St David Haigh and Aspull CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), get on well with each other and make friends easily at this school. Children in the early years quickly build trusting relationships with staff and with other children. Older pupils benefit from positive and respectful friendships with each other.

Leaders, governors and staff are highly ambitious for every pupil. Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and what they can achieve academically. Pupils are keen to behave well.

They love to receive rewards using the 'peg' system. Overall, pupils work hard in lessons. Pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.

Child...ren in the early years are also well prepared for Year 1.

Pupils understand the differences between bullying and being unkind. They are confident that leaders and staff will listen to their concerns.

Any incidents of bullying are dealt with quickly and effectively by staff. Staff work to ensure that unkind behaviour does not happen again. This helps pupils to feel happy and safe in school.

Pupils learn a great deal about other faiths and cultures. They speak kindly and maturely about how families may be different to their own. Pupils said that everyone is made to feel welcome at this school.

Pupils enjoy the varied enrichment activities that are on offer to them. They particularly enjoy trips with pupils from other schools in the trust. This helps them to broaden their friendship groups.

Older pupils are looking forward to taking part in a residential experience.

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

Leaders, governors and staff have high aspirations for pupils, including children in the early years. With the support of the trust, leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum which is ordered logically.

For the most part, this helps pupils to make connections in their learning and build on what they know already. The early years curriculum prepares children well for key stage 1.

Senior leaders ensure that subject leaders receive suitable training to lead their subjects well.

Subject leaders provide staff with support and guidance to deliver the curriculum as intended. As a result, in most subjects, teachers deliver curriculums with confidence and pupils learn and remember what leaders intend. Where subject leaders' curriculum expertise is not as secure, leaders have effective plans in place to address this.

In most subjects, leaders have clearly identified the knowledge that pupils must learn. However, in a small number of subjects, teachers are not as clear about the essential knowledge that pupils should acquire. Occasionally, this hinders some teachers when they are designing learning activities for pupils.

Some of the activities that teachers choose are not the most effective way of ensuring that pupils learn and remember the intended curriculum.

In most subjects, teachers use assessment strategies well to check on what pupils know already. However, in a small number of subjects, teachers are not as skilled in identifying and addressing gaps in pupils' knowledge.

Nevertheless, leaders have appropriate plans in place to address this minor weakness.

Leaders want all pupils to develop a love of reading. They are well on their way to achieving this aim.

Pupils benefit from regular access to their new library area. They enjoy choosing from a range of high-quality books that are on offer. Many pupils across the school read widely and often.

Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics curriculum. They have trained staff to deliver this curriculum well. Children begin to learn phonics as soon as they start in the Reception class.

Staff identify any pupils who struggle to read quickly and effectively. Leaders ensure that these pupils, including those at an early stage of reading in key stage 2, receive effective support. This helps most pupils to become confident and fluent readers by the time that they move onto secondary school.

Leaders ensure that staff quickly identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Staff are well trained to meet these pupils' needs. For example, pupils with sensory or emotional needs benefit from appropriate support from skilled staff.

Pupils with SEND learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

Pupils are attentive to their teachers and focus on their work. Leaders do not tolerate any disruption to learning.

If any low-level disruption occurs, teachers address it quickly.

Leaders' recent actions are beginning to improve pupils' attendance. However, a small number of pupils are absent from school too often.

This means that they miss out on important learning.

Leaders carefully plan experiences and opportunities to help pupils to prepare for life in modern Britain. For example, pupils enjoy opportunities to debate current affairs.

They understand the importance of equality.

Leaders and governors work collaboratively across the trust. Those responsible for governance provide a suitable level of challenge to leaders to improve the quality of education for pupils.

Staff appreciate leaders' consideration for their well-being and workload. Staff are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that all staff receive regular safeguarding training and updates. Staff know the signs that may indicate that a pupil is at risk of harm. Staff promptly report any safeguarding concerns that they have.

Leaders act quickly in response to these concerns and make timely referrals to wider safeguarding partners. Leaders ensure that pupils and their families receive the timely help that they need.

Throughout the curriculum, pupils learn about a range of situations which may lead to potential harm.

For example, pupils know how to stay safe when working online. Pupils know that they should speak to a trusted adult if the actions of others make them feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, teachers are not clear enough about the knowledge that they want pupils to learn.

Sometimes, this prevents teachers from selecting the most appropriate activities to help pupils to acquire new knowledge. Leaders should ensure that teachers are clear about the knowledge that pupils should learn in these remaining subjects. They should also ensure that teachers are well trained to choose the most appropriate activities to help pupils to learn.

• A few pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. This means that these pupils miss out on important learning. Leaders should continue their work to improve pupils' rates of attendance so that all pupils benefit from all that the school has to offer.

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