Garstang Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, arrive at school happy and ready to learn.

Staff greet them with a welcoming smile and pupils settle to their work quickly and sensibly. Pupils feel safe at school and enjoy the family feeling there.

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

They have designed a curriculum that interests pupils. Pupils achieve well across the curriculum.

Pupils are polite and respectful to each other and adults.

During lessons, pupils behave well and learning takes place without disruption. Pupils enjoy the rewards that they c...an earn for positive behaviour. Pupils get along together well at playtime and they value their friendships with pupils in different year groups.

Pupils are confident that adults would sort out any incidents of bullying. Leaders have appropriate systems to ensure that staff can deal with any incidents of bullying swiftly and effectively.

Pupils take part in charity fundraising events and they understand the value of helping others.

They take on responsibilities through being members of the school council, being buddies to younger pupils and helping with the composting. In the Reception class, children are taught to be helpful safety monitors.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious and interesting curriculum that supports teachers to design learning logically from the Reception class to Year 6.

However, in a small number of subjects, leaders have not finalised the important knowledge that they expect pupils to learn. As a result, some teachers lack enough clarity about the important content that pupils should remember.

Mostly, teachers use their strong subject knowledge to design learning well.

They provide clear explanations for pupils. Added to this, teachers check carefully that pupils have understood earlier learning. Staff are skilled in identifying pupils' misconceptions and adapting their teaching to address any gaps in pupils' knowledge.

Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading. From joining the school in the early years, children are surrounded by an exciting and varied selection of books. Throughout school, pupils read widely and regularly.

They enjoy talking about the range of authors that they have grown to value. Pupils understand the importance of reading and how it will help them in later life.

Leaders ensure that staff are equipped well to identify those pupils who fall behind in reading.

These pupils benefit from appropriate support so that they catch up quickly. Teachers encourage pupils to read at home frequently. Staff ensure that pupils read books that are matched well to their phonics knowledge.

This helps pupils to grow in confidence. Almost all pupils can read fluently by the end of Year 2.

Leaders have introduced a different phonics programme in recent months.

Most staff are trained to deliver this programme well. However, from time to time, some staff do not deliver aspects of this programme as leaders intend.

Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are well supported by staff.

Teachers are equipped to identify pupils' needs early. When appropriate, pupils with SEND benefit from additional support from staff. Teachers adapt thoughtfully how they deliver the curriculum so that pupils with SEND learn well alongside their peers.

Children in the early years are immersed in their learning. They quickly settle into routines and develop their ability to sustain their concentration. Across the rest of the school, pupils listen well and join in with their lessons enthusiastically.

There is very little low-level disruption during lessons.

Pupils are keen to welcome everyone to their school and they know that nobody should be discriminated against. Pupils learn about the importance of British values such as tolerance and respect.

Through a coherent programme to support pupils' wider development, they learn about other cultures and faiths. Leaders provide meaningful extra-curricular experiences that afford pupils new opportunities. For example, pupils enjoyed dancing at an event at The Winter Gardens and singing in Manchester.

Governors and leaders have made changes to policies in school that have been effective in reducing teacher workload. Teachers are proud to work at the school and said that they feel well supported by leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Adults receive regular, relevant training to ensure that they understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Staff are vigilant and they check that any concerns are acted upon appropriately.

Leaders have formed strong links with external safeguarding partners. This means that they can secure appropriate and timely support for vulnerable pupils and their families when necessary.

Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online and the importance of talking to trusted adults.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, leaders are still finalising what they want pupils to learn. This means that, in these subjects, teachers lack sufficient clarity about the important knowledge that pupils should learn. In these subjects, leaders should ensure that teachers are clear enough about what pupils should be learning.

• Some staff are developing their understanding of the requirements of the new phonics curriculum. This means that, from time to time, these staff do not deliver some aspects of the programme as leaders intend. Leaders should ensure that staff are equipped well to deliver all aspects of the phonics programme successfully.

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