Horwich Parish CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Raise achievement in reading by:
  • improving pupils’ ability to glean information more rapidly from a range of texts
  • improving the quality of guided reading sessions so that activities extend reading and comprehension skills
  • teaching pupils how to find information from texts quickly and accurately.
• Improve provision in the early years by:
  • developing the outdoor area further so that it supports children’s learning better.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The senior leadership team, supported by the staff, has created a warm, welcoming and nurturing learning environment that is appreciated by pupils and virtually all parents. The restructuring of leadership and management is proving effective. There is a much greater degree of accountability at all levels than there was at the previous inspection.
• Senior leaders and those who lead different phases, subjects or aspects have a clear overview of the strengths and areas for improvement in them. Their monitoring is rigorous and leads to improved teaching and learning. It is firmly based on raising achievement for all pupils.
• The school development plan is realistic. It focuses on improving outcomes for the pupils and it is regularly reviewed to ensure that priorities are being met and remain relevant. The priorities arise from accurate self-evaluation and they are also linked to the objectives set for staff as part of the management of their performance.
• Leaders make good use of all assessment information to analyse how well different groups or individuals are doing. They analyse the information in depth, flag up any underachievement and hold teachers firmly to account for how well their pupils are doing, whatever their ability or background.
• Leaders use the extra money the school receives to support the small number of disadvantaged pupils effectively. Governors check that they do so. The pupils involved make good progress because they receive good support to help them catch up or, in the case of the most able among them, to extend their learning.
• Good leadership and management of the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities ensure that these pupils receive the additional support they need. Support programmes are monitored frequently to make sure that they remain relevant for the pupils. Support is also given to the most able pupils to help them take their learning further faster.
• Staff have risen to the increased expectations that leaders have of them. They recognise the improvement in the school. Their responses to the online survey were overwhelmingly positive.
• Staff work together as a team and they learn from each other. They put into practice what they learn from the training they attend to help them improve further. Training is targeted well so that it meets school priorities, while also allowing some personal development for staff.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. It takes account of pupils’ interests and it promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Through it, staff promote fundamental British values and teach pupils about equality and diversity, including cultural diversity. Thus, they prepare them well for life in modern Britain.
• Pupils benefit from a good range of extra-curricular activities and from visits and visitors, all of which enhance their learning and personal development.
• School leaders make good use of the extra government money to support the development of skills in sport. There has been an increase in the number of pupils taking part in sports and competitions at different levels, and in teachers’ confidence and ability to teach physical education.
• A large majority of parents, through the online survey Parent View and in conversation with inspectors, spoke very positively about what the school does for their children.
• Leaders recognise that there are weaknesses in reading, particularly in comprehension. They have restructured guided reading to deal with the weaknesses, but the sessions are not all organised well enough to do so.
• There are clear intentions to improve outdoor provision in the early years as finances allow. At present, insufficient attention is given to how best the whole area can be used for learning and not just for supervised activities.

Governance of the school

• Governors have used the external review, and the range of expertise on the governing body, effectively to improve their practices. They now hold leaders firmly to account, regularly challenging them on matters such as finance and standards.
• Governors know the school and its strengths and weaknesses well. They undertake regular training, including for safeguarding, and ensure that new governors are quickly brought up to speed with their roles and responsibilities.
• The governors understand how the headteacher makes decisions about teachers’ salaries, based on how well staff have met their objectives. They are not afraid to take difficult decisions regarding staff appointments, to secure the best for the pupils.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Safeguarding is a priority in the school. Robust systems are in place, they are shared with parents, and all staff understand them. All training, including for child protection, is fully up-to-date.
• Effective relationships with other agencies and with parents ensure that pupils are kept safe and their welfare needs are fully met. The school supports pupils and their families well.
• Recruitment processes are effective in checking the suitability of staff. Staff are keenly aware of procedures and of their responsibilities in all matters to do with safeguarding.
• Pupils know what to do should they have any concerns. They say that they feel safe in school and would turn to any member of staff for help should they need it.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved since the previous inspection because staff have risen to the higher expectations that leaders now have of them. Teachers consequently have higher expectations of their pupils and they use assessment procedures well to increase their learning.
• Teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well. They develop in the pupils good attitudes to learning and an eagerness to do well. Classrooms are stimulating places where attractive displays provide pupils with a range of resources to which they can refer when working independently.
• Teachers are very aware of the different groups of pupils they teach. They ensure that disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have the additional support they need to help them catch up.
• Teachers also ensure that the most able, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, have harder work to do. For example, in a mathematics lesson, pupils were learning how to calculate the area of shapes. The most able were solving problems that required a deeper level of reasoning as they applied their knowledge of how to divide irregular shapes up into regular shapes to calculate the whole area more efficiently.
• Pupils readily talk about ‘non-negotiables’ as things that they must remember to include in all of their work. For example, they know that good handwriting and spelling, grammar and punctuation, and the application of number skills when solving mathematical problems, are important. These aspects are taught well.
• Well-targeted questioning probes pupils’ understanding and encourages them to think more deeply. Adults keep a close eye on how well pupils are doing in lessons and they adjust learning accordingly.
• Work in lessons is challenging and interesting for pupils. The consistent use of ‘Horwich Parish’ challenges means that pupils almost always have something to do that will stretch them further. Good levels of challenge are also evident in the wide-ranging homework that parents praise and pupils enjoy doing. The open-ended nature of it allows pupils to pursue some of their own interests well.
• In mathematics, staff are building on the work they have done in number by helping pupils to decide on efficient methods of calculating so that they can solve problems faster. Pupils are beginning to reason things out for themselves and, therefore, deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts.
• Pupils, from the least to the most able, enjoy reading. Most-able pupils read widely, understand what they are reading and can skim and scan text to find meaning. The least able pupils use their knowledge of phonics to help them read new words. Their fluency and understanding is sometimes compromised because they do not recognise how to blend sounds within words.
• Teachers encourage pupils to read and write in all subjects. Reading and phonics are woven into all learning so that pupils are constantly reminded of their importance. Guided reading sessions are less successful in improving reading skills. Some tasks are at too low a level to extend pupils’ reading, especially their comprehension skills, or to encourage stamina in reading.
• Writing is strongly encouraged in literacy sessions and in different subjects. Although boys’ writing remains behind that of girls, the work on improving the progress of individual pupils, and the careful selection of topics, are helping to improve it.
• Occasionally, particularly in Years 1 and 2, the most able pupils are not pushed enough to extend their vocabulary as they speak and write, or the less able pupils receive too much guidance. For example, in Year 2, the less able pupils reconstructed and copied the teacher’s sentence instead of being encouraged to ‘have a go’ at writing their own.
• Pupils remain focused on their learning in most lessons because teachers remind them to try hard to do their best. Occasionally, they mark time or lose interest when the focus of their learning is unclear or they are not encouraged to listen well.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are very positive about the school. They are proud of it and of the work they do there. They show great confidence as they explain their desire to be successful learners and praise their teachers for the way they help them to make good progress.
• Pupils feel safe and they know how to keep themselves safe, including when online or using mobile phones. The school keeps internet safety at the front of pupils’ minds with displays in classrooms and regular updates to remind them of its importance.
• Staff actively promote positive messages about suitable responses to bullying, which pupils heed well. Pupils understand that bullying can come in many forms and that it is not tolerated at their school.
• Pupils are very proud of their successes in sports competitions and of their participation in musical activities. They have a strong understanding of British values and of equality. They state confidently that everyone is the same and should be treated equally. They readily explain how the links with, visits to and visitors from, other schools and places of worship help them to understand the different faiths and cultures in Britain today.
• Pupils readily accept responsibility as school ‘eco’ or safety councillors. They gain a good understanding of democracy as they apply for the jobs and learn to accept the outcome of the votes. School councillors have been instrumental in raising funds for different charities as well as continuing to sponsor a pupil in Afghanistan, and to continue the school’s link with three schools in Namibia. Every pupil in Year 6 has responsibility for something and all are eager to fulfil their roles well.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Behaviour is almost always good. Pupils are beginning to take responsibility for themselves and their actions. They know that actions have consequences and understand that rules are necessary for school and for society to function in an orderly manner.
• Pupils admit to behaviour not always being as good in the playground as it is in lessons. They speak positively and very maturely of how they often manage potentially unacceptable behaviour themselves, without having to involve an adult.
• At times, particularly where tasks are not at the right level for the pupils, noise levels rise, pupils’ minds wander and their learning suffers. This particularly affects guided reading sessions but was noted also in a session where pupils were sharing poetry.
• When involved in discussions, pupils are polite in their responses. They give each other time to speak and they listen carefully to what each person has to say. Their developing maturity in these areas assists their learning.
• Attendance is above average. Pupils want to come to school and, most of the time, their enjoyment of learning is infectious.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Despite the national tests being harder in 2016, the school’s results for pupils in Year 6 held up well. Standards were at least in line with those found nationally. Compared with national outcomes, greater proportions of pupils achieved the higher standard in reading, mathematics and, especially, in English grammar, punctuation and spelling.
• Information from previous years shows that progress was improving in Year 6 and the work of pupils currently in the school shows that it is good in all year groups.
• Standards fell to below average in Year 2 in 2016 and became a cause of concern for some parents and for staff. Disruptions in staffing, those caused by building work, and the arrival of pupils new to the school all affected the outcomes in Year 2 in 2016. Progress was good in Year 1 and as expected in Year 2, given pupils’ different starting points. It is currently good in both year groups. Leaders have provided additional support for pupils in Year 3 and are monitoring their progress closely. So far, it is good.
• With small variations, usually due to the small numbers involved, disadvantaged pupils make at least good progress by Year 6, particularly in reading and writing. Staff ensure that the most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, have hard enough work to do. The pupils rise to the challenge and, consequently, make good progress.
• Pupils develop a good understanding of phonics because this early reading skill is taught well right from Reception. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected level in the Year 1 national phonics screening check is above average.
• Pupils develop good skills across a range of subjects. They recognise how learning in one subject can help them in another. For example, pupils explained that, as they learn about the Romans or Ancient Egyptians, they are acquiring knowledge and skills in geography as well as in history.
• Pupils use their writing skills well in all subjects. Recent changes in the way writing is taught mean that pupils write in different styles, for different purposes in different subjects, always mindful of their writing targets. Books are neat and tidy, and handwriting is legible.
• Boys’ writing, though improving, is still behind that of girls. However, the gap is narrowing as topics are carefully selected and pupils realise that writing has a purpose and should be done well.
• The outcomes of the national tests in 2016 highlighted weaknesses in comprehension and in pupils’ ability to glean information from texts quickly. This meant that several pupils did not complete the tests.
• Year 6 pupils demonstrated a good understanding of why it is important to be able to skim and scan texts quickly for information. Guided reading sessions have been altered to try to address weaknesses in all year groups. However, some tasks are too mundane and do not develop comprehension skills, and pupils lose interest in them.
• Pupils have good recall of number facts and their reasoning skills are developing well. They are beginning to use their number skills well as they work out the most efficient method of calculation to help them solve problems more quickly.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. Well-briefed teaching assistants help them to succeed. Occasionally, however, their learning is limited, for example, by having to copy out a sentence the teacher has modelled rather than being supported to compose one of their own.
• Overall, pupils succeed in their learning and they leave the school having been prepared well for the next stage of their education.

Early years provision Good

• Children start school with skills that are broadly typical for their age. The proportion achieving a good level of development at the end of Reception is above average. Children make good progress and they are prepared well for Year 1.
• Good leadership and management ensure that teaching is good in this age group. Children’s progress is carefully checked, recorded and tracked, and the information is used well to plan next steps in learning.
• Leaders quickly identify where additional help is needed and ensure that it is provided. Thus, all children, from the least to the most able, and those who are disadvantaged, have an equal chance of success.
• The provision for children’s personal, social and emotional development is strong. Children very much enjoy school and they form good relationships with each other and with adults. They are keen to learn and make progress. They quickly learn to follow the well-established routines and they behave well.
• Staff involve parents in their children’s learning, successfully encouraging them to help with reading and other work at home. Parents readily share their children’s achievements outside school and staff use the information to help the children develop further.
• Children quickly learn to read, write and count. Staff teach phonics well. They constantly remind children to use their knowledge of phonics in different situations. Therefore, children quickly learn the basics and the importance of reading.
• There are many opportunities for children to explore and extend their number skills in the activities set up around the classrooms. There are fewer opportunities for writing. Nevertheless, when writing is being taught, staff place good emphasis on correct letter formation and on simple spelling and punctuation.
• Outdoor learning is not promoted well enough because staff do not make best use of the area available. Too often, the focus is on supervising the planned activities rather than encouraging learning through them.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 105233 Bolton 10022011 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 398 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address David Pritchard Alan Beedie 01204 333147 www.horwichparish.net head@horwichparish.net Date of previous inspection 10–11 February 2015

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Children attend Reception full time.
• There was a considerable amount of disruption for pupils in Years 1 and 2 last year due to an extension to the building.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 24 sessions. They were joined by senior leaders in four of the observations. They also examined the school’s most recent information about pupils’ progress, and sampled the work in the books of pupils currently in the school and of those who left last year, to help them reach their judgements.
• Inspectors listened to pupils in Years 1, 3, 5 and 6 read and talked to pupils about their reading habits. They checked pupils’ reading in lessons and visited sessions where guided reading was taking place or pupils were learning phonics.
• Discussions were held with senior and other leaders, seven governors and a representative of the local authority. Inspectors also spoke to large numbers of pupils, formally and informally, and took account of the six responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils.
• A range of documents relating to school improvement were examined, along with policies and procedures relating to teaching, learning and assessment, safeguarding pupils, and provision for different groups of pupils.
• Inspectors took account of the views of the 57 parents who responded to the online questionnaire for parents (Parent View) or contacted the inspection team by letter. As well, they gained the views of several parents at first hand as they brought their children to school.
• Account was also taken of the 24 responses to the Ofsted questionnaire for staff.

Inspection team

Doris Bell, lead inspector Julie Kynaston Jennie Platt Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector