Ingleby Mill Primary School

Ingleby Mill Primary School Inspection report

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130256 Unique Reference Number Stockton-on-Tees Local Authority 315605 Inspection number 26 °27 March 2008 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 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 656 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Steve Watson Chair Mrs Lana Totty Headteacher 1 May 2004 Date of previous school inspection Windmill Way School address Ingleby Barwick Stockton-on-Tees TS17 0LW 01642 761985 Telephone number 01642 750192 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 26 °27 March 2008 Inspection dates 315605 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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Ingleby Mill is a very large primary school situated on a new housing estate which is the largest in Europe. It consists of private, owner-occupied housing in an area of significant socio-economic advantage. The school has undergone a prolonged period of change since the last inspection. The long awaited move into a new building was delayed, the long standing headteacher retired, resulting in a period of interim leadership before the new headteacher took up post at the beginning of January 2008. Very few pupils in the school are entitled to a free school meal. The population of the school is mainly White British with a small proportion who come from minority ethnic backgrounds, less than 1% of pupils are at the early stages of learning English. The proportion who have a learning difficulty and/or disability is below the national average. Pupils enter school with skills and knowledge that are above those expected for their age. The school holds the National

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Description of the school

Healthy Schools (Gold) and the Sports England Active Mark awards and has FA Charter School Status.

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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: Ingleby Mill Primary School, 26 °27 March 2008

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Grade: 2

Ingleby Mill is a good school. The organisation of the school into four smaller teams maintains a caring family atmosphere where all pupils are treated as individuals despite the large numbers. Parents’ views as expressed in their questionnaires were overwhelmingly supportive of the school’s work; a typical comment was, ‘My daughter can’t wait to go to school each day and thrives on the knowledge she gains, although it is a big school it still feels like a family atmosphere when visiting.’ Pupils’ personal development and well-being are outstanding, attendance and behaviour are exemplary. Inspectors found pupils to be confident, polite and courteous to adults and each other; pupils enjoy their education, have good attitudes to learning and take part enthusiastically in all that the school has to offer. They are knowledgeable about how to live a healthy lifestyle and keep themselves safe. The school council ensures that pupils have a voice and are involved

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Grade: 2

in decision making within the school. Pupils’ skills and knowledge when they enter Year 1 are above those expected for five-year-olds. They make good progress across the school resulting in standards at the end of both key stages that are consistently above national averages in English, mathematics and science. This is mainly due to good teaching across the school. Most lessons are well planned and cater well for the needs of different groups of pupils within classes. These lessons are characterised by good questioning skills, high expectations, high levels of engagement in tasks and pupils given time to think and work together to solve problems. Teachers regularly challenge pupils’ thinking and move their learning forward, there are high expectations of what pupils can do and this aids their progress and enjoyment of their learning. Curriculum provision is good with all subjects taught in depth. There are a range of good

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Grade: 2

opportunities for enrichment through visits and visitors to the school which makes learning more meaningful. Pastoral guidance is good and pupils feel happy and safe in school. Systems in place to safeguard pupils are rigorous and meet all statutory requirements. Procedures to support pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities are well established with regular reviews of pupils’ progress. Support assistants are used well to work with small groups of pupils who need extra help and this accelerates their progress. The quality of marking and individual target setting across the school is inconsistent. There are good examples which are detailed and tell pupils the next steps in their learning and what precisely they need to do to improve their work. However, there are a variety of different methods used in different teams and this sometimes leads to confusion between what level pupils are working towards and how they

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Grade: 2

are going to achieve it. The leadership and management of the school are good. The leadership team has worked together for less than a term. Nevertheless, the new headteacher has led the whole staff in producing a comprehensive plan to further develop areas of the school which is detailed and sets a very clear direction. Senior leaders have formed a tight-knit team and they are working well together. Team leaders are aware that monitoring and evaluation at a whole-school level is under developed and leaders at all levels need to be more closely involved in evaluating the impact of their planned actions for improvement. The leadership team is well supported by the governing body who are kept well informed. They are not afraid to ask searching questions and challenge the schools work. The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection and has a good capacity to improve further. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingleby Mill Primary School, 26 °27 March 2008

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Grade: 2

Children enter the Nursery well prepared to start learning. They make good progress throughout their time in the Foundation Stage because of good teaching and the emphasis the school places on developing them as individuals. All staff know children very well and consequently, they make a good start to their education. Planning is thorough and provides all children with access to quality learning experiences in the six areas of learning across the day. There is a satisfactory balance between teacher led activities and those which pupils choose for themselves. The Foundation Stage manager is knowledgeable and the unit is well managed resulting in nearly all children achieving the goals expected for their age when they leave and a high proportion exceed them. However, in the Reception classrooms the outdoor area is not supporting children’s learning sufficiently because the resources on offer do not link well

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Grade: 2

enough to all areas of learning. Children in the Nursery class sometimes spend too long sitting on the carpet at the beginning of a session.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the consistency of marking and assessment so that all pupils know the next steps in their learning. ■ Extend the roles of senior leaders in evaluating and monitoring the work of the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the opportunities on offer in the Reception outdoor area to further enhance children’s learning.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good. Pupils maintain above average standards as they go through school. On entry to the Nursery, children are confident and build well on their earlier lives in a wide range of learning activities. By the end of the Foundation Stage, children achieve above nationally expected levels in all areas of learning and particularly well in personal, social and emotional development. Pupils sustain above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 1 in the national assessments. These above average standards are confirmed by the pupils’ daily work in lessons and books. By the end of Key Stage 2, standards are maintained at above the national average in English, mathematics and science in the national tests, although a below average proportion of pupils achieved the higher levels in English in 2007 because of weaknesses in writing. The impact of actions to tackle this underachievement

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Grade: 2

is very evident in pupils’ current progress in lessons throughout Key Stage 2 and the very high standards of writing seen in books and displays. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress as a result of the recently introduced system to raise concerns about progress of individual pupils on a weekly basis. This means that potential underachievement is promptly tackled.

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Grade: 1

Pupils’ spiritual, social and cultural developments are good. Their moral development is outstanding. Their understanding of the needs of others and their levels of self-confidence are also outstanding. Year-on-year, pupils take on greater responsibility and develop as well rounded, mature young people. They act as monitors and buddies from an early age and readily 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingleby Mill Primary School, 26 °27 March 2008 take on jobs around the school such as running the school library. Pupils talk with great enthusiasm for school and the opportunities it offers. Their enjoyment for learning is reflected in their very high levels of attendance and outstanding behaviour. Pupils make very good contributions to the school community and beyond through their many fund-raising opportunities and strong links with a school in Ghana. Extra-curricular activities are well attended and over a hundred pupils choose to sing in the school choir. Their understanding of what they

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Grade: 1

can do to achieve a healthy lifestyle in relation to diet and exercise is very good. They are knowledgeable about how to keep themselves safe including drug and alcohol awareness and ‘stranger danger’. Pupils are well prepared for their future lives because of their high standards in literacy, numeracy and information, communication technology (ICT).

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good. Pupils learn very effectively because of their excellent attitudes and behaviour. The most effective teaching is where lessons take good account of the range of abilities in each class and provide work that is well matched to pupils’ individual needs. There is a good level of challenge in lessons where pupils are grouped on the basis of their ability, for example, in a mathematics lesson where more able pupils mentally worked out complex percentage and decimal calculations. Recapping on what pupils have previously learned and encouraging them to discuss their understanding in pairs are strong features. Questions are frequently probing and instructions are clear. This leads to pupils getting on diligently with their work and making good progress. Teaching is less successful when introductions to lessons are too long, leading to pupils spending too much time listening and less time doing. Actions

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Grade: 2

to tackle improvements in the teaching of writing are progressing well. Teaching assistants are well deployed and provide good support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities within the classroom and through small group withdrawal.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is broad and balanced and well enriched with many visits and visitors to the school. There are planned visits for every year group, for example to Eden Camp, Beamish and Segedunum which support history topics. Older pupils have the opportunity to take part in a residential visit to Upper Teesdale to develop team building skills. There are a varied range of extra-curricular activities on offer and pupils have good opportunities to play a musical instrument. The amount of pupils who sing in the choir is a strength of the school. Pupils’ skills and knowledge in ICT are well above those expected for their age. Pupils use computers confidently, and work with a range of software, including digital media packages, to enhance their work in most subject areas. Work in pupils’ books is of a very high standard and supports the depth of the curriculum on offer. Very close links with a school in Ghana are used well to

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Grade: 2

develop pupils’ knowledge of geography and life in other cultures and this work has been recognised nationally. The school has begun to revise the curriculum to make more meaningful links between different subject areas and to give pupils more opportunities to write at length in other subjects. French is taught to lower Key Stage 2 pupils and there are plans in place to extend this to all pupils. The curriculum supports pupils’ personal development well through a comprehensive personal, social, health and citizenship programme. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingleby Mill Primary School, 26 °27 March 2008

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support for children are satisfactory with strong features. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school’s caring ethos and how it achieves a true, family atmosphere. This quality of care extends to all, including the most vulnerable pupils. The provision for pupils’ personal development and well-being is very good and effectively promotes self-confidence. Support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are good. Pupils of particularly high ability are involved in programmes that give them extra challenge in their learning both within and outside of the school. Teachers track pupils’ progress well across school and there are some good examples of target setting and marking which help pupils understand what they need to do next in order to improve. However, this is very inconsistent between year groups and teams. There is no clear system across the school which gives pupils

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Grade: 3

the opportunity to be fully involved in improving their own work or knowing what steps they need to take to achieve higher levels.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. An established leadership team is working alongside the new headteacher who, in a very short time, has set a clear direction for the school. Her self-evaluation is accurate but at this time she has not had sufficient time to carry out a full audit of the school’s provision. She has correctly identified the schools strengths and together with senior and middle leaders has developed a plan to improve areas of the schools work, which includes the further development of senior leaders. Currently senior leaders are primarily involved in monitoring and evaluating the work of their own teams which they do well. However, they recognise that they need more time to extend this role if they are to play a full part in systematically monitoring the impact of whole-school initiatives. Subject leaders are knowledgeable and have a good overview of standards and achievement in English,

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Grade: 2

mathematics and science. The governing body act as a critical friend and they play a key role in challenging the schools decisions and asking searching questions. There is a good balance between supporting the leadership team and regularly checking that planned improvements are progressing. The governors have well established committees who monitor the budget closely and, as a result, financial management is good. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingleby Mill Primary School, 26 °27 March 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: Ingleby Mill Primary School, 26 °27 March 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? 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 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 1 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?

3 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: Ingleby Mill Primary School, 26 °27 March 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 3 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: Ingleby Mill Primary School, 26 °27 March 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

28 March 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Ingleby Mill Primary School, Stockton-on-Tees, TS17 0LW On behalf of the inspectors who visited your school recently I would like to thank you all for the very warm welcome you gave us. Those of you who took time to come and talk to us were very helpful in telling us what your school does well. You told us that you go to a good school and we agree with you. We thought that your school had many strengths and I would like to tell you what we found:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your behaviour and attendance are outstanding.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You make an outstanding contribution to the community through being monitors, buddies, fund-raising and your links with Ayuusi Yine School in Ghana. ■ You achieve good standards in your work in all subjects.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You all get along well together and care for each other.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You take part in many activities out of school and enjoy playing musical instruments and singing in your very good choir. ■ Your teachers take very good care of you and plan interesting lessons which challenge you all to do your best. We have asked Mrs Totty, the staff and governors to make some improvements which we think will make your school even better. These are:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ To make sure that the reception children have lots of high quality learning experiences in the outdoor area. ■ Improve marking, and make sure that you all have learning targets which tell you the next steps in your learning. ■ Make sure the senior leaders of the school have more opportunities to be involved in checking how well the school is doing. I very much enjoyed meeting you and wish you all the very best for the future. Kind Regards Joy Frost Her Majesty’s Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Ingleby Mill Primary School, 26 °27 March 2008

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