Springside Primary School

Springside Primary School Inspection report

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105316 Unique Reference Number Bury Local Authority 324200 Inspection number 15–16 October 2008 Inspection dates John Heap Reporting inspector

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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.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 218 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 Mr J Clegg Chair Mrs K Murphy Headteacher 21 September 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Springside Road School address Bury Lancashire BL9 5JB 0161 764 2348 Telephone number 0161 797 3359 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 15–16 October 2008 Inspection dates 324200 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. 2 of 12 Inspection Report: Springside Primary School, 15–16 October 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This average sized primary school serves an area with average levels of social and economic disadvantage. Pupils are mainly of White British heritage. A few pupils come from minority ethnic backgrounds, including the traveller community, and a small number of pupils are learning English as an additional language. A very small number of pupils are cared for by the local authority. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is similar to the national picture and a below average proportion have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The school has successfully achieved the Healthy School and SportActive awards. It has Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) provision. Extended services include a before- and after-school club.

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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: Springside Primary School, 15–16 October 2008

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Grade: 4

In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing less well than in all the circumstances it could be reasonably expected to perform. The school is therefore given a notice to improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to pupils' achievement and the standards they attain in Key Stage 2. Achievement is inadequate. Children enter the EYFS with skills and abilities that are typical for their age. They progress well and enter Year 1 with attainment that is above that expected nationally. Pupils make satisfactory progress in Years 1 and 2 and standards are above average by the time they enter Year 3. However, by the end of Year 6, standards are below average. This is because of weaker teaching in Years 5 and 6. Assessment information is not used effectively in these classes to set work at the appropriate level of challenge for all pupils. As a

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Grade: 4

result, they make insufficient progress. There are signs of improvement in Years 3 and 4 because the teaching here is good and much better use is made of recently developed assessment procedures to improve progress. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, those learning English as an additional language, and pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds make similar progress to all other pupils. This picture is confirmed in the results gained in the national tests in recent years. Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is satisfactory. Although the majority of pupils are well behaved and have good attitudes to learning and school, a minority of pupils disrupt some lessons when teaching does not interest and engage them well enough. A recent decline in attendance has been halted, as a result of the school's efforts, and it is now satisfactory. The strongest elements of an otherwise

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Grade: 4

satisfactory curriculum promote pupils' good knowledge and understanding of how to adopt healthy and safe lifestyles. Pupils also have many positive opportunities to contribute to the communities they are part of. For example, the school council leads the school in making decisions about which charities to support and classes choose how to raise money for them. In the wider community, there are good links with the local hospice, churches and with many other schools and institutions through the many sporting events pupils take part in. These activities, coupled with the wide range of out of school clubs on offer, form a large part of pupils' obvious enjoyment of school. Pupils' positive attitudes to learning overall and the good social skills they develop mean that, despite the below average standards achieved by the end of Year 6, they are prepared satisfactorily for their future lives. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. School leaders have taken positive

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Grade: 4

steps that are starting to bring about improvement. Consequently teaching is good in the EYFS and Years 3 and 4 and it is at least satisfactory and showing signs of improvement in Years 1 and 2. However, teaching in Years 5 and 6 does not always challenge all pupils adequately. The school is taking robust action to address this issue. There are strengths in teaching in other classes, such as the higher expectations placed on pupils' learning; interesting, practical activities which are appropriately linked to pupils' needs; and good use of resources to motivate them. Teachers' marking is inconsistent across the school. Where marking is good, pupils make better progress. However, not all marking provides pupils with a clear picture of how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve further. 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Springside Primary School, 15–16 October 2008 Leadership and management are satisfactory. There are significant strengths in the way that

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Grade: 4

the school manages the pastoral care of pupils, for example, through the effective monitoring of behaviour, attendance and risk. The monitoring of academic progress is improving and is starting to have a positive impact on standards and achievement. School self-evaluation and improvement planning clearly identify the right priorities for action, but the indicators of success are not yet precise enough to ensure that all teachers are fully aware of their responsibilities in raising standards. The leadership team is well aware of the main issues facing the school and has set about implementing a range of strategies to deal with them. The improvements made so far and the early impact of these on pupils' achievement indicate a satisfactory capacity to improve.

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Grade: 2

Children enter the Nursery with skills broadly in line with the expectations for their age. They make good progress in both the Nursery and Reception classes. This is because of strong teaching and good leadership and management. The EYFS coordinator and staff develop good early links with the children and their parents and, as a result, children settle quickly into school routines and enjoy their work. There is a strong focus on personal, social and emotional development and progress in physical and creative development is also very strong. By the time children enter Year 1 their attainment is above that expected nationally in all areas of learning. This is because teaching and learning are good and there is an effective balance between activities led by adults and those initiated by the children. As children move from Nursery to Reception, the balance changes appropriately, with increasing amounts of time being spent on

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Grade: 2

early reading, writing and mathematical activities. Consequently, children learn well and develop good levels of independence. Assessment procedures are good. Children have positive early experiences that promote their understanding of the life and work of others in their community, through the visits they make to local amenities such as the farm, and visitors from the police and postal services.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards and improve achievement in Key Stage 2.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Improve the quality and consistency of teaching, particularly in Years 5 and 6, to enable pupils to achieve as well as they should. ■ Make better use of assessment information and marking to appropriately challenge all pupils and help them improve, particularly in Years 5 and 6. ■ Ensure that the indicators of success in the school improvement plan enable teachers to know exactly what is expected of them in raising standards.

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Grade: 4

Pupils' achievement is inadequate overall because the progress they make in Key Stage 1 is not maintained or developed throughout Key Stage 2. Progress in Years 1 and 2 is satisfactory and by the end of Year 2, standards are above average. Standards by the end of Year 6 are below average. Year 6 test results have fluctuated year-on-year, with results in English being consistently better than those in mathematics and science. Inspection evidence indicates that standards for the current Year 6 pupils are below average and that their progress is inadequate. Work in pupils' books and evidence from the school's own tracking of their academic 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Springside Primary School, 15–16 October 2008 achievements show that these pupils are making poor progress in writing, mathematics and science. Boys are doing better than girls. The school has identified these issues and has recently implemented strategies to drive improvement and to close the gap between standards in reading

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Grade: 4

and writing. There is evidence that this is working. For example, there are indications that standards are starting to rise in Years 3 and 4. The achievement of those pupils with particular needs, those from minority ethnic backgrounds and those learning English as an additional language is similar to that of their classmates.

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Grade: 3

Pupils know and understand that it is important to lead healthy and safe lifestyles. They make good choices about the foods they eat and participate well and skilfully in the wide range of sporting activities. The strengths of provision and outcomes for the pupils are recognised by the awards achieved by the school. Pupils say that they feel safe in the school and they trust the adults to deal effectively and promptly with the very few instances of inappropriate behaviour. However, there are lapses in the behaviour in some classrooms when pupils become restless and teachers find difficulty in keeping the interest of some pupils. The school council and many of the older pupils make a good contribution to the school and local community. Within school, for example, many pupils become playleaders and help with 'family service' in the dining room. The school council has given pupils a strong say in recent refurbishments.

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Grade: 3

Pupils say that they enjoy school and their parents agree. They enthusiastically take part in the good range of enrichment activities the school offers.

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Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning varies throughout the school. Good teaching in the EYFS gives children the confidence and skills to achieve well. Teaching in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory; it builds soundly on this positive start and promotes adequate progress. Good and improving practice in Years 3 and 4 is characterised by high expectations, effective deployment of teaching assistants to support learning and skilful questioning. The brisk pace and challenge of these lessons ensures pupils learn well. As a result, pupils are making good progress. However, in Years 5 and 6 there are shortcomings. Assessment information is not used well enough to ensure pupils are effectively challenged. On some occasions, this leads to a small number of pupils behaving inappropriately. Consequently, pupils make slower progress in these years and their achievement is inadequate. Typically, classrooms have a positive atmosphere and pupils mostly show a strong interest in

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Grade: 3

their work. In most classes, new learning is presented clearly and resources such as interactive whiteboards are used to good effect to reinforce learning. Marking is inconsistent and does not always enable pupils to understand how well they are doing and how to improve.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum effectively promotes pupils' personal development. There is a strong emphasis placed on developing healthy and safe lifestyles. There is a good range of enrichment activities and pupils say how much they enjoy taking part in musical and sporting events, visiting places 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Springside Primary School, 15–16 October 2008 of interest and meeting the interesting visitors to the school. They are particularly enthusiastic about the residential experience provided for Year 6. The curriculum is adapted appropriately to meet the needs of the various groups in the school; for example, the teaching of small groups of pupils to 'boost' their learning and the particular focus on finding out about the culture of the travellers' community. Good links with the representatives of communities in need help pupils to appreciate their place in the wider world and their responsibility towards others. The

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Grade: 3

curriculum meets local and national requirements. It covers all required subjects and has some good extra features, such as the 'special activities' times on Tuesdays. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to practise writing skills in a range of subjects. This contributes to standards at Key Stage 2 that are lower than they should be.

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Grade: 3

A typical view from parents is: 'This is a lovely caring school, which our child has thoroughly enjoyed.' Pupils state that they feel happy, safe and secure in school because of the care they receive. The school provides good pastoral support. Pupils are carefully monitored and benefit from the school's links with agencies providing external support and advice. Safeguarding, child protection and risk procedures meet government requirements. The school has good arrangements to help pupils settle into school and to prepare them for the next stage in their education. Moreover, productive links with the education welfare officer have ensured that attendance levels have started to rise and the previous decline has been halted. Academic guidance through target-setting and marking is inconsistent across the school. Nevertheless, there are clear signs of improvement in Years 3 and 4, where pupils' progress is improving

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Grade: 3

rapidly as a result of the effective use of assessment information to underpin learning.

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Grade: 3

The school's capacity to improve further is satisfactory. Leaders and managers have accurately identified weaknesses and improved key areas of the school's work. They have taken robust action to challenge weaknesses in teaching. This has led to improvements in some classes but has yet to have an impact in Years 5 and 6. However, school leaders, including governors, are taking the necessary steps to address this issue. Improved pupil tracking procedures have recently been introduced and these now provide a clearer picture of the achievement of individuals and classes. This information is being used appropriately to inform school improvement planning. The impact of these initiatives can be seen in pupils' improved progress in some classes. The school has worked effectively to halt the decline in attendance. As a result, attendance is now satisfactory. Leaders are aware that there are areas that require further

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Grade: 3

improvement. These include more rigorous monitoring of teaching to bring about consistency, particularly in the use of assessment information to set work at the right level of challenge for older pupils. School self-evaluation procedures have identified the right priorities for improvement. However, the measures of success outlined in the school improvement plan are not yet as rigorous as they should be. For example, they do not clearly outline challenging targets for all year groups. Consequently, not all teachers have a clear enough idea of what they are aiming for in order to raise standards. The governing body supports the school well. Governors recognise that they have not always been rigorous enough in holding the school to account for aspects of its performance. They 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Springside Primary School, 15–16 October 2008 are addressing the issue through, for example, asking probing questions. The impact of subject

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Grade: 3

leaders on school development is mixed. This is because some are implementing new initiatives to evaluate the quality of teaching whilst others have not yet fully developed the necessary skills in monitoring and evaluation to enable them to bring about improvements, for example, in the consistency of teaching. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Springside Primary School, 15–16 October 2008 .

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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: Springside Primary School, 15–16 October 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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needs of learners?

No 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

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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?

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Achievement and standards

4 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 4 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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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: Springside Primary School, 15–16 October 2008

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learners?

3 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 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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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?

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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 4 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? Yes Does this school require a notice to improve? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Springside Primary School, 15–16 October 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We thoroughly enjoyed meeting you and being in your school during the recent inspection. Thank you for your warm welcome, courtesy and help. While we found lots of good things in your school, we also found that you are not making the sort of progress in Key Stage 2 that we would expect. As a result, we are giving the school a 'Notice to Improve'. This means that the school must improve quickly and there will be a further check by inspectors in a few months time to see how things are going. What we really liked about your school:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The effective teaching and learning that leads to the good progress made by children in the Nursery and Reception classes ■ Your good attitudes to developing a healthy lifestyle through your knowledge and understanding of healthy food and participating in physical activities ■ The way that almost all of you contribute to the safe and caring atmosphere in the school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The enjoyment you show when coming to school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The good range of activities that enrich your curriculum

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The effective way the school monitors behaviour and attendance and the resulting improvements ■ The arrangements made to help the youngest pupils settle into school, which parents find helpful ■ The good contributions that you make to the school, local and more distant communities.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked your teachers to make sure that you do much better in reading, writing, mathematics and science, especially in Years 5 and 6. You can be a great help by always doing your best work and following the advice from your teachers. We have also asked teachers to improve the way they use assessment information and marking, particularly in Years 5 and 6. Finally, we have asked for all your achievement targets to be written into the school improvement plan, so that everyone knows what they have to do to help you reach higher standards. The inspection team wishes you well for the future. 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Springside Primary School, 15–16 October 2008

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