Adlington St Paul’s Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school. They enjoy their lessons. Pupils said that their teachers make school a fun place to be.

Teachers are caring and keep pupils safe. Any incidents of bullying are dealt with swiftly by teachers and leaders.

Pupils have plenty of opportunities to shine, particularly in sport and music.

For example, during the inspection, pupils were preparing for an upcoming local cross-country competition.

Leaders have high ambitions for what pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can achieve in their learning. Pupils achieve well across many subjects.

Pupils rise to leaders' high exp...ectations for behaviour. Pupils conduct themselves well throughout the school day. They appreciate the chance to reach 'silver' and 'gold' status through their classroom reward systems that recognise exemplary behaviours.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and those responsible for governance have completely reversed the fortunes of this school. They have raised their ambitions for what pupils, including those with SEND, can achieve in their learning. They have ensured that pupils receive a good quality of education throughout their time at this school.

As a result, pupils now achieve well across many subjects.

Leaders have overhauled the curriculum. They have introduced a new and well-designed curriculum that clearly identifies what pupils will learn in each subject from the early years through to Year 6.

Leaders have clarified the specific knowledge that pupils will learn. Leaders have also provided teachers with guidance on how to deliver the curriculum using the 'St Paul's Way'. This approach gives pupils regular opportunities to revisit and recall the knowledge that they have previously gained.

This helps pupils to remember what they have learned over the long term.

Teachers carry out effective checks on pupils' learning in lessons. They use this information to help pupils overcome any misconceptions.

Leaders use a range of effective strategies to identify pupils with SEND. Teachers adapt their delivery of the curriculum well so that pupils with SEND can access the same ambitious curriculum as their classmates.

Subject leaders carry out some checks on the delivery of the curriculum.

However, leaders are still developing their systems to monitor how well subject curriculums are being implemented. This means that, at times, subject leaders' ability to identify what is going well in their subject is limited. In addition, subject leaders are not fully aware of how they can further help teachers with their delivery of subject content.

Leaders promote a love of reading at the school. They make positive links with local authors who visit the school to read their stories to pupils. Teachers are well trained and deliver the phonics programme consistently well.

Children begin this programme as soon as they start school in the Reception Year. Those pupils who need extra help with their phonics learning receive effective support. This helps pupils to catch up.

Overall, pupils become fluent, confident readers.

In the early years, teachers establish clear routines and focus on developing positive relationships that ensure children learn how to behave appropriately. Across the rest of the school, pupils behave well.

This means that they can learn without disruption. Pupils have a positive attitude to their education. They attend school regularly.

Pupils play well together at social times. They enjoy the friendships that they form with their classmates. However, some of the records that leaders keep in relation to pupils' behaviour are not as robust as they could be.

This limits how well leaders can review the impact of their actions and spot patterns that may emerge.

Leaders help pupils to develop a strong understanding of equality. Pupils talked confidently to inspectors about the differences between people.

Pupils learn about democracy through experiences such as visits to the Town Hall to learn about their local member of Parliament and his current role as speaker of the house. Pupils are well prepared for their move to high school and for their future lives in the modern world.

Those responsible for governance understand their role and they play an active part in the life of the school.

Leaders, including those at trust level, have created a supportive environment for staff to thrive. Staff appreciate the efforts of leaders to support their workload and well-being. This has led to high staff morale.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are well-trained to identify any potential concerns about pupils' welfare. They act on these concerns and record them appropriately.

Leaders take suitable actions to manage these concerns. They work with a range of agencies to ensure that pupils get the help that they need.

Pupils are taught about how to stay safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some subject leaders do not have sufficient oversight of curriculum delivery. This means that they are not fully able to support teachers to further improve their delivery of the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders are equipped to evaluate what is going well and what needs to improve in the subjects that they lead.

• Some of the systems that leaders use to record, report and evaluate behaviour incidents are not as robust as they could be. This means that leaders and governors miss opportunities to identify patterns in pupils' behaviour. Leaders should develop their strategic oversight of pupils' conduct and welfare so that they are well placed to identify and respond to any issues that may arise.

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