Peel Hall Primary School
Greencourt Drive
Worsley
Manchester
M380BZ

Phone:0161 7904641
Headteacher: Mrs G Dunkley

249 pupils, Mixed

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

© Crown copyright 2009

Website: ofsted.gov.uk

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

Description of the school

This average-sized school serves an area of significant social and economic disadvantage. Eligibility for free school meals is very much higher than usual. The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. A small number of pupils are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well above average. The percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational need is below average. Full-time provision is made for children in Nursery and Reception classes in an Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) unit. There is a breakfast club before the school day begins and an after- school club, both of which are led by the learning mentor and overseen by the school's governing body.

Key for inspection grades

This is a good school with outstanding features. Staff have worked very hard to make significant improvements since the previous inspection. Outstanding personal development and well-being, and excellent care, guidance and support are at the heart of this improvement. Excellent direction by the headteacher, school leadership team and governing body has driven these developments. Pupils clearly enjoy their time in school and the vast majority of parents are happy with the school and are wholly supportive of it. A typical comment from parents was, 'Our children enjoy going to school, are happy to go and smile when they finish school; they enjoy the subjects and work to their best.'

Good relationships between staff and pupils encourage pupils to have good attitudes to their work and ensure real gains in their learning. Throughout the school, pupils achieve well. Children make good progress in the EYFS and this provides them with a secure grounding for later learning. Many children start with levels of skill that are much lower than is typical for their age. They make good progress in each key stage as they move through the school, and reach broadly average standards by the end of Year 6 in the basic skills of English, mathematics and science. Pupils with particular learning difficulties and/or disabilities, and the small number of pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress in their learning as a result of the good quality support they receive. Some of the more able pupils do not always make as much progress as they should. The school has maintained and developed the excellent programme of life skills for older pupils in Key Stage 2 which was highlighted when the school was last inspected. The school works outstandingly well in partnership with its community and other agencies to support this work.

The quality of teaching is good and impacts well on the progress made by the pupils. The school is also engaged in some positive developments in its curriculum provision. Whilst concentrating well on the development of pupils' basic skills, the school has reviewed the teaching of other subjects and this is proving to be purposeful in engaging pupils' interests very strongly. Current provision is good. The good range of extra-curricular activities support pupils' healthy lifestyles and range of interests well. While pupils are developing adequate skills in information and communication technology (ICT), there are currently insufficient opportunities for them to use these developing skills across a wide enough range of subjects.

The school demonstrates a good capacity to continue to improve because of its good overall leadership. Staff work well as a team and the very well informed governing body is much involved in school matters. The school provides good value for money.

Children enter the Nursery with very low age-related skills. This is especially so in aspects of communication, personal and social skills, and mathematical development where many fail to score at all on the school's initial assessments. They make good progress and achieve well in the Nursery and Reception and enter Year 1 with skills which remain well below those expected for their age. Teaching is good throughout the EYFS unit. Good induction procedures ensure that children settle happily into school routines and there is a good focus on developing independence in children's learning. They are cared for well in a rich, vibrant learning environment, where they behave well and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. There is a good and consistent emphasis on the development of children's speaking and listening skills and many opportunities are available for children to develop an early understanding of writing and number work. Planning systems are good. Children enjoy varied practical activities which are structured well to cater for their widely differing needs, both within the building and in the extensive and well developed outdoor facilities to which the children have continuous access. Assessment systems are straightforward and of good quality. The leadership of the EYFS Unit, which has been established from the start of the current school year, is good. The management of the learning environment is developing well as the new EYFS systems are becoming established.

What the school should do to improve further

• Accelerate the progress of more able pupils across the school.
• Create more opportunities for pupils to develop their ICT skills across the curriculum.

Pupils enter Year 1 with standards well below average for their age. They make good progress in relation to their prior attainment but reach below average standards by the end of Year 2 in the basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics. In Years 3 to 6 pupils' good achievement is maintained and a significant number reach broadly average standards by the time they reach the end of Year 6, although relatively few achieve the higher levels. Overall, this represents good achievement over time for all the pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and the small number of pupils who speak English as an additional language. Pupils are very well supported in their learning and respond positively to the good teaching and high quality assistance which underpins this sustained good achievement. The school sets targets realistically and pupils work hard to achieve them.

Pupils' personal development is excellent and the school promotes their well-being extremely well. Throughout the school, pupils thoroughly enjoy their work and activities. Year 6 pupils exemplify these aspects in their description of work undertaken on the Second World War. They confidently explain what they have done in school and at home. Their activities reflect how well pupils are prepared for the next stage of their education, and, in their work on life skills, for their future working lives. Pupils' behaviour is good so lessons and other activities run smoothly. They very actively take on the school's messages about living healthy lifestyles and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They understand and can explain the difference between right and wrong and they work and play together very successfully. In these circumstances, pupils make an outstanding contribution to the school and wider community, complemented by their willing involvement as playground helpers and members of the school council. The school has worked tirelessly to improve attendance, which remains stubbornly average, largely because of a very small number of pupils whose attendance is poor. Central to this sterling effort for improvement is the learning mentor, whose contribution to the school, its pupils and their families, is outstanding. In addition to supervising the good quality before and after school arrangements, she is particularly active in the local community, supporting parents and children.

The quality of teaching and learning is good overall and is sometimes outstanding. Lessons are well planned, have a brisk pace and are clearly aimed at meeting the needs of different groups of pupils. There are some lessons, however, which do not always fully extend the more able pupils. Classroom management is good. Teachers' expectations of what pupils can achieve are clearly identified and in the best lessons key features are highlighted, which enable pupils to know that their learning is successful. Pupils who need more support with their learning are very well served by experienced and knowledgeable teaching assistants who work alongside teachers both in the classroom and, when necessary, in small withdrawal groups. Teachers in training, those who are at the beginning of their career, or who are new to the school, are offered good support from more experienced staff.

The school provides a broad and balanced curriculum of good quality. There is a strong focus to developing pupils' basic skills, with a particular emphasis on their speaking and listening skills. Pupils' interests and enthusiasm are generated well through a good range of interesting activities. This is seen especially in the 'life skills' activities older pupils undertake and speak about with much enthusiasm. A wide range of visits and visitors and an appropriate range of extra-curricular activities enhance the curriculum. Recent school developments in encouraging pupils to link their developing knowledge of different subjects are very purposeful. Pupils respond to this well and are keen to demonstrate their newly acquired knowledge and understanding. This good overall provision, much of which is relatively new, is well placed to develop further. However, pupils do not currently have sufficient opportunities to use their developing ICT skills across the curriculum.

The school's care, guidance and support for its pupils are outstanding. All the required safeguarding, health and safety and child protection procedures are in place and meet current guidelines. Staff are vigilant in ensuring that pupils are safe and that they understand the importance of behaving safely. All staff are fully aware of child protection guidance and of the potential needs of vulnerable pupils. Early identification of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities leads to prompt and focused support to help them make good progress. Detailed records of pupils' progress are used very well to identify groups or individuals needing specifically focused intervention in their learning. The marking of pupils' work is regular and detailed enabling pupils to have a clear idea of how to improve their work and take their learning forward.

Leadership and management are good with some outstanding features. The headteacher sets a very clear direction for the school, with a strong focus on promoting improvement whilst maintaining particularly effective procedures for promoting pupils' care and welfare. The senior leadership team has a very clear vision of the school and of the direction in which it needs to go. Together with governors they make an outstanding contribution to school development. The analysis of the school's strengths and areas for improvement is accurate; detailed data analysis, monitoring and well targeted training, are contributing well to the school's improvement. The leadership has good procedures to set challenging targets to raise standards, but some of the more able pupils do not always reach them. The school is good at promoting equal opportunities for all its pupils. Under the direction of an astute chairman, the governors have a good overview of the school. With the support of the local authority they have been actively engaged in the development of the school's good community cohesion provision. An audit of school provision has been carried out, a good quality policy is in place and links are being forged within the community locally, nationally and internationally. Governors are very well informed and hold the school to account with rigour.

Overall effectiveness

Effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage

Achievement and standards

Personal development and well-being

The quality of provision

Leadership and management

Annex B

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

My colleague and I really enjoyed our recent inspection of your school. Thank you very much for your very warm welcome and for looking after us so well. You were very helpful in lessons when we asked you to explain what you were doing and also very friendly around the school. Particular thanks should go to everyone who spoke with us, helping us to understand why you enjoy your school so much.

Peel Hall Primary School is a good school, with some outstanding features. The staff care for you all particularly well and we think that the arrangements made for your personal welfare are outstanding. There are also some very pleasing aspects to the way your school is led and managed. We saw a lot of good teaching. We liked the way you link your subjects together, as Year 6 have done with their work on the Second World War. I shall remember particularly well the film Year 2 children made about Grace Darling.

When we visit schools we also look for things which we feel will help your school to get even better. We think that whilst most of you are encouraged to do your best work, your teachers could do more to make sure that girls and boys who find learning easy should be given more tasks which will really challenge their thinking and we have also asked your teachers to make sure that you all get more opportunities to use you ICT skills across a wide range of subjects.

Thank you once again for all your help when we made our visit to you. We send you all our very best wishes for the future. We do hope that you continue to enjoy learning as much as you do at the moment.