Bacup St Saviour’s Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders and governors have resolutely improved teaching through the appointment of skilled and dedicated teachers who are committed to making the school better.

Good-quality support and training are provided for teachers and learning support assistants. As a result, teaching is strong and pupils' outcomes are good. Leaders have improved the curriculum to make sure that pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain.

Pupils have a good understanding of current affairs and British values. Pupils know how to stay safe and healthy because of the improvements that leaders have made to personal, health and social education. Pupils are exception...ally well cared for.

They are happy, work and play together well, and show respect for each other, staff and visitors. Behaviour is excellent. Pupils enjoy coming to school because they say teachers make learning fun.

Attendance is improving and is above the national average. Persistent absence, particularly for disadvantaged pupils, is reducing because of the decisive action taken by leaders. Parents and carers are very positive in their views.

A significant number move their children to this school during the year. Leaders have worked hard to improve communication with parents and carers. Early years provision is outstanding.

Excellent leadership and strong teaching create a stimulating learning environment so children get off to a good start in all areas of learning. The teaching of phonics is a strength, including in early years, and leads to pupils becoming fluent and enthusiastic readers. Reading, writing and mathematics are consistently strong at key stage 1.

Pupils who started in the school in key stage 1 or earlier go on to make excellent progress by the end of Year 6. Teachers plan effectively to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who make good progress. At times, the work set in mathematics and writing is not sufficiently challenging for the most able pupils, especially at key stage 2.

Mathematics teaching is improving, but pupils' reasoning skills are not strong enough. Middle leaders continue to develop skills in leading their subject. Improvements to history and geography have recently been introduced, but it is too soon to see any impact.

Governors are knowledgeable about the school and skilfully hold leaders to account.

Information about this school

The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school and has one Reception class and three mixed-age classes: one class in key stage 1 and two in key stage 2. The school experiences considerable mobility, with more than a quarter of pupils in each class who have started in the school since Reception.

Early years provision is available for four- and five-year-olds. Children in Reception attend full time. Leaders have plans to expand the early years provision to include a Nursery class for three- and four-year-olds, but this was not in place at the time of the inspection.

The majority of pupils come from a White British background, with a very small number of pupils from other heritages. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language. A higher than average proportion of pupils are disadvantaged.

The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average. The school provides a breakfast club and an after-school club, which are valued by parents. The school receives 'light-touch' support from the local authority, but this includes support from advisers in mathematics, English and science, and for attendance.

The school works collaboratively with three separate clusters of schools in the area to support staff training and development needs. These are the Whitworth Headteacher Cluster, the Rossendale Education Partnership and the Rossendale Sports Partnership. This is a two-way process, with schools both receiving support and providing support to other schools.