Littleborough Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of its pupils, both in terms of their achievement and behaviour, while fostering a culture of care.

Staff know the pupils and their families well. This means that they can pick up quickly on any small changes in pupils' behaviour and offer help when it is needed. Pupils benefit from the school's focus on their mental health.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well in most curriculum areas. This includes early reading, where pupils become fluent and expressive readers. Pupils enjoy reading a range of high-quality texts during lessons and in their free time.

Pupils are know...ledgeable about and respectful of diversity and difference. They are keen to share their learning about other faiths and cultures.

Pupils behave well in lessons and at playtimes.

They move around the school in a calm and orderly manner, showing their 'wonderful walking' on the corridors. Pupils relish their roles as leaders in school.

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is well matched to the needs of its pupils, while maintaining breadth and balance.

The school has paid particular attention to broadening pupils' horizons beyond the locality. The curriculum exposes pupils to a range of contrasting settings and different cultures.

In most subjects, it is clear what pupils should learn.

However, in a small number of subjects, the curriculum does not identify what pupils should know or when subject content should be taught. In these subjects, pupils sometimes find it difficult to remember their learning.

Teachers use a range of techniques to check what pupils know and remember.

Teachers use this information well in most subjects to adapt their teaching and ensure that gaps in pupils' knowledge are addressed. Teachers typically revisit prior learning to help pupils to recall what they have learned. For example, in mathematics, teachers deliberately design opportunities to recall and practise number facts and calculations.

Reading is a strong part of the school's culture. Staff apply their training well to help pupils build their phonics knowledge. Pupils who are at risk of not keeping up with the phonics programme are quickly identified and supported to catch up.

As a result, pupils read confidently and with fluency and expression.

The school has effective systems for identifying the needs of pupils with SEND quickly. These pupils are suitably supported so that they learn alongside their peers and achieve well.

In the early years, children are eager to learn. They listen attentively to the adults, who focus successfully on developing children's communication and language skills. Mostly, children take part in activities that help them to develop their knowledge across different areas of learning.

However, at times, the activities that adults design do not help children to learn all that they should.

Pupils enjoy and benefit from a range of trips and visitors to the school. The school wants its pupils to be active citizens.

Pupils are taught to be respectful and responsible within school and in the local community. For example, the eco club carries out community litter picks and the digital leaders help to manage the computers in school. Pupils are taught about fundamental British values.

The careers workshops that pupils attend help to prepare them for later life.

Pupils are consistently polite and courteous, including during their free time. They are interested in their learning and they engage well in lessons.

Lessons are rarely disrupted by pupils' behaviour. Pupils of all ages are taught to support each other. They are keen to celebrate the success of others and they want to help their peers when they experience challenge.

Staff appreciate the support that they receive from the school. Their well-being and workload are considered carefully and they know that they can always ask for help and support when needed.

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, the school has not defined clearly enough the key knowledge that pupils need to know or the order in which this content should be taught. This means that, occasionally, pupils struggle to remember what they have learned. The school should ensure that it has clearly set out the precise knowledge pupils should learn and the order in which they should learn it.

• At times, some of the activities that children complete in the early years do not help them to learn as well as they should. Occasionally, this hinders their progress. The school should further enhance staff's expertise so that the activities that they design deepen children's learning.