Preesall Fleetwood’s Charity Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Preesall Fleetwood's Charity Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in this small and friendly school.

They value the nurturing environment provided by the staff. Pupils' positive attitudes towards school are reflected in their sensible conduct in lessons and during breaktimes.

Pupils of all ages spend time together in their 'family groups' at lunchtime.

Older pupils serve lunch to their 'family'. This helps pupils to learn to look after each other. They make sure that everybody is included.

For example, pupils on the school council wanted everyone to be able to play on the g...rass in all weather. They worked with the school to provide a 'welly wall' where pupils can borrow wellies if they need them. This helps pupils to feel part of a caring community.

Pupils of all ages value learning outdoors. They spend time in the school's forest area where they learn a range of skills, such as shelter building and how to work together in a team. Parents and carers consider these opportunities to be part of what makes the school special.

The school wants all pupils to be successful. In the recent past, the curriculum has been strengthened across all subject areas. The school provides a high-quality curriculum.

Typically, pupils achieve well.

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

The school ensures that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from an ambitious curriculum. The small size of the school means that some classes include pupils of different ages.

Very careful thought has been given to making sure that pupils within each class access learning that is appropriate for them. Leaders ensure that, over their time at school, pupils learn what they need to know so that they are well prepared for key stage 3.

Across all subjects, staff know precisely what pupils should learn.

Typically, teachers design learning activities that emphasise this important information. The school has rigorous processes in place to check what pupils know and remember of their previous learning. Staff use these to identify any gaps in pupils' knowledge before moving on to new content.

This helps pupils, including those who join the school part way through their primary schooling, to build their knowledge securely.

Reading is prioritised in the school. This begins in the Nursery class, where children enjoy taking home story packs which include a teddy and postcard alongside some reading activities.

The school engages parents in supporting their children to read. For example, it encourages them to choose activities to share with their children from an 'extended learning menu', such as visiting the local library or reading a bedtime story.

The school has recently introduced a new phonics programme.

Children in the Nursery class are prepared well for this by developing their recognition of sounds and letters. This allows them to make a quick start to formal phonics learning at the beginning of the Reception Year. In the main, the phonics programme is delivered effectively.

Staff swiftly identify any pupils who are struggling with their phonics knowledge and ensure that they receive the help that they need to catch up. However, at times this support is not as effective as it could be. Sometimes staff do not use the most appropriate strategies to support pupils to learn well.

This hinders some pupils' progress towards becoming accurate and confident readers.

The school has thorough processes in place to identify any additional needs that pupils may have. It has recently experienced an increase in the number of pupils with SEND, including some who have joined the school later in their primary schooling.

Staff receive information about the needs of these pupils. However, at times, some do not use this information to adapt the delivery of the curriculum as effectively as they could. This hinders how well some pupils with SEND achieve.

Pupils benefit from a plethora of extra-curricular opportunities, including archery and gardening clubs. They are also encouraged to take on wider responsibilities in school. For example, eco monitors identify opportunities for sustainability and recycling in their classrooms and candle monitors take a role in worship.

These experiences help to ensure that pupils are prepared well for their lives in modern society.

Pupils and staff foster warm relationships based on mutual respect. Pupils follow well-rehearsed routines with little prompting from staff.

This helps to ensure that the atmosphere around school and in classrooms is calm and purposeful.

Regular newsletters ensure that parents are kept informed about what their children will learn. The information provided enables parents to support and extend their child's learning at home.

Governors are well informed about the school. They support and challenge leaders to continue to improve the quality of education that they provide. Staff are very happy at the school.

They feel that their time is valued, for example subject leaders are given the time that they need to devote to curriculum design.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, staff do not use effective strategies to support pupils who struggle to learn to read.

This means that some pupils do not develop their phonics knowledge as quickly as they should. The school should ensure that staff are well trained to support pupils to develop into accurate and confident readers. ? At times, some staff do not successfully adapt their delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND.

This means that some pupils with SEND do not learn the curriculum as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff are fully equipped to support these pupils to learn well.

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

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

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2014.

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