Intack Primary School

119118 Unique Reference Number Blackburn with Darwen Local Authority 318488 Inspection number 28 °29 February 2008 Inspection dates Tom Grieveson HMI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools the authority to cause any school to be inspected. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 4 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 232 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Gill Cousins Chair Miss Linda McLanachan Headteacher 1 March 2006 Date of previous school inspection Whitebirk Road School address Blackburn Lancs BB1 3HY 01254 52815 Telephone number 01254 679071 Fax number

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4-11 Age group 28 °29 February 2008 Inspection dates 318488 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 one Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

This larger than average sized primary school is located in East Blackburn. The school works successfully with a range of organisations to provide various forms of support needed by pupils and their families in this area of high social deprivation. Eligibility for free school meals is significantly above average. The school has a high proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups (one third) and about a quarter of pupils speak English as an additional language. The school has developed extensive support for the very high proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008

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Grade: 3

In accordance with section 13 (4) of the Education Act 2005, HMCI is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures. Intack Primary School now provides its pupils with a satisfactory and improving standard of education. Some aspects of its provision, most notably its leadership and management, the Foundation Stage and the curriculum, are now good. It has demonstrated satisfactory improvement since the previous inspection and has established good capacity to improve further. Much has been achieved since the school became subject to special measures in March 2006. The new headteacher faced formidable challenges on taking up her post following the previous inspection. The inadequacies identified in the earlier report were formidable and deep-rooted. Improvement is now evident in all aspects of the school’s work. Many pupils demonstrate substantial weaknesses in their skills and knowledge when they enter

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Grade: 3

school. Effective interventions and good teaching in the Reception classes ensures that most make good progress. Progress at Key Stage 1 is predominantly satisfactory, although improving, with a higher proportion of pupils demonstrating better achievement than in the past. Standards here remain below average. In the 2007 national tests at Key Stage 2 the majority of pupils were already demonstrating satisfactory progress and reaching higher standards than in previous years. Standards however remain below average overall but this improvement has continued. The introduction of a good curriculum and teachers’ higher expectations of pupils’ capabilities has increased the level of challenge evident in most lessons. Teachers have willingly embraced changes in their working practices and, although most teaching remains satisfactory, an increasing proportion is good and some is outstanding. Teaching assistants provide valuable

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Grade: 3

help to pupils during the main part of lessons but their role in supporting pupils at other times is underdeveloped and requires improvement. Pupils’ personal development and well-being are satisfactory. Most pupils behave well, are proud of their school and are keen to learn. The majority are eager to interact with each other in lessons and they show increasing maturity and confidence in their work and conduct. Pupils consider the school has improved and school council representatives feel their views are listened to and acted upon. Pupils demonstrate a confidence in the staff and this security provides them with a firm basis from which to learn. Attendance has improved and is now satisfactory. The school has an accurate understanding of pupils’ learning needs because assessment procedures are now robust. Information is used well by most staff, although not all, to plan lesson activities. Pupils who underachieve are identified accurately for additional support. Subsequent

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Grade: 3

intervention is effective in helping lower attaining pupils to progress in line with their capabilities. Leadership and management have improved and are now good. Senior leaders have worked together successfully to tackle long-standing weaknesses. The pace of improvement has increased as changes have become routinely established in the school’s work. The sustained focus on tackling the remaining weaknesses has been maintained.

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Grade: 2

Staff develop a good knowledge of children's attainment when they start school and this is used effectively to plan learning. Despite very low levels of attainment, children settle into their routines quickly. This occurs because teaching is good, the organisation of learning is 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008 effective and teamwork between teachers and learning support assistants is strong. Good lesson planning provides the children with varied and interesting learning activities that are carefully matched to their individual needs. The strong emphasis on speaking, listening and social skills is helping to tackle substantial weaknesses in these areas. Supportive, caring relationships with staff effectively promotes children’s personal, social and emotional development and provides a secure basis from which they can learn. Consequently, children enjoy their work and the

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Grade: 2

majority make good progress although most are still working at below expected levels by the time they enter Year 1. The layout of the building limits direct access to the outdoor area. Nonetheless, the area is used regularly and children enjoy using the opportunities that this space affords.

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What the school should do to improve further

In order to raise standards further in English, mathematics and science, the school needs to:

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What the school should do to improve further

■ increase the proportion of good and outstanding teaching

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What the school should do to improve further

■ ensure that all staff use assessment information effectively when planning lesson activities

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What the school should do to improve further

■ make better use of teaching assistant time throughout the lesson to ensure that all pupils, all of the time, receive the level of support they need to improve their learning. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged 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

The majority of children enter the school with skills and knowledge that are significantly below those typical for their age. Their communication, language and literacy skills are particularly weak. The majority make good progress in the Reception classes because detailed assessments ensure that their learning needs are well understood and catered for. Teaching here is good and children benefit from well planned activities which successfully engages them in learning and captures and sustains their interest and enthusiasm. Nevertheless, most enter Key Stage 1 with attainment which is still below age appropriate levels. The majority of pupils in Years 1 and 2 make satisfactory progress although standards attained overall at the end of Year 2 remain below average. Even so, the substantial legacy of underachievement evident at the previous inspection is being tackled successfully because staff have much higher expectations of pupils’ capabilities and inadequacies in teaching have

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Grade: 3

been eradicated. Standards at Key Stage 2 also remain below average but the gap is closing. Most pupils at Key Stage 2 are now making satisfactory progress but an increasing proportion, including groups of learning difficulties and/or disabilities pupils, now make good progress. In addition, a higher number of more able pupils are achieving in line with their capabilities.

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Grade: 3

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are satisfactory overall. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is also satisfactory. Pupils understand the school’s expectations about their behaviour and the large majority are compliant with them. Pupils demonstrate a 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008 keen sense of right and wrong and most are well mannered and polite in the presence of adults and visitors. Consequently, the school is a calm and welcoming place and disputes between pupils are rare. The need for extensive supervision at break times has reduced as more pupils develop a greater acceptance of the need to manage their own behaviour. Pupils’ enjoyment of learning is clearly evident in many lessons and this has increased as the school has improved. Attendance is now satisfactory with most pupils arriving on time and attending regularly. Pupils demonstrate a good awareness of how to stay safe. They show

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Grade: 3

consideration and awareness of the needs of others and move sensibly around the school. Most respond well to the school’s strategies to encourage healthy living and talk confidently about taking regular exercise and partaking in sporting activities. The take up of healthy options at lunchtime is high. Pupils are proud of their school and keen to see it improve. The school council is increasingly influential and takes its role in suggesting improvements very seriously. A growing confidence, improved attitudes to learning and satisfactory progress in acquiring basic skills are providing the large majority of pupils with a suitable foundation for future learning.

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall but improving with four tenths of lessons seen now good or better. Most teachers plan lessons successfully to meet the needs of pupils because they take account of the school’s accurate assessment information. Where this occurs, tasks are carefully aligned to pupils’ abilities and build successfully on prior learning. This helps pupils to develop greater confidence in their own capabilities and helps engender positive attitudes towards their studies. When too little regard is taken of pupils’ prior attainment however, the range of activities in lessons tends to be narrow. Where this occurs, work tends to be either too demanding for some pupils, and they struggle, or too easy for others and they become bored. The good relationships between teachers and pupils help to maintain good classroom behaviour. Pupils enjoy the positive working atmosphere in most classes and this aids their concentration

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Grade: 3

in completing their work. The majority demonstrate positive attitudes and strive hard to accomplish tasks. Teachers routinely expect pupils to work in pairs or small groups on activities which promote their speaking and listening skills and which encourages cooperation. A minority of pupils lack the confidence to work in this way however, preferring to work alone or directly with adults. Most teachers mark pupils’ books perceptively, providing accurate feedback to help them understand how much they have achieved. Guidance about how to improve their work is evident in some books but not all. Nonetheless, this represents a distinct improvement on the quality of teachers’ marking since the previous inspection. The majority of teachers are using time at the end of lessons to help pupils assess how much they have achieved. This is proving to be valuable in helping pupils to form positive views of their capabilities and further strengthening

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Grade: 3

attitudes towards their work. 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008 The school is well served by a relatively large number of teaching assistants. During the main part of lessons they provide effective support for pupils. However, they tend to remain passive during the start and end of lessons and lower attaining pupils in particular are left unsupported.

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Grade: 2

The school provides pupils with a good curriculum, which meets all statutory requirements and promotes their learning well. There have been significant developments to the curriculum in recent months, including the introduction of a ‘creative curriculum’ and an intensive focus on improving pupils’ literacy skills. In addition, teachers routinely plan the development literacy and numeracy within other subject areas and seek to establish meaningful links between all subjects across the curriculum. This is helping to make lessons interesting for pupils and to sustain their interest. Careful monitoring by the school’s senior leadership has ensured that pupils experience an appropriate balance between different subjects. The grouping of older pupils at Key Stage 2 by ability for literacy and numeracy lessons is proving to be successful and is making a substantial contribution to improving pupils’ basic skills. Better use is now made of educational visits to extend and enrich

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Grade: 2

school based learning. Pupils derive significant benefit and enjoyment from these visits and this is evident in displays and workbooks.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall, although the quality of personal care for pupils is good. Staff provide high quality support for pupils’ physical and emotional well being. Safeguarding procedures are rigorous and all staff have received child protection training. Support is always available to help pupils who encounter difficulties. Those with behavioural problems are well supervised and receive effective support to manage their conduct. Senior staff have worked diligently to establish and maintain robust procedures to tackle historically high rates of absence and lateness. Parents are supported to ensure the regular attendance of their children and are challenged directly when pupils are absent. This includes recourse to legal proceedings when deemed necessary. The school works successfully with outside agencies and other professionals to extend the support and care it offers pupils and

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Grade: 3

their families. The academic guidance and support which pupils receive is satisfactory. Pupils know their targets and in most cases regular and detailed marking helps them to understand how well they are doing and where progress is required. The school has improved the way in which it tracks pupils’ performance. Records are very detailed and based securely on regular assessments. Pupils at risk of underachievement are identified early and additional help is provided. This support is effective in improving the progress that these pupils make. Learning targets are sufficiently challenging and well grounded in a detailed analysis of pupils’ achievements. 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008

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Grade: 2

The quality of leadership and management is good. The leadership of the headteacher, during a very difficult period for the school, has been very effective in maintaining the drive to improve and raise standards. Much has been accomplished in tackling the substantial weaknesses identified at the previous inspection. Senior leaders have successfully engendered staff support and improved morale. Staff recognise that pupils have significantly underachieved in previous years and demonstrate a clear resolve to address this legacy and deliver high standards. Improving rates of progress and higher standards at Key Stage 2 demonstrate that performance is improving. There is a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and actions to improve matters are well targeted and effective. In particular, the improved curriculum, routine monitoring of teaching and learning, detailed tracking of pupils’ progress and sharp interventions to tackle

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Grade: 2

underperformance provide strong evidence that the school’s leadership is building capacity to improve further. The quality of middle leadership is also effective. Roles and responsibilities are now better understood and more consistently delivered than at the time of the previous inspection. Co-ordinators have an accurate understanding of performance in their respective areas and are taking appropriate measures to tackle remaining weaknesses. Governance is good. Governors demonstrate autonomy and independence in their work. The chair of governors in particular demonstrates a keen knowledge of the school’s performance. Governors remain resolute in their support of the school, but rigorous in holding staff accountable for its performance. The school provides satisfactory value for money and has good capacity to improve further. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 28 °29 February 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. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 28 °29 February 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

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?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 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 3 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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 28 °29 February 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

3 March 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Intack Primary School, Blackburn, BB1 3HY Thank you for taking the time to help Mr Younger and me during the inspection of your school on 28 and 29 February 2008. We enjoyed talking with you and observing you at work and play. The report is now complete and I want to tell you what it contains. Your school has made many improvements in the last two years. It is now providing you with a satisfactory and improving education. Some things that the school provides are now good. Your headteacher and the staff have worked extremely hard to make these improvements and I know how much they appreciate the efforts that you, the pupils, have made. Well done to you all! The report highlights that the progress that you are making in your learning has got better and you are reaching higher standards in your work. This has occurred for a number of reasons.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Firstly, the quality of teaching has improved, lessons are more interesting and the work you are given is better suited to your needs. Teachers have been helped to do this because the school now collects good assessment information about all pupils and most teachers use this well when planning learning for you. ■ Secondly, your behaviour and attitudes towards your work are now satisfactory and are better than at the time of the previous inspection. We noticed that in lessons almost all pupils work hard and try their best. You told us that you feel safe in school and that staff help is always on hand when needed. This provides you with a good basis from which to learn. ■ Thirdly, the good work of your headteacher Miss McLanachan and the other senior staff has ensured that the problems that your school faces are being tackled effectively. They have received good support to do this from other staff and the governors.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The good changes to the curriculum and the wide variety of experiences you receive have helped to make learning more interesting and better suited to meeting your needs. We do want the staff and governors to ensure that all pupils make better progress and reach higher standards.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Firstly, even though the quality of teaching has improved we want it to be even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Secondly, we want all teachers to use assessment information well when planning lessons to make sure that all lessons meet your needs all of the time. ■ Thirdly, to make sure that the school makes the best use it can of the teaching assistants so that all pupils receive all the help they need at all times. I know that you will help Miss McLanachan, the staff and governors to make these further improvements. You have all represented your school well during the time I have been visiting and there is much you can do to help improve it further. Please accept our best wishes for the future. Yours sincerely Tom Grieveson Her Majesty’s Inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Intack Primary School, 28 °29 February 2008

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