Sedgley Park Community Primary School

Sedgley Park Community Primary School Inspection report

p.1

105308 Unique Reference Number Bury Local Authority 324198 Inspection number 29–30 January 2009 Inspection dates Keith Bardon Reporting inspector

p.1

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

p.1

Primary Type of school Community School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 270 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Cllr A Garner Chair Mr P Reid Headteacher 18 January 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Kings Road School address Prestwich Manchester M25 0HT

p.1

3–11 Age group 29–30 January 2009 Inspection dates 324198 Inspection number 0161 773 3146 Telephone number 0161 773 5621 Fax number

p.1

3–11 Age group 29–30 January 2009 Inspection dates 324198 Inspection number .

p.2

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.

p.3

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. 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Sedgley Park Community Primary School, 29–30 January 2009

p.3

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

p.4

Description of the school

This medium-sized primary school serves an area with broadly average social and economic characteristics. Most pupils are from minority ethnic heritages, including Asian, African, Caribbean and Eastern European. A large proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language with a high number at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, including those with a statement of special educational need, is above average. Early Years Foundation Stage provision is made up of a Nursery, a Reception class and a mixed Reception/Year 1 class. Although the staffing is now stable, in recent years the school has experienced a large number of teacher absences, many of which have been lengthy. The school has achieved a number of awards, including Healthy Schools, Activemark, Dyslexia Awareness, Investors in People and the Basic Skills Quality Mark.

p.4

Description of the school

Since the school was last inspected a children's centre has opened on site providing a range of facilities for the local community. The children's centre did not form part of this inspection. A privately managed after-school club is also available to pupils. This provision was inspected separately and will receive a separate written report.

p.4

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Sedgley Park Community Primary School, 29–30 January 2009

p.4

Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school which makes good provision for pupils' personal development. Pupils' enjoyment of school is clearly evident in their enthusiasm for learning and the pleasant way in which visitors are greeted and welcomed. Most parents hold very positive views, describing the school as 'supportive towards the children' with teachers who are 'open and approachable'. Good provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage enables children to make a secure start to school. Provision in Key Stages 1 and 2 is satisfactory. Standards at the start of Year 1 and the end of Year 6 are broadly average. While this represents satisfactory achievement across the school as a whole, pupils make uneven progress because the quality of teaching varies. While some of the teaching is good, much of it is satisfactory and only just so in a small number of lessons. It is only recently that the school has had a settled workforce and some teachers are

p.5

Grade: 3

quite new to the age groups they are teaching. Most lessons have interesting content but only in the good lessons is the work matched well enough to pupils' differing abilities. This often results in a lack of challenge for the most able pupils. By the end of Year 6 most pupils have a satisfactory range of literacy and numeracy skills. Standards in English and mathematics fell in 2008 but there are clear signs of improvement with an increasing number of pupils working at the level expected for their age. Year 6 pupils and their teachers are working hard to meet the challenging targets the school has set. Support for pupils who speak English as an additional language has improved since the last inspection. This is proving of particular benefit to those who enter school with little or no English, helping them to grasp the basics of the language quickly and effectively. Information and communication technology (ICT) is used confidently by teachers within a

p.5

Grade: 3

satisfactory curriculum which has strengths in personal development. Pupils say they enjoy their lessons and the many lunchtime and out-of-school activities. The school provides a good range of sports clubs which, combined with a clear understanding of how to eat sensibly, help pupils to stay fit and healthy. Behaviour is good. Pupils are polite, well mannered and speak confidently. They get on well together and feel safe and secure in the school's friendly atmosphere. Adults show a very caring attitude towards all pupils and provide satisfactory guidance for their academic development. To support pupils' development, the school has established extensive and productive links with other agencies and the community. These contribute well to meeting the additional needs that many pupils have. The school makes a significant contribution to community cohesion by helping to bring together all elements of the diverse local community.

p.5

Grade: 3

The school is organised appropriately and runs smoothly day to day. The hard work and careful leadership and management of the headteacher and deputy headteacher have brought the school through a difficult period relatively unscathed. Careful consideration is given to the school's most pressing needs but some procedures, particularly those linking self-evaluation to school development, have not been honed well enough. Consequently, planning for improvement, particularly for the raising of standards, lacks a sharp focus.

p.5

Grade: 2

Many children enter the Nursery with skills and knowledge below those typical for their age. The high level of care and support provided enables children to settle very quickly, develop 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Sedgley Park Community Primary School, 29–30 January 2009 positive attitudes and become confident learners. Children achieve well in the Early Years Foundation Stage and by the time they leave Reception many are attaining standards that are broadly average. They are secure in the skills and knowledge expected for their age and make especially good gains in their language, communication and personal development. This is clearly evident in the confidence they show and the pleasure they get from talking to staff, other children and visitors. Their progress is very commendable considering the number of children who have limited experience of English prior to starting Nursery. Teaching is good and

p.5

Grade: 2

activities are generally well planned and purposeful. However, provision in the mixed-age class does not reflect the needs of the age group as well as it does in the rest of the Early Years Foundation Stage. Leadership and management are good. The Early Years Foundation Stage leader has a clear vision of how well the Early Years Foundation Stage is performing and how to develop provision further. She has ensured that all the welfare requirements are met and that children's progress is closely monitored. Partnerships with parents are very strong and many support their children's learning at home.

p.6

What the school should do to improve further

■ In order to raise achievement and standards, ensure that all pupils, particularly the most able, are given work that closely matches their needs and provides an appropriate level of challenge. ■ Improve the quality and consistency of teaching and learning and ensure that pupils make evenly good progress as they move through the school. ■ Ensure that self-evaluation and planning for development are cohesively linked and always focus sharply on the raising of standards. 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.

p.6

Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory and at the end of Year 6 standards are broadly average. After rising for a number of years, standards in English and mathematics fell back in 2008. To a large extent this was linked to the frequent changes of teacher pupils experienced, particularly as they moved through Key Stage 2. Now that staffing has stabilised, pupils' achievement is steadily improving. However, pupils make more progress in some classes than others because the quality of teaching varies across the school. They achieve best in Year 6 where a sharp focus on raising standards combined with challenging work for all pupils promotes a fast pace of learning. Across the school as a whole, pupils from minority ethnic groups achieve satisfactorily and those new to English often make good gains in communication and language. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive sensitive support and make satisfactory and at times good

p.6

Grade: 3

progress towards the targets set for their learning. In the past pupils have not done very well in the national science tests but the measures the school has put in place are having the desired effect and standards are rising.

p.6

Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good and is a strength of the school. Pupils readily take responsibilities and look after others, such as acting as play leaders during break times. The school is dedicated to 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Sedgley Park Community Primary School, 29–30 January 2009 ensuring that a harmonious community exists and pupils show mutual respect for each other, regardless of their ethnicity or faith. This was typified by an assembly where the pupils listened intently to speakers from different faiths to stress the importance of cooperation and friendship between communities. Behaviour observed in classrooms and around school is good and this helps pupils to work and play happily together. Attendance is satisfactory and most pupils enjoy attending regularly. Pupils' positive response to initiatives such as 'beat the bell' has

p.6

Grade: 2

helped to improve punctuality. Pupils say they feel safe in school and bullying is rare. They talk openly about the confidence and trust they have in the adults in the school. They are also involved in contributing to a variety of local and national charities. Pupils' preparation for future economic well-being is satisfactory, reflecting standards achieved in basic skills.

p.7

Grade: 3

Although the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, it is inconsistent and pupils make uneven progress as they move through the school. While teachers give due thought to the best ways to engage and interest pupils, some lessons are more stimulating and productive than others. This is often linked to the level of challenge activities provide for pupils of different abilities. The most effective teachers match activities closely to pupils' needs, varying tasks and outcomes to ensure that all pupils have work that is constantly moving their knowledge and skills forward. However, in other lessons the work given to pupils of different abilities is not as well planned and for higher attaining pupils is often too easy. In most classes relationships are good. Pupils pay close attention to teachers and there is lively interaction between the two. At times teachers talk too much and do not give pupils sufficient opportunities to put forward

p.7

Grade: 3

ideas of their own. Learning support assistants work closely with class teachers providing valuable additional help for pupils, particularly those who are new to English.

p.7

Grade: 3

The curriculum helps pupils make satisfactory progress in literacy and numeracy. The quality of enrichment activities is a strength of the curriculum. There are extensive opportunities for pupils to engage in sports, musical and artistic activities that contribute well to their good personal and cultural development. A good range of visits and visitors are used to support and extend pupils' learning. For example, pupils spoke enthusiastically about a visiting drama group that helped them to produce a play on the life of a child in the Second World War. The curriculum reflects the needs of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who speak English as an additional language, which helps them to make similar progress to other pupils. The school has made good progress in introducing a modern foreign language and Spanish is firmly embedded in the curriculum. Staff are beginning to

p.7

Grade: 3

adjust and improve the curriculum by providing more opportunities for pupils to learn in ways that link subjects together. This is at an early stage of development and it has yet to have sufficient impact on standards. 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Sedgley Park Community Primary School, 29–30 January 2009

p.7

Grade: 3

While care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall, there are good features, particularly in the quality of pastoral support pupils receive. Staff are very caring and keep a watchful eye over all pupils. Close working partnerships with parents and different agencies help vulnerable children and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities to receive the targeted support they need to make satisfactory and sometimes good progress. Current government safeguarding requirements are met. The school works hard to encourage pupils to attend regularly, but, despite its best efforts, has been unable to discourage a number of parents from taking holidays in term time. Skilled support staff offer very effective bilingual support to pupils who speak English as an additional language and to those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities enabling them to enjoy and participate fully in school life. Although improvements have been

p.8

Grade: 3

made to procedures for tracking pupils' progress, target setting and assessment systems are not yet fully established. Teachers' marking praises pupils for their effort and achievement, but does not always provide enough guidance on how it could be improved.

p.8

Grade: 3

While the school has made satisfactory improvement since the last inspection, frequent staff absences, often for long periods, have slowed development. Now that stability has returned, managers have been able to put a number of initiatives in place to move the school forward. While these are well considered, many are at an early stage of implementation and their effects are not yet fully evident in pupils' achievement and the standards they attain. In the absence of other senior staff, the headteacher and deputy headteacher have had to take on the bulk of the management responsibilities and it is to their credit that the school has not seriously declined during this turbulent time. Systems are in place to measure how well pupils are achieving but this and other information is not used well enough when planning for development, particularly when deciding how to raise standards. Improvement has been made in raising staff

p.8

Grade: 3

awareness of what pupils should be achieving and in setting more challenging performance targets to ensure that everyone is contributing fully. This is a significant step forward. The school's capacity for future improvement is satisfactory. A strength of leadership and management is the contribution the school makes to community cohesion. It is sensitive and responsive to the diverse needs of the local community and successfully promotes tolerance and understanding. Due attention is paid to providing equality of opportunity for all pupils and eliminating discrimination but the impact of this work is not yet evaluated fully by senior staff. Governors ensure that the school meets its statutory responsibilities and provides satisfactory value for money. Their capacity to challenge the school is steadily increasing. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Sedgley Park Community Primary School, 29–30 January 2009 .

p.8

Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Sedgley Park Community Primary School, 29–30 January 2009

p.9

Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

p.10

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? 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

p.10

EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

p.10

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/or disabilities make progress

p.10

Achievement and standards

1 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: Sedgley Park Community Primary School, 29–30 January 2009

p.10

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 The extent to which 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

p.11

learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

p.11

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 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: Sedgley Park Community Primary School, 29–30 January 2009

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for the very friendly greeting you gave the inspectors when we visited your school recently. Lots of you smiled and chatted to us which made us feel comfortable and welcome. We thoroughly enjoyed finding out about the work you do, and special thanks go to those who talked with us about the school. Sedgley Park is a satisfactory school and some of the things about it are good. Children are given lots of interesting things to do in Nursery and Reception and this gives them a good start to school. Most of you make steady progress and by Year 6 produce work that is around the level expected for your age. I know that in recent years many of you have had a lot of different teachers, sometimes just for short periods. This cannot have been easy and it is to your credit that you have done as well as you have. Now that this period of change is over, I have asked the school to make sure that you are all being taught as well as possible so that you are able

p.12

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

to make good progress. In particular, teachers need to be sure that in all lessons the work they give you is neither too easy nor too hard. You can help by always thinking hard about how to achieve the learning objective the teacher has set and by checking your own work to make sure that you have done the absolute best that you can. All the inspectors were in full agreement, your personal development is good and you mature into sensible and pleasant young people. Most of the behaviour we saw in lessons and around school was good and we were very pleased to see everyone getting on so well. You are polite to staff and listen carefully to your teachers. Staff take good care of you and we know you appreciate the help they provide. How the school can be made even better is discussed regularly by staff. However, the plans that come out of these discussions do not always make clear how any changes will help you to

p.12

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

improve your work and achieve higher standards. This is something the school will be looking into. Thank you once again for a very enjoyable two days and best wishes for the future. 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Sedgley Park Community Primary School, 29–30 January 2009

p.12