Wrightington Mossy Lea Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders and governors have worked very effectively with the local authority to restore the school's former status as a good school. Strong and effective leadership have provided clear direction and driven good improvements to teaching, learning and pupils' achievement. Teachers, leaders and governors are all working together to ensure that every pupil achieves as well as they can, whatever their starting points.

Good-quality teaching is now firmly established. Teachers give pupils interesting work and challenge them to think hard. Teachers ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive ...the support they need to succeed.

Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics, but progress in reading is not quite as strong. Leaders' strategies to address this are paying off but need more time to embed. Leaders have designed a curriculum which captures pupils' interests and allows them to make strong progress.

Pupils enjoy school and value the wide range of interesting activities and experiences provided. Pupils apply themselves well to their work and are proud of what they achieve. Leaders have correctly identified the need to improve pupils' confidence and independent learning skills.

Pupils' behaviour is outstanding. They are kind and caring to each other, listen carefully in lessons and show respect to adults. Through the curriculum pupils develop a good understanding of some aspects of diversity but not the full range required by law.

Pupils' understanding of British values is not promoted well enough through the curriculum. There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Pupils' physical and emotional well-being and safety are high priorities.

Pupils are given good information about their rights and how to stay safe. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and parents and carers agree. The recent formal collaboration with a local outstanding school has opened up new and exciting opportunities for pupils' learning and personal development.

Importantly, it has strengthened the school's capacity to improve even further.

Information about this school

The school is much smaller than the average-sized primary school. After the previous inspection the school experienced high staff turnover, including in leadership.

Many parents were unhappy with the situation and moved their children to other schools. The local authority's monitoring and intervention team has provided, and continues to provide, significant support for the school. In May 2018, the deputy headteacher from a local outstanding local primary school was seconded as acting headteacher.

A headteacher and national leader of education from a different outstanding local primary school (St George's Church of England Primary School in Chorley) became the chair of the governing body. Other experienced governors also joined the governing body. The composition of the governing body has changed significantly since the previous inspection.

On 1 March 2019, a formal collaboration was formed between Wrightington Mossy Lea and St George's Church of England Primary School. The headteacher of St George's became the executive headteacher of both schools. A new chair of the governing body was appointed.

An experienced teacher from the school's staff was appointed to the role of head of school from September 2019. The acting headteacher will remain in post until July 2019. The executive headteacher is spending a day each week at the school.

From September 2019, the executive headteacher will spend the equivalent of two days a week at Wrightington Mossy Lea and three days at St George's. Currently, pupils are organised into two classes each morning and for some lessons in the afternoon. From September 2019 there will be one class.

All pupils in the school are of White British heritage. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average.

The school's early years provides for Reception-age children. At the time of the inspection, there were no children in Reception or Year 1. The school provides a pre-school breakfast club and an after-school club.