Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Poulton-le-Fylde Carr Head Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school each day. They arrive with positive attitudes to learning, ready to embrace all that the day has to offer. Pupils said that they feel happy and safe in school.

Pupils respond to the high expectations that leaders have of their behaviour. They try hard in lessons and learning is rarely disrupted. Pupils describe behaviour in school as calm and orderly.

Pupils said that staff sort out any incidents of bullying quickly and effectively so that they are not repeated. Relationships between pupils and staff are positive. Pupils are tolerant... of each other and they value each other's differences.

During their time in school, pupils experience a range of extra-curricular opportunities. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 spoke enthusiastically about their residential visit. They explained how they had developed their resilience and teamwork skills through a range of outdoor and adventurous activities.

Other pupils spoke passionately about the range of leadership roles and responsibilities that they can take on around school. For example, pupils can become members of the school council or play buddies.

Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from an ambitious curriculum.

The pupils who leave Carr Head Primary School at the end of Year 6 have the knowledge and skills necessary to get off to the best possible start in high school. Overall, pupils learn well.

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

Across the school, leaders have devised an ambitious curriculum.

They have thought carefully about the knowledge and skills that pupils must learn. Leaders ensure that teachers deliver this knowledge in a logical order. They have successfully developed the curriculum to build on the skills and knowledge that children gain in the early years.

The early years curriculum prepares children well for the demands of key stage 1. Pupils in key stages 1 and 2 also build successfully on what they know and can do.

Many teachers have curriculum leadership responsibilities.

They engage in regular and appropriate ongoing training to keep their subject knowledge up to date. Curriculum leaders work effectively alongside teachers and support staff to keep them informed about curriculum developments. As a result, teachers, including those in the early years, have secure subject knowledge.

They are confident with the content of the curriculums that they deliver. Teachers use an appropriate range of assessment strategies. They use assessment information well to reflect on how well pupils have learned the content of the curriculum.

Governors are very supportive of school leaders. They successfully challenge leaders to develop the curriculum and to improve the quality of education that pupils receive. Governors check that staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly and effectively.

Staff, including those in the early years, are well trained to support the needs of pupils with SEND. Disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers and they achieve well.

Leaders promote reading well.

Around the school pupils access a wide range of books. Leaders have ensured that staff are appropriately trained to deliver an effective phonics curriculum. Teachers introduce new sounds to children and pupils in a logical order.

Any pupils who fall behind with their reading receive appropriate support to help them to catch up with their classmates. Most pupils successfully develop their reading fluency and confidence during their time in school. That said, sometimes the books that some children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 take home to read are not appropriate.

This is because they do not closely match the sounds that pupils have been learning in school.

Pupils have the opportunity to engage in a range of experiences to develop their knowledge and skills beyond the taught curriculum. Many pupils take part in the range of outdoor play and learning opportunities available to them at social times.

Older pupils take on positions of responsibility to guide and structure play. Leaders ensure that pupils learn in depth about a wide range of faiths and cultures. In turn, pupils have a very secure understanding of the need to respect the views and beliefs of others.

In lessons, and while moving around school, pupils typically behave well. Few lessons are interrupted due to poor behaviour. Children in the early years and pupils in key stages 1 and 2 can get on with their work without distractions.

Staff explained that leaders are approachable and supportive. Staff appreciate the steps that leaders, including governors, have taken to reduce their workloads. Staff said that leaders are very supportive of their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a well-established culture of safeguarding at Carr Head Primary School. All members of the school staff receive regular training to keep their safeguarding knowledge up to date.

Staff are aware of the ways that they can raise and respond to safeguarding concerns about pupils.

Members of the safeguarding team follow up any concerns in a timely manner. Leaders work in partnership with several expert agencies to provide appropriate support, advice and guidance for pupils and their families.

Through the curriculum, pupils learn how to stay safe. They know how to avoid potential dangers while using the internet and social media.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, staff do not ensure that some of the books that children and pupils take home to read allow them to practise the sounds that they know already.

This hampers the rate at which some pupils develop their reading confidence and accuracy. Leaders should ensure that the books pupils and children read match the sounds that they are learning so that pupils can develop their reading fluency.

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 as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2017.

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