Heskin Pemberton's Church of England VA Primary School

Heskin Pemberton's Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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119475 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 313308 Inspection number 12 °13 December 2007 Inspection dates Brian Dower 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 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 83 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Doreen Hoddinott Chair Mrs Anne Grew Headteacher 1 January 2004 Date of previous school inspection Withington Lane School address Heskin Chorley Lancashire PR7 5LU 01257 451365 Telephone number 01257 450695 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 12 °13 December 2007 Inspection dates 313308 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Heskin Pemberton Church of England Primary is a very small school. It serves a relatively affluent rural area, although there are pupils who come from less advantaged backgrounds. Pupils are White British and join the Reception class from a local private nursery with skills which are typical for their age. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above that seen nationally. Pupils are taught in mixed age classes.

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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: Heskin Pemberton's Church of England Primary School, 12 °13 December 2007

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Grade: 2

Heskin Pemberton Church of England Primary is a good school. It has the support of parents who are fulsome in their praise of the quality of education and care provided for their children. Christian values and a concern that all pupils have an equal start in life are at the heart of its work. The result is that very good care and support are given to every pupil. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their school, eager to share their achievements and experiences with all who will listen. They particularly enjoy the after school clubs and activities and the trips away. They say they feel safe and secure, that there is no bullying and that everyone gets on well together. Their personal development, including their spiritual, moral and social development, is good. Pupils do not fully appreciate the complexity of British society and their understanding of other religions is limited. This is an issue the school has already identified for improvement.

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Grade: 2

The older pupils show responsibility in their mentoring of the younger children and all are involved in the local community through the links with the church, through concerts and fund raising. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Pupils’ achieve well and they generally make good progress. From starting points which are typical for their age, standards are above average by the end of Key Stage 2. At both key stages, the strongest aspects of the pupils’ attainment are in mathematics and science. Writing is the weakest aspect, particularly at Key Stage 1. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who are vulnerable in any way make good progress, meet their learning targets and achieve well. The pupils’ progress is not as consistent in Key Stage 1 as it is in Key Stage 2. The school is looking to improve this by making better use of tracking information to inform the

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Grade: 2

teaching. Pupils learn well because of good teaching and the support of the teaching assistants. Pupils like their teachers and the assistants and enjoy working hard. Their learning, social and emotional needs are known by every adult. Lesson activities are varied to meet the different needs in the mixed age classes and pupils are clear about how well they are doing and how to improve their work. At times teaching is outstanding. Greater demands are then made on pupils’ ability to work independently and think for themselves. In some subjects opportunities are missed to encourage pupils to write well and so contribute to their literacy development. The curriculum is good. It has been reorganised recently to make the links between subjects clearer and so help pupils understand the unity of the world around them. There have been significant improvements since the previous inspection in provision for information and

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Grade: 2

communication technology (ICT) and for investigative and problem solving work. Good provision is made for improving pupils’ basic skills, particularly their numeracy and listening and speaking skills. The school’s rural situation is used well to build pupils’ understanding of the natural environment. Leadership, management and governance are good. The headteacher provides strong leadership and is well supported by able and committed staff. Subject leadership has improved greatly since the previous inspection and is now good. The school is well placed to build upon what is already a harmonious and successful learning community. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Heskin Pemberton's Church of England Primary School, 12 °13 December 2007

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in the Reception year and their skills are well developed by the time they start in Year 1. They reach the age-related goals expected and some exceed them. This is because of the good teaching they receive and the effective support provided by the teaching assistant. Maximum use is made of the limited space available and children have opportunities to play together inside and outside of the classroom and to choose their own activities. The limited space is not adversely affecting their development but improved facilities would enable staff to provide children with a richer and more varied educational experience and so add to what is already an enjoyable first year in the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that pupils are able to write accurately and fluently in all subjects to raise standards in English. ■ Develop the pupils’ understanding of the diversity of British society.

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Grade: 2

The comparison of national assessment and test results from year to year needs to be treated with caution because of the very small number of pupils involved. The result of one pupil can make a significant difference to the overall results and this has been the case at Key Stage 1, where there has been a high number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities over the last few years. The results of the 2007 national assessments were broadly average at the end of Key Stage 1: they were above average in mathematics. Writing was the weakest aspect of the pupils’ attainment. The results at the end of Key Stage 2 were above average, particularly in mathematics and science where the school exceeded its targets. The targets for English were just missed. The results in English were average, with writing being weaker than reading. Pupils’ achievement is good overall and they generally make good progress from their varied

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Grade: 2

starting points, though it is not as consistent at Key Stage 1 as it is in Key Stage 2. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities also achieve well and make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral and social education, are good. Pupils’ understanding of wide range of cultures and religions in British society is limited and the school is tackling this as a priority for improvement. Christian beliefs and values are at the heart of the school’s work and give pupils the moral foundation and certainties they need to grow and flourish. Pupils say they feel safe and secure in school and that everyone gets on well together. Apart from occasional teasing or name calling, bullying is not an issue. Pupils know how to stay fit and well and they eat healthily and take plenty of exercise. They enjoy being at school and talk enthusiastically about the after school activities and the trips away. Attendance is average. Behaviour is good. The opportunities to shoulder responsibility are seized on by the older pupils who do much to mentor and support the younger children.

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Grade: 2

The school council meets regularly but has yet to influence the school’s development in any 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Heskin Pemberton's Church of England Primary School, 12 °13 December 2007 significant way. Links with the community are good. Pupils worship and celebrate the Christian faith in the local church and show their concern for others through their fund raising activities. Pupils have good basic skills by the time they leave and the personal qualities to make the most of the next stage of their education. They are confident and articulate young people who are curious about the world and keen to learn.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. The learning needs of every pupil are known by every adult in the school and this is an outstanding feature of its work. Learning activities are varied to take account of the mixed ages in a class. Pupils know how well they are doing and what they must do to get better. This is because teachers talk to the younger children about their work and the marking of the older pupils’ books is detailed and informative. Pupils display positive attitudes to their work. There have been improvements since the previous inspection in pupils’ use of ICT for learning and in their ability to judge the quality of their work for themselves. The scrutiny of pupils’ books and the school’s own evaluations show that the teaching of writing skills is not undertaken consistently across the curriculum. Opportunities are sometimes missed for pupils to adapt their writing to different subject needs. When teaching is outstanding, pupils

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Grade: 2

are challenged to think through problems for themselves without recourse to prompt sheets or text books. They are then given the freedom to take risks and learn through trial and error.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements. There have been improvements since the previous inspection in provision for ICT and for investigative and problem solving work. Good provision is made for developing pupils’ basic skills and for broadening their understanding of the world around them. The curriculum has been reorganised to make the links between subjects clearer but it is too soon to evaluate the success of this development in giving greater coherence to pupils’ learning. The personal, social and health education programme is well established and appropriate to pupils’ needs. Good provision is made for the teaching of French and the school has worked effectively with the secondary school to ensure continuity of learning. There is a good range of extra-curricular activities which are well attended. The school makes good use of its rural setting to enhance pupils’

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Grade: 2

understanding of the natural environment.

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Grade: 2

This aspect of the school’s work is good. Christian values underpin the care and support the school provides. Pupils feel secure and happy because the adults know them well and are understanding and sensitive to their needs. They say there is always someone to turn to if they have worries. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because of the support they get from teachers and teaching assistants. Good links with outside agencies ensure that vulnerable pupils are well integrated into school life and that they progress well. There are rigorous systems in place to assess and track pupils’ progress in literacy and numeracy as they move through the school. The school is working to ensure that the information gathered 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Heskin Pemberton's Church of England Primary School, 12 °13 December 2007 is used more effectively to improve pupils’ reading and writing skills at Key Stage 1. Child

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Grade: 2

protection safeguarding procedures are well established and conform to government requirements. Health and safety checks are carried out on a regular basis, particularly when visits are made out of school.

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Grade: 2

Leadership, management and governance are good. Governors know the school well and are closely involved in its day to day life. The headteacher provides strong leadership and she is well supported by able and hardworking teachers and learning assistants. The delegation of responsibilities in a small school is well thought out and there has been significant improvement since the previous inspection in the effectiveness of subject leadership, which is now good. There is a commitment to equality of opportunity for every pupil, evident in the progress made by the most vulnerable pupils in the school. Good use is made of challenging learning targets to raise standards, with particular success in mathematics and science. The use of such targets to improve writing has brought progress but this is an area the leadership team and governors are anxious to improve upon. The school’s self-evaluation is accurate, forward planning is good

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Grade: 2

and appropriate improvement priorities are in place to raise standards. There have been significant improvements since the previous inspection and the school’s capacity to improve is good. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Heskin Pemberton's Church of England Primary School, 12 °13 December 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: Heskin Pemberton's Church of England Primary School, 12 °13 December 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?

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?

2 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: Heskin Pemberton's Church of England Primary School, 12 °13 December 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: Heskin Pemberton's Church of England Primary School, 12 °13 December 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

15 December 2007 Dear Pupils, Inspection of Heskin Pemberton's Church of England Primary School, Lancashire, PR7 5LU Thank you for the warm welcome I received when I visited your school recently. I enjoyed my two days with you and was impressed by how hard you are working and how you all get on together. Please thank your parents for sending me their views on your school. They are rightly pleased with the progress you are making and the support and guidance you receive from your teachers and the teaching assistants. I agree that you are doing well and that everyone works hard to encourage you in your work and make you feel valued. You are growing up and learning in a Christian community where everyone is valued and supported. You know right from wrong and how important it is to think about others and those less fortunate than yourselves. The standards you reach by the time you leave school are above average and you are fully

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

prepared for the move to secondary school. You are making good progress, especially in mathematics and science, but you could do better in English. You and your school will be working hard to raise standards in that subject, particularly your ability to write well in all your subjects. You are fortunate to attend a small school in beautiful setting. All your teachers and the assistants know each one of you and you feel secure and special. You also know that there are different cultures and religious beliefs in our society, but your school is going to teach you more about this. Your role is to listen to your teachers and to work extra hard to improve your writing skills. My best wishes to you Brian Dower Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Heskin Pemberton's Church of England Primary School, 12 °13 December 2007

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