Lakeside Primary SchoolOfsted inspection, 8 Nov 2007

Lakeside Primary School Inspection report

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121467 Unique Reference Number York Local Authority 313998 Inspection number 7 °8 November 2007 Inspection dates Joy Frost 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 Community School category 5 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 345 School The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Claire Cooke Chair Mrs Rosamund Latham Headteacher 1 December 2003 Date of previous school inspection Oakdale Road School address Clifton Moor York North Yorkshire YO30 4YL 01904 691473 Telephone number 0 Fax number

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5-11 Age group 7 °8 November 2007 Inspection dates 313998 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 one of Her Majesty's Inspectors and two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Lakeside Primary is a larger than average primary school serving the Clifton Moor area of York. It serves an area of average socio-economic standing and pupils enter the school with the skills and knowledge that are often above those expected for their age. Most pupils are of White British heritage with a small number of pupils from minority ethnic groups, including Traveller children. The proportion of pupils who are eligible for free school meals is below the national average as is the proportion whose first language is not English. The proportion of pupils who have a learning difficulty and/or disability is below the national average. The school has been awarded Healthy Schools Status, silver award for Eco Schools and Investors in People.

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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: Lakeside Primary School, 7 °8 November 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Senior leaders have successfully managed the significant changes in staffing over recent years, due mainly to maternity leave, to ensure that standards, and particularly pupils' achievement at the end of key Stage 2, have continued to rise in English and mathematics. This has been possible because of the headteacher's clear direction and good recruitment procedures which have ensured that all teaching, whether by permanent or temporary staff, is of a good quality. Parents are very supportive of the school and appreciate all that the school offers. Standards in English and mathematics are above average and improving. The majority of pupils make good progress in their learning and achieve in line with their targets. In mathematics, the progress which pupils make is consistently above expectations. Pupils' progress is checked regularly and intervention strategies are put in place to help pupils catch up. The analysis of

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Grade: 2

the data collected is used well but could be refined more to include some smaller groups within the school. The progress pupils have made in science has been declining for three years and standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are only in line with national expectations. This is because science has not been a high enough profile within the curriculum. Considering the progress pupils make in other subjects the progress they make in science should be better. The school has already identified this as an area of improvement. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. They have good attitudes to learning, form good relationships with staff and each other and have excellent attendance. Behaviour in and around the school is generally good. The small proportion of pupils who exhibit challenging behaviour are well managed and do not affect the learning of others. Spiritual, moral and social development is good. Cultural development is satisfactory because pupils'

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Grade: 2

knowledge of cultures other than their own is underdeveloped. Teaching and learning across the school are good overall. Lessons are well planned to meet the needs of most pupils. There is very good support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities because support staff are well trained, have good skills and are well deployed. Several classes are taught by part-time teachers who 'job share' with other colleagues. Whilst a minority of parents had concerns about this arrangement, inspectors found that teachers worked together seamlessly so that there was no disruption to learning in any classes. The curriculum is enriched through a planned programme of visits and visitors to the school. Pupils are very aware of environmental issues and are involved in recycling initiatives which make money for the school, leading to their silver Eco schools award. French is taught in Years 3 and 4 and there are plans to roll this out across the school. New curriculum planning, which

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Grade: 2

makes links between different subject areas, for example, English, history, geography, art and information and communication technology (ICT) is enriching enjoyment in these subjects and is helping to improve standards. Leadership and management at all levels are good. The headteacher, ably supported by the leadership team, has created a leadership model which involves members from all areas of the school. School self-evaluation is accurate and there is a comprehensive school improvement plan. However, the actions planned for improvement are often too broad and the school can not always evaluate the impact of individual actions to know what is having the most impact. The leadership team has a good programme of lesson observations and regularly checks the work in pupils' books. The governors bring many individual skills to the school which are well 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Lakeside Primary School, 7 °8 November 2007

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Grade: 2

used. There is a good balance between supporting the school to address difficult challenges while holding it to account for its performance.

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Grade: 2

The provision in the Foundation Stage is good. Children settle into school quickly because transition arrangements are good. They come to school with skills and knowledge that are in line with, or better, than those expected for their age. Through lively teaching and good assessment procedures, to check how much progress children are making on a weekly basis, children make good progress. Children's social development is good; they have learnt to play together and share well. There is an appropriate balance of activities they choose themselves and direct teaching from the teacher. The outdoor play area is not well enough resourced. Opportunities are missed to further language and mathematical development alongside physical, creative and social development outdoors.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve standards and achievement in science in both key stages.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve opportunities in the curriculum to develop pupils' knowledge of different cultures.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Break down actions for improvement into smaller steps so that the school can identify which actions are having the most impact.

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Grade: 2

Standards are above average overall and the achievement pupils make in English and mathematics is above expectations. Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage because teaching is good. In Years 1 and 2, pupils continue to make good progress so that standards are above the national average by the end of Key Stage 1. However, standards have fallen slightly over the past two years and some boys do not achieve as well as other boys nationally in reading and writing. Tracking systems are consistently applied to check how well pupils are doing, but these are not yet refined enough to track smaller groups of pupils across the school, for example, pupils who are at the early stages of learning English. In the 2007 national tests for 11-year-olds, standards were above average in English and mathematics and broadly average in science, despite this cohort having a higher than average number of pupils

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Grade: 2

with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. In mathematics and especially in English the more able pupils reached significantly higher levels than nationally. However, in science there is a different picture. Standards have declined from a high level in 2005 and are now in line with national expectations and achievement is only satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy school; this is exemplified in their outstanding attendance. The spiritual, moral and social development of pupils is good, but pupils' knowledge of cultures other than their own is underdeveloped. Pupils understand how to lead a healthy lifestyle and make informed choices, for instance, in the dining hall and in choosing to run/walk a golden mile during play-times. Many cycle to school and enjoy participating in two hours of physical education a week. They take on responsibilities in school and older pupils act as 'buddies' for younger pupils who told inspectors, 'They are never without a friend at school and never alone'. Pupils feel 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Lakeside Primary School, 7 °8 November 2007 safe in school and know an adult who they can talk to if they have a problem. Bullying is rare, but when it does occur it is dealt with swiftly. The behaviour of pupils around school is generally

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Grade: 2

good. The school council gives pupils a good opportunity to impact on school life, through designing the school playground and contributing to the current revision of the school's aims and values. There are fewer opportunities for pupils to make a contribution to the community through fund-raising and charity work. Pupils' good standards and achievements prepare them well for their future economic well-being.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good, with lively delivery to enthuse pupils. The marking of pupils' work is clear and gives clear guidance on how to improve further. Target-setting and assessment are rigorous and used well to identify pupils who need extra support. Teaching assistants and support staff are experienced and work closely with small groups of pupils to deliver 'catch up' programmes. In lessons, teachers plan different activities which closely match pupils' abilities. In the best lessons, ICT is used well and independent learning is fostered by giving pupils challenging tasks and at the same time monitoring progress throughout the lesson. Teaching assistants are particularly effective in this regard and support all pupils professionally yet with sensitivity and a very caring attitude. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are very well supported. Small group teaching and in class support are effective in helping them

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Grade: 2

The school's good curriculum caters well for the different needs of pupils and provides enjoyment through its variety. The curriculum increasingly breaks down barriers between subjects to make learning more interesting, relevant and sometimes exciting. For example, Year 6 pupils find out about wartime rationing in history by cooking with wartime quantities and using ICT to research and design posters in art and literacy. Art is given strong emphasis and colourful displays adorn the walls of many classrooms. Visits and visitors to the school help support work about the circus and the Vikings. Specialist teachers in physical education help stimulate pupils' interest and promote learning. Years 4 and 6 pupils attend a residential visit to Askrig outdoor centre and there are a good range of extra-curricular activities, such as sport, art and clubs for computers and gardening. As well as adding to their enjoyment of learning, these rich

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Grade: 2

experiences help to develop healthy and varied lifestyles.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are cared for very well. Good procedures are in place for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Individual education plans are well constructed and systematically evaluated with the school's special needs coordinator, who gives good support to all teachers. Comprehensive systems, which meet statutory requirements, are in place to safeguard pupils. The school has employed play leaders to work with pupils at lunchtime, which keeps pupils active and fosters good team building skills. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy working with these professionals because, 'No one is left out and you learn how to play together'. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Lakeside Primary School, 7 °8 November 2007 Academic guidance is very good because pupils know how to improve their work. Teachers' marking is consistently good throughout the school. They make detailed comments that tell pupils what they have done well and what they need to do next to improve their work. Teachers

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Grade: 2

are also giving pupils planned opportunities to go back and edit their work. Spelling and punctuation are rigorously checked and there is an expectation that pupils correct their work and therefore improve.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher offers strong and purposeful leadership and has developed a leadership team that includes year group phase leaders, the senior teaching assistant and administrative staff. This model has enabled the school to continue to improve through a period of significant staffing disruption. There is a planned programme of lesson monitoring and all staff are involved in evaluating the school's work and producing the school's action plan. Performance management is linked to school targets for improvement and the school has correctly identified the areas for development. Subject leaders have good subject knowledge and team leaders are effectively overseeing improvements in standards and achievement. However, although there is a very comprehensive self-evaluation and action plan, the actions for improvement are often too broad and the school is not always sure which actions have had the most impact. The governing

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Grade: 2

body are well informed about the issues facing the school and carry out their role well. They use their expert knowledge to challenge the school and hold them to account. The school has made good progress since the last inspection and has a good capacity to improve even further. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Lakeside Primary School, 7 °8 November 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: Lakeside Primary School, 7 °8 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 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?

3 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 1 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 3 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: Lakeside Primary School, 7 °8 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 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: Lakeside Primary School, 7 °8 November 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you so much for the lovely welcome you gave my colleagues and me when we visited your school recently to see how well you were doing. We very much enjoyed talking to you and we think that Lakeside Primary is a good school. We were most impressed with how well you all get along together and live healthy lifestyles. Your teachers tak e very good care of you and give you lots of exciting opportunities to care for your environment. These are the things we were most impressed with:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you have very good attitudes to learning

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ you achieve good standards in your work and make good progress

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your teachers plan exciting lessons for you, which you enjoy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked you teachers to make some improvements to make your school even better. These are:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ help you to achieve better in science by making sure that science is a high priority in the curriculum ■ give you more opportunities to learn about other cultures so that you are better prepared to live in a multicultural society. We have also asked Mrs Latham to look again at how the school plans actions for improvement so that she and the staff know which things are working best. You can help your teachers to improve your school by continuing your excellent attendance and taking note of the good comments which teachers write in your books to help you improve your work. I know you can do these things and I wish you every success for the future. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Lakeside Primary School, 7 °8 November 2007

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