Ordsall Primary School

Ordsall Primary School Inspection report

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134028 Unique Reference Number Nottinghamshire Local Authority 328803 Inspection number 10–11 June 2009 Inspection dates Stephen Walker 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 385 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 115 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Peter Smith Chair Mrs Barbara Doughty Headteacher 23 March 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Ordsall Road School address Retford Nottinghamshire DN22 7SL 01777 702852 Telephone number 01777 711678 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 10–11 June 2009 Inspection dates 328803 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 11 Inspection Report: Ordsall Primary School, 10–11 June 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average primary school situated in the village of Ordsall on the outskirts of the market town of Retford. Nearly all pupils are from White British backgrounds and have English as their first language. Most pupils start at school with levels of knowledge and understanding which are below national expectations. The proportion of pupils with a range of learning difficulties and/or disabilities is in line with the national average, as is the percentage known to be eligible for free school meals. Provision for the Early Years Foundation Stage is organised through the Nursery and Reception classes. The privately managed pre-school and the 'Basefour' breakfast, after-school and holiday club are also on the school site and are inspected separately.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Ordsall Primary School, 10–11 June 2009

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Grade: 2

The school is providing a good standard of education within a supportive and inclusive environment. There have been significant improvements over the last three years in the standards of behaviour and achievement of the pupils. The school buildings and grounds are well kept and daily school life operates in a smooth and calm way. The headteacher provides high quality strategic leadership that enables all staff to play an important part in the school's success. Parents are generally very positive and their comments included: 'I am very happy with the way the school is progressing under the strong leadership of the headteacher. The teachers are doing a great job and have the best interests of the children at heart'. Most pupils start at school with levels of knowledge and understanding which are below national expectations. Pupils make good progress and the vast majority consistently achieve standards

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Grade: 2

that are average by the time they leave the school. The school's emphasis on the key skills of reading, writing and mathematics is gradually raising standards. Standards in mathematics are above average, but not all pupils make such good progress in English. The challenge for the school is to raise further standards in writing across each year group. The school is effectively using assessment information across all classes to track individual pupil progress. There are successful systems in place to provide good quality intervention support for pupils who require additional help with their work. The personal development of the pupils is good and reflects the high standards of pastoral care, guidance and support in the school. This supportive and personal approach is having a very positive influence on behaviour, attendance and attitudes to classwork. However, the school rightly recognises the need to develop further pupils' awareness of the diversity of our

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Grade: 2

multi-cultural society. The school is developing its links with the local community and makes a satisfactory contribution to community cohesion. The facilities are regularly used by local groups and there are good partnerships with external agencies, community groups and other schools. Teaching is good because of the comprehensive planning of lessons and positive learning atmosphere in the classrooms. Parents are supportive of the teachers but are not always fully involved in the learning and education of their children. The curriculum is good with an appropriate emphasis on literacy and numeracy. The school provides interesting learning resources which engages and motivates both girls and boys. The good range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities greatly supports the enjoyment and good progress of the pupils. Leadership and management are good and effectively support improvements in the school.

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Grade: 2

Self-evaluation is accurate so that the headteacher and governors are well aware of the strengths and areas for development. The newly appointed key stage leaders are providing strong support for improvements particularly in their supporting and monitoring roles. The school has successfully addressed all the issues from the last inspection. Rising standards, effective leadership of the headteacher, supportive governors and the dedication of the staff indicate that this school has a good capacity to improve.

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Grade: 2

Staff have a high commitment to keeping children safe and promoting their personal, social and emotional skills. Children develop good attitudes to learning, choose tasks independently 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Ordsall Primary School, 10–11 June 2009 and begin to sustain interest for reasonable periods of time. In the Nursery and Reception classes, children make good progress because of good teaching and enter Year 1 with attainment that is broadly in line with that expected for their age in many areas of learning. However, reading and mathematical calculation skills are still below those expected and writing is the weakest area. The effective leadership encourages staff to focus on high quality. This is seen through the good curriculum which continues seamlessly from Nursery to Reception and is adapted successfully to include the interests of the children. There is a good balance of adult-led activities and those that children choose for themselves, both in the classrooms and outside.

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Grade: 2

Activities are tailored to meet individual abilities, extending the most able and giving extra support where necessary. Assessment of children's skills and knowledge is ongoing and records are good. There is good communication with parents and carers who are kept well informed of their children's welfare and progress. There are excellent transition arrangements for entry into Year 1.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that effective strategies are in place to further support the development of pupils' writing skills across the school. ■ Encourage all parents to become more fully involved in the learning and progress of their children. ■ Develop pupils' awareness and understanding of the multi-cultural diversity of our society.

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Grade: 2

By the time the pupils leave the school, they have made good progress to reach average standards. The majority of pupils in Year 6 gain the expected level in English, mathematics and science and an increasing number gain the higher levels. Standards in mathematics in Key Stage 2 were above average in the national tests in 2008. However, attainment was slightly lower in English and strategies are in place to raise the level of progress in this subject particularly in the development of writing skills. The effective tracking system for progress identifies underachieving pupils, who receive good support through a range of high quality intervention strategies. The school has correctly identified the slower progress in Year 3 and the extra staffing is accelerating the rate of progress in these smaller classes. Additional support for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities ensures that they make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Evidence of pupils' work during the inspection and analysis of current assessment records confirms that most groups make good progress.

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Grade: 2

Pupils develop good personal qualities because there is a supportive atmosphere in the school. Most pupils enjoy school and this is demonstrated by improving attendance which is now in line with the national average. The majority of pupils behave well in lessons and they have positive relationships with their teachers. They respond well to the systems of rewards and appreciate the celebration assemblies. Pupils are friendly and generally work and play well together. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is satisfactory. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe and healthy, both through eating sensibly and taking exercise. Pupils' contribution to the community is good. The school council is developing its role and takes an active part in improvements such as the building of the trim trail and the 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Ordsall Primary School, 10–11 June 2009 organisation of the fruit shop. Pupils welcome opportunities for responsibility such as acting

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Grade: 2

as playground peacemakers and helping the younger pupils with their reading and number work. Pupils' contribution to the wider community includes raising money for charities and providing food parcels for the elderly. Pupils' growing self confidence and satisfactory, but improving basic skills are adequately preparing them for their secondary education.

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Grade: 2

Lessons are well planned with a clear focus on learning for the different groups and abilities. Precise guidance is given to pupils so that they know how to be successful in their tasks. Classrooms are managed well and as a result the majority of pupils behave well in lessons, enjoy their work and are eager to participate. Where there are incidents of inappropriate behaviour, these are dealt with calmly to ensure that other pupils' learning is not affected. Teachers encourage pupils to take an active part in lessons. Pupils respond enthusiastically to probing questions and the 'talking partner' activities. However, some teachers do not always use their questioning skills sufficiently well to challenge and extend pupils' answers to increase their understanding and progress. In the best lessons the pace is brisk and the content really engages pupils' interest. Teaching assistants play a vital part in pupils' learning. Their skilled support

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Grade: 2

for pupils who find learning difficult as well as those with higher abilities ensures that there is good progress for all groups of pupils.

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Grade: 2

The school is focusing appropriately on a curriculum to help to improve pupils' literacy and numeracy skills. There are a number of initiatives in place to improve pupils' writing skills and to provide stimuli to encourage boys' interest so that they want to write. A wider variety of different genre in writing, increasing the time for actual writing in each lesson and making more opportunities for extended writing in other subjects are beginning to increase pupils' achievement from their low starting points. A successful programme of linking sounds and letters is beginning to improve progress in reading and spelling for the younger pupils. Computers are increasingly used as a tool for learning across the subject areas. Pupils are given good opportunities to experience the creative arts and the school uses specialist teachers and visitors effectively particularly in art and music. All pupils have swimming lessons and French is taught

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Grade: 2

from Year 3 to Year 6. There is a good programme of personal and social education although pupils' awareness of the diversity of our multi cultural society is undeveloped. The curriculum weeks such as 'Nottingham through the Ages' provide good opportunities to link the different subject areas. A good range of enrichment and extra-curricular activities greatly supports the pupils' high levels of enjoyment and good progress. For example, all years take part in at least one visit per year to places like Sherwood Forest and Cleethorpes while Year 5 have a residential trip to Northumberland.

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Grade: 2

Parents and carers are confident that their children are well cared for at the school. Pupils confirm that there is always a teacher or member of the support staff who they can talk to if 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Ordsall Primary School, 10–11 June 2009 they have a problem. The school is successful in supporting children who need extra help with their learning. Links with a range of outside agencies are good. The child and family support teaching assistant provides good support for vulnerable pupils. Arrangements for child protection and for safeguarding pupils meet current requirements. Assessment procedures are rigorous and ensure that teachers carefully track the progress of their pupils. Targeted intervention is effective in supporting pupils who require additional help with their work. Target booklets for writing and mathematics involve pupils well in understanding the aspects of their learning that

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Grade: 2

they have attained and in giving them targets for future learning. Good marking by most of the teachers helps pupils know how to go about improving their work although this is not yet fully consistent in all subjects.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher provides good leadership so that all staff work together to continually improve the school. Parents, teachers and governors respect her focused approach to promoting good standards of behaviour, enjoyment in learning and high levels of success for all pupils. The senior management team provides strong support for improvement across the school. The school development plan is a good working document with clear priorities and actions. However, there is a lack of clarity regarding the success criteria and monitoring arrangements. Key stage leaders and subject coordinators are increasingly effective in their planning, supporting and monitoring roles. The school is successful in recruiting staff and a good programme of professional development supports teachers well in their work. Support staff are greatly valued and well integrated into the school. The school recognises the need to engage parents and

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Grade: 2

carers more fully in the education of their children particularly in the infant and junior sections of the school. Governors are well informed about the school's progress and areas for development. They are fully involving themselves in the evaluating and monitoring process. They have been particularly proactive in supporting the development of laptops across the school and highlighting the needs of the average attaining pupils. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Ordsall Primary School, 10–11 June 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Ordsall Primary School, 10–11 June 2009

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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

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/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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Ordsall Primary School, 10–11 June 2009

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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 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 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 3 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Ordsall Primary School, 10–11 June 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

12 June 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Ordsall Primary School, Retford, DN22 7SL Thank you for making us so welcome and talking to us during the inspection. We really enjoyed watching your lessons and looking at your work. It was also good to see you in the assembly and during playtime. Ordsall Primary is a greatly improving school and is providing a good standard of education. We know that your parents and carers are very pleased with the school. There are many positive things about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You try hard and make good progress in your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Most of you behave well and take care of one another.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The teachers and support staff care greatly for you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your teachers work hard to make your lessons interesting.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ There are many extra activities at the school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The school grounds are carefully looked after and the classrooms are very attractive.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked Mrs Doughty, the staff and the governors to do the following things to make the school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Improve further your writing skills in all your subject areas.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Encourage all your parents and carers to help you more in your learning at home so that you make even better progress at school. ■ Develop your awareness of the different cultures and religions that exist in our country.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Keep working hard and enjoying the many things you do at Ordsall Primary School. We would like to wish you success in your future education. With very best wishes Stephen Walker Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Ordsall Primary School, 10–11 June 2009

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