Morecambe and Heysham Sandylands Community Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Continue to raise achievement, particularly in mathematics, to ensure that as many

pupils as possible, including the most able and those who are disadvantaged, achieve at greater depth and attain higher standards.

• Improve further the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that teachers:
  • maximise opportunities to extend and challenge pupils, particularly the most able
  • teach pupils more effectively to apply their mathematical skills to solve problems and require them to think more deeply about their work
  • more rapidly respond to the learning needs of pupils in lessons.
• Improve provision in the early years by:
  • developing further strategies to entice and challenge children to write
  • continuing to explore ways to communicate effectively with parents about their child’s learning.
• Leaders should explore further ways to support pupils moving on to secondary school so that the transition is smooth and successful.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and senior leaders have worked with determination to improve standards at the end of key stage 1. Leaders have reversed a drop in standards at the end of key stage 2 following a change to the new curriculum.
• The charismatic headteacher sets a tone of care and nurture and a passion to ensure the best for all pupils. The school’s strong set of values are at the heart of all that the school does and, through these, leaders have promoted equality and diversity well. This has resulted in pupils who are caring, considerate and respectful of each other and the wider community.
• Leaders have the respect of staff, parents and pupils. Staff are highly motivated to make sure that there is continuing improvement and development. Relationships between staff are very positive. They are very proud to work at Sandylands, feel well supported and consider that the school is led and managed well.
• Senior leaders know the school well. The strengths and areas for improvement in the school development plan are clearly identified. Leaders make regular checks on the quality of teaching and learning. The school rightly prides itself on the professional development it provides for staff. To this end, staff benefit from a range of training and are encouraged to contribute to developing the school through working together and bringing new ideas. This has resulted in staff playing an important part in the school’s success. The school benefits from a stable, happy and dedicated team.
• Other leaders in the school, both senior and middle, have confidence, enthusiasm and accountability for continued school improvement. They have regular opportunities to develop their areas of responsibility, talk to governors and check that agreed strategies to secure improvement are being applied consistently by all staff.
• Pupil premium funding is used mainly effectively to reduce any barriers to learning for disadvantaged pupils. This enables all disadvantaged pupils to be part of everything the school has to offer. The progress of pupils supported by this funding is checked rigorously by teachers and senior leaders, and is increasingly diminishing any differences in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and others. The impact of the funding is evaluated regularly by the headteacher and the governing body.
• The primary school physical education (PE) and sport funding is used extremely well and contributes to the excellent PE curriculum that pupils receive. Pupils benefit from good-quality specialist sport coaching and a wide range of sport-related clubs and activities. Pupils say how much they enjoy sport and find lessons fun. They are very proud of their achievements in local competitions. Teachers have benefited from effective professional development in PE. Pupils of all ages recognise the value of physical activity as a part of being healthy.
• Senior leaders have focused on accelerating progress and improving standards for pupils. They have worked hard to improve the way pupils are assessed, and now have a highly innovative system in place that is used effectively to support learning. Assessment information is collected fortnightly by senior leaders, and used to discuss pupils’ learning with teachers and to plan opportunities to help pupils catch up if needed. However, teachers’ assessments are not being used precisely enough to pinpoint opportunities to move pupils on in their learning within lessons. This is particularly evident for the most able pupils.
• The leadership and organisation of provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are strengths. Identification of need is thorough and resources are of a high standard. Staff have an excellent understanding of these pupils’ learning and welfare needs. Every effort is made to remove any social or physical barriers. This ensures that these pupils succeed in their learning and their personal and social development. High-quality systems and procedures are in place to check regularly on the progress of individual pupils.
• The school offers an extremely broad and balanced curriculum that engages pupils and contributes to their enjoyment of learning. The curriculum is further enriched by providing as many real-life experiences as possible to stimulate and excite pupils in their learning. Reading and writing are woven across this curriculum effectively. This strengthens pupils’ opportunities to practise their skills, to add richness to their reading and to have a sense of purpose for their writing. All curriculum areas are assessed to the same high standard as English and mathematics. This information is used effectively by curriculum leaders to highlight development needs and gaps in the areas covered within a subject, and to assess the progress of pupils.
• The very well-promoted spiritual, moral, social and cultural development means that the school provides a calm, considerate and thoughtful environment where pupils mix happily together. Through assemblies and the curriculum, pupils learn about the wider community and global issues, raise funds for charities and learn about tolerance, respect for differences and the rule of law. For example, Year 6 pupils had the opportunity to experience the ‘cut and thrust’ of Parliament, when they played the parts of politicians to discuss and debate topics in the court room at Lancaster House.
• Leaders work with other local schools on assessment, curriculum development and other local and national initiatives. The headteacher actively works with other school leaders to ensure good transition links for pupils going on to secondary school. However, some parents expressed anxiety at their child moving on from the care and shelter of Sandylands to this next phase of their school career. This was particularly the case if it was felt that their children had a vulnerability that had been expertly catered for at the school.

Governance

• The governance of the school is effective.
• Governors know their school well and are confident to ask challenging questions. They are conscientious in their responsibilities and enjoy taking part and contributing to the life of the school.
• The attributes of the governing body have been utilised very well to ensure that their expertise benefits the school. They effectively lend their skills to aspects of the school’s development and monitoring of improvement. As a result, they make an important contribution to raising standards in the school.
• The governing body has a good understanding of performance management procedures and, as well as supporting the headteacher in holding staff to account, ensures that the management of teachers’ pay is appropriate.
• The governing body makes sure that the pupil premium and the primary PE and sport funding are spent effectively and make a difference for pupils. This is done in the main. However, the most able disadvantaged are not yet making the progress that they are capable of.
• The governing body is diligent in its responsibilities to safeguard pupils and to this end has appointed a safeguarding governor to oversee and monitor safeguarding and welfare-related matters. The governing body also understands its responsibilities regarding internet safety and has ensured that filtering measures are in place for the school’s internet and online services.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have ensured that pupils have a safe and secure environment by promoting the message that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Safeguarding arrangements and security checks on staff are meticulous. Records are robust and secure. Staff and governors undertake regular and appropriate training, including that related to keeping pupils safe from radicalisation and extremism.
• Safeguarding is a high priority in school. A dedicated team of staff oversee the care and welfare of vulnerable pupils and families. They offer excellent support and are highly valued. A number of parents commented that the staff ‘go above and beyond’ in their efforts to help and support pupils and families.
• Leaders are persistent in cases where the school is concerned for a pupil’s welfare. Highly effective relationships with other agencies and with parents ensure that pupils are kept safe and their welfare needs are met.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching and learning is good. The hard work of the leadership team to recover from the drop in standards has been effective. As a result, pupils make good progress overall.
• The teaching at Sandylands is characterised by warm relationships between staff and pupils and well-organised lessons. Staff have a passion for education, want to instil a love of learning, and are always seeking new and fun ways of providing the very best for pupils.
• Staff model high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. Pupils rise to this by working hard and behaving well. Pupils enjoy their learning and say, ‘The more you learn the more you want to find out.’ They also say that learning is ‘fun’, especially when teachers ‘dress up’ and do ‘silly things to make the lesson different’.
• Teachers’ subject knowledge is good. They regularly build on pupils’ prior learning and encourage them to work together and talk about their learning. Good-quality learning resources make lessons interesting and enjoyable. Many teachers are adept at asking the right questions to aid pupils’ thinking, draw out learning and help them move on. However, sometimes teachers do not plan activities that are sufficiently demanding. In these situations, pupils are not challenged to develop their skills or thinking further and are not deepening their understanding of what is being taught. As a result, some pupils, particularly the most able, are not always learning as much as they should.
• Leaders and teachers use assessment regularly to check on pupils’ learning. The school has developed a very effective system to assess how well a pupil is doing or how confident they are with the skill they have been learning. This becomes part of a bigger picture of the progress made by a pupil over time. Pupils contribute to this themselves by evaluating their learning at the end of a lesson on an electronic tablet. This makes an important contribution to the progress pupils make. However, in some instances, teachers do not always pick up on pupils’ precise learning needs within a lesson and miss opportunities to move them on quickly in their learning.
• Where pupils struggle with their learning, highly effective support and tailored tasks help them catch up. As a result, these pupils make good progress.
• For those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, the support they are offered is excellent. It is broad, clearly targeted and of a very good quality. Additional support is planned well, resulting in these pupils making consistently at least good progress in lessons.
• Teaching assistants are knowledgeable and skilled, and make a good contribution to the progress of the pupils with whom they work. This is particularly evident in their support of those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who have challenging behaviour.
• The development of reading and writing is a high priority. Leaders’ insistence on a consistent approach to reading and writing has had a positive effect on pupils’ progress in these subjects. Reading texts are used effectively in classes to create a range of interesting and stimulating activities that help pupils to learn and practise their skills.
• Writing is a growing strength. The school’s approach includes providing reading texts, pictures and other ‘hooks’, so that pupils are immersed in the ideas and vocabulary for writing. This stimulates their imaginations and sense of fun, and creates a purpose for their written work. For example, in Year 6, pupils wrote high-quality, vibrant, descriptive pieces related to ‘The Hobbit’, by JRR Tolkien. Another class were absorbed by imagining themselves climbing down into an Egyptian tomb. They described vividly how they would feel and what they saw. Pupils are motivated to write and outcomes across the school are good.
• The teaching of phonics is good and gives pupils the skills to read unfamiliar words. Pupils have a regular opportunity to read to an adult in school until they are fluent and are motivated to read by themselves. As a result, pupils enjoy reading. Pupils who struggle with reading have excellent support to practise their skills and are proud of the progress they make. The most able readers are also supported to develop their understanding of texts and indulge in a love of books.
• The development of mathematical skills is also a priority in school. The school has made less progress in this area, however, because teachers have less confidence in providing lessons that challenge pupils to understand and deepen their learning. Although pupils are being provided with a thorough understanding of important basic number skills, these activities can be repetitive. As a result, pupils do not have sufficient chances to apply this learning to problem-solving and other activities that offer opportunities to extend their understanding of mathematical ideas.
• The very large majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, or spoke with inspectors in the playground feel that their children are taught well and make good progress in school. They also appreciate the communication between school and home, including the information given to them about their children’s learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• The central importance placed on pupils’ personal development and welfare is visible in school. Staff and governors are conscientious in their responsibility to ensure that the school provides a safe, nurturing environment in which pupils can flourish and succeed.
• The school offers an excellent personal, social, health and citizenship curriculum that is woven into an award-winning, values-based curriculum. All pupils work towards a ‘values baccalaureate’. This is achieved by completing activities and evidencing skills related to values such as thoughtfulness, resilience and cooperation. Pupils who are responsible for championing values work with adults to devise projects and activities to support pupils to succeed. The high profile given to developing pupils’ life skills promotes the value and importance of being healthy, responsible and well-balanced citizens. This, coupled with pupils’ increasing aspirations and awareness of global issues and events, immerses pupils in finding out about themselves and others. As a result, pupils are developing as empathetic, thoughtful and compassionate citizens.
• Staff treat pupils with the utmost consideration and ensure that the school makes everyone feel welcome and valued. Adults constantly model respectful and caring behaviour in lessons, around school, and in the way they engage with pupils.
• The very large majority of parents who spoke to inspectors and those who responded to Parent View expressed praise for the school and the work of the staff. They feel that their children are happy and well looked after.
• The vast majority of pupils, throughout key stages 1 and 2, are confident learners and are happy to talk about their learning. Pupils told inspectors how proud they are of their school. They also talked with enormous pride about the opportunities they get to learn to play instruments, sing and dance, and take part in sporting competitions. For example, pupils of their own accord offered to play their musical instruments to inspectors. Year 6 pupils were keen to share extracts of their end-of-year performance of ‘Frozen’. The enthusiasm of all pupils was plain to see, and the quality of the dancing, singing and acting was striking.
• Pupils spoken to during the inspection are very clear about what bullying is and said that incidents are rare. A very small number of parents who responded to Parent View feel that bullying is not as effectively dealt with as it could be. However, the large majority of parents feel that the school deals appropriately with bullying or that they are not aware of any bullying towards their children. Other inspection evidence confirms that this is the case.
• Pupils are confident that teachers deal with any unkind or negative language towards pupils quickly. Pupils are unanimous in their view that they feel safe in school and pupils of all ages know how to keep themselves safe, both personally and online.
• Pupils are encouraged to take up a wide range of responsibilities within school from being members of the school parliament to ‘values’ or ‘curriculum’ champions. Book ambassadors have a responsibility to ‘inspire others to read books’ and read stories to Year 1. They avidly shared with an inspector how they had created good-quality ‘story sacks’, full of activities and characters from a picture book, which they read to younger pupils to ignite a love of books.
• Pupils’ views are highly valued by adults, and pupils are given many opportunities to discuss, debate and contribute to what happens in their school. As a result, they make an active contribution to school life. The school’s parliament has ministries within it. The ministry for sport and health has developed an awareness of healthy eating across the school, designing posters and creating an award for the healthiest class. As a result, pupils are now making healthy food choices.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils conduct themselves extremely well around school. They are polite and well mannered. They smile, hold the doors open for each other and visitors, and regularly ask if an adult is ‘having a good day’ or can be helped in any way. Staff and pupils know each other very well and are friendly, supportive and encouraging. As a result, the school is a calm, orderly and purposeful place in which to learn.
• Pupils consider behaving well to be very important and are delighted when they are recognised for their good conduct. This is a determination which does not come naturally to all pupils but has been worked on very effectively by staff so that it is now instinctive behaviour for the vast majority. For example, at lunchtime, behaviour at the dinner table is impeccable. Pupils sit sensibly, eat with knives and forks, and engage in friendly chatter. There are small cards on each dining table to give helpful reminders about how to have a good lunchtime. Pupils are fully aware of how to behave and the consequences of poor behaviour. They say that incidents of inappropriate behaviour are rare, dealt with quickly by teachers and responded to by pupils sensibly.
• A productive atmosphere in the classrooms means that the vast majority of pupils have a very positive attitude and visibly enjoy their learning. They are attentive and eager to participate in lessons and work well to support each other. Very occasionally, if a task in a lesson is not motivating enough, the interest of a small number of pupils wanes.
• A number of pupils have behavioural needs. They are well supported and skilfully managed to ensure that their behaviour does not get in the way of their learning and does not distract others.
• The systems for checking absence are rigorous and conscientiously applied. Good attendance is rewarded and has a high profile in school. As a result, pupils’ attendance is consistently above the national average. Persistent absence is monitored meticulously, as is lateness. The leadership team works hard with this group of pupils and their parents and has notable success. Consequently, persistent absence is below average.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Historically, pupils have achieved well from their starting points at the end of key stage 2. However, in 2016, with the advent of the new curriculum, there was a significant drop in the achievement of pupils at the end of this key stage. This decline is now being effectively stemmed by leaders. The school’s in-year checks on progress and the work in pupils’ books confirm that the vast majority of pupils are now making good progress. This is strongest in English, particularly in writing, but less so in mathematics.
• At the end of key stage 2 in 2016, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in writing was comparable to that found nationally. However, in reading, mathematics and grammar, spelling and punctuation, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard was well below the national average. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher standards was below that of pupils nationally.
• Achievement at the end of key stage 1 improved in 2016 with an above-average proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in writing. It was comparable to the national average in reading but below average in mathematics. In-year checks on progress and work in pupils’ books confirm that at the end of key stage 1, pupils’ attainment has again improved and pupils are making good progress in all subjects at both expected and greater depth.
• In 2016, the proportion of Year 1 pupils who reached the expected standard in the national screening check for phonics was average. Checks on pupils’ progress for the present Year 1 indicate rapid improvements in phonics development for this group, many of whom did not achieve a good level of development at the end of the early years.
• The pupil premium funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils, including the most able, in key stage 1. As a result, they make increasingly good progress throughout the key stage. The work in pupils’ books confirms that disadvantaged pupils throughout key stage 2 are making good progress, although not as consistently at higher standards overall. This group of pupils does well because teachers check their progress effectively and ensure that they are supported well in class.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make at least good progress from their starting points. The support offered by teachers and teaching assistants is highly effective and ensures that pupils succeed in their learning.
• At the end of key stage 1 in 2016, the most able pupils made at least the progress expected in reading, writing and mathematics. An increasing proportion are now attaining higher levels in all three subjects. Leaders are aware, however, that these improvements at greater depth are still fragile. They are also very aware that too few of the most able pupils in key stage 2 achieve these higher standards. To this end, they have put strategies in place to ensure that the most able pupils make the further gains of which they are capable.

Early years provision Good

• Many children start school with skills and knowledge below those typical for their age and a few well below. Their skills are particularly low in communication, social skills, reading, writing and number. Children make good progress from their starting points so that by the end of the Reception Year their achievement is in line with that of children of a similar age nationally. As a result, children have a very positive start to school life and are well prepared and confident to start in Year 1.
• The leadership of the early years is strong. Leaders have a clear view about the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. They have successfully actioned school improvement. A focus on the importance of teamwork, sharing practice and the good-quality development of staff has ensured that adults are skilled and are confident to get the best learning from children.
• Additional funding is used to provide resources and support for disadvantaged children. Leaders have a good understanding of the impact this has on children’s learning and have taken steps to ensure that these children achieve well. As a result, given their starting points, disadvantaged children make similarly good progress to that made by other children.
• The quality of teaching is consistently good. Routines are well established and there is a good level of expectation of what children will achieve. Adults demonstrate good subject knowledge, and there is a strong consistency of approach and manner across both the Nursery and Reception classes.
• Provision is well organised to create a varied learning environment. Children are offered a range of activities in groups or independently. Children are encouraged to use their imagination and initiate their own ideas. Adults are adept at seizing on these opportunities for further learning and development of children’s skills. For example, when a child walked around with her puppy on a lead, made out of recycled materials and a piece of ribbon, an adult skilfully engaged with the child, asked questions to draw out her understanding, and encouraged her to talk and feel self-assured.
• Outdoor provision is strong, particularly in the Nursery class. Children have opportunities to use their imagination and explore. They are encouraged to build, create, try out their ideas and practise their skills. As a result, children are absorbed in their learning. For example, children were bursting with excitement in anticipation of hunting for mini-beasts. They were captivated and keen to talk to each other about what they could see.
• The importance placed on reading, writing and mathematical skills is evident. The development of language and speaking is also a high priority, along with building self-confidence. Children have regular opportunities to practise their writing and phonics, and to use number, although some individual children remain indifferent and reluctant to write. Occasionally, activities do not always stretch and challenge the most able children.
• Teachers’ assessment and the tracking of children’s learning are of a good quality. The information they gather is used effectively to plan a curriculum for children that is both interesting and relevant. Adults regularly take photographs to record and document children’s learning.
• Safeguarding is effective and risk assessments for activities and events are thorough.
• Children’s behaviour is good. They are motivated and play and learn together well. Adults are quick to provide support to children to help them understand the importance of being polite and treating one another with respect. To this end, adults effectively model a gentle, sincere approach that children respond to and often espouse. As a result, children often demonstrate friendship and affection for one another. For example, one child spotted another who was upset. She went to him, spoke soothingly and gave him a cuddle.
• The school has good-quality provision for two-year-olds, although it is relatively new and still developing. It is thoughtfully arranged to capture their needs and interests. There is a successful balance between care, nurture and opportunities for children to try out new experiences and explore their environment. Children benefit from being with their slightly older peers who model good behaviour and learning habits. Older children demonstrate care and consideration towards their younger friends.
• Throughout the early years there is a strong emphasis on creating a caring and nurturing environment. This is evident from the very positive relationships adults have with children and children have with each other. There are also very positive relationships between staff and parents who describe the adults in the early years as ‘friendly’ and say that ‘nothing is too much trouble’ when it comes to their children. Staff encourage regular communication with parents but feel there is still more they could do in this area. They invite them to meetings and activities particularly to prepare children so that they are ready to start the early years or the main school. These are helpful in supporting parents in their child’s learning. Parents feel very positive about how well their children have settled into school and the progress they have made.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 119138 Lancashire 10003130 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 Community 2 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 462 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Kirstie Bank-Lyon Allison Hickson 01524 410 286 www.sandylands.lancs.sch.uk head@sandylands.lancs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 26 March 2012

Information about this school

• This school is a larger than average-sized primary school situated on two sites.
• The very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is twice the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• In 2016, the school did not meet 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.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in classes. They observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms and assessed the school’s promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Inspectors also observed pupils in the playground and during lunchtimes.
• Inspectors looked at the work in pupils’ books and in the ‘learning journeys’ of children in the early years.
• An inspector listened to a number of pupils read.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, the person responsible for leading safeguarding and the lead family worker, the early years leader and a leader for teaching and learning. They also spoke to curriculum leaders and those responsible for attendance and behaviour.
• Inspectors met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair. A meeting was also held with representatives of the local authority.
• A group of pupils discussed their opinions about the school and their learning with an inspector, and inspectors also spoke informally with pupils in the playground and around school.
• Inspectors took account of the 29 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.
• They also took account of the 31 responses to Parent View. Inspectors talked briefly with a number of parents before school and took into consideration questionnaires handed to inspectors at the time of the inspection. Some parents asked to speak to an inspector in person.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents including minutes from meetings of the governing body, information on pupils’ attainment and progress, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and its development plan. Behaviour and attendance records and information relating to safeguarding were also scrutinised.

Inspection team

Sue Eastwood, lead inspector Nusret Ellahi Linda Griffiths Stephen Rigby Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector