Peel Park Primary School and NurseryOfsted inspection, 28 Feb 2008

Peel Park Primary School Inspection report

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101494 Unique Reference Number Bradford Local Authority 319211 Inspection number 27 °28 February 2008 Inspection dates Ian Richardson 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 2 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 420 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Colleen Middleton Chair Mrs Diane Adam Headteacher Not previously inspected Date of previous school inspection Peel Park Drive School address Bradford West Yorkshire BD2 4PR 01274 639377 Telephone number 01274 648412 Fax number

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2-11 Age group 27 °28 February 2008 Inspection dates 319211 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

Peel Park is a larger than average primary school and is located less than two miles from the centre of Bradford. It opened as a Fresh Start primary school in September 2005 in buildings that were completed in February 2003. The vision statement for the new school is to create a culture of excellence, enjoyment and mutual respect for all within the school and within the community. The school serves a community which has higher than average levels of deprivation, with twice the national average numbers of pupils eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is much larger than the national average. Nearly 90% of pupils are from minority ethnic groups and, for just over 80% of pupils, English is not their first language. The school has been awarded: Investors in People; Basic Skills Quality Mark; Football Association Mark; Healthy Schools; Helping Hands Award; Active Mark; Investors

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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: Peel Park Primary School, 27 °28 February 2008

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Grade: 2

The school is providing well for the pupils and community it serves. The school community is cohesive, and the staff team is strong, with teachers and others collaborating well to provide for the pupils. It is clear from interviews with pupils that they have the highest regard for their teachers, and appreciate very much how they are supported in their work. Pupils are happy, enjoy their time in school and feel very safe. They describe how they are helped and supported by each other and by staff, for example through the buddy system and the learning mentors. This positive view is supported by the parental questionnaires. These show that all parents who responded agree that their child enjoys school and is safe and well cared for. The relationships between pupils and with adults in the school are very good and the respect they have for each other is very evident. The school works well with other organizations, participating in the

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Grade: 2

Bradford extended schools programme and working in partnership with several primary and secondary schools in the area. As part of this programme a wide range of activities are organised during the school day, after school, at the weekend and in holidays. The headteacher has successfully established the new school and created a climate of continuing improvement. Pupils' achievement overall has improved in successive years as a consequence of the leadership and management of the school. While standards at the end of Year 6 are around the national average, the progress pupils make is good overall. However, the pupils' progress in mathematics is significantly below that in other core subjects. The school aims to inspire independent learners who are creative, diverse and well motivated. The school's success in achieving these aims is evident in the good behaviour of pupils and their positive attitude to work. They are very willing to offer their views in class and participate fully in activities.

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Grade: 2

There are good examples of pupils taking responsibility for roles in group work and being prepared to sit in the 'hot seat' to answer any questions from fellow pupils. They apply themselves well to work and demonstrate self-confidence in the way they work. All the teaching seen was at least satisfactory and a significant minority was outstanding. There is good practice in teaching and learning which is not always shared across the school. The care, guidance and support that pupils receive are outstanding. Teachers and others collaborate well to ensure this is so. The atmosphere created in the school is one of enjoyment and mutual respect, in line with the vision of the leadership and with the support of the staff and the governors. As a consequence, the pupils are thriving. They are becoming part of a cohesive community where success is promoted and celebrated. The school provides a safe and secure environment where pupils' personal development is as strong as their intellectual

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Grade: 2

The Foundation Stage is effective in providing children with what they need to make good progress. Many children enter the Foundation Stage with very low skill levels in communication, including in speaking, and listening. A high proportion of the children have English as an additional language. The Foundation Stage staff provide a good range of activities, both structured and unstructured, that are effective in engaging children in their learning and in promoting good progress. Relationships are good and the children are well cared for and safe. 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Peel Park Primary School, 27 °28 February 2008

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards and achievement, particularly in mathematics.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Share the outstanding teaching skills in the school to promote all teaching to be good or better.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievement is good overall and the standards they attain are broadly in line with the national average by the end of Year 6. However, standards and achievement are not as high in mathematics as in English and science. Children enter the Foundation Stage with exceptionally low skill levels in speaking, listening and communication. They make good progress due to the effective provision which offers an interesting range of structured activities in addition to those that are less structured and give children a degree of choice. However, given their low skill levels on entry, many children do not reach the expected levels for their age, particularly in communication, language and literacy by the time they enter Key Stage 1. Over the past few years, there has been a significant focus on the development of literacy skills across the whole curriculum. The impact of this can be seen clearly in the school's recent results

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Grade: 2

and current projections, which show pupils' progress in English by the end of Year 6 to be outstanding. Standards overall are around the national average. Recent outcomes in mathematics have not been as strong as those in English, but the school has implemented a range of new initiatives designed to overcome some of the previous barriers to pupils' learning in mathematics. The sampling of pupils' work and the school's systematic monitoring and tracking of pupils' attainment are beginning to demonstrate that pupils are making better progress in their understanding and learning of mathematics by the end of Year 6. Pupils' progress in science is good. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those with English as an additional language are very well supported. They are making similar progress to other pupils in response to the additional help they receive.

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Grade: 2

The quality of relationships in the school is good between pupils and with staff. Relationships are seen to be warm, respectful and individuals clearly value each other. Pupils are encouraged to express themselves and they do so readily. Young children in the Nursery expect to be offered choices and they make their choices with confidence. They are helped in this by knowing that further opportunities will be available in a short time for those who are ready. Pupils of all ethnic groups get on well together, yet are aware of their own cultural backgrounds. One Nursery child said she had to wear a headscarf yet obviously felt comfortable to be different. Pupils feel safe from bullying and say that there is always some one to talk to if there are problems. The buddy bench is highly valued and well used. For example, pupils were seen comforting a girl who had fallen during play. The pupils continued to offer support over a

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Grade: 2

lengthy period when she did not respond to being cheered up. This sensitivity to others is reinforced by work in lessons, where pupils are guided to assess their own and others feelings, for example by using photographs, including those of their peers, as a focus. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Incidents of unacceptable behaviour are rare reflecting the high levels of respect and harmony within the school. Behaviour is good and sometimes outstanding and this makes a strong 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Peel Park Primary School, 27 °28 February 2008 contribution to good learning in lessons. However, in the minority of slower paced lessons, pupil's enthusiasm can make them lack patience as they wait for other members of the class to take a turn to illustrate their learning. Skilled teaching and good classroom management helps pupils' personal development and builds their appreciation of the needs of others. Faith

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Grade: 2

assemblies and daily acts of worship contribute to spiritual and moral understanding which is reinforced by dialogue between staff and pupils. Since the school opened, pupils' attendance has been a key area for improvement. Strategies for promoting attendance, which include use of a panel of governors, are impacting significantly on raising attendance to the national average. The majority of pupils attend regularly and engage well with the opportunities that school offers. They take pride in their work and that of the school. Pupils are aware of healthy lifestyles and take part enthusiastically in PE opportunities, such as the Bradford Football Club penalty shootout. The school has a focus on basic skills to prepare pupils for future economic well-being. As yet the strong progress made by pupils in English is not matched by their progress in mathematics.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good overall, resulting in most pupils making good progress. Some lessons observed were outstanding and the majority of lessons were at least good. Typically, lessons are well-planned, lively and interesting, and are enjoyed by pupils. Good systems are in place to support pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities or with English as an additional language. Support staff work very well with teachers to address the needs of different groups and individuals so that they can achieve their targets. Very good relationships between pupils and their teachers, detailed planning and good elements of pace and challenge are key strengths. In the best lessons, resources are well managed, of good quality and readily available. Teachers have high expectations and pupils know what they have to do in order to succeed. An enthusiasm for learning is created in these good or better lessons, for example in a Year 3

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Grade: 2

lesson where pupils were challenged to use the points of the compass to direct a teaching assistant towards the dining room. Where teaching is less successful, teachers do not always provide sufficiently challenging or stimulating work, and there are not enough opportunities provided for pupils to take responsibility for their own learning. Information technology skills are effectively applied across the curriculum, with pupils making links between their learning in different subjects. Teachers' marking gives pupils a clear idea of how well they have done and, in the best examples, guidance as to how they could improve.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum in the school is good. It is broad and balanced and meets statutory requirements. The curriculum is well planned and monitored by the school's leadership and management to ensure it meets the needs of all pupils. The curriculum acknowledges the importance of using the local area as a starting point. The learning experiences developed have greater relevance as a consequence. The references to faith groups and the celebration of religious festivals contribute well to the awareness and understanding of the cultures represented in the school and wider community. There are good links with the community, and the school hosts regular 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Peel Park Primary School, 27 °28 February 2008 visits from other organisations to enrich the experiences of pupils. These have included visits by professionals to raise awareness of social concerns such as drugs, refugees and environmental

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Grade: 2

issues, such as the earthquake in Pakistan and the floods in Bangladesh. These activities have energised pupils to organise fundraising activities for a range of charities. The school organises regulate 'Focus Weeks' when all of the subjects are taught with the focus in mind. Two examples are the food week and the art week. These activities strengthen the already good links between subjects and form the basis of the school's creative curriculum. The school provides good opportunities for children's personal development and preparation for later life. There are regular opportunities in lessons for pupils to take responsibility for aspects in group work. The school council engages pupils in decisions about the life of the school. They develop financial awareness through a range of activities including numeracy and the organisation of fundraising. The school keeps a sharp focus on raising pupils' aspirations and

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Grade: 2

expectations for their future by helping them to understand the positive benefits of academic success.

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Grade: 1

Staff are highly committed to maximising the enjoyment and achievement of pupils. The school ensures that structures are in place to make this possible. For example, the policies and practices relating to provision for those pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are robust, and teachers implement them well throughout the school. There is outstanding teamwork between staff, including excellent formal and informal procedures for sharing information. These are regularly reviewed to ensure that they are impacting on the provision for learners. There are highly effective arrangements in place for any children who may not be receiving the full benefits of the education on offer and who need specific support to keep them engaged. Every opportunity is taken for partnership with parents, including the provision of a section in the new library from which parents can borrow books. Transition arrangements ensure that parents and children are fully informed of the demands

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Grade: 1

of future situations. Health and safety are carefully managed and procedures for safeguarding are in place. Training is up to date for all staff and case loads are manageable within the time allocated. Academic guidance is outstanding. Tracking procedures are used to give information to class teachers about children's progress on a termly basis. Marking procedures, both oral and written, give the children excellent information on what to do to improve. There is clear evidence that pupils appreciate this and respond positively to their teacher's guidance.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good. The clear vision of the headteacher and her outstanding leadership have resulted in significant improvements overall in the quality of provision and the achievement of pupils. The senior leadership team has been successful in sharing the vision for the school with teachers and other staff on how the school can improve. The school now has robust monitoring and evaluation systems that include scrutiny of planning and of pupils' work and lesson observations. The outcomes of these activities are used to inform action plans that 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Peel Park Primary School, 27 °28 February 2008 are clear and focused on appropriate priorities. The careful and detailed analyses of performance data, and their rational interpretation, result in an accurate self-evaluation of the school. The school's leadership and management have the capacity to bring about further improvements.

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Grade: 2

Teachers say they are well managed and supported in their work. There is a strong collaborative ethos amongst the staff and they describe how they are listened to and that they can contribute to the developments in the school. Teachers are supported and directed well by a suite of policies and practices to deal with a range of issues. For example, the policy on pupil absences sets out clear targets for attendance and describes unequivocally the consequences of non-attendance. The consistency and clarity with which these principles have been applied have resulted in attendance rising to the national average. Governors provide both support and challenge to the school. They have a clear vision for the school and are well organised to discharge their responsibilities effectively. Subject and aspect leaders are required to provide annual evaluation reports to the governors' curriculum committee. More frequent evaluations are required of curriculum areas where the analysis of data raises

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Grade: 2

concerns over standards and achievement. As a consequence of the effective evaluation of their own work, governors generate an annual action plan to focus on improving their contribution to the life of the school. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Peel Park Primary School, 27 °28 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: Peel Park Primary School, 27 °28 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? NA 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? 3 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 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?

1 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: Peel Park Primary School, 27 °28 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 1 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: Peel Park Primary School, 27 °28 February 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You will remember that we visited your school last month to see how well you were doing. The inspection team wants to thank you for the way you made us welcome in your school. You helped us to decide that your school is providing you with a good education. You told us how good you thought the teachers are and how well they care for you and guide you. The inspection team agrees with you that teaching is good and the care, guidance and support you receive are excellent. Your headteacher has done a very good job in leading the new Peel Park Primary School. Your teachers work well together to plan lessons and to ensure you have good experiences in school. They have worked hard and been successful in raising standards over the last two years. It is now clear that you are making good progress and that improvement is continuing. The other staff in the school, such as office staff and learning assistants, are also to be thanked for the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

way they provide for you. You have done particularly well in English, where the progress made in Year 6 last year showed you were significantly better than similar schools. You were not as successful in mathematics, and it would be good if you could achieve the same high standards in mathematics as you do in English. It would also be good if all the teaching were good or better. We were very pleased to see how well you work and how hard you try. You behave well and show respect to each other and to teachers. We saw good examples of how you help each other, for example the way you help at the buddy seat when you are in the play ground. We also saw good examples of how you work together well in lessons. 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Peel Park Primary School, 27 °28 February 2008

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