Poulton-le-Fylde St Chad’s CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at St Chad's Primary School.

They arrive each day ready to learn. Pupils forge positive relationships with staff and with their peers. Staff offer lots of support and guidance to pupils.

This helps pupils to feel safe. Pupils know that staff will act on any worries or concerns that they may have. Pupils said that staff help them to resolve any disagreements.

Leaders have very high expectations for pupils' learning and behaviour. Recently, pupils enjoyed working alongside school leaders to develop a new behaviour policy. Pupils delight in earning points, pebbles and stickers for their learning and their positive attitudes in lessons.
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Most pupils try their very best to follow the school rules and they behave well around school. Pupils said that staff deal effectively with any poor behaviour or bullying so that it is not repeated.

Pupils, including children in early years, experience a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

These activities enable pupils to develop their sporting and creative skills. Pupils learn about the benefits of keeping fit and healthy. They enjoy performing with the school choir.

Pupils at St Chad's Primary School have a genuinely positive outlook on their learning. Staff nurture pupils' talents. They ensure that pupils have a range of strategies to help them to persevere with new learning until they understand it.

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

Governors are effective in their role. They successfully challenge leaders and hold them to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. They make sure that all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), access the same ambitious curriculum.

In each curriculum area, subject leaders have identified the essential knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn. Subject leaders have organised the curriculum so that teachers deliver new content in a logical order. Furthermore, leaders have appropriately considered the important vocabulary that they want pupils to use in each year group.

Typically, new learning builds on what pupils already know. For example, in music, pupils develop their understanding of rhythm through well-planned activities. In all subjects, leaders make appropriate checks to see what pupils know and remember of the content of the curriculum.

That said, the checks that leaders make are not as effective in every subject. In a small number of subjects, leaders ask teachers to deliver new learning in key stage 1 without considering the skills and knowledge children have already acquired in early years. This hinders a few pupils' achievement in key stage 1.

Children who enter early years get off to a good start in school. The early years curriculum is well planned and delivered by staff. Children in early years quickly establish positive behaviours and routines to support their learning and development.

Across the school, pupils continue to focus on their learning and they behave well. In lessons, most pupils demonstrate high levels of respect for their teachers and their classmates. As a result, there are rarely any disruptions to learning.

Leaders prioritise reading across the school. Leaders ensure that the books that children in early years and pupils in key stage 1 take home to read build on the sounds that they learn in class. Pupils who fall behind with their reading and phonics receive timely support to enable them to catch up quickly.

Leaders have recently introduced a new approach in how they deliver the phonics curriculum. Teachers continue to introduce pupils to new sounds in a systematic and effective way. That said, there are minor inconsistencies in the way in which some staff deliver the phonics programme.

This is because leaders are still in the process of training staff to implement the new approach and they are ironing out the remaining variations in how teachers deliver it.

Leaders successfully identify any additional needs that pupils may have. They do this in a timely manner.

Leaders' early identification of additional needs enables them to provide the support that pupils need to achieve the best possible outcomes. Most pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, achieve well.

Pupils and children in early years benefit from a rich diet of wider curriculum experiences.

During their time in school, pupils learn how to develop healthy relationships. Older pupils act as 'buddies' and support younger children at playtimes. Older pupils have also established a 'worry club'.

Each lunchtime, they provide pastoral support and guidance for any younger pupils who feel lonely or just want to discuss their concerns.

Subject leaders engage in a wide range of ongoing training. They support teachers to develop their levels of expertise across the curriculum.

Staff are very proud to work at the school. They appreciate the positive steps that leaders have taken to lessen their workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that there is a deep culture of safeguarding in school. Staff receive appropriate training to safeguard pupils. They use this training to help them to remain vigilant and alert to possible signs of neglect or harm.

Staff know how to respond to safeguarding concerns. They keep meticulous records.

The headteacher and the family support worker form the core safeguarding team, along with other school leaders.

Families and pupils are provided with the support that they need in a timely manner. Staff know the pupils and families well.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe while using the internet and while away from school.

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 paid sufficient attention to what pupils have already learned in early years. As a result, some teachers are not checking whether pupils are repeating work that they have already learned in early years at key stage 1. Leaders should refine their curriculum in key stage 1 to make sure that new knowledge builds on what pupils have already learned in early years.

• Leaders are in the process of training staff to deliver the new phonics programme. As a result, there are some minor inconsistencies in how well the programme is delivered for some pupils. Leaders should ensure that all staff are equally well trained to deliver the new approach to phonics to their pupils.

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