pupils share an extremely positive view of the school. There is a clear vision to create a school that fully meets the needs of all pupils and to ensure that they achieve their full potential. This has been promoted by the headteacher and is shared by all staff and governors. The school has made very good progress in achieving its goals and is an inclusive school although it has not yet succeeded in raising the achievement of all pupils, from good to outstanding. The personal development and well-being of pupils are outstanding. Pupils behave exceptionally well and there have been no exclusions for the last five years. The quality of relationships between pupils and between pupils and teachers is excellent. Pupils attend school regularly, clearly enjoy their lessons and engage enthusiastically with the wide range of activities provided.

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Grade: 1

They are keen to tell visitors how much they value the school, that they feel safe and that there is no bullying. They have very good opportunities to contribute to the development of the school through the school council and by acting as play leaders and as buddies for new pupils. In addition, there are many opportunities to contribute to the wider community through links to the local church, old people’s homes and other schools. The pupils’ development reflects the excellent care and guidance that are provided by a committed staff. Staff know pupils exceptionally well and pastoral care is so effective that pupils feel that they always have people to turn to when facing difficulties. Pupils report, for example, that problems which occur outside school are quickly dealt with by their teachers. The most vulnerable pupils are well looked after by a dedicated team of support staff. On occasion, this goes beyond the normally expected

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Grade: 1

provision with staff accompanying individual pupils to appointments with support agencies outside the normal school day. Children enter the school with skills that are well below those typically expected for pupils of that age. They settle quickly in the Foundation Stage and progress well due to the good provision, but their skills remain below the national expectation on entry to Year 1. Pupils continue to progress well during Key Stage 1 and standards at the end of Year 2 are just below the national average. Their progress accelerates in Key Stage 2 and is good. The standards vary from year to year reflecting the nature of the cohorts but overall are broadly average. Standards in 2006 were above the national average, but in 2007 fell below. However, given the starting point of the pupils this still represented good progress. This good progress reflects teaching that is consistently good. Teachers plan thoroughly to meet the needs of the range of abilities

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Grade: 1

within classes. A good range of activities is used to maintain a brisk pace of learning and pupils’ concentration is reinforced by having brief fun breaks from learning, known as ‘brain gym’. Teachers monitor the progress of pupils carefully and set clear targets in the core subjects so that individuals know the aspect they have to concentrate on. This is supported by rigorous marking that includes regular written advice on how to improve. The curriculum is exceptional in that it is enriched by a very wide range of visits and visitors to capture the interest of pupils and to encourage them to learn more. This enrichment involves the full range of subjects, for example, art, music, science, history and geography. A particularly outstanding feature is the links that the school has made with local and national sporting organisations. This allows the school to deliver a wide range of sports each year using specialist

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Grade: 1

coaches to support the pupils’ development. In the half term following the coaching provision, pupils are able to continue to develop their skills in this sport through after-school clubs and the most talented pupils continue to receive support through coaches and local clubs. This and 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, 31 October °1 November 2007 the range of opportunities to pursue exercise throughout the day ensure the development of healthy lifestyles. The leadership and management of the school are outstanding because they have improved the quality of provision and the outcomes for the pupils. The shared vision of an inclusive school and the commitment of the staff have brought about real improvement. The school has well established systems for evaluating its work and for informing its planning. It has outstanding capacity to improve further.

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Grade: 2

Children generally arrive in the Foundation Stage with skills well below those typically expected for their age. The Foundation Stage provides a rich and varied curriculum with a good balance of activities that are teacher led and child initiated. Children enjoy school, settle in to the Foundation Stage quickly and progress well. They behave very well and respond positively to the high levels of support they receive. Children are well cared for and guided by adults to make good decisions in their play and work. Children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are identified quickly and, with support, these children also progress well.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise the standards in all subjects and the achievement of all pupils.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Further develop the range of multicultural experiences within the curriculum.

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Grade: 2

Children enter the school with skills that are well below those typically expected for their age. Although they make good progress during the Foundation Stage, their skills remain below those expected for their age on entry to Key Stage 1. Pupils make good progress during Key Stage 1 so that by the end of Year 2 their overall standards of attainment are just below the national average. Their performance is weaker in reading than in writing, but in mathematics standards reached the national average in 2007. During Key Stage 2, pupils make good progress. In 2006, pupils achieved standards that were above the national average in all subjects and this represented outstanding progress in English and science. However, in 2007 results fell and standards were below the national average in mathematics and well below in English. This was related to a small cohort with a large proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or

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Grade: 2

disabilities. However, given the starting points of the pupils this represented good progress overall. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities progress as well as their peers.

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Grade: 1

Personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils get on exceptionally well with each other and were seen to support each other in lessons and around the school. The mutual respect that exists between pupils and teachers contributes to the outstanding behaviour seen throughout the school. Behaviour during playtimes is exemplary because pupils fully engage with the excellent range of activities provided and support each other in their play. Pupils report that they feel very safe in school and insist that there is no bullying. Their social and moral development is outstanding. Although their cultural development is good and they have a 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, 31 October °1 November 2007 range of opportunities to learn about other cultures, the opportunities to work with young people from other cultures are more limited.

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Grade: 1

Pupils have a very good understanding of how to live healthy lifestyles and many pupils eagerly take part in the outstanding range of sporting activities provided during and after the school day. Attendance has improved since the last inspection and is now above average. Pupils clearly enjoy what their school has to offer and feel a real sense of pride and belonging. They have a very positive attitude to learning and work very well as teams and individually. They develop a good range of skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being such as problem solving, team work and effective speaking and listening. Their very well developed use of information and communication technology (ICT) also contributes well to preparing them for their future education and work. Pupils contribute well to the development of the school by eagerly taking on positions of responsibility and through the active school council. They are regularly involved with the wider

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Grade: 1

community by singing for residents at local residential homes, fund raising and through church based activities. Links with the church are very strong and the school uses the church and its facilities regularly. In addition, pupils have represented the school at local and national conferences.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. In lessons, clear learning objectives are shared with the pupils. Lessons are well planned to provide a range of tasks that challenge all the pupils within each class. ICT is used very well to support teaching and learning. The pace of learning is brisk and is maintained by a change of activity at appropriate times and by giving pupils a brief break from learning by engaging in imaginative alternative activities, such as mental juggling. Pupils engage with the tasks eagerly, work well independently, in pairs or in small groups and show real enjoyment for their learning. This reflects the very good relationships between pupils and pupils and their teachers. In many lessons questions are used well to encourage pupils to think and to check on their understanding. Teachers use assessment well to provide pupils with targets so that they know what they must do to improve their work in

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Grade: 2

English and mathematics. In addition, in many lessons pupils are asked to assess their own learning encouraging good self-awareness. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well supported by effective teaching assistants. This ensures that all pupils make good progress.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum meets the needs of pupils extremely well. There is a strong emphasis on encouraging the development of healthy lifestyles to reflect health issues in the local community. There is an extensive range of opportunities to engage in games and sports during physical education, at break times, before and after school. The role of teaching assistants in organising games at breaks and lunchtimes is exemplary. During the school day the inclusion of brief periods of aerobics and yoga further enhance this provision. A particularly outstanding feature 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, 31 October °1 November 2007 of the curriculum is the manner in which pupils are exposed to a wide range of sports during their school career with advanced coaching delivered by experts drawn from a range of local sporting organisations. This encourages all pupils to engage in after-school clubs in these sports

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Grade: 1

and for the talented to continue to develop their expertise through additional coaching and links with local clubs. There is also a good link with the local specialist sports college to enhance the curriculum, for example, through the use of their facilities. In their successful efforts to engage all pupils in learning staff plan a wide range of exciting visits and use visiting experts to enrich the provision in the arts, history, geography, science and technology. The use of ICT to enrich learning is very well developed. In addition an innovative development is that children are taught to sign in order to extend their communication skills. Pupils enjoy the wide range of extra-curricular activities available and the participation levels are high.

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Grade: 1

Pastoral care is outstanding and, as a result, pupils feel very safe and secure at school. Staff know the pupils exceptionally well. Parents trust the school and appreciate the support and guidance it provides. The school is very effective in meeting the needs of individuals and their families when facing difficulties and needing support. For example, teachers are very effective at dealing with issues that arise outside school to ensure that bullying does not become an issue. Occasionally staff accompany pupils and parents on visits to other support agencies. Teaching assistants support pupils with learning difficulties and/ or disabilities exceptionally well and, because of this, they are able to demonstrate a high level of engagement and excellent behaviour in class. The school makes very effective use of links with external agencies to further support the development of pupils facing difficulties.

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Grade: 1

All requirements for safeguarding and health and safety are in place and well thought out day to day routines and procedures are effective in maintaining a safe environment. Academic guidance is outstanding. Detailed monitoring of individual progress ensures that any potential underachievement is quickly identified and that appropriate support is provided. Targets are used very effectively to let pupils know what they are working towards and pupils are confident they know how to achieve them because their teachers give them appropriate guidance. Work is marked regularly and thoroughly and comments include a good range of helpful advice on how to achieve the improvements needed.

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Grade: 1

The leadership and management of the school are outstanding. The headteacher has established a clear vision for the development of an inclusive school that is strongly shared by her staff and governors. The commitment of all staff to the needs of the pupils reflected in the additional time they give to pupils outside the school day is impressive and parents speak glowingly of the support for their children. The impact of the vision and level of commitment is reflected in the high quality provision for care and guidance and the curriculum which are improving pupils’ personal development and well-being. There is a clear plan to bring about further improvement and a strong emphasis on continuous professional development in the work of the school. The systems for evaluating the work of the school are extremely well established with regular reviews of performance and teaching. This work is supported by a very detailed whole school analysis

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Grade: 1

7 of 12 Inspection Report: Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, 31 October °1 November 2007 of pupils’ progress against targets and the development of intervention programmes. The process of self-evaluation is further strengthened by the involvement of all staff and stakeholders. The governors are well led by an experienced chair who knows the strengths and areas for development well. The governing body is regularly informed of the performance of the school. Governors are supportive, but are not afraid to ask challenging questions on performance. The school has developed a large budget surplus, but this is earmarked for the development of the premises and other resources. The school has a proven track record of improvement and has outstanding capacity for further improvement. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School,

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Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, 31 October °1 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? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

2 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 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 2 The attendance of learners 1 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?

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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, 31 October °1 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 1 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, 31 October °1 November 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

2 November 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Lancashire, BB12 8HT Thank you for making us feel so welcome when we recently inspected your school. It was helpful to talk to you about your work and your views on the school. You and your parents believe that you attend a very good school. We believe that it is outstanding. You told us that you feel safe in school, that your teachers give you really good support and that your lessons and other activities are exciting and interesting. We agree with you. You attend school regularly and you obviously enjoy your lessons. Your behaviour is outstanding and you work and play sensibly. You contribute well to improving your school and the local community and church. We were impressed by how keen you are to stay healthy. All the staff in the school work hard to look after you and to support you when you are facing

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

difficulties. Their care for you is exceptional. Your teachers plan good lessons for you and help you to learn by giving you outstanding advice and guidance on how to improve. The range of activities that are provided for you, including visits and visitors to school is outstanding. We were particularly impressed by the range of sports you are taught and the coaches that visit to help you to learn these new skills. You make good progress and achieve well. The standards you achieve are similar to those young people achieve in other schools, but we have asked your teachers to continue to work with you to make these standards higher. You can help them by continuing to work hard and to behave well. We have also asked them to think about ways in which you can have more opportunities to learn about other cultures by meeting with other young people from backgrounds different from your own. Best wishes for the future

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Garry Jones Her Majesty’s Inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Padiham St Leonard's Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, 31 October °1 November 2007

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