Colne Primet Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve the quality of teaching and learning so that pupils can reach even higher standards in English, mathematics and a wide range of subjects by:
  • ensuring that teachers make equally effective use of use assessment information in all subjects to plan learning that arouses pupils’ curiosity, stimulates their thinking and deepens their understanding.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• Rapid improvement is evident everywhere you look in this school, in the academic progress pupils are making and in their behaviour and attitudes to school and to learning. This is because the headteacher has set the strategic vision for the school and the whole school community lives out that vision.
• Evidence from pupils’ work, past and present, shows how hard the headteacher has had to work to get the school to where it is now. She has done so with determination, taking hard decisions where necessary over the past two years, while making astute appointments and bringing staff on board at every stage.
• On appointment, the headteacher quickly enlisted the support of the local authority and she has used it well. The local authority has complete confidence in what she has done and continues to do. It is already withdrawing support based on the school’s own strong capacity for further improvement.
• Senior leaders are highly effective. They have a deep and accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in teaching and learning and do everything possible to help staff improve. They have secured some highly effective teaching that is inspiring pupils, who, in turn, are starting to excel as gaps in their learning are closed.
• Staff appreciate the way their leaders often accompany them on training so that they can maximise the support they receive. They say that senior leaders lead by example and show them how to put things right.
• Everyone observes and supports each other, offering constructive feedback along the way. High-quality teamwork is a strength throughout the school. It is evident in lessons, in pupils’ books and in the attractive displays that celebrate success and effort.
• The school improvement plan is succinct. It is wholly aligned to the school’s accurate evaluation of its own effectiveness and it informs the objectives set for staff as part of their performance management. Each priority is followed through in detail.
• Constant evaluations and, where necessary, adjustments to priorities ensure that weaknesses are tackled almost immediately. The school keeps improving because there is a relentless focus on measuring the impact of each action on pupils’ progress.
• The attention paid to supporting all groups of pupils, from the least to the most able, is meticulous in English and mathematics. It is backed by bespoke packages to improve pupils’ learning, and, where necessary, bespoke training for staff, including individuals.
• The same meticulous attention is paid to assessing and tracking the progress of pupils who join the school at different times. This includes the increasing proportion of pupils who join the school at different stages of speaking and understanding English.
• Senior leaders make excellent use of the funding to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They ensure that all staff understand the pupils’ needs and can support them in their learning. They also use pupil premium funding and the sports funding for primary schools wisely so that pupils benefit from them.
• Subject leaders are fully involved in all monitoring activities. They have received training for their roles and carry them out effectively. They have set up systems for assessing, tracking and recording pupils’ progress and supporting teachers in their work.
• Leaders have ensured that curriculum requirements are met and the curriculum includes opportunities for pupils to develop personally as well as academically. The increasing range of well-attended extra-curricular activities picks up on pupils’ interests, widening their experiences and their enjoyment of school.
• Leaders are working to make the curriculum more relevant to the school’s changing population. For example, they intend to include a wider range of practical experiences, visits and visitors to help pupils understand and respond better to the demands made of them in different subjects. Currently, such enrichment is relatively limited.
• The school does much to promote equality of opportunity for all. It ensures that pupils from different cultures work and play together well, and all abilities are helped to make good progress. Good attention is paid to increasing pupils’ understanding of life in modern Britain, including cultural diversity and British values.
• Parents praise the school highly. They say staff take care of every child and, at times of transition, be it from class to class, between key stages or on to high school, their children receive good support. Pupils agreed with this view.

Governance of the school

• Governance is strong. Governors bring a wide range of useful expertise to their roles, which they use well. They are clear about how additional funding is used to support the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and how teachers’ pay is related to performance.
• Governors made good use of an external review to fine-tune their skills. They have good knowledge of the challenges the school faces and of its strengths and areas for improvement. They have been a bedrock of support for the headteacher during the hard decisions she had to make to bring about real and sustained improvement.
• Governors hold the school to account well. They ask pertinent questions about pupils’ progress and check for themselves that the reports they receive match up with what is happening in the classroom and is seen in pupils’ books. They talk knowledgeably about different groups of pupils and how well they are doing.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders, including governors, take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously, and they ensure that staff do the same. The checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children are robust.
• All training is up to date and all staff are clear about the procedures to follow should they have concerns. They are fully aware of their responsibilities, including around extremism and radicalisation. All referrals are effectively recorded, monitored and appropriately followed up.
• Effective links with external agencies ensure that children are safe. Information is shared appropriately so that any necessary support is secured in a timely way. The school ensures that parents are fully informed of all safeguarding procedures.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved rapidly in the past year and continues to do so. This is primarily because leaders have ensured that teachers plan effectively and set work at an appropriately challenging level for all pupils. Most-able pupils are now working at greater depth, as are some middle-ability pupils.
• There is a high level of consistency in teaching across the school that is aiding and building progression within each year group and from year to year. The spread of experience among the teaching staff is put to good use. It is seen in the strong teamwork and high levels of mutual support throughout the school.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge, which they usually use well to explain new learning or help pupils to consolidate previous learning. They extend learning with effective questioning that makes pupils think for themselves.
• There is a very strong focus on using the correct subject-specific vocabulary, particularly in mathematics, but also in a range of other subjects. Pupils have good access to dictionaries and other resources to check spelling or search for new words and staff constantly check that they know the meanings of the words that they use.
• Staff expect all pupils to speak and to answer questions in detail using full sentences. They successfully encourage pupils to extend their ideas through thinking more deeply. All pupils, from the least to the most able, including those who speak English as an additional language, are becoming increasingly able to express themselves well orally and in writing.
• Teachers use a variety of techniques to gauge pupils’ learning in lessons. They constantly address misconceptions, fine-tune their support and move learning on when pupils’ understanding is secure. They quickly move groups onto independent work once they are secure that pupils understand what is expected of them.
• Relationships between staff and pupils are excellent. They contribute in great measure to the pupils’ improved attitudes to learning. Pupils and their parents report that teachers care equally for each pupil and help them to do well. Pupils readily respond to teachers’ feedback and use it effectively to improve their work.
• The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is good. Leaders check that there is good continuity in learning phonics between early years and key stage 1. Catch-up phonics sessions for older pupils ensure that gaps in their phonic knowledge are rapidly closing and they can understand what they read.
• Writing is taught well. Teachers give pupils many opportunities to write at length in literacy sessions and in different subjects. They require pupils to pay close attention to spelling, punctuation and grammar at all times.
• The teaching of mathematics is also improving. Most teachers allow pupils just the right amount of time to practise calculations before moving them on to apply their understanding in a variety of practical situations. This and the increased use of practical equipment is challenging pupils of all abilities to think more deeply, reason and solve problems.
• In most lessons, teaching assistants provide good levels of support for different groups of pupils at different times. On the whole, they are knowledgeable, they question pupils well and move learning on well. Very occasionally, their skills are not well matched to what they are asked to do and they are not as effective.
• Teachers understand and use assessment systems exceptionally well in English and mathematics. They use assessment information very effectively in their planning to ensure that all pupils, from the least to the most able, are suitably challenged.
• Teachers understand the importance of developing pupils’ skills in other subjects. However, systems for assessing pupils’ progress in subjects other than English and mathematics are relatively new and staff are not yet using the information gained from them to full effect to ensure the pupils’ best progress in each subject.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Leaders ensure the welfare of all pupils, including those most at risk. Staff provide additional support at times of transition for pupils whose circumstances might make them more vulnerable, to ease them into each new stage of their education.
• Pupils report that staff look out for them and they look out for each other. Parents stated confidently that a member of staff is always there to help, no matter what the issue might be. Pupils voiced the same sentiment.
• Pupils feel entirely safe in school and staff ensure that they understand the importance of keeping themselves safe. They know the dangers associated with using the internet, mobile phones or social media sites and how to avoid them. They are alert to road safety and know to avoid talking to strangers.
• The relatively high number of pupils who join the school other that at the normal points of transfer are rapidly made to feel welcome. In the pupils’ words, ‘There is a focus on being kind and making others welcome in our school.’
• Pupils report that there is no bullying and there are plenty of people to turn to if a problem of any sort ever arises. They are polite and friendly towards each other and adults. They understand the purpose of coming to school, recognise how quickly their learning is improving and are keen to improve further.
• Pupils appreciate opportunities to adopt leadership roles, for example as school councillors and team leaders, and older pupils are happy to help younger ones. Elections to the school council give pupils a basic understanding of democracy. School councillors canvas the views of other pupils and, with support from staff, respond to them. A good example is that, after realising how much their reading skills had improved, pupils requested more-difficult texts, and leaders have begun to refurbish the books in the library to provide them.
• Pupils participate fully in a range of physical activities at breaks and lunchtimes and understand why it is important to stay active and eat healthily in order to stay well.
• Pupils talk knowledgeably about British values. They learn to understand and appreciate different cultures and traditions, including those within the school. They have a well-developed understanding of the need for everyone to work together.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. It has improved greatly this year.
• Pupils thoroughly enjoy learning. They work hard in lessons, follow instructions, act sensibly and settle to work quickly. The difference between their work at the start of the year and now shows that they have developed a great sense of pride in it, even when it involves a lot of effort.
• Pupils persevere with their learning. They use their initiative and understand the importance of trying to do something themselves before seeking help from an adult. They are keen to earn recognition for their work and efforts.
• Pupils’ conduct in the corridors and in the dining room is orderly and responsible. During break and lunchtime, they play happily together, taking advantage of the attractive school grounds and the wide range of equipment available to them. The school is a harmonious community where mutual respect is the order of the day.
• Pupils want to come to school. Most attend regularly and on time. Attendance has improved in recent years. It was average in 2016. Currently, it is above average. The school is meticulous in checking up on all absences and it works closely with parents to improve attendance.
• The detailed records of behavioural incidents show that there are very few serious incidents. Pupils know why rules are necessary and why sanctions are applied when they are broken. They link school rules to the rule of law in wider society.
• On rare occasions, the school has used exclusions appropriately. Pupils with challenging behaviour usually respond to the care and skill that staff invest in them. When they need additional help, leaders ensure that it is found.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In 2016, the proportion of pupils who left the school having reached the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was considerably below that found nationally, and pupils had not made enough progress from when they were in key stage 1. Things are very different this year. Outcomes have risen fast and pupils’ progress in English, mathematics and a range of other subjects is now good.
• The pace of improvement during this academic year has been phenomenal. All teaching staff were new at the start of the year. They have risen superbly well to the high expectations leaders have of them and to the additional challenges posed by the ever-changing school population. There is a renewed commitment to and enthusiasm for learning among pupils.
• Observations in lessons, work in pupils’ books and records held by the school all show that previous underperformance has all but disappeared. Although some pupils still have some catching up to do, particularly in Years 5 and 6, many are now reaching the standards expected for their age and starting to work at greater depth.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress because leaders identify their needs effectively and secure any specialist support the pupils require. Teachers understand how to meet these pupils’ needs. Leaders regularly check the pupils’ individual learning packages to ensure that they remain fit for purpose and, where relevant, teachers modify them to make sure that the pupils learn well.
• Most-able pupils are now achieving well. This is because teachers set work that builds on what they already know and can do and motivates them to stretch themselves. In lessons, they are moved quickly onto independent work and they are supported well by teachers or teaching assistants.
• The progress of disadvantaged pupils who left the school in 2016 was significantly below that of their peers nationally. However, disadvantaged pupils currently in the school are making good progress relative to their starting points. The improvement reflects the more precise use of pupil premium funding to target specific gaps in learning, and leaders’ ongoing success in addressing pupils’ social and emotional needs.
• Pupils who speak English as an additional language also make good progress. Staff are keenly aware of these pupils’ different stages of speaking and understanding English. They adapt learning accordingly. Parents praise the school for how quickly staff help their children to speak and use the English language.
• Pupils enjoy reading. They read fluently, use a range of ways, including phonics, to help them read new words, and are beginning to develop good comprehension skills. Recognising how much they had improved, pupils asked for a wider range of more-demanding texts and leaders are making sure that they have them.
• Pupils write well in literacy sessions and they use their writing skills well in other subjects. Spelling, grammar and punctuation are increasingly accurate and their writing conveys a developing sense of audience and purpose. With some exceptions, handwriting is neat and tidy and pupils present their work well.
• Pupils are also doing well in mathematics. They are learning to solve problems by using their calculation skills and reasoning things out for themselves.
• Pupils are developing a good range of knowledge, skills and understanding in other subjects, including, for example, music, art, history and geography. Leaders are taking steps to make sure that the pupils have the wider life experiences they lack because of culture or background need to help them make better progress in these subjects.
• In recent years, too many pupils have left the school without the skills they need for the future. Now, however, rapidly rising standards, the broad curriculum, pupils’ enthusiasm for learning and the additional, well-focused learning that is taking place after the national tests are all preparing pupils well for secondary school.

Early years provision Good

• Children enter the Reception Year with skills and abilities below those typical for their age, particularly in communication and language. In the past two years, the proportion of pupils who left the Reception Year having attained a good level of development was below that seen nationally.
• Good leadership and effective teaching have led to significant improvement this year. Stable, permanent staff and a leader who is hungry for further improvement have had a very positive effect on children’s learning.
• Staff are keenly aware of what each child needs to do to succeed. They quickly identify those in need of additional support and, where necessary, draw on the work of other agencies to help them support children to make good progress. They ensure that all funding, including that for disadvantaged pupils, is used well.
• From the outset, staff establish warm, caring relationships with the children and manage their behaviour effectively. They understand the development of children in the early years and know how to help them learn well.
• Children quickly learn to work and play together, help each other and follow the well-established routines, indoors and out. They develop a good understanding of phonics and use them well in reading and writing. They concentrate well in all activities, whether led by an adult or working on their own.
• Staff make regular and precise assessments of children’s learning and use them to plan activities that excite children and make them want to learn more. They record their assessments in files and provide evidence for them in children’s learning journals.
• Staff model language well and draw it out of pupils through effective questioning and the use of well-chosen resources. They build learning up effectively, giving children time to organise their thoughts and apply their learning before answering.
• Leaders readily adapt learning activities to secure better progress. For example, recognising that girls were doing better than boys in writing, and boys preferred being outdoors, they set up more writing opportunities in the outdoor area. Boys quickly began to use them and their writing skills improved.
• The school’s procedures to keep Reception children safe and promote their welfare are rigorous. Links with parents are strong. A new electronic system keeps parents informed about what their children are doing each day. Parents are beginning to use it to inform staff of additional learning that is taking place at home.
• The indoor learning environment is attractive and it supports learning and independence well. The outdoor area is well resourced and it is being used increasingly effectively to support learning, especially in literacy and numeracy.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 119173 Lancashire 10024281-2 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils Gender of pupils 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 188 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Lynne Blackburn Marie Hortin 01282 864607 www.primet.lancsngfl.ac.uk schoolbusinessmanager@primet.lancs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 9–10 October 2012

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. It has its own breakfast club.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds has increased in recent years and is now well above average, as is the proportion who speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is average.
• The proportion of pupils who join or leave the school other than at the normal times is also well above average.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is well above that found in most schools.
• The school did not meet the current government floor standards in 2016. These standards set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• There has been a high turnover of staff since the previous inspection. A new headteacher took up post in September 2014. Two new assistant headteachers, one full time and one part time, took up post in September 2016. By October 2016, all teaching staff were new.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Alongside examining the work in pupils’ books and the most recent information about pupils’ attainment and progress, inspectors observed pupils’ learning in all classes. The headteacher or assistant headteacher accompanied them in these activities.
• Pupils’ behaviour was observed in lessons and around the school, including at play and lunchtimes. The school’s records for behaviour and attendance were also scrutinised, along with documentation for safeguarding. In addition, inspectors spoke to pupils about their work, progress and school in general.
• Meetings were held with leaders, staff, four governors and two representatives from the local authority. Inspectors also took account of the 18 responses to the online questionnaire for staff.
• Inspectors examined records relating to governance, the performance of staff and the provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. They also scrutinised the school’s own evaluation of its performance and its plans for improvement.
• There were too few responses to the online questionnaire for parents (Parent View) for them to be analysed. However, inspectors took account of the comments the parents who completed the survey had made. They also spoke with parents as they brought their children to school and they examined the outcomes of the school’s own most recent questionnaire for parents.

Inspection team

Doris Bell, lead inspector Gill Burrow Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Sue Eastwood, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector