Ingleton Middle School
Inspection report
Unique Reference Number	121686
Local Authority	North Yorkshire
Inspection number	301978
Inspection dates	7 - 8 November 2007
Reporting inspector	Christopher Keeler, HMI
This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.
Type of school	Secondary
School category	Community
Age range of pupils	10 - 13
Gender of pupils	Mixed
Number on roll	148
Appropriate authority	The governing body
Chair	Keith Bradshaw
Headteacher	Mrs Mary Parker
Date of previous school inspection	September 2003
School address	Ingleton Carnforth Lancashire LA6 3BU
Telephone number	01524 241301
Fax number	01524 241301

© Crown copyright 2007
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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two of Her Majesty's Inspectors.

 

Description of the school

Ingleton Middle School is smaller than most middle schools and serves an area comprising of several rural communities. Pupils' attainment on entry is broadly average when they start school, two terms before they take the national Key Stage 2 tests. They leave the school two terms before they take the national Key Stage 3 tests. All pupils are of White British heritage. The number of pupils eligible to receive free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities is below average. The school has received the Healthy Schools and Sportsmark awards.

 

Key for inspection grades

Grade 1     Outstanding
Grade 2     Good
Grade 3     Satisfactory
Grade 4     Inadequate

 

Overall effectiveness of the school:-  Grade: 2

Ingleton Middle School is a good school. It is a very caring community that has high expectations of pupils in terms of their personal development and academic progress. As a consequence, pupils leave school as well rounded, confident young individuals. The school has improved since the previous inspection with regard to the standards attained by pupils at the end of Year 6 and Year 8 and also in terms of the overall quality of care, guidance and support. This has been brought about by focussed and determined leadership of the headteacher and the senior leadership team.

Pupils commence school two terms before they take the end of Year 6 national tests. They make good progress in this short time and attain standards that are higher than the national average in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. As pupils move through Years 7 and 8 they continue to make good progress and this is reflected in the good standards they attain in the core subjects. This leaves them well placed to exceed the expected levels in the national Key Stage 3 tests, which they take shortly after starting at their next school. Even though they make good progress, boys do not do as well as girls, particularly in English. Good progress is also made by pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, due to early intervention and good support from teaching assistants.

Pupils make good progress as a result of good teaching and a learning environment that encourages positive attitudes and good working habits. Relationships between all staff and pupils are good. Good teaching is underpinned by good subject knowledge, high expectations, interesting activities that sustain pupils' interest and a dialogue between the teacher and pupils that is both challenging and encouraging. Although not the norm, occasionally, teachers' planning is insufficiently detailed and the learning needs of some pupils are not met as effectively as they could be. The curriculum is broad and balanced and meets the needs of all learners. There is a strong focus on developing the basic skills. However, there are insufficient planned opportunities for pupils to apply these skills in other subjects. A particular noteworthy feature is the range of enrichment activities that promote the acquisition of skills and support pupils' social and emotional development.

The good behaviour exhibited by pupils during lessons and in the playground is a feature of this school. This has not happened by chance and reflects the determination of the school leadership to promote positive attitudes and good conduct. This policy is having a beneficial effect on pupils learning and is in turn impacting positively on pupils' progress. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. Responsibility is encouraged, for example, through the work of the school council. Pupils develop a sense of pride when representing the school, house and form in a range of sporting activities and this helps to promote a strong sense of community. The quality of care, guidance and support is good and reflects the concern for the individual shown by staff. Tracking systems are established to monitor pupils' progress and intervention programmes are put into place to help those pupils who require additional support.

The headteacher provides clear educational direction and is aware of the future needs of the school. The impact of the school leadership is evident in the way that standards have been improved since the previous inspection. Subject leaders in the core subjects, while having an overview of the curriculum, are not involved enough in monitoring the implementation and impact of agreed policies relating to teaching and learning. The governing body is very supportive of the school and the headteacher in particular. The headteacher keeps the governors informed of progress in relation to initiatives contained in the school development plan and they have a good appreciation of the school's strengths as well as the aspects requiring further development. They are developing their ability to ask questions of the headteacher in their role as critical friends. The school has good capacity to improve and demonstrates good value for money.

 What the school should do to improve further

- Raise the attainment of boys in English.
- Develop the role of subject leaders so that they are able to monitor the implementation and impact of agreed policies.
- Ensure that pupils have planned opportunities to apply basic skills in other subjects.

 

Achievement and standards:- Grade: 2

Achievement and standards are good overall. Standards on entry to the school are broadly average, except in mathematics, where they are below average. In the two terms leading up to the Year 6 national tests, pupils make good progress in English, mathematics and science and attain standards that are above the national average. In 2007, results in English were particularly good with a significant number of pupils attaining the higher Level 5. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 7 and 8 so that by the time they leave, standards are above the national average in all of these subjects. This has been a feature of the school for the last three years and represents good progress. Pupils are well on track to exceed expected levels when they complete end of Year 9 national tests. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because of the well-planned additional support that they receive from teaching assistants. Although all pupils make good progress, girls make better progress and reach higher standards than boys, particularly in English.

 

Personal development and well-being:- Grade: 2

The behaviour of pupils is good during lessons and in the playground. They are courteous, polite and engage well with adults, often displaying a maturity beyond their years. During lessons pupils demonstrate good working habits, listen to their teachers and respond enthusiastically to questioning. The positive attitude shown by pupils is one of the reasons why they make good progress. Pupils enjoy school and enjoy good relationships with their teachers. They say that incidents of bullying are rare and are dealt with quickly and firmly. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. The school is aware that the cultural element could be extended to develop pupils' awareness of what it means to live in a multiracial society. The school council is effective in articulating pupils' views and is providing good opportunities for them to learn about the democratic process, the importance of teamwork and respect for different points of view. Pupils have influenced improvements to the school environment, including the resurfacing of the school playground and the provision for bicycle parking. This has helped to endorse a sense of belonging to the school community. Pupils feel safe and are knowledgeable with regards to what constitutes a healthy lifestyle. They are keen to participate in physical activities, particularly team games, and are proud to represent their school, house and form in competitive matches. Enrichment activities enable pupils to develop artistic, creative and sporting talents which allow them to realise personal goals and a sense of achievement.

 

Quality of provision

Teaching and learning:- Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. This is why pupils make good progress and attain high standards. Pupils contribute to the effectiveness of lessons because they have good attitudes to learning and they behave well. Teachers have good subject knowledge and use it effectively, particularly when explaining key points. Teachers use probing questioning well, allowing pupils to think and organise their thoughts. This helps pupils to clarify their understanding and extend their learning. Interactive whiteboards are well used as a teaching aid to engage and motivate pupils. Interesting activities are well thought out, effectively matched to pupils learning needs and sustain their interests. In most lessons the good atmosphere for learning is enhanced by interesting and stimulating wall displays that effectively support and reinforce prior learning. Teaching assistants are used well to give good support to individual pupils who, as a consequence, make good progress. When teaching is satisfactory it is because the planning and teaching is unclear. As a result, some pupils are not extended as much as they could be.

 

Curriculum and other activities:- Grade: 2

The good curriculum is broad and balanced, meets statutory requirements and effectively meets the needs of all pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Emphasis is placed on the development of basic skills, which results in pupils making good progress and attaining high standards. However, the school is conscious of the need to ensure that literacy and numeracy skills are applied in other subjects and are working towards this end. The pupils' learning is effectively enhanced by excursions to places of interest that are relevant to their studies. Residential visits to Grasmere and East Barnby enable pupils to experience a range of outdoor activities that help to foster personal qualities such as determination, independence and teamwork. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 benefit from an exchange programme whereby they can experience a different culture as well as improving their French. An extensive programme of enrichment is a particularly strong feature of the school and all pupils are able to acquire new skills in art and craft, creative and sporting activities. This broad curriculum allows pupils to acquire intellectual, social and emotional skills that prepare them well for the next stage of education. This, together with their acquisition of good literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills puts them in a strong position to equip them for the world of work.

 

Care, guidance and support:- Grade: 2

The school evaluates this element as good and states, "Concern for the individual is at the centre of our philosophy." Inspection evidence confirms this. Good arrangements for care and guidance, coupled with pupils' very good attitudes to learning are responsible for creating a harmonious and very well ordered school community. Staff know pupils well and show them great respect. This is valued by parents and pupils and is shown by a typical comment from a parent, "This school cares for the whole child..." Pupils feel safe and secure in school and can always find someone to talk to.

Transition arrangements for pupils joining in Year 6 are effective and ensure that pupils settle quickly and this enables them to make good progress. Pupils feel that they are well prepared for moving on to the next stage of their education. Procedures for protecting and safeguarding pupils are in place.

Regular assessments and detailed tracking of progress allows the school to identify early any pupils who are not making the expected progress. This ensures that pupils who require further support get appropriate help. Small group teaching is very effective in creating a positive learning climate where pupils experiencing reading difficulties are nurtured and encouraged to, 'have a go'. This raises pupils' confidence and self-esteem. Pupils are set targets to improve their levels of understanding. Teachers' marking generally indicates how pupils can improve their work, but this practice is not consistent throughout the school.

 

Leadership and management:- Grade: 2

The school has improved since the previous inspection as a result of effective leadership. The rate of pupils' progress and the standards achieved in English, mathematics and science at the end of Year 6 have improved significantly and are now above the national average. A similar picture is emerging in Years 7 and 8 and pupils are on track to exceed national averages in all core subjects by the end of Key Stage 3. This has been achieved as a result of determined and focussed leadership by the senior leadership team that has impacted positively on standards of teaching and learning. The headteacher leads by example and successfully combines a regular teaching commitment with the organisation and management of the school. She maintains a high profile around the school and is well respected by staff and pupils. The school improvement plan reflects the leadership's desire to raise standards further and, as such, is a useful vehicle for bringing about change. The senior leadership team, for example, are conscious of the need to extend the monitoring of teaching and learning to ensure that standards are being maintained. Subject leaders have a good overview of their area of responsibility in terms of pupils' strengths and weaknesses, but are not sufficiently involved in monitoring the implementation of agreed practice throughout the school. This leads to inconsistent practice, for example, in lesson planning and the provision of opportunities for pupils to apply basic literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. Governors are very supportive of the school. They are kept informed of developments with regard to the organisation and management of the school and therefore have a good understanding of current and future needs. They acknowledge that they are developing the ability to challenge the headteacher as part of their monitoring role.

 

Any complaints about the inspection or the report should be made following the procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

Annex A

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners?	2
Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection	Yes
How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being?	2
The capacity to make any necessary improvements	2

  

Achievement and standards

How well do learners achieve?	2
The standards (1) reached by learners	2
How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners	2
How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress	2

 
(1) Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low

 

Personal development and well-being

How good is the overall personal development and well-being of the learners?	2
The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development	2
The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles	2
The extent to which learners adopt safe practices	2
How well learners enjoy their education	2
The attendance of learners	2
The behaviour of learners	2
The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community	2
How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being	2

 

The quality of provision

How effective are teaching and learning in meeting the full range of learners' needs?	2
How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners?	2
How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?	2

 

Leadership and management

How effective are leadership and management in raising achievement and supporting all learners?	2
How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education	3
How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards	2
The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation	2
How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can	2
How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money	2
The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities	2
Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements?	Yes
Does this school require special measures?	No
Does this school require a notice to improve?	No

 

Annex B

 
 

11 November 2007
 

Dear Pupils

 

Inspection of Ingleton Middle School, Lancashire LA6 3BU

Thank you for the warm welcome you gave to us when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you and watching you work during lessons. I would particularly like to extend my thanks to the school council who answered my questions in a very mature and sensible way. I was very impressed.

We spent a lot of time finding out how well you learn, looking at your work and talking to your headteacher and school staff. You told us that you believe that Ingleton Middle School is a good school and we agree.

These are some of the things that we liked.
- The good progress you are making and the standards you are reaching in English, mathematics and science.
- The teaching you receive is generally good and this helps you to understand what you are doing.
- You get on well with all staff and enjoy sharing a joke together.
- Your behaviour. This is good, during lessons and in the playground.
- Your headteacher leads the school well and all teachers care for each and every one of you.

To help your school to improve further, we have asked your headteacher and other staff to:
- improve the performance of boys, especially in English
- make sure that you apply what you have learned in English and mathematics to other subjects
- make sure that teachers in charge of English, mathematics and science go into your lessons to see what is going on and how to improve them.

 

Yours sincerely
C Keeler
Her Majesty's Inspector of Schools