Barnoldswick Church of England Controlled Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are greeted warmly by their teachers as they arrive each morning. The school is a happy, calm and friendly place to be. All are welcome.

New pupils, for example those from overseas, settle quickly and make new friends.

Leaders are determined that all pupils will succeed, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils live up to their teachers' high expectations.

They enjoy their learning and achieve well.

Pupils love spending time in the beautiful and well-equipped outdoor areas. There are plenty of activities for pupils to enjoy.

Pupils love walking and playing with the school's dog, Wilson. If they... choose, pupils can find quiet, restful places to relax, including the school's lunchtime Calm Club.

Pupils are polite and welcoming to visitors.

In lessons, pupils listen respectfully to their teachers and to each other. They are enthusiastic learners, keen to try their best.

Pupils feel safe in school.

They use their class 'worry monsters' to share any concerns with their teachers. Pupils are confident that leaders would be swift to deal with any incidents of bullying should they occur.

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

Leaders have planned a broad, interesting curriculum which pupils enjoy.

In most subjects, subject leaders have given careful thought to what knowledge pupils need to acquire and the order in which pupils should build this knowledge. For example, in writing, leaders have considered how pupils should develop their knowledge of grammar and punctuation as they progress through the school. In a few subjects, leaders have not fully identified the most important learning that pupils need to acquire.

In these subjects, leaders have not set out with clarity the steps in learning that pupils should make to secure their knowledge of the curriculum, starting from the early years.

In lessons, teachers make regular checks on how well pupils are learning. Staff are skilled in providing effective and quick support to help any pupils falling behind to catch up.

Subject leaders have benefited from the range of training that leaders provide to develop their expertise. They provide useful support for colleagues in teaching the curriculum. Subject leaders make regular checks to ensure that pupils are learning well.

However, in a small number of subjects, the checks that subject leaders make do not focus sharply enough on how well pupils learn the most important aspects of the curriculum.Leaders have placed reading at the heart of the school's curriculum. Children begin learning phonics at the start of the Reception Year.

Staff have regular training, which ensures that they have the expertise to support pupils well in their phonics learning. Leaders have invested in new reading books and ensure that these are closely matched to the phonics that pupils are learning. Those pupils falling behind in learning phonics are heard read very regularly by staff in school.

Regular support helps these pupils to catch up with their peers and develop fluency in reading.

Teachers provide pupils with plenty of opportunities to read and enjoy a diverse range of books and stories. This begins in the Reception Year, where children enjoy sharing stories and rhymes with their teachers.

Pupils develop as keen and enthusiastic readers. They read widely, with confidence and for pleasure.

Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and accurately by leaders.

These pupils benefit from a wide range of carefully planned support provided by well-trained staff. This enables these pupils to access the same curriculum as their peers, where possible. Pupils with SEND are fully involved in all aspects of school life.

This is because leaders go the extra mile in removing barriers and supporting pupils to enjoy a wide range of experiences.

Staff provide a wide range of exciting and interesting experiences to develop all pupils personally. For example, pupils love their time spent in the school's Wild Woods, where they play, explore and develop a love of the outdoors.

Pupils have a keen understanding of diversity and the importance of respecting differences. They visit different places of worship, such as temples and mosques. Pupils embrace the wide range of leadership opportunities, such as the school council and mental health ambassadors.

They value the many extra-curricular opportunities that their teachers provide for them.

In lessons, pupils behave well. This starts in the Reception Year, where children listen play and work cooperatively and with sustained concentration.

Where pupils need extra support, for example to develop their social skills, leaders provide effective help.

Governors know the school very well. They make detailed checks on the effectiveness of the school's curriculum.

Governors provide leaders with an appropriate balance of challenge and support.

The cheerful and enthusiastic school staff feel valued by governors and leaders. They appreciate leaders' efforts to consider their well-being and workload when making decisions.

Leaders provide staff with regular training to develop their knowledge and expertise.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff have regular safeguarding training.

This means that staff are alert to possible signs of abuse. They report any concerns to leaders quickly.

Leaders work closely with a range of external agencies to protect pupils.

Leaders make sure that pupils and their families get the support that they need.

Through the curriculum, pupils find out about a range of situations which may lead to harm. For example, pupils know how to stay safe when working online.

Pupils know that they should speak to a trusted adult if the actions of others make them feel uncomfortable or unsafe

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the structure of the curriculum lacks some detail. Leaders should ensure that in these subjects, subject leaders develop their curriculum thinking and identify the important knowledge that pupils need to secure before moving on to new learning. Subject leaders should check that, in all subjects, pupils build their learning in a logical way, starting in the early years.

• In some subjects, when monitoring the impact of the curriculum, subject leaders do not focus sharply enough on how well pupils are learning important subject content. This means that leaders sometimes lack a detailed understanding about how well pupils are learning key knowledge. Subject leaders should ensure that they keep a sharp focus on how well teachers are delivering important aspects of the curriculum and how well pupils are remembering these important aspects.

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