Glusburn Community Primary School

Glusburn Community Primary School Inspection report

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121447 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire Local Authority 313994 Inspection number 24 °25 September 2007 Inspection dates Marie Cordey 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 315 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Tom Stow Chair Mrs Valerie Ashdown Headteacher 30 June 2003 Date of previous school inspection Colne Road School address Glusburn Keighley West Yorkshire BD20 8PJ 01535 632145 Telephone number 01535 631108 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 24 °25 September 2007 Inspection dates 313994 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a large school in a semi-rural area close to the town of Keighley. Below average numbers of pupils are eligible for free school meals and below average numbers of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. There has been some staffing turbulence during the past few years, but staffing is now stable. A new Foundation Stage unit was opened at the beginning of this term and is not yet completed. The school has gained an Activemark award for its sports provision.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Glusburn Community Primary School, 24 °25 September 2007

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Grade: 2

Glusburn is a good school. Standards are above average. Pupils achieve well and make good progress from average starting points. The headteacher sets high expectations for the performance and care of pupils, which are acted upon wholeheartedly by the staff. Good teaching is based on good relationships and pupils enjoy their lessons. Improved lesson planning and monitoring of pupils' performance has resulted in improving standards, especially in English. Higher-attaining pupils in English, however, are not always sufficiently challenged and, consequently, they do not reach their targets, especially in writing. Provision in the Foundation Stage, while satisfactory, does not enable children to progress as rapidly as pupils do in Years 1 to 6. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Above average attendance indicates how well pupils enjoy school life. The rich curriculum provides a large number of different

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Grade: 2

activities to interest the pupils and the community. Sporting activities, in particular, are a strength. The pupils participate in a wide range of sports from football to the martial arts and are keen to relate their achievements. Pupils are well cared for and, in turn, care for each other. Their performance is tracked very closely and any pupil who is not making expected progress is supported individually. Leadership and management are good. The leadership team has a clear vision for raising standards and providing good levels of care and support for the pupils' personal development. Governors support the school well and challenge the school's performance. They ensure that the school provides good value for money. The school has an accurate understanding of its strengths as well as areas to improve. Inspectors agree with the school's evaluations of its performance and consider that the school is in a good position to make further improvements.

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Grade: 3

The effectiveness of the new Foundation Stage unit is satisfactory and is an improvement on provision at the time of the last inspection. The unit is at a very early stage and resources and procedures are still being developed. Teachers and support staff manage the lack of resources and the incomplete decoration so that it minimises the effect on the children's learning and well-being. Teaching and learning is effective and children make satisfactory progress from broadly typical skills when they joined the nursery. The enthusiastic staff team plan a wide range of activities to promote learning in literacy and number and in forming relationships. The teaching of early reading skills is systematic and there are good learning programmes to promote speaking and listening. Some activities are not always stimulating and challenging enough to promote independent learning and self-awareness. The children have plenty of opportunity to

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Grade: 3

work and play outdoors, but resources are limited and this restricts the development of their communication and partnership building. The building is due to be finished shortly and there will be more resources and equipment available. This and the attitudes and determination of the staff show good capacity to improve. The school's judgement of the provision in the Foundation Stage was too generous. It did not sufficiently take into account how much time it would take for the new systems to be effective. All staff contribute to effective systems to track children's individual progress, although they do not yet provide an overview of the progress made by the class. There are good procedures to welcome new children, who settle quickly. Relationships with parents are positive and appreciated. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Glusburn Community Primary School, 24 °25 September 2007

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve provision in the Foundation Stage so that children's progress is as good as that of pupils in Years 1 to 6. ■ Ensure that higher-attaining pupils in English are challenged effectively to attain above average standards, particularly in writing.

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Grade: 2

Pupils make good progress from broadly average standards in Year 1 to above average standards by the time they leave Year 6. Standards in mathematics and science are better than those in English because of careful and focused planning. A strong emphasis on thinking skills in Year 6 has improved pupils' problem solving and investigative skills. Previous staffing turbulence adversely affected opportunities to plan so well in English. Staffing is now stable and has resulted in new systems to focus on pupils' achievement in English. This has led to improved standards. Nevertheless, fewer pupils than expected gain the highest levels in writing. Pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because their needs are identified and acted upon speedily. They are supported by knowledgeable and dedicated staff.

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Grade: 2

Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good. Pupils are keen to extend a courteous welcome to visitors and behave well. They know right from wrong and are tolerant and respectful of others. In an uplifting assembly, for instance, the pupils were vocal in their protest against what they observed as cheating in a role play of 'snakes and ladders'. Pupils are very positive about the school and trust the staff. They know who to turn to if they are troubled. The wide sports provision encourages the pupils to adopt healthy lifestyles. The school works hard to encourage healthy eating through lessons and assemblies and pupils respond well. Pupils learn how to manage money and rapidly improve their speaking and listening skills. Their standards in literacy and numeracy, and good liaison with the local secondary school, prepare them well for the future. Parents and volunteers help in school on a regular basis and as a result pupils

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Grade: 2

receive extra help and improve their relationships with their community.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Teachers manage pupils' behaviour well and create a calm and productive atmosphere for learning. Lessons are well planned and, overall, the work set is matched to pupils' needs. Consequently, pupils make good progress. Teaching assistants provide good support to pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities through individually tailored teaching. Teachers ask challenging questions which prompt pupils' curiosity, but do not consistently encourage higher-attaining pupils to think deeply about their writing. Teachers motivate pupils well by sharing the purpose of the lessons with them. Pupils develop a good work ethic because of the lively pace and high expectations, although occasionally teachers talk for too long and pupils are less engaged. There is good use of interactive whiteboards and other technology to involve and stimulate learning. 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Glusburn Community Primary School, 24 °25 September 2007

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and is well matched to pupils' needs. It is wide and varied with a good range of extra-curricular activities that are very much appreciated by pupils. Very good opportunities in sport include the successful girls' football team and the equally successful boys' team. Community sports are well attended and young people's sporting ability is supported and developed by a local first division football team. The provision for information and communication technology has improved because of better resourcing and skilled teaching. As a result, pupils' computer skills have improved and they can use technology to help in all their subjects. The personal, social, health and citizenship programme is effective in promoting pupils' emotional development, in particular, and is well supported by the learning mentor. Higher-attaining pupils in English, however, are insufficiently challenged. Provision for pupils

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Grade: 2

who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is good because of tailored support that is closely matched to individual pupils' needs.

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Grade: 2

The care, guidance and support for the pupils are good. Procedures for ensuring pupils' safety are appropriate and meet national requirements. Pupils' personal development is supported and monitored well. There are effective systems to promote good behaviour and attendance. Teachers use praise and rewards well to raise self-esteem and they encourage polite and considerate attitudes. The inclusion team meets the emotional and academic needs of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities well through accurate observation of their needs and well planned support. There are good links with outside agencies to promote the care of the pupils, especially from the local authority. The majority of parents are very pleased with the education that is provided for their children. A small number are concerned about homework and communication from school to home. The inspection agrees that these are less successful

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Grade: 2

aspects of the generally good links between home and school. Staff and governors take good advantage of appropriate training courses. Work is marked well and includes clear guidance, but teachers do not consistently involve pupils in evaluating their own work or in planning how to improve it. Pupils' progress is accurately tracked and this is well used to organise groups of pupils and to plan lessons.

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Grade: 2

Leaders set the tone for a caring, purposeful environment. Challenging targets are set for pupils and this has led to improving standards, especially in English. The expectations for higher-attaining pupils in English are not as assured and the school is working on this as a priority. Recently appointed staff have been well prepared for their role and they are making a good contribution to improving pupils' performance. There has been good improvement since the previous inspection and successful team working has raised standards and teaching in the Foundation Stage so that it is now satisfactory, with the capacity to be even better. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Glusburn Community Primary School, 24 °25 September 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. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Glusburn Community Primary School, 24 °25 September 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? 3 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 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

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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. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Glusburn Community Primary School, 24 °25 September 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? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Glusburn Community Primary School, 24 °25 September 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

On behalf of the inspection team I want to thank you all for the kind welcome you gave us when we inspected your school. You helped us a great deal and we were all very pleased to talk to you. We think that yours is a good school. You make good progress in your learning. You are happy to be in lessons and taking part in all the extra activities that are available. You are well looked after and cared for to help you continue to be the confident young people you are. We think that children in the Nursery and Reception classes do better than they did at the time of the last inspection and they make satisfactory improvements to their work. We would like your school to improve even more so that the children in the Nursery and Reception classes make as good progress as the pupils in Years 1 to 6. We also think that those of you who learn more quickly should be given more difficult work in English, especially in writing, to help you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

reach higher standards. You can help by doing any extra work that your teacher gives you and asking teachers for more advice about how to improve your work. We wish you the very best for your future. 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Glusburn Community Primary School, 24 °25 September 2007

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