Warton St Paul’s Church of England Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and children in the early years, feel happy and safe in school. They enjoy their lessons and they try their best. Leaders have high expectations of pupils and pupils strive to live up to these.

Leaders have designed a curriculum which is suitably ambitious for pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils achieve well.

Mostly, pupils behave well and they are polite and respectful to each other and adults.

They move around the school sensibly. On the rare occasions when pupils make incorrect behaviour choices, staff use the behaviour policy appropriately.

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positi...ve about how well staff support their children.

Pupils said that their school is welcoming and they described it as a safe shelter. Leaders have suitable systems in place to ensure any incidents of bullying are dealt with effectively.

Pupils enjoying taking part in charity fundraising events and they know the value of this work for others.

They readily take on a range of responsibilities, such as being school councillors, house captains, reading buddies and eco-councillors.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious and interesting curriculum that engages pupils, including children in the early years. Leaders have sequenced the learning, so that learning progresses logically from the early years to Year 6.

However, in a small number of subjects, leaders are still finalising their curriculum thinking. As a result, some teachers are not sufficiently clear about the knowledge that will be most useful for pupils' subsequent learning.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge and they use this to design learning well for pupils.

During lessons, teachers carefully check that pupils have understood and remembered earlier content. Staff skilfully adapt how they deliver the curriculum to address any misconceptions that pupils may have.

Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading.

From the moment children start in the Reception class they are surrounded by high-quality texts. Well-trained staff deliver the phonics curriculum effectively. Staff ensure that pupils' reading books are matched closely to the sounds pupils have learned.

Leaders check regularly on pupils' progress in reading. They ensure that pupils receive extra support to catch up when needed. As a result, most pupils are fluent readers by the time they enter key stage 2.

Leaders ensure that they make effective use of a range of outside agencies, so that pupils with SEND benefit from appropriate support. Staff are equipped well to accurately identify the needs of those pupils who may have SEND. Teachers understand how to make adaptations for pupils with SEND to ensure that they can access the curriculum alongside their peers.

During lessons, pupils behave well. They understand teachers' expectations and they do their best to live up to these. Learning is rarely disrupted.

Children in the early years settle into school routines quickly. Staff support children to build their understanding of sharing and taking turns. Most pupils behave well during social times.

Staff are skilled at providing additional support for those pupils who struggle to manage their own behaviour.

Pupils are keen to welcome others to their school. They embrace diversity and they enjoy learning about different faiths.

They will not tolerate any discrimination. Pupils are eager to take on several responsibilities in school, including acting as play leaders and running the eco club. Leaders have listened carefully to pupils and introduced other clubs, such as cheerleading and gardening to enhance further their extra-curricular offer for pupils.

Leaders have worked hard to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. Most pupils and their families understand the importance of attending school. However, some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should.

This hinders how well these pupils learn the curriculum.

Governors and trustees provide appropriate support and challenge for leaders. Leaders are considerate of the workload and well-being of staff.

Trust representatives have ensured that staff access high-quality training. Staff are proud to work at the school and they feel valued and appreciated by leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff receive appropriate safeguarding training, supplemented by regular, pertinent updates. Staff are aware of what they need to look out for and they remain vigilant to the signs that pupils may be at risk of harm.

Staff use leaders' systems effectively to record and report any safeguarding concerns.

Leaders support pupils and their families well when needed.

Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe, including when they are online. They learn about staying healthy and appreciate the way school helps them manage their feelings.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, leaders have not finalised the most important subject-specific concepts that they want pupils to revisit over time. As a result, in these subjects, some pupils struggle to remember useful prior learning from previous years. Leaders should ensure that teachers are clear about the key concepts that will be most useful for pupils' subsequent learning.

• Some pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. This has a negative impact on their progress through the curriculum. Leaders should continue to improve these pupils' rates of attendance and build successfully on the work they have already undertaken in this area.