Salesbury Church of England Primary School

Salesbury Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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119807 Unique Reference Number Lancashire Local Authority 327138 Inspection number 26–27 November 2008 Inspection dates Kathleen McArthur 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 Voluntary aided School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 272 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 Rev John Hartley Chair Mrs Pauline Mallaby Headteacher 1 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 Lovely Hall Lane School address Salesbury Blackburn Lancashire BB1 9EQ

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3–11 Age group 26–27 November 2008 Inspection dates 327138 Inspection number 01254 244580 Telephone number 01254 244581 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 26–27 November 2008 Inspection dates 327138 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. 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Salesbury Church of England Primary School, 26–27 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school is larger than most primary schools and is situated in a rural area of favourable social and economic circumstances. The great majority of pupils are of White British heritage. A much lower than average proportion of pupils is entitled to free school meals. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is also below average. Several classes have two age groups. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) includes a Nursery; children attend either morning or afternoon sessions. There have been significant staffing changes since the last inspection including the headteacher and deputy headteacher who have both been in post for just over a year. The school has Investors in People status and the Healthy School Award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Salesbury Church of England Primary School, 26–27 November 2008

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory and improving school. The school judged itself as good, but achievement, whilst satisfactory overall, is not yet consistent in all year groups. Improvements in the quality of teaching, achievement in some year groups and the provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are due to good leadership. The great majority of parents are very happy with the school. A typical comment was, ‘I feel it has been a blessing for my children to go to Salesbury.’ Very close links with the diocese, church and local community underpin the Christian values that permeate throughout the school and provide an additional supportive framework for pupils’ learning, personal and social development. Achievement is satisfactory. When pupils start school, their attainment is just above that usually found. School data shows that pupil progress is now improving in response to good teaching

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Grade: 3

but there is still a legacy of underachievement and progress is not consistent in all years. The best progress is found in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and in Years 5 and 6. Standards at Key Stage 1 are broadly average and the school recognises that recent progress has not been good enough. Rigorous action including teachers providing work more closely targeted to pupils’ ability is starting to reap benefits. By the end of Key Stage 2, progress accelerates and standards in English, mathematics and science are above, and sometimes well above average. Teaching is good overall, and although some improvements are not yet having an impact on achievement, progress is increasing. In all lessons, very good relationships support learning effectively. Most lessons provide interesting activities that meet the needs of all pupils well although occasionally tasks are not sufficiently challenging. Pupils with learning difficulties

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Grade: 3

and/or disabilities receive well-targeted support so they can participate fully in lessons with their classmates. Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good. Parents value the attention given to this important aspect and appreciate the sensitive induction procedures when children start school. Behaviour is outstanding; pupils are very cooperative, keen to learn and feel safe in school. They say they enjoy school and everything it has to offer; this is reflected in well above average attendance rates and over subscribed after-school activities. Pupils know the difference between right and wrong and are very considerate and polite to each other and adults. Enthusiasm for healthy living activities demonstrates their excellent understanding of how to look after their health. The good curriculum is broad and meets all statutory requirements. Well planned visits and visitors very effectively enrich learning. The varied range of after-school activities is very

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Grade: 3

popular. Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Pastoral care is good, but the checking of academic progress is not sufficiently embedded to identify when pupils are not making enough progress. Leadership and management are good. The new leadership team have promptly identified areas that need attention and responded with positive action which are starting to raise pupils’ achievement within a happy, secure and stimulating environment. All involved share a commitment to improve. Leaders’ greatest impact can be seen in improved teaching as teachers respond well to additional training and raise their expectations of pupils’ progress, and this demonstrates the school’s good capacity to improve further. 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Salesbury Church of England Primary School, 26–27 November 2008

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Grade: 2

Provision is good. Attainment is a little above that usually seen when children start Nursery; they have good communication skills but their personal and social skills are less well developed. The warm, welcoming atmosphere in the EYFS ensures children quickly gain confidence and independence and progress rapidly in personal and social development. The good curriculum provides a well balanced blend of adult-led and child-led activities and the children are eager to investigate and explore the wide range of learning activities. There was tremendous excitement when a great great grandma visited the Nursery to answer children’s questions about her childhood almost 100 years ago. Arrangements for children’s care and welfare are good; the staff look after the children and their needs well and there are satisfactory procedures to monitor their academic and personal progress. The Nursery building is separate from the

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Grade: 2

Reception classes; effective leadership is beginning to ensure that staff work more closely as a team, seen in a shared focus on extending learning outdoors. Children really enjoy learning outside, quickly getting into coats and wellies to dig for worms or play number games. By the time they move to Year 1, the majority of children have exceeded the expectations for their age in all areas.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure all pupils achieve consistently well throughout the school.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Fully embed and extend the rigorous use of assessment systems.

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What the school should do to improve further

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

Achievement is satisfactory. By the time pupils leave the school, standards are above average. Good teaching is improving pupils’ progress but there is a legacy of underachievement. Progress is consistently good in Years 5 and 6, reflecting stronger teaching. Teacher assessments at the end of Key Stage 1 have shown a downward trend over time from above to broadly average. Rigorous actions to reverse this, including better use of assessment and tracking information to match work more closely to pupils’ needs are just beginning to impact and standards are rising. Actions have been more successful in the older classes and standards are above average. The 2008 provisional Key Stage 2 results showed that almost all pupils attained the expected level in English, mathematics and science. In science, a very high percentage reached the higher level. Good reading and information and communication technology (ICT) skills support pupils’

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Grade: 3

work across the curriculum. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make satisfactory and sometimes good progress because they are suitably supported and included in all activities.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils care for and respond sensitively to the needs of others, raising money and singing at the local hospice. Respect for other faiths is good; however, pupils’ understanding of other cultures, both locally and internationally is less well developed. Behaviour is outstanding, especially in assembly and in 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Salesbury Church of England Primary School, 26–27 November 2008 the dining hall. Pupils say the school is a safe place and there is always someone to turn to if they have a problem. They have an excellent awareness of healthy lifestyles enhanced by the visit from the life education van. Older pupils take their responsibilities seriously; taking on the role of play leaders to support the younger children. ‘Self Help Days’ are an important feature of school life with the pupils organising markets to raise money for the school council

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Grade: 2

or charities. Their strong contribution to the school, parish church and local community together with their personal and academic skills ensure they are well prepared for the future.

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Grade: 2

Throughout the school pupils respond well to the teachers’ high expectations of their behaviour and demonstrate very good attitudes which support learning in lessons. In the best lessons teachers are making good use of assessment information and this is having a positive impact on progress. Pupils are challenged, the work matches their abilities and they are clear about what they are going to learn. A good feature of one lesson was the way pupils had to think very creatively and make good use of their oral skills to explain clearly why some animals preferred certain habitats. In another, pupils were given scope to devise an investigation to determine the absorbency of materials. They set about the task with relish using their scientific skills well. In other lessons assessment information is not being used consistently to match work to ability, and activities do not always fully stretch pupils, especially the more able. The

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Grade: 2

pace in these lessons slows as pupils’ attention is not sustained.

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Grade: 2

Good emphasis on English, mathematics, science and ICT is balanced well with coverage of other subjects and pupils say they enjoy their learning. The recently implemented curriculum plan, designed to eliminate any repetition of work in classes with mixed age groups, is at an early stage of development and has not yet had time to impact fully on progress. The curriculum supports personal development well through the good programme of personal, social and health education and through other subjects. Every opportunity to enrich the curriculum is seized, with meaningful visits to places of interest and visitors to lessons. For example, a visitor contributed to a lesson on life in the 1960s. Many pupils take advantage of the very wide variety of extra-curricular activities. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is a good balance of support in lessons and short, sharp sessions with teaching assistants. This

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Grade: 2

arrangement ensures that they do not miss interesting activities alongside their peers.

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Grade: 3

Care guidance and support are satisfactory overall. The school makes good provision for pupils’ pastoral care and parents agree their children are well cared for. Typical comments praised the openness of the staff and the school’s willingness to listen to their views; parents appreciate the meetings set up by the headteacher to gather their views. Pupils are confident their concerns are resolved quickly and effectively. Safeguarding arrangements meet current requirements. Suitable assessment and tracking systems are now in place and provide staff with suitable information from which to set targets. Pupils know their individual literacy and numeracy targets 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Salesbury Church of England Primary School, 26–27 November 2008 and enjoy working towards their class and whole school targets. However, these systems are relatively new and have yet to be used consistently across the school; progress towards pupil

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Grade: 3

targets is not checked frequently enough to ensure progress is consistent, to direct extra support if pupils fall behind or to increase the challenge where needed. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities have appropriate targets through individual education plans, delivered by teaching assistants, under the class teacher’s direction, and carefully monitored by the special educational needs coordinator.

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Grade: 2

The new leadership team have the full support of all staff who work together closely. Challenging targets and focused plans for school improvement are supported by staff training and performance management. Consequently, teaching is improving and progress is beginning to accelerate. Honest self-evaluation has identified the correct areas for improvement. Appropriate actions to raise standards are in place but as yet not showing an impact especially in Key Stage 1. Subject leaders have a clearer monitoring role and are better informed about how to raise standards. Governance is good. Well informed governors extend the valuable links with the Church and local community that support pupils’ academic and personal development most effectively. Good provision for equal opportunities ensures all pupils are fully included in all activities. The school works well with other schools and local support agencies to reinforce

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Grade: 2

pupils’ learning and welfare. Arrangements to promote community cohesion in school and locally are good, but pupils have less awareness of different ways of life nearby and in the wider world. Improvement since the previous inspection is satisfactory overall because standards remain similar. However, the school has improved teaching and management and has a much clearer view of the way ahead. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Salesbury Church of England Primary School, 26–27 November 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: Salesbury Church of England Primary School, 26–27 November 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?

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 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

3 How well do learners achieve? 2 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

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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: Salesbury Church of England Primary School, 26–27 November 2008

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 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 1 The attendance of learners 1 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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 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: Salesbury Church of England Primary School, 26–27 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

28 November 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Salesbury Church of England Primary School, Lancashire, BB1 9EQ On behalf of the other inspectors and myself, I would like to thank you all for making us so welcome when we visited your school. We really enjoyed our time with you because we met so many very polite, friendly and helpful children. We enjoyed hearing you sing in assembly; not many children have a drummer and a pianist to accompany their singing! We were impressed by your excellent behaviour, by your very good attendance and by the way you look after each other; your parents and your teachers must be very proud of you. This letter is to tell you what we found out. Salesbury is a satisfactory school that is working hard to improve. You have a good headteacher and school leaders. Strong links with the Church and the local community support you well. You get off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes and we saw how much the

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

little ones enjoyed working outside, even in the rain! You have a very good understanding of how to look after your health and we were pleased to learn that you feel safe in school. You are taught well and many of you make good progress. By the time you leave, you reach standards higher than in other schools. You told us this is because you enjoy school, the staff look after you well and you know you have to work hard. A good curriculum gives you interesting things to do, with lots of visits and visitors and we know you really enjoy the clubs after school. Your parents are pleased with the school, too. We have asked the school to:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ make sure you all make good progress all the way through school

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ check how well you are doing very thoroughly so you get more challenging work or extra help when you need it. We are sure you will do all you can to help by continuing to work hard and enjoying everything you do at school. Yours sincerely Kathleen McArthur Lead inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Salesbury Church of England Primary School, 26–27 November 2008

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