St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery

St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery Inspection report

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119624 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 313361 Inspection number 20 °21 May 2008 Inspection dates Carole Cressey 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 329 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr John Harrison Chair Mrs Sharon Jones Headteacher 1 May 2005 Date of previous school inspection Poulton Road School address Fleetwood Lancashire FY7 7JY 01253 874785 Telephone number 01253 875330 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 20 °21 May 2008 Inspection dates 313361 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. Inspection Report: St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20 °21 May 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school is situated in an area where there are significant pockets of social and economic deprivation. Most pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils eligible for a free school meal is below average, as is the proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The proportion of pupils joining and leaving the school throughout the year 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: St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20 °21 May 2008

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Grade: 2

‘I couldn’t feel more happy, confident or at ease with my child at St Wulstan’s and St Edmund’s, I feel he is progressing immensely in leaps and bounds.’ This comment reflects the views of the vast majority of parents and confirms their confidence in the school. This is a good school, which is well led and managed. The headteacher has successfully established two amalgamated schools in one building and has the respect and confidence of the parents and community. The school provides an exceptionally well ordered learning environment where every nook and cranny promotes considerable enthusiasm for learning among the pupils and helps them to become well rounded, happy, caring and confident individuals. The school has an accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses which has allowed it to take effective action to improve standards and eliminate some past underachievement. Good teaching, a stimulating curriculum and good levels of care, support and guidance ensure pupils’ good

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Grade: 2

progress throughout the school. This success shows that the school is well placed to make further improvements. The majority of pupils start school with skills which are well below those typical for their ages. All pupils, including the significant number who join the school at various stages of the school year, achieve well. In the current Year 6, the majority of pupils are working at the expected level for their ages and abilities which is an improvement on the school’s test results in 2007. Pupils’ personal development is good. Pupils have a good understanding of their place in the world and of the many different world communities. However, their understanding of the diversity of British traditions, faiths and cultures is less well developed. Teaching is good across the school. Pupils have no time to be bored or to misbehave because lessons include a variety of methods and activities which capture their interests and motivate

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Grade: 2

them to learn. Assessment systems are used rigorously to track pupils’ progress and identify where additional help or challenge may be needed to ensure pupils reach their full potential. There is evidence of high quality marking but this is not consistent and pupils are not always clear about what they need to do to improve or how well they are doing towards their long-term targets. The curriculum is good. There are challenging activities in and out of school to develop pupils’ enthusiasm for learning and an understanding of how they can stay healthy, keep themselves and others safe and become responsible members of their school and local community. The school nurtures all pupils well, especially those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, helping them to become more confident learners and happier individuals. The parents’ overwhelming confidence in the leadership and management of the school is very

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Grade: 2

well placed. The school has made good improvement since the last inspection and provides good value for money. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20 °21 May 2008

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Grade: 2

The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage is good. Children start school with skills which are well below those typical for their age, particularly in literacy and personal development. Good leadership and management ensures that the Nursery and Reception classes are effective places to learn. As a result, children achieve well, although by the end of the Reception year a significant number are still working towards the expected learning goals for their ages. Teaching is consistently good. Considerable emphasis is placed on helping children to learn to be sociable individuals who can share, take turns and begin to see how their actions affect others. The development of basic skills of speaking, listening, reading, writing and numeracy are woven into activities well. Outdoor learning is especially effective in supporting and extending children's learning through spontaneous play. As a result, children show increasing levels of confidence

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Grade: 2

and independence and make good progress in language skills.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the consistency of marking so that pupils know how to improve their work and how well they are progressing towards their personal targets. ■ Ensure that pupils have a good understanding of the cultural diversity of British society.

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Grade: 2

Standards are average by the end of Year 6. Achievement is good because improved use of assessment is accelerating pupils’ progress. The good start made in the Foundation Stage is built on well so that by the end of Year 2 the majority of pupils achieve well: standards are average in reading, writing and mathematics. In Key Stage 2 most pupils, including the significant proportion that join the school at different times, achieve well. The school’s standards in national tests in English and mathematics in 2007 were broadly average but those in science were significantly below average. Standards in the current Year 6 are higher than in the past. This is because the school has successfully raised attainment further in English and mathematics and in particular in science. School data shows that over 80% of pupils are working at the expected levels in English, mathematics and science and over a third at the higher levels. Pupils

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Grade: 2

with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive good support and as a result they make good progress towards their individual targets.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. Pupils thoroughly enjoy their education, are proud of their school and are regular and punctual attenders. Feeling safe and secure in school is very important to the pupils and they greatly value the way the adults are always willing to help with any difficulties they may have. Their good behaviour makes a positive contribution to the rate of learning and the school’s calm, purposeful atmosphere. There is a strong sense of community within the school. The Eco Group does a splendid job in caring for the environment through recycling a wide range of materials. Older pupils trained as buddies ensure that everyone feels safe and happy. The elected school council feel their views are heard and are pleased to see some of their suggestions being implemented. Pupils appreciate the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Boys and girls are keen participants in the many and varied

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Grade: 2

5 of 11 Inspection Report: St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20 °21 May 2008 sporting activities on offer and pupils are learning why it is sensible to have a balanced diet. The spiritual, moral and social aspects of their development are good. Cultural development is only satisfactory as pupils have too few opportunities to learn about the diversity of British society.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good with some outstanding features. All adults have very good strategies to promote positive attitudes to learning and as a result, pupils are eager and well motivated learners. Classrooms and corridors buzz with excitement and are well ordered and interesting learning environments which provide a wide range of prompts and ideas to enable pupils to be successful learners. In lessons pupils are made very aware of what they are expected to learn and skilled adults are always on hand to offer timely advice, reminders, prompts or explanations to keep them on track. Teaching assistants, parent and community volunteers play a vital part in supporting pupils who need additional help with their numeracy or literacy. As a result, pupils make rapid strides in their basic skills. Most lessons are planned meticulously to meet the needs of the range of abilities. Different teaching styles, flexible groupings, tasks

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Grade: 2

and activities are used to maintain the interest of all learners. The assessments of pupils’ attainment and progress are effective in tracking progress and identifying where pupils need extra support or challenge. Although marking and class targets are used exceptionally well in some lessons to identify the next steps in learning, their use is not consistently effective across the school.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and supports pupils’ good achievement. A wide range of interesting and challenging activities inspire pupils to learn and prepares them well for the next stage of their education. Classes and groupings are flexible to meet the needs of pupils new to the school, those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with special gifts and talents. The science curriculum has been improved by placing more emphasis on the accurate recording of pupils’ observations and findings. This has led to improved standards. A good programme of social and health education provides the pupils with necessary tools to very effectively develop personal safety, care and healthy living. The curriculum is enriched by a wide and interesting range of visits, visitors and external links, and after-school clubs such as kwik-cricket and tri-golf. These contribute well to pupils’ personal development, community

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good with exemplary aspects. Procedures for safeguarding pupils’ welfare, health and safety are firmly in place. Parents are delighted that their children, whatever age, ability or temperament are integrated into school with remarkable ease. Skilled and sensitive adults are always available to help those pupils who have difficulty in managing their anger, developing friendships, sorting out conflict, or coping with family problems. Very effective systems are in place to ensure pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities 6 of 11 Inspection Report: St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20 °21 May 2008 receive the support they need. As a result, pupils are able to play a full part in the life of the school. Individual progress is monitored throughout the year to identify where additional support or challenge is needed. However, in some classes the impact of these measures are not

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Grade: 2

as visible and these pupils remain unclear about how to improve their work and are uncertain about their class targets and how much progress they are making towards them.

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Grade: 2

Leadership, management and governance are good. Very strong leadership of the headteacher provides a very clear direction to the school and results in the good provision for the pupils in all aspects of its work. The school works with a range of partners, such as the local church community, sporting groups, local secondary schools and the local authority, utilising their skills and talents to enrich pupils’ learning and personal development. Leadership, including the supportive and challenging governing body, accurately and successfully identify what is needed to bring about sustained improvements and ensure that all pupils achieve well including those pupils who enter the school throughout the year. Of most significant impact has been the introduction of effective assessment systems, which track pupils’ progress, identify underperformance and help to encourage pupils to do their best. As a result, pupils are meeting

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Grade: 2

increasingly challenging targets and standards are rising. The headteacher, staff and governors are determined to ensure that the school continues to equip pupils well for the challenges of the future. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20 °21 May 2008 .

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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: St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20 °21 May 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 2 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 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: St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20 °21 May 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 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: St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20 °21 May 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

22 May 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, Lancashire, FY7 7JY Thank you so much for being so friendly and welcoming when the inspectors came to your school. We are very grateful for the way you helped us find out about the school by answering our questions, and especially to the school council for the very positive things they had to say. We were so pleased to see how very well behaved you are, how much you enjoy school. You are becoming very responsible caring children. You look after each other and take pride in jobs such as play leaders and school councillors. You are also generous to charities and look after the environment by recycling waste materials and caring for your school garden. Well done! You know a lot about other countries and their ways of life and we have asked that you are taught more about people in Britain who have traditions and religions that are different from

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

yours. You all seem to know the importance of eating sensible food and taking lots of exercise. Do keep that up because it is so important to stay healthy and fit. You go to a good school. In order to make your school even better, you need more help to know how well you are doing and what you need to do to improve your work further. So listen carefully and pay attention when your teachers talk to you or write comments in your books. Your headteacher and teachers make lessons fun and help you learn such a lot. I hope you will continue to enjoy school as much as you do now and that it will help you to become happy and successful adults. Yours sincerely Carole Cressey Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: St Wulstan's and St Edmund's Catholic Primary School and Nursery, 20 °21 May 2008

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