Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Carnforth

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary School, Carnforth continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Primary is a small and very friendly school, where everyone is welcome.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), live up to the high expectations that leaders set for them. Pupils work hard and enjoy their lessons. Most pupils behave well.

They are polite and well mannered. Bullying is rare and pupils are confident that should it occur, staff will deal with it quickly and effectively.

Staff ensure that pupils feel safe and happy in school.

Pupils look forward to ...Harold the Giraffe visiting and learning about Pantasaurus. These help pupils to learn about keeping themselves safe and healthy.

Pupils are proud of their school.

Older pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities, including as school council representatives and sports captains. Pupils enjoy playing together in the extensive and attractive grounds. They enjoy the many clubs and activities on offer, such as football, bowls and eco-club.

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

Leaders have put in place an ambitious and engaging curriculum. They have identified the key knowledge and skills that they want children in early years and pupils across the rest of the school to learn. Leaders are clear about the order in which pupils should learn this knowledge.

Leaders, including governors, have ensured that teachers have the necessary expertise to lead their subjects well. Teachers have sufficient knowledge of the subjects that they teach. They have benefited from a wide range of regular and appropriate training.

However, in some subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies consistently well to identify learning that some pupils may have missed or forgotten. As a result, teachers do not provide pupils with enough opportunities to revisit this learning. In addition, in some subjects other than English and mathematics, leaders have not ensured that teachers select activities that are best suited to helping pupils remember the curriculum.

Leaders have put reading at the centre of everything that they do. This ensures that pupils develop a love of reading. Children begin to learn phonics as soon as they start in the Reception class.

Staff make sure that the books that they choose match the sounds that pupils know. Pupils who fall behind are identified quickly. Staff work with these pupils to make sure that they get the support they need.

As a result, pupils learn to read with fluency and accuracy during their time in school.

Leaders quickly identify the needs of pupils, including children in early years, with SEND. Leaders ensure that they follow advice from a range of external agencies.

This means that pupils with SEND are supported well, and they access the curriculum alongside their peers.

Pupils are well behaved. They move around school in a sensible and considerate manner.

Lessons are calm. A small number of pupils sometimes struggle to contain their emotions. These pupils are supported well and staff are skilled at managing their behaviour.

As a result, learning is rarely disrupted.

Leaders' work to promote pupils' personal development is effective. Pupils learn about life in modern Britain.

Pupils enjoy the many visits that leaders provide. These include visits into Carnforth and Lancaster, and residential visits. Leaders have established links with schools in Ghana and the United States.

Pupils appreciate the opportunities that they have to write to their friends abroad.

Leaders and governors have a good understanding of the school's strengths and areas for further development. The members of the small staff team work closely together.

Staff appreciate leaders' efforts to consider their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders, including governors, take their safeguarding duties very seriously.

Staff receive regular safeguarding training. They know exactly what to do if they are concerned about pupils' welfare. Leaders work with a range of agencies to ensure that families receive the help and support that they need.

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn about the features of healthy and trusting relationships, healthy eating and how to stay safe when online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, leaders have not developed fully the assessment systems that allow teachers to check pupils' missing or insecure knowledge.

As a result, teachers do not address gaps in pupils' knowledge quickly enough. Leaders should strengthen assessment systems so that teachers can adapt their teaching to ensure that pupils regain any forgotten learning. ? In a minority of subjects, leaders have not ensured that teachers select the most appropriate activities to best deliver the curriculum.

This means that some pupils do not remember the curriculum as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the guidance and support that they need to deliver the curriculum effectively.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2016.

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