Foulridge Saint Michael and All Angels CofE Voluntary Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school.

They enjoy their lessons and happily play in the school's extensive grounds. Pupils are confident that everyone is valued and well cared for. They know that adults will help them resolve any worries they may have.

The school has high expectations for what pupils should achieve, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils typically live up to the school's expectations and achieve well across the curriculum.

Pupils behave well.

Children in early years quickly learn the school's expectations and routines. They are supported well by staff to understand how to manage their emotions. P...upils value the reward systems that are in place for recognising positive behaviour.

Pupils have a range of opportunities to broaden their experiences. They have access to a variety of extra-curricular activities. These include sporting, worship and gardening clubs.

Pupils enjoy contributing to school life. For example, they spoke with pride about the foods that they have grown in the school's vegetable patch. Through their roles as play leaders, pupils support each other at lunchtimes and enjoy playing games with each other.

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

Following the last inspection, the school took swift action to strengthen the design and delivery of the curriculum. The broad and ambitious curriculum makes clear what pupils should know in each subject from the early years to Year 6.

The school has focused sharply on improving the knowledge and skills of staff.

This has supported them to be able to carry out their roles effectively and to implement the school's curriculum well. Staff present information clearly and design appropriate activities to teach the intended knowledge. Pupils typically achieve well across a wide range of subjects.

In most subjects, careful checks are made on learning to identify how well pupils understand the knowledge that has been taught. Staff use the information gained from these checks to address any misconceptions and to build on what pupils know. In a small number of subjects, these assessment systems are not as effective.

As a result, in these subjects, the school does not always know how securely pupils are learning the important content of the curriculum.

Reading is prioritised from the start of the Reception class. Children quickly learn sounds and letters and use this knowledge to read words.

Pupils have many opportunities to apply their phonics skills by reading books that are well matched to the sounds that they know. Staff have received training to enable them to skilfully deliver the phonics programme. The school promptly addresses any gaps in pupils' phonics knowledge and ensures that they receive targeted help when needed.

Pupils achieve well in reading.

The additional needs of pupils with SEND are identified accurately and with precision. The school engages with a range of professionals to ensure that the support that is in place for pupils is effective in meeting their needs.

Staff are skilled at making adaptations to the delivery of the curriculum to ensure that pupils with SEND fully access the same curriculum content as their peers. Pupils with SEND typically achieve well from their starting points.

Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning.

They concentrate for extended periods of time and listen carefully to their teachers. Pupils follow the school rules. They walk around school in a sensible manner.

The school offers a broad range of experiences to support pupils' personal development. Pupils develop their talents and interests through accessing a wide range of extra-curricular clubs and activities. They have opportunities to contribute to the wider community and enjoy singing in the choir at the local care home.

Pupils have a secure understanding of how to maintain their physical health. However, some aspects of the school's personal development programme are less well developed. For example, some pupils have a limited understanding of diversity and of fundamental British values, including how these relate to their lives.

This means that some pupils are not always fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

Governors carry out their statutory duties effectively. Since the last inspection, governors have been diligent in holding the school to account for its work to improve the quality of education.

The school has due regard for staff's well-being when making decisions. For example, when changes were made to the curriculum, staff were engaged in the process and any impact on their workload was fully considered.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, assessment systems are less well developed. This makes it difficult for the school to accurately check whether pupils have secured the intended curriculum knowledge in these subjects. The school should ensure that assessment strategies enable staff to precisely identify gaps in pupils' learning so that their knowledge builds securely over time.

• Some aspects of the personal development curriculum are not as well developed as they could be. This means that some pupils have a limited understanding of these aspects of the school's programme for their personal development. The school should ensure that all aspects of the intended personal development curriculum are implemented effectively so that pupils are fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

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