Leigh St Peter's CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management by:
  • refining the system for recording and analysing information about pupils’ achievement so that all teachers have a clear picture of the progress that pupils are making
  • ensuring that the early years provision offers sufficient opportunities to develop their skills in writing
  • continuing to develop the skills of the newly appointed extended leadership team
  • providing opportunities for pupils to have a deeper understanding of other faiths and cultures in modern Britain.
• Take action to ensure that teaching is consistently of the highest standard by:
  • considering pupils’ starting points, particularly in writing, so that all groups of pupils make rapid progress
  • providing support to ensure that pupils develop the necessary skills to make changes and improve their work correctly.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The strong, shared vision of the headteacher has helped to unite her team after the amalgamation of the infant and junior schools.
• The headteacher’s more recent review of leaders’ roles and responsibilities has allowed her to build a more effective and dynamic leadership team.
• Subject leaders in mathematics and English have a clear understanding of the progress being made by pupils across key stages. In mathematics, a problem-based approach to learning has been introduced which has developed pupils’ investigation skills. The English leader has prioritised reading, and has developed a range of resources which have improved pupils’ understanding of texts.
• Appropriate action has been taken to address all the areas for improvement identified at the time of the last full inspection.
• The headteacher, supported by her extended leadership team and governors, has established a positive ambitious culture within the school. As a result, pupils thrive. One parent said, ‘The headteacher is an asset to the school. She has made it grow and achieve in ways I never thought possible!’
• The majority of pupils currently at the school are making at least good progress. Outcomes for disadvantaged pupils are improving rapidly and effective action has been taken to ensure that all groups of pupils learn well.
• Leaders have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. This helps them to plan, monitor and refine actions to make improvements. Because measurable targets are now in place, leaders now know whether their actions have been successful and use this information to help them to prioritise what to do next. The use of self-evaluation, plans, milestones and checks are now leading to rapidly improving outcomes throughout the school.
• Staff are now held closely to account and the management of teachers’ performance is used well to reward high-quality teaching and secure improvement. Teachers are set targets which are aligned with the impact that teaching has on outcomes, the teachers’ standards, their responsibilities in the school and their professional development. Staff value the training and support they receive in the school and beyond. As a result, most teaching is effective and action is being taken to secure further improvements where required.
• Leaders have ensured that teachers give feedback to pupils that leads to good progress. However, the school policy for marking and assessment is not yet being followed consistently. Leaders have not checked whether pupils marking each other’s work is accurate and is actually improving their work.
• Two years ago, school leaders revised and updated a thematic curriculum. As a result, the curriculum is broad and balanced. Pupils are excited by the learning possibilities within the topics covered, which in turn is leading to good progress across a range of subjects. Homework is set to reinforce pupils’ learning and the school provides opportunities for homework to be completed within the school day if pupils are unable to complete their tasks at home.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is actively encouraged, particularly through the Christian ethos of the school.
• The primary school physical education and sport premium is used well to promote active lifestyles. Sports clubs abound, with plenty of opportunities to compete with other schools and within the region where pupils are really making their mark. Pupils benefit from regular lessons delivered by a sports coach and the range of activities has increased significantly in recent times to include activities best suited to the more vulnerable pupils at the school. Staff have also benefited from professional development opportunities, such as improving their skills in the teaching of gymnastics.
• Pupil premium funding has been used effectively to narrow the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally. Additional support has been put in place to raise the achievement of pupils of all abilities in all year groups. School leaders are determined to bring about further improvements. A signal of leaders’ determination to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils is the setting of higher targets in reading, writing and mathematics than was originally thought possible.
• The large majority of parents are extremely supportive of the work of the school. Most would recommend it to another parent and they believe that it is well led and managed. Many parents who made their views known to inspectors were full of praise for the impact of the headteacher, and they appreciate the improvements that have been made since the last inspection.
• The local authority demonstrates a good working knowledge of the school’s improvements. Its support is effective. An external review of the pupil premium was thorough and informative, as was the review of governance.
• The support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is effective. The support and provision for these pupils ensure that the progress they make is both rapid and sustained. As a result, they are thriving and catching up with their peers.
• Leaders have developed a clear system for recording and analysing pupils’ progress. They understand this system well. However, leaders are in the early stages of sharing this information with class teachers. Consequently, teachers are not fully aware of pupils’ starting points.

Governance

• Governance of the school is good.
• Governance has improved greatly since the last inspection. Governors responded positively to the recommendations contained within the external review and they now have the skills and information to hold school leaders to account. Governors have attended relevant training, for example on interpreting school achievement data, so they are able to scrutinise in depth the better-quality information they now receive from both senior and subject leaders.
• Governors demonstrate a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They ask informed questions and follow them up. They have ensured that all their statutory duties are met.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Up-to-date policies and procedures are in place and staff have received appropriate training and information. Consequently, staff know what to do if they have any concerns about a child’s well-being and prompt action is taken to keep children safe.
• Records are well kept and are stored securely. Leaders work well with outside agencies when required. With a high proportion of vulnerable children in the school, it has a strong culture of keeping children safe.
• Weekly meetings are held between the leader for inclusion, the learning mentor and the headteacher. Actions are agreed and immediately put into effect. No stone is left unturned when it comes to supporting vulnerable pupils and their families.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is good. There is clear evidence of some high-quality teaching, learning and assessment in school. This is particularly evident in Reception and Years 2, 5 and 6 where pupils make good progress across a range of subjects.
• Teachers are now honing their ability to analyse pupil information effectively to inform their day-to-day planning. Teaching is usually effectively planned and deepens pupils’ knowledge and understanding. Teachers use effective questioning and have secure subject knowledge. Lessons offer appropriate levels of challenge so that pupils make good progress.
• Time in lessons is used productively because pupils are keen to learn. Pupils work extremely well with staff and their classmates and want to do well. All teachers have taken part in a drive to improve pupils’ attitudes to learning, and inspectors saw the impact of this.
• Staff encourage pupils to help each other, and to become more independent learners. One pupil said, ‘We only ask the teacher as a last resort!’ Pupils who show strengths in their learning of reading, writing or mathematics are appointed by their teachers to be ‘lead learners’. Their support has been found to be a very effective strategy to improve other pupils’ understanding. Pupils respond well to the input from their peers. Generally, however, pupils are not strong at reflecting on the quality of their own work and making changes to improve it.
• Teaching assistants support learning effectively. They are deployed well to work with different pupils at appropriate times. Leaders recognise that where knowledge of phonics and English grammar is weaker, staff may require further training.
• Staff know pupils very well and demonstrate a full understanding of their social, emotional and learning needs. Staff are quick to seek external support if it is appropriate.
• Information is regularly shared with parents. It gives them an indication of how their children are doing in relation to the standards expected of them.
• Staff develop pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills effectively. Most staff model the use of good English, and pupils are encouraged to respond to tasks using appropriate language, orally and in their written work. Opportunities for writing across a range of subjects abound as seen in the topic-based books.
• Pupils read a range of texts to improve their knowledge, understanding and skills. Many read for pleasure, and rejoice in the wider range of books now available to them in the newly developed library areas. As the teaching of phonics is improving, weaker readers are increasingly able to work out tricky words. The most able readers occasionally flounder when asked for the specific meaning of a passage or phrase in the book they are reading.
• The new assessment system, which helps to inform teachers’ planning, is not fully understood by all teachers. As a result, some teachers are not able to plan activities which build closely enough on pupils’ prior learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is very good. Pupils are confident learners and their physical and emotional well-being is promoted very effectively.
• Pupils feel safe at this school. They are well cared for and staff have a very good understanding of the needs of each pupil. This is particularly true of the staff who teach a small group of very vulnerable pupils with complex emotional needs in the ‘Small learning community’ (SLC). Staff are so attuned to the needs of the pupils that they often defuse behaviour problems before they have time to escalate or affect pupils’ learning. After a period spent in this learning environment, many pupils are successfully reintegrated back into mainstream classes where they go on to flourish. The SLC is a real feather in the cap of the school.
• The large majority of pupils take pride in their school and their schoolwork. Books are well looked after and most pupils take great care with their presentation. They are keen to improve the quality of what they produce, and strive for the recognition that their good work brings.
• All parents, staff and pupils who made their views known to inspectors said that pupils are safe in school. They are taught to stay safe through a range of age-appropriate activities. Pupils have a secure knowledge of how to stay safe using the internet, road safety and ‘stranger danger’.
• Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying and know about the impact that it can have on people. They appreciate that behaviour in the school is much better and are confident that staff would help them to resolve any problems if they arose.
• ‘Messy Church’ is a monthly event which gives parents, governors, pupils and teachers an opportunity to get together on an informal basis. Over 200 people join together to do arts and crafts, celebrate religious festivals and share a bite to eat. Parents and teachers who talked to inspectors said that this activity brings the local community together.
• Pupils who are elected to be prefects, lead learners or on the school or sports councils all play an important role in improving the school experience for all pupils. Whether it is helping friends to resolve a disagreement, choosing prizes for improved attendance or helping a friend to solve a problem in mathematics, they all feel as though their contributions are valued and appreciated by school leaders. A democratic approach is used to choose play leaders who have to undergo an interview before being appointed.
• Pupils have a good grasp of British values such as tolerance, respect, the rule of law, individual liberty and democracy. However, although they are tolerant and respectful of others, their understanding of the multicultural aspects of Britain is not yet fully developed. School leaders are aware that action needs to be taken to address this to ensure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• School leaders give safety in school a high priority. The site is secure and robust arrangements to check the identity of visitors are in place. Pupils who attend the before- and after-school clubs are safe and well looked after.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. They are kind, considerate, respectful and polite.
• Pupils’ behaviour inside and outside the classroom is of a high standard and has improved significantly in recent years. The start of the day is calm and orderly. Most pupils are punctual and well prepared for learning. During social time, pupils play sensibly together and behaviour observed by inspectors at break and lunchtime was sensible and positive.
• In lessons, pupils listen carefully to staff and to each other and display self-discipline when working independently, particularly in the company of the lead learners. Inspectors saw very little disruption to learning when visiting classrooms.
• Staff have had appropriate training in behaviour management techniques. Pupils understand the behaviour and rewards systems, which are used consistently. Pupils value the fact that good behaviour is rewarded.
• Persistent absence is declining. There was a spate of pupils moving out of the area without registering for another school for several weeks. This meant that persistent absence figures appeared worse than the reality.
• Attendance has improved. Most pupils now have excellent attendance and school staff work well with pupils, families and outside agencies to improve the attendance of individuals. Because of these successful strategies, many of the pupils with higher absence rates have improved their attendance.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Outcomes have improved since the last inspection. Most pupils currently in the school are making good progress in a range of subjects in nearly all classes. Pupils are developing secure knowledge, understanding and skills from their starting points.
• Current performance information presented by the school is demonstrating a very pleasing picture.
• Leaders have developed the teaching of phonics through effective professional support. As a result, a large majority of pupils in Year 1 are on track to achieve the expected standard in the national phonics screening check, despite the growing numbers of pupils who speak English as an additional language.
• In most subject areas, increasing numbers of disadvantaged pupils are now making progress that is at least in line with that of other pupils with the same starting points.
• Where attainment has been low, current progress information shows that there is consistent improvement towards reaching the expected standards by the end of each key stage in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Progress is particularly rapid in Years 2, 5 and 6 in most aspects of mathematics and English. Leaders have recognised shortcomings in pupils’ writing, grammar, punctuation and spelling and these are a focus for improvement.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities also make accelerated progress from their starting points in the school. A whole-school focus on reading ensures that those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities now make good progress that is in line with writing and mathematics.
• Outcomes for the most able pupils continue to improve. At the same time, the difference between the progress made by the most able disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally with the same starting points continues to diminish. That said, improving outcomes for both the most able and the most able disadvantaged pupils remains a key focus for the school.
• Pupils’ good achievement and strong personal development ensure that they are well prepared for their next stage in education.

Early years provision Good

• In 2014, many children entered and left Reception with skills that were below those typical for their age. This is not now the case. Higher expectations of leaders ensure that increasing numbers of children develop the skills they require to be successful learners in the early years setting and gaps in learning have been filled.
• Tracking systems are rigorous and robust showing that most children are now on track to reach the expected standard in reading and number. However, the indoor and outdoor provision does not yet provide children with enough opportunities for writing.
• The teaching of phonics is improving year on year so that many more children are on track to access the Year 1 curriculum. Children are organised into groups according to ability, which ensures that children make more rapid progress from their starting points. An example of this is a ‘mystery box’ containing new words that intrigue and delight children who decode many of them with enthusiasm and persistence.
• Teachers and other professionals look at children’s individual strengths and aspects requiring development thoroughly to ensure that activities meet their needs. An example of this is the targeted support in place for children who require additional help in speech and language and social and emotional development.
• The inspiring, topic-based curriculum engages both boys and girls. As a result, both groups currently make equally good progress across a range of subjects.
• Children behave extremely well in the early years provision. They listen carefully and respond quickly to instructions. They are respectful of staff, property and other children and they work well together. There is a happy balance between adult-directed and child-led learning that ensures that children stay actively engaged in the wide range of activities on offer.
• Safeguarding in the early years is effective and statutory requirements are met.
• Links with parents are strong. In the Nursery, children’s work is displayed with overlays to demonstrate the progress that children are making. In Reception, floor books also provide a particularly good example of children’s achievements.
• ‘Stay and play’ attracts a lot of parents. They appreciate the warm welcome and useful advice provided by teachers on how they can support their children with reading, writing and number activities at home.
• Transition into Year 1 is very good. Bridging activities are in place where teachers acquire in-depth knowledge about individual children. Consequently, teachers are ready to give extra help to children as soon as they start.
• Disadvantaged children are supported effectively and their learning is well planned. Consequently, they make rapid progress and are catching up to achieve what is expected for their age group.
• In outdoor areas, children grow plants, which helps them to understand the natural environment.
• The provision for two-year-old children meets their needs well. Adults model language effectively and they interact with the children well. This results in plenty of opportunities for informal observations and formal tracking of the children’s progress.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 135841 Wigan 10032186 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 2 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 429 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mrs M Hughes Mrs W S Cathie 01942 671 442 www.leighsaintpeters.wigan.sch.uk enquiries@admin.leighsaintpeters.wigan.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 12 March 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is a larger than average-sized primary school following the amalgamation of the local infant and junior schools four years ago.
• Children from the early years upwards are taught in two classes through to Year 6. Those pupils with complex special needs are accommodated in the provision called the ‘Small learning community’ (SLC) and, when possible, are reintegrated back into mainstream classes.
• Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. However, there are increasing numbers of pupils who speak English as an additional language.
• The school has a higher than average proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged.
• The school has a higher than average proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities in each year group. Some have complex special educational needs.
• The school currently has 11 children who are looked after.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• A provision for two-year-olds operates on the school site. The provision is managed by the governing body and was observed as part of this inspection.
• A before-school club operates on the school site. This provision is managed by the governing body and was also observed as part of this inspection.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 33 parts of lessons, nine of which were short visits with the headteacher and members of her leadership team.
• Members of the inspection team met with pupils and heard a small number of pupils read. They looked at examples of pupils’ work in their books and spoke to some pupils informally.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, other leaders and members of staff.
• The lead inspector met with the chair and four other governors from the governing body, a representative of the local authority and a parent.
• The opinions of parents were considered through the 14 responses on Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and conversations with parents during the inspection. Pupil and parent surveys carried out by the school were also scrutinised.
• Inspectors visited the before-school club and provision for two-year-olds.
• Various school documents were scrutinised, including the school’s self-evaluation, development plans, information about managing teachers’ performance and staff training records. Minutes of meetings of the governing body and information about behaviour, attendance and safeguarding were also analysed.
• The lead inspector carried out detailed scrutiny of current progress and attainment information for all groups of pupils in line with key lines of enquiry.

Inspection team

Maggie Parker, lead inspector Joan Williamson Doreen Davenport

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector