Rawtenstall Newchurch Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Rawtenstall Newchurch Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where pupils are happy and eager to learn. Pupils told us that they enjoy coming to school. They are glad to be back with their friends following the third national lockdown.

Pupils feel safe in school. This is because adults take the time to listen to them and help them to overcome any worries or concerns that they may have. Pupils told us that any arguments between friends are sorted out quickly.

They explained that, when bullying has occurred, it too has been sorted out quickly by staff.

Pupils behave well and work hard i...n lessons. They enjoy the many clubs that they can take part in, including the gardening club and the 'fit for life' club.

Older pupils contribute well to the life of the school as classroom monitors and as members of committees.

Pupils are helped to become valuable citizens in their community. They develop their resilience, teamwork and tolerance of others through a range of opportunities, including visits to different places of worship and residential trips.

Governors and staff share leaders' ambitions for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to succeed. Parents and carers appreciate all that staff do for their children.

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

The well-designed curriculum ignites pupils' interest in learning from the very start.

Curriculum plans clearly identify connections between subjects. This helps pupils to apply what they know when learning something new. For example, pupils' previous work on changing materials in science has helped them to understand how blast furnaces worked during the industrial revolution.

Leaders have carefully ordered the content in most subjects so that pupils can build on what they know. However, the curriculum plans in some subjects lack precision about the knowledge that pupils should gain, and by when.

Leaders ensure that staff deliver the curriculum well.

Staff training has enhanced teachers' subject knowledge. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) helps staff to adapt their plans effectively for pupils with SEND. The support that pupils with SEND receive helps them to achieve well.

Staff work together to share expertise and ideas. This is especially useful for those teachers who have mixed-age classes.

Teachers use assessment information effectively.

They adapt their curriculum plans well to include any content that was not taught during the pandemic. This is helping most pupils to overcome the recent disruption to their education. Most pupils achieve well.

Leaders provide further help for those pupils who are struggling. That said, leaders have not checked carefully enough whether this extra help is enabling pupils to know more and remember more over time.

Pupils rarely experience disruption to their learning due to poor behaviour.

This helps them to focus on their learning. Pupils are proud of their achievements.

Children learn phonics as soon as they start in the Reception class.

Children practise their phonics knowledge in a range of activities. The books that children and pupils read match the sounds that they are learning. Pupils in Year 1 apply their phonics knowledge accurately when reading unfamiliar words.

They are becoming confident and fluent readers. Pupils who are struggling to read receive help from skilled staff. This helps them to catch up quickly.

Pupils at the early stages of reading in key stage 2 also benefit from the extra support that they receive.

Teachers foster pupils' love of reading for pleasure. Pupils talked enthusiastically about the books that they have read from the well-resourced school library.

Older pupils know how important reading is for their future success. They read widely across a range of subjects.

Pupils, including those with SEND, enjoy the many opportunities that leaders provide to broaden their horizons.

Pupils recall fondly the previous trips and visits that they have experienced. They particularly enjoy the opportunity to learn outdoors in the wooded area. Pupils are ambitious for their future.

They talked about their plans to go to university, while some are aiming to become scientists or explorers.

Governors know the school well. They are mindful of the impact that the pandemic has had on pupils, staff and the wider community.

Governors are now focused on getting pupils 'back on track' with their learning. They continue to hold leaders closely to account for the quality of education that they provide for pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that all staff receive appropriate training. This ensures that staff understand what to do if they have any concerns about pupils' safety or well-being. Leaders work closely with other agencies and charities.

This has been increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders ensure that the most vulnerable pupils and their families receive the support that they need. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe.

They know how to use the internet safely and to tell a trusted adult if they have any worries or concerns.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In most subjects, the knowledge that leaders want pupils to have is clearly identified and carefully sequenced. However, not all plans are as detailed.

This hinders pupils from building on what they already know and can do. Leaders need to identify the precise knowledge that they want pupils to acquire and remember. ? Leaders use assessment information well to identify pupils who are struggling to catch up with their learning following the disruption caused by the pandemic.

However, leaders have not checked to make sure that the support they have put in place to help pupils catch up is working. Leaders need to ensure that the support that they are offering is helping pupils to know and remember more over time.

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 some evidence that a good school could now be better than good, or that standards may be declining, 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 convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 23 and 24 April 2015.