Eldon Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Develop the curriculum in history and geography in key stage 2 to ensure that the progress pupils make in these subjects matches that seen in other subjects.
• Develop pupils’ writing skills in science in key stage 2.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• Leaders have developed a culture of extremely high expectations and a clear focus on putting the children first. The number of pupils on role has almost doubled since the previous inspection and standards have improved considerably in this time. The headteacher has built a stable and highly effective leadership team which takes on a wide range of responsibilities.
• Leaders use external validation to check the robustness of their own judgements and to support middle leaders’ development. The headteacher provides excellent support for staff but gives middle leaders the freedom to carry out their roles. Subject leaders are encouraged to seek accreditation for their work to make sure that they are doing all that they can.
• Leaders and teachers support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities exceptionally well. The inclusion manager works very effectively with teachers to identify and support any additional needs that pupils may have. As a result, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make excellent progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• The headteacher has developed a culture that puts the emphasis on learning and improvement. Leaders at every level focus relentlessly on improving teaching and learning so that these are matched to the needs of the pupils. For example, leaders provide additional opportunities for pupils to develop language skills. These include providing a radio station and a specialised ‘immersive’ classroom, with all-round video projection and sound, both of which staff use extremely well.
• Professional discussions between adults on how to improve teaching are commonplace. As a result of this continuing determination to improve teaching and learning, pupils achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum.
• The carefully planned and ambitious curriculum is strong. Teachers provide an extensive range of experiences that enable pupils to broaden their understanding in a wide range of contexts. Leaders work with the wider community to raise aspirations. This work is exceptional. There are many examples of it, including the acquisition of a house to involve parents and to develop pupils’ life skills, frequent visits to the local community and courses for parents on phonics, mathematics and e-safety.
• Extra-curricular activities are varied and numerous. Pupils participate readily and are excited by the opportunities given, including gaining awards in ju-jitsu.
• The work to promote equal opportunities is exemplary. This is borne out by the high expectations for all pupils.
• Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They speak very highly of the improvements made by the headteacher. Leaders provide parents with clear information about their child’s social and academic progress.

Governance of the school

• Governance is highly effective. Governors have a particularly good understanding of the context of the school.
• Governors also have a clear understanding of the strengths of the school and areas for further improvement. They use their skills to challenge leaders to ensure the best possible outcomes for pupils. Leaders and governors are not afraid to make difficult decisions in the best interests of the pupils.
• Leaders and governors have ensured that the pupil premium funding is used effectively. Pupils benefit from specialist support services, including help with speech and language, and have access to a learning mentor for additional support. Funding is also used to provide additional support for pupils in a range of curriculum areas. Consequently, there have been substantial improvements to outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Disadvantaged pupils make progress that is at least similar to, and frequently better than, that of other pupils.
• Governors have ensured that the additional primary physical education (PE) and sport premium funding has been used effectively. Specialist PE teachers work alongside class teachers to deliver PE of a particularly high quality. Class teachers learn from this specialist approach. Alongside this, the additional opportunities for pupils to take part in competitive sport have increased, with some notable success. There is a greater proportion of pupils than previously participating in after-school sporting opportunities.
• The school does not receive any additional funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The governing body ensures that the school meets all its statutory requirements for safeguarding. This includes the robust checking of the suitability of adults to work with children. Suitable checks are made on visitors to the school.
• The headteacher takes an active approach to keeping children safe. She knows the families and the community well. Leaders are very aware of the specific issues relating to the school.
• Leaders record and manage any concerns, which are tracked through to a satisfactory conclusion. The headteacher demonstrates a high level of professionalism and a passion for ensuring the safety and welfare of all pupils.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teaching is consistently strong for all groups of pupils in key stages 1 and 2, including for disadvantaged pupils. Teachers and other adults have high expectations. They want pupils to do well and, consequently, plan and deliver lessons that stretch and challenge pupils, including the most able. As a result, pupils make outstanding progress.
• High-quality displays reflect the values of the school community. For example, an excellent display about the Manchester bombing celebrated the way in which people come together in an adverse situation.
• Teachers demonstrate exceptionally strong subject knowledge. They use this very well to identify and address gaps in pupils’ learning. Teachers’ strong subject knowledge also enables them to extend pupils’ learning. This, in turn, has ensured pupils’ outstanding progress.
• Adults give pupils time to embed their knowledge and understanding. This is done particularly effectively in basic calculations and spelling. Leaders’ work in this area has had a positive impact on improving this aspect of the school’s work.
• Teachers are determined that pupils are productive in lessons and check on this regularly. They check pupils’ work for accuracy and swiftly intervene to address errors. Teachers regularly check on pupils’ understanding during lessons and adapt work as a result. They make sure that pupils know what to do to improve their work through incisive feedback during lessons.
• Teachers use lesson time very efficiently. Movement of groups between different parts of lessons is seamless and fluid.
• Adults make exceptional use of the ‘immersive’ classroom. For example, during the inspection, they used this to make links with the anniversary of the attack on the twin towers. The teacher immersed the pupils in images showing the building of the new towers, alongside data relating to the construction. The teacher then gave pupils time to reflect on this and consider what it meant to them personally. Consequently, pupils were able to talk about their thoughts and feelings and were able to make links to other known events.
• Pupils use their growing knowledge effectively in their writing. They write well in areas of the curriculum other than English. They use their knowledge and understanding of different types of writing to good effect. English work in other subject areas is generally of the same high standard as that seen in English. Spelling strategies are particularly effective and secure across the curriculum. Consequently, most pupils make substantial progress in writing from their different starting points. However, pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 do not apply their English skills sufficiently well in science. Teachers give pupils opportunities to undertake scientific enquiry but do not expect them to write about their work to a high standard.
• The teaching of phonics is highly effective. Pupils make rapid progress in phonics from the Nursery class. Teachers take all opportunities to reinforce phonics through other subjects. For example, in a Nursery physical education lesson, the teacher was singing the nursery rhyme ‘Old MacDonald’. When she introduced a new animal, she sounded the name of the animal out before singing it. Pupils use their phonics skills extremely well when reading across the curriculum.
• There have been significant improvements made to the teaching of mathematics. Teachers plan work that stretches and challenges pupils, including the most able. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to explain mathematical concepts clearly. They give pupils opportunities to deepen their understanding. For example, during the course of lessons, pupils regularly practise their skills and apply these to problems. Leaders had identified the need to increase the progress of middle-attaining pupils in mathematics. Improvements to the teaching of mathematics mean that the progress of current middle-attaining pupils is rapidly improving. Lower-attaining pupils receive additional support of a high quality and current lower-attaining pupils are making rapid progress to catch up with their peers.
• Additional adults are used extremely well and have the knowledge and skills to carry out their roles highly effectively. They have a very positive impact on pupils’ outcomes.
• Teachers set homework to develop pupils’ understanding further. Pupils understand what is expected of them and are given opportunities to consider what effective homework looks like.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Leaders give pupils a strong voice in this inclusive and harmonious school. For example, the school council has recently introduced changes to the school uniform. Another example is that pupils regularly use the school’s radio station to address the whole school and visitors.
• Adults set a good example and teach pupils right from wrong. As a result, pupils develop a strong moral code and debate topical issues in a mature way. For example, during a discussion about the twin towers, pupils debated whether the new towers should have been built on the site of ground zero.
• Pupils value the support teachers give them, saying: ‘You can always rely on the teachers. If we don’t understand, we can tell the teachers and they will explain it even more.’
• Pupils are articulate and confident because of the consistent approaches to managing behaviour. Pupils know what is expected of them and work hard to meet these expectations. They are very proud of their school and of their new uniform.
• Pupils have high aspirations, including some who want to become consultants, dentists or archaeologists.
• Through the very well-planned curriculum, leaders have ensured that pupils know how to stay safe, including when out in the community and when online. Leaders give pupils excellent opportunities to put their learning into practice when they walk to the outdoor learning area and to the recently acquired Eldon House. Pupils are working with staff to turn the house into a home. They are very excited to be hosting their very own ‘Come Dine with Me’ for parents later this term.
• Pupils are reflective and thoughtful, recognising that we are all different but all human. They demonstrate outstanding levels of respect, tolerance and understanding.
• Adults promote British values exceptionally well. Pupils demonstrate a deep and mature understanding of how British values apply to their own lives. They live out these values, showing tolerance and respect for one another and for adults. Pupils have opportunities to experience democracy in action when they vote for school council representatives and other holders of roles of responsibility.
• Teachers provide pupils with opportunities to study a wide range of different world cultures and religions. Adults draw on the knowledge of different groups of pupils to share understanding and promote equality and diversity. Regular visits to places of worship and the use of technology to show pupils wider cultures provide further opportunities for pupils’ development.
• A very wide range of extra-curricular clubs and visits promotes pupils’ enjoyment and enthusiasm in sport, the arts and technology.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Any disruption in lessons is very rare because pupils have a strong desire to learn. Pupils talk about their learning and are keen to improve.
• Behaviour, in and around the school, is excellent and reflects the school’s effective and consistent strategies. Pupils’ very positive attitudes to learning lead to a focused, calm environment, which, in turn, has a positive impact on their outcomes.
• Pupils are very polite and well-mannered. They support each other exceptionally well in lessons and during the wider school day. Older pupils care for younger pupils sensitively. For example, older pupils support younger pupils at lunchtime, helping to clear plates and giving gentle reminders about expected conduct.
• Lunchtime behaviour is excellent. The ‘Playground Pals’ scheme, where older pupils support younger pupils’ play, is very successful. Younger pupils appreciate this help at playtime and lunchtime. Staff give pupils opportunities to play structured games and adults support and check pupils regularly.
• Pupils say that there is no bullying and that ‘racism isn’t tolerated here’. As a result, there have been no recorded incidents of racism and pupils report no racist or homophobic bullying. Rare instances of bullying are dealt with effectively.
• All members of the school help new arrivals to settle quickly. Pupils value the additional opportunities that new pupils bring. For example, pupils spoke about learning about different languages, cultures and religions from other pupils in the school.
• Leaders place a high priority on attendance. They ensure that parents and pupils understand the value of school and take steps to deal with poor attendance. Weekly targets for attendance are displayed and classes are rewarded for good attendance. Consequently, attendance continues to improve and rates of persistent absence have declined substantially. Overall attendance rates are now in line with national averages and the proportion of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, who regularly miss school is lower than that seen nationally.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• The majority of pupils start at Eldon Primary school with skills and abilities that are below, and often well below, those typical for their age. Due to the outstanding teaching that they receive in key stage 1 and key stage 2, pupils leave the school with attainment that is in line with, or above, that seen nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. This demonstrates outstanding progress and, as a result, pupils are prepared exceptionally well for the next stages in their education.
• Pupils in Year 1 achieve very well in the phonics screening check and apply this knowledge when reading in all areas of the curriculum.
• Pupils make outstanding progress in key stage 1 and this is borne out by published data for last year. Current pupils in key stage 1, including disadvantaged pupils, make equally strong progress from their different starting points in reading, writing and mathematics.
• In key stage 2, the progress of pupils continues to improve. In reading and mathematics, progress at the end of key stage 2 in 2016 and 2017 was in line with that seen nationally. In writing, this progress was above national averages. The progress of pupils currently in key stage 2 continues to improve. Current pupils in key stage 2 make exceptionally strong progress in reading and writing. Pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 make very strong progress in mathematics from different starting points. However, in Year 5 and Year 6, the progress of lower- and middle-attaining pupils in mathematics is only in line with that seen nationally. Leaders are aware of this and teachers now give pupils additional opportunities to work at the higher standards. The school’s own data indicates that most-able pupils make rapid and sustained progress.
• Disadvantaged pupils make progress in reading, writing and mathematics that is similar to, or better than, that of their peers. This progress is outstanding and is continuing to improve. This, in turn, indicates that the additional funding to support such pupils is being used effectively.
• Pupils of all ages and abilities, including disadvantaged and most-able disadvantaged pupils, read effectively. Many read at standards higher than those expected for their ages. When they come across unfamiliar words, pupils use their secure knowledge of letter sounds to help them. They persevere when the text is challenging. Pupils read regularly both at home and in school. They enjoy reading and some pupils aspire to become authors. This is because of the high-quality texts pupils read and the opportunities they have to listen to stories. Teachers develop higher standards of reading very well due to the consistent approach to reading and the high expectations of all staff.
• In most subjects, pupils make good or outstanding progress because of the carefully planned curriculum and attention to what pupils know and can do within subjects. Pupils make particularly good progress in physical education, French and computing. However, progress in geographical and historical skills is not strong in Years 4, 5 and 6. Leaders are aware of this discrepancy and have taken action to address it. In contrast, in Years 1 to 3, map skills are developed and refined to a very high standard. This is because of the constant reinforcement of these skills and the opportunities teachers give pupils to practise and apply their knowledge.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The school admits children from their second birthday. This is a change from the time of the previous inspection. Leaders and governors took the decision to admit two-year-olds to serve a need within the local community. Leaders planned this work carefully and the integration of two-year-olds into the Nursery setting is exemplary.
• Adults provide a suitable environment with specific equipment and activities to meet the needs of two-year-olds. This includes a quiet area and an area to develop sensory and communication skills. Children start Nursery with skills and abilities that are below, and often well below, those typical for their age. Many children start in the Nursery class with limited knowledge or understanding of English. As a result of particularly effective planning to meet individual needs, children quickly attain a good understanding of English. These children are able to communicate with adults and other children within a very short space of time.
• The high rates of progress made by children in Nursery means that a greater proportion than previously are starting Reception with skills and abilities broadly typical for their age. However, the majority of children still enter Reception with skills and abilities below that seen typically. All children make outstanding progress from their different starting points. By the time that they leave Reception, they achieve a good level of development, with many exceeding this measure.
• The early years leader is an excellent role model for other adults and is very knowledgeable. All adults work as a cohesive team to plan, organise and record children’s achievements. Adults use highly skilled questioning to develop children’s language. For example, when talking to children ‘fishing’ in the water tray, adults questioned them to extend their vocabulary related to colour and size.
• Children work well and behave sensibly within the carefully organised setting. Children enjoy learning and they show a very high degree of concentration. Typically, they are engrossed in their learning, for example playing with musical instruments and experimenting with the different sounds. Children work well together and adults lead by example, modelling good behaviours and correct language, including how to take turns and ask for equipment.
• Children are proud of their work and eagerly shared this with inspectors. Children in the Reception class talked to inspectors about their writing. The children were very proud of their neatly formed letters and of what they had written.
• Children make rapid and sustained progress. This progress is supported by the frequent and regular checks adults make on what children know and can do. Adults use these checks to inform their planning and to plan for the specific needs of individual children. Outstanding teaching leads to rapid progress and children are well prepared for their transition into Year 1.
• The environment is stimulating and exciting. It is carefully designed to promote development in all areas of the curriculum and is accessible for all children. Staff are highly skilled at using the children’s interests to further their learning. Since the previous inspection, leaders have placed a high priority on the development of the outdoor provision for the early years children. Adults plan for the use of the outdoor area well. Children have access to a range of activities and are able to select equipment for themselves.
• Leaders have taken very effective steps to gather views and involve parents in their child’s education. Parents value teachers’ use of the online communication systems.
• Staff keep children safe and care for them well in the early years. All of the statutory welfare requirements are met and the school’s safeguarding practices and procedures are strictly followed.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 119229 Lancashire 10036712 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 Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 240 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Jackie Williams Azra Butt 01772 253557 www.eldon.lancsngfl.ac.uk head@eldon-pri.lancs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 24–25 October 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Eldon Primary School is slightly smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and of pupils who are at the early stages of learning English as an additional language are higher than average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is higher than average.
• The proportion of pupils with support for special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average. The proportion of pupils supported with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below the national average.
• Since the previous inspection, the school has taken on the management of the on-site Nursery and has admitted two-year-olds.
• The school meets the government’s floor standard, which sets the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.
• The school holds the Inclusion Quality Mark and centre of excellence status, the gold Behaviour Quality Mark, EYFS Step into Quality Award and the Primary Science Award. The school has also been recognised with regional awards, such as being recognised as Primary School of the Year by a regional newspaper.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed a range of lessons or parts of lessons. Some of these observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher. Inspectors looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils reading and talked with pupils about their lessons and school life.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers, representatives of the governing body and representatives from the local authority.
• The inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised documentation relating to pupils’ progress and to the school’s management, including the arrangements to ensure that pupils are kept safe.
• Inspectors considered 66 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and the six free-text responses. Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day.

Inspection team

Tanya Hughes, lead inspector Gaynor Rennie Liam Trippier

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector