Morecambe and Heysham Westgate Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming school that provides a caring and inclusive place for pupils to learn. Staff in the early years help children to develop their confidence and self-esteem. Pupils across the school value the positive relationships that they have with staff.

They trust that staff will help them if they have any worries or concerns. This helps pupils to feel happy at school.

Pupils generally work hard in lessons and enjoy their learning.

Many pupils meet the high standards of behaviour that the school has. The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, a number of pup...ils have gaps in their knowledge that have not been addressed.

This means that these pupils do not achieve as well as they should in a range of subjects.

Pupils value the opportunities that they have to go on a range of trips. These include visiting the beach, wetland centres and museums.

The school ensures that many pupils access the broad range of sports clubs that it offers. Nevertheless, a number of teachers are inconsistent in how they deliver the school's programme for personal development. Pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they should be.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has taken decisive action to develop a broad and balanced curriculum. The important knowledge that pupils should learn has been carefully considered. Teachers have benefited from effective training in mathematics and deliver this curriculum consistently.

In this subject, teachers check on what pupils know and remember. Furthermore, they use this information to design learning activities that help pupils build up a secure body of knowledge. In mathematics, many pupils, including those with SEND, leave Year 6 well prepared for the next stage of education.

In subjects other than mathematics, the school has taken steps to ensure that the curriculum is sufficiently ambitious and well-organised. However, use of this information is inconsistent across a number of year groups. Some of the key knowledge set out in the curriculum is not taught in sufficient detail.

The reasons for this are varied. In some cases, the school has not ensured that a small number of teachers have the subject knowledge that they need to deliver the curriculum as intended. In other cases, some subject lessons are not taught with the regularity expected by the school.

This has gone unnoticed. Consequently, in these subjects, some pupils do not build up a deep body of knowledge.

In the Reception Year, the ambitious curriculum is delivered effectively by staff.

Children get off to a positive start in their education. Staff closely check on what children know and remember. They provide focused support that addresses any gaps in knowledge that children have.

However, the school's approach to assessment in some subjects in key stage 1 and key stage 2 is not as effective. In these subjects, teachers do not check how well pupils have remembered and understood what they have been taught previously. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge that have not been identified.

These gaps hinder their ability to make sense of new learning and they do not achieve as well as they could.

The school prioritises the teaching of early reading. Well-trained staff teach the phonics programme as the school intends.

Pupils quickly learn the sounds that letters represent. Those pupils who need extra support promptly receive it. Pupils read books that are well matched to the sounds that they know.

Many pupils become fluent and confident readers by the end of key stage 1.

Previously, pupils in key stage 2 did not achieve as well as they should in reading. The school has taken urgent action to improve how reading is taught in this key stage.

Most pupils, including those with SEND, are benefiting from these improvements. The school has identified the gaps in reading knowledge that some pupils have as a result of historic weaknesses. Progress is being made to address these gaps in knowledge, but this work is at a very early stage.

The school has effective systems in place to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Carefully considered support and resources ensure that pupils with SEND progress through the same curriculum as their peers.

Children in the Reception Year follow established routines.

They learn cooperatively alongside their classmates and treat one another with care. Behaviour across the school is generally positive and learning is rarely interrupted. Many pupils attend school regularly.

The school quickly identify and support those families where a pupils' attendance is of concern. The actions taken by the school have worked well to maintain positive rates of attendance.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online.

They also understand what foods they should eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Nevertheless, pupils do not experience a sufficient range of high-quality personal development opportunities. Many pupils have a limited understanding of fundamental British values and different cultures.

Some aspects of the relationships and health education curriculum are not effectively taught. Pupils are not as well prepared to grow up in modern Britain as they should be.

The governing body understand the weaknesses in pupils' achievement.

Governors have worked with the local authority to improve the school's capacity to begin to improve the quality of education. However, many of these changes are at an early stage of development. Staff are positive about what the school has done recently to further support their workload and well-being.

They state that the school has been considerate of their workload and well-being during recent times of change when putting in place new policies and procedures.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects across the school, a small number of teachers do not have the subject knowledge that they need to teach the intended curriculum effectively.

Consequently, in these subjects, some pupils do not build up a deep body of knowledge. The school should make sure that teachers have the knowledge that they need to effectively teach the curriculum, so that pupils achieve well. ? In some subjects, teachers do not teach parts of the essential knowledge set out in the curriculum in sufficient depth.

As a result, some pupils' knowledge is insecure. The school should make certain that teachers deliver the curriculum as intended, so that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education. ? In some subjects, teachers do not check how well pupils have remembered and understood what they have been previously taught.

Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge that have not been identified. These gaps hinder their ability to make sense of new learning and they do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers are well equipped to check that pupils' knowledge is secure before introducing new topics and concepts.

• The delivery of the school's programme for personal development is inconsistent. Some pupils do not learn all that they should to be ready for life in modern Britain. The school should ensure that pupils experience a range of high-quality personal development opportunities that prepare them well for modern day society.

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