Rosewood Primary School

Rosewood Primary School Inspection report

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133437 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 316123 Inspection number 16 °17 October 2007 Inspection dates Kathryn Dodd 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 360 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Alex Bird Chair Mr Ian McCann Headteacher 1 May 2004 Date of previous school inspection Rosewood Avenue School address Burnley Lancashire BB11 2PH 01282 463790 Telephone number 01282 463792 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 16 °17 October 2007 Inspection dates 316123 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

Most of the pupils at this larger than average sized school are from White British backgrounds. A small proportion of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds, including a few learning to speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is above average. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average and there is an above average proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational need. Over the past two years, the school has faced considerable change mainly arising from the financial implications of a declining number of pupils on roll, class reorganisation, accommodation issues and several long-term staff absences.

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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: Rosewood Primary School, 16 °17 October 2007

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Grade: 3

Rosewood Primary is a satisfactory school. It has some good features such as the high level of pastoral care it provides for pupils, the way that staff nurtures them and provide a happy, safe and secure place for learning. The curriculum is satisfactory and changes have started to have a positive influence on pupils’ personal development and motivation. The strong priority placed upon ensuring pupils’ good personal development makes them well placed to improve their academic achievement. Pupils’ behaviour is good, they enjoy coming to school, taking responsibilities and getting involved in activities. Children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage and broadly reach the level expected for their age when they start in Year 1. Satisfactory teaching and learning between Years 1 and 6, enables pupils to make satisfactory progress and reach the nationally expected level by Year 6. Although there are examples of good teaching and learning, especially in Years 5 and 6,

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Grade: 3

pupils’ progress through the school is uneven. This is because teachers do not always provide work that matches pupils’ varying learning needs. Expectations of what pupils might achieve, particularly the more able, are not always sufficiently high to push learning forward at a good rate. Furthermore, pupils who need an additional boost to reach the nationally expected standards do not always receive the extra support they need to achieve as well as they can to meet their targets. Despite facing a number of significant challenges since his appointment, the headteacher has set the school on a carefully planned and well chosen pathway of improvement. His clear vision and determination are now paying off. He has successfully motivated staff, and there is a shared vision for school improvement. Staff welcome opportunities for further training and, as a result, the quality of teaching and learning are improving. Effective partnerships with outside agencies

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Grade: 3

and organisations support this positive picture further. The overall quality of care, guidance and support is satisfactory. Parents say that they appreciate the school’s increasingly warm and welcoming approach. Consequently, they have extremely positive views about the school. These improvements demonstrate the school’s good capacity to improve in the future, even though there has not been time for them to filter through to improve pupils’ progress and standards. Leadership and management are satisfactory. A revised management structure is in place. However, leaders, managers and governors are insufficiently clear about their role in checking pupils’ progress and evaluating how well the school is doing to meet its priorities. Nevertheless, there is a realistic and sensible view of the way forward, with a clear priority to speed up pupils’ progress. The changes already made are providing a very positive platform upon which to

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Grade: 2

■ When children start Nursery, their skills overall are below what is typical for their age, and their communication, language and literacy skills and knowledge are particularly weak. Good leadership and management ensure a good quality of teaching and learning with a lively and stimulating curriculum. As a result, children make good progress and, by the time they transfer to Year 1, their skills are broadly as expected for their age, especially the children that have attended the Nursery. Children, including those who speak English as an additional language, 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosewood Primary School, 16 °17 October 2007 make particularly good progress in their communication, language and literacy and personal, social and emotional development. This is because adults provide good support and make the most of every opportunity to help children to learn to get along well together, talk about

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Grade: 2

their learning, grow in confidence and behave well. In these key areas, as well as in mathematical development, teachers and support staff work together well in order to find out how well children are doing, and to make sure the daily activities closely match their learning needs. They know that their next steps are to ensure that these good practices are consistently applied across all the areas of learning and classes.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Plan and provide more challenging work in Years 1 to 6 that builds on what pupils’ know and can do to help them make good progress to reach their targets. ■ Clarify the role of school leaders and governors in monitoring pupils’ progress towards their targets and evaluating the effectiveness of the work of the school. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged as satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next Section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Pupils’ achievement is satisfactory and standards are average. Pupils in Years 1 to 6, including those who speak English as an additional language, make satisfactory progress. Overall pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make satisfactory progress. Pupils with a statement of special educational need make better progress because they receive more individual support. Teachers’ assessments at the end of Year 2 show pupils reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This has been the picture over recent years and represents satisfactory progress from the pupils’ starting points on entry to Year 1. Between Years 3 and 6, pupils make satisfactory progress. However, results of national tests at the end of Year 6 vary from year to year. In 2006, for example, pupils reached above average standards in English and average in mathematics and science. Provisional 2007 results suggest that standards in English

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Grade: 3

are not as high and mathematics and science remain similar to the previous year. The school has accurately identified that pupils’ progress is uneven and especially that the more able pupils could achieve more. To remedy this the school are focusing on raising expectations of pupils’ achievement, setting them more challenging learning targets and keeping a closer eye on their progress. There are signs that progress has started to speed up, but these recent changes have yet to impact significantly on standards.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, are good. Pupils say that they feel happy, safe and secure at school. They are respectful and polite, and behave well because they have a good understanding of the consequences of their actions. They explain that they want to do their best because their personal achievements are always highly valued and celebrated. Staff know pupils well as individuals and relationships are good. Pupils say that staff are always on hand to help them to overcome any difficulties. Pupils make a good contribution to their school community. Older 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosewood Primary School, 16 °17 October 2007 pupils show their growing maturity and confidence by helping with duties around school. Pupils’ good understanding of healthy lifestyles is seen in the enthusiastic way in which they talk about taking part in sporting and other physical activities, such as the `Wake and Shake Up’ sessions.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ good personal and social skills, along with satisfactory progress in literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills, prepare them soundly for learning at secondary school and for becoming responsible young adults. Attendance is satisfactory and because of the school’s recent work with parents and pupils, it is improving.

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Grade: 3

Teaching is satisfactory and sometimes good, particularly in Years 5 and 6. This results in pupils making satisfactory progress with an extra boost seen in the best lessons. Good organisation, clear explanations of learning objectives, positive relationships and the effective management of pupils’ behaviour are strong features of most lessons. Although teachers assess pupils regularly to find out what they can do, some lessons do not always allow them to build sufficiently on their skills. Expectations of what the more able pupils can achieve, for example, are not always sufficiently high. In contrast, some pupils who are not on target to reach the level of work expected for their ages find their work too hard to complete without extra help. Teachers and support staff have responded enthusiastically to the many recent changes aimed at raising standards and accelerating pupils’ learning. Although there remain inconsistencies,

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Grade: 3

staff are increasingly confident, for example, in implementing changes to the way pupils’ work is marked and in the use of computer whiteboards for class lessons.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory. It is improving and has some good features. Recent development in Year 1, for example, takes good account of the fact that a few pupils are not ready for the formal learning typically experienced by pupils of their age. The opportunities resulting from achieving the Healthy Schools award and from participating in a local schools sports project, helps pupils to develop a good understanding of why it is important to adopt healthy lifestyles. Pupils enjoy learning because the increasingly creative curriculum provides a good range of enriching activities, in lessons and beyond the normal school day, for example, in music. These aspects make a strong contribution to pupils’ good personal development. However, there is scope to refine the curriculum to ensure pupils’ varying learning needs are met. Pupils with a statement of special educational need benefit from a good range of support programmes

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Grade: 3

tailored to their needs. This support is not always available for those pupils who need an extra boost to reach the nationally expected levels. Similarly, the curriculum does not always take account of the need to provide extra challenge for the more able pupils.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. A high quality of pastoral care ensures that pupils are happy at school and enjoy learning. Appropriate procedures for protecting and safeguarding pupils are in place. Nurturing programmes, along with the good partnerships between home, school and outside support agencies, ensure that pupils in need of additional social and 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosewood Primary School, 16 °17 October 2007 emotional support have the help they need. Recent improvements to the quality of academic guidance are having a satisfactory impact on pupils’ learning and enabling more of them to reach challenging targets. Staff are starting to keep a closer eye out for the need to accelerate pupils’ learning, and they often involve the pupils in their efforts to do so. Although older pupils develop a good understanding of how well they are doing and what their next steps are, other pupils are less clear because practice across the school is inconsistent.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management, including governance, are satisfactory. The headteacher and the senior leadership team have worked together well to steer the school successfully through a challenging period. The school provides satisfactory value for money. Dealing with financial and accommodation issues and long-term staff absences have been high priority. This is now starting to pay dividends. Improvements to pupils’ personal development, more positive relationships with parents and increased staff morale, for example, are all helping the school to move forward. The school acknowledges that pupils’ progress is uneven, and that their learning targets have been insufficiently challenging in the past. Swift and decisive action, however, has ensured that targets are realistically challenging and pupils’ progress is checked more frequently. These good improvements, however, have not had time to impact on national

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Grade: 3

test and assessments results. The management structure, however, lacks clarity about the precise responsibilities of individual staff and governors, and this hinders their effectiveness. Some of them are developing the skills they need to make a full contribution to school monitoring and self-evaluation. This is why the school’s own view of its effectiveness, is in some respects, too generous. In turn, checks on progress to meet the school’s priorities are not always sufficiently robust. Overall, the leadership and the higher expectations of the school’s performance provide a strong platform upon which to raise standards and the school has a good capacity to improve. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosewood Primary School, 16 °17 October 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosewood Primary School, 16 °17 October 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

3 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 3 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?

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: Rosewood Primary School, 16 °17 October 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 3 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: Rosewood Primary School, 16 °17 October 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

29 October 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Rosewood Primary School, Lancashire, BB11 2PH Thank you so much for the warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school. I particularly enjoyed hearing you singing the ‘Rosewood School Song’ so joyfully in assembly. Your behaviour was good, and it was pleasing to hear that you feel safe in school because there is always someone on hand to go to for help if you need it. All the adults care a great deal about you. They help you to do well, to grow in confidence and make sure that you are prepared for going to secondary school. You have lots of chances to take part in exciting activities, especially in sport and music. It is good to hear that you know why it is so important to eat sensibly and to keep yourselves fit. You spoke so enthusiastically about the `wake and shake up’ sessions. Your school is satisfactory with some things that are good, for example, your learning gets off

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes. You do as well as children in most other schools by the time you leave at the end of Year 6. Some of you told us that your work is sometimes too easy for you, and others said that work is sometimes too hard. I agree, and this is why I have asked the school to make sure that you always have work that is just right for you. Your headteacher, staff and governors are working to make sure that your school continues to get better. There are a lot of things changing quite quickly because they want you to reach higher standards. This is why you are now starting to get more information about your learning targets, and why you are having more chances to find out just how well you are doing. I have also asked the school to check that you are each learning quickly enough and that you are on track to reach your learning targets. You can help your school to become even better by making sure that you tell your teacher if

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

your work is too easy or too hard. You should check all the time what you still have to do to reach your targets and continue to try your very best in everything that you do. I wish you all the very best for the future. Yours sincerely Kathryn Dodd Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Rosewood Primary School, 16 °17 October 2007

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