St Francis Catholic Primary School, Goosnargh

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

St Francis' Catholic Primary School, Goosnargh continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very positive about their school. In school, they feel safe and they are happy to be part of a caring school community. Leaders have high expectations of pupils.

Staff encourage pupils to model the school's values. Pupils, including children in the early years, care for each other and try to do their best.

Pupils told inspectors that incidents of bullying are very rare because teachers will deal with any issues well.

Pupils told inspectors that there had been some instances of poor behaviour in the past. Pupils explained that teachers dea...l with any misbehaviour so that it is not repeated. Almost all pupils behave well in lessons because they want to learn.

Pupils enjoy the wide range of sports and clubs on offer. They are proud of their recent successes in football and tennis competitions. Many pupils enjoy setting up and running their own clubs at playtimes.

Younger pupils have started their own reading club.

Many pupils take on extra responsibilities. For example, older pupils enjoy being 'buddies' for younger children and pupils.

Other pupils enjoy caring for the school chickens and guinea pigs. Across the school, pupils learn about the need to protect the environment. They engage in several recycling initiatives.

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

Leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum that is linked to the values of the school. The curriculum is suitably ambitious for pupils, including children in the early years. It meets the needs of all pupils, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

By the time pupils leave Year 6, pupils achieve well across the curriculum and they can make a strong start at secondary school.

Subject leaders have identified the knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn and when. This means that teachers plan new learning that builds on what pupils know already.

For example, in science, pupils in Year 5 explained how their new learning about electricity built on what they had learned in Year 2. In art, pupils used a range of strong colours and textures as part of their study of fauvism. This built on the skills they had learned in previous years.

Across subjects, teachers use assessment well to check on pupils' earlier learning. They use this information to identify and address pupils' misconceptions.

Children begin to learn phonics sounds from the Reception Year.

Leaders have ensured that staff receive appropriate training to deliver the early reading and phonics curriculum effectively, including in the early years. Teachers ensure that the books that pupils and children read are matched precisely to the phonics sounds that they have learned in class. This helps pupils to read with greater accuracy and develop their confidence.

Pupils enjoy making the most of the school's exciting book corners and library spaces. Those pupils who fall behind in their reading get the support that they need to catch up swiftly. By the end of Year 2, almost all pupils can read fluently and accurately.

Governors are supportive of school leaders. They provide an appropriate level of challenge about the quality of the curriculum and how well pupils achieve in English and mathematics. However, governors have not paid sufficient attention to how well pupils learn and remember the curriculum in other subjects, such as history and science.

Pupils with SEND receive appropriate support. The special educational needs coordinator ensures that teachers receive sufficient guidance. This ensures that teachers can provide the help that this group of pupils needs to access the full curriculum.

Children in the early years class get off to a good start in learning routines. They learn quickly how to be courteous and respectful. The firm foundations that are laid in the early years mean that the atmosphere across the school is calm.

Lessons are rarely disrupted, and pupils can learn without distraction.

Leaders provide pupils with a range of extra opportunities to support their wider development. For example, recently, pupils have been learning about aspects of Islam and Judaism.

Pupils understand the importance of tolerance.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate that leaders are considerate of their workload and their well-being.

Staff explained to inspectors that they felt included in the school family.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders work with many national charities and partner agencies to keep their knowledge of safeguarding up to date.

They ensure that staff receive relevant safeguarding training. Staff know pupils and their families well. Staff understand their role in identifying and reporting safeguarding concerns.

Through the curriculum, pupils learn about many aspects of how to keep safe. For example, they learn about safe relationships, how to stay safe online and staying safe when cycling on busy roads.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Members of the governing body have not provided a sufficient level of challenge to leaders about how well pupils learn and remember the curriculum in some subjects.

This means that governors do not have an accurate view about how well pupils achieve across the curriculum. Governors must ensure that they hold leaders to account fully for how well pupils learn and remember the intended curriculum across all subjects.

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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2016.