Bretherton Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Bretherton Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School South Road, Bretherton, Leyland, PR26 9AH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Pupils’ progress across the school has improved markedly since the previous inspection and their achievement is now outstanding. They reach high standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave at the end of Year 6. They listen intently, speak confidently, write creatively and read widely. The school is now placing emphasis on encouraging them to share their love of reading with their classmates even more. They solve increasingly complex mathematical problems with accuracy and their calculation skills are much better than usually seen.  The quality of teaching is outstanding and the work and activities provided in lessons meet the needs and interests of pupils of all levels of ability. Pupils thrive on the excellent questioning of their teachers and teaching assistants and enjoy thinking and finding things out for themselves. Marking is of the highest quality and contains detailed advice

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

on how pupils can improve their work.  Pupils are very proud of their school and of all those connected with it. They are very eager to learn and their behaviour in lessons and at breaks and lunchtimes cannot be faulted. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, too, children behave outstandingly well and approach their work, their classmates and their surroundings with a maturity which belies their years. Pupils feel safe in school and know how to keep themselves safe outside its walls. They take on a variety of responsibilities, support a range of charities and educate each other about the importance of saving energy and looking after the environment.  Outstanding leadership by the headteacher has led to marked improvements in all areas of school life since the previous inspection. His views on how the school can improve further are shared by all staff, and there are high levels of teamwork as a result. Members of the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

governing body have an accurate view of how well the school is doing. They support the school and hold it to account rigorously. November 2012 2 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in nine lessons or part-lessons. They also listened to pupils in Years 2 and 6 read.  They held meetings with one group of pupils, comprising school councillors and members of the Eco team, and three members of the governing body. They also had discussions with a representative of the local authority, senior leaders and academic, pastoral, administrative and caretaking staff. They spoke informally with parents and other family representatives at the beginning of the school day.  Inspectors took account of the 32 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and of the 14 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors observed the school at work and looked at a range of documentation, including pupil progress and attainment data, pupils’ work, school improvement planning and the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its performance. In addition, they scrutinised minutes

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Information about this inspection

of governing body minutes and documentation in relation to behaviour, attendance, child protection and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

James Kidd, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Maria McGarry Additional Inspector November 2012 3 of 9

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Information about this school

 This is a much smaller-than-average primary school. There are three mixed-age classes and one class which comprises Year 6 pupils.  The school meets the current government floor targets, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, is low.  The percentage of pupils supported at school action is below average; the percentage supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below that usually found.  Most pupils are White British. There are currently no pupils with English as an additional language.  The school holds the Race Equality Mark and is a nationally accredited Healthy School. It also has the Eco School (silver award) and the Activemark for its work in physical education and

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Information about this school

sport.  The Ark Out of School Club shares the school’s site but is not administered by the school governing body. It therefore receives a separate inspection and a separate report, which is available on the Ofsted website.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to provide pupils with opportunities to share their understanding and love of reading with their classmates. November 2012 4 of 9

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Although their skills vary from year to year, most children start school with skills which are typically expected for their age. They make an excellent start in Reception and, because they have close links to pupils in Year 1, settle down quickly in their new surroundings. All groups of pupils make outstanding progress across the school and reach high levels of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave. This represents outstanding achievement from their starting points. Inspection evidence, including lesson observations, discussions with pupils and the scrutiny of their work, demonstrates that this high level of performance is continuing.  Pupils enjoy their studies and take responsibility for their own learning. In Reception, for example, they apply their knowledge about square-based pyramids to identify a pyramid which has a triangular base. In Years 2 and 3 they explore two- and three-digit number calculations

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

and in Years 4 and 5 they draw increasingly complex figures and work out the perimeter of them with accuracy. Their literacy skills are also developing rapidly. In Year 1, for example, they write with confidence, using capital letters, full stops and question marks. By Year 6 they use complex vocabulary such as ‘apprehensive’, ‘devastated’ and ‘disrespectful’ when writing their newspaper reports.  Reading is an important part of school life and pupils have many opportunities to read silently and also to read aloud to their teachers and teaching assistants. As a result, they enjoy the written word and read widely. Pupils use their knowledge of letters and sounds to help them read unfamiliar words and most read fluently and with understanding. The school recognises that it could give pupils even more opportunities to share their love of reading with their classmates.  The school uses its pupil premium funding wisely and checks on its impact on pupils’

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

achievement regularly. As a result, the small number of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals make the same outstanding progress as their classmates. There are, therefore, no gaps between how well these pupils are doing and others in the school. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive sensitive support from teachers and teaching assistants and also achieve outstandingly well.  Parents are very pleased with the progress their children are making at the school.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Excellent relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults, and activities which require pupils to think more deeply about the work they are doing are the hallmarks of teaching in all areas of the school. Teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is outstanding in all classes.  From as early as Reception, children are encouraged to find things out for themselves and to work cooperatively with their classmates. This is the case in all classes and, by Year 6, pupils ask each other quite searching questions about the topics they are studying, such as the experiences and emotions of Anne Frank’s father, for example. In all classes pupils enjoy working in pairs and groups, helping each other to learn. They rise to their teachers’ challenging questions and are ever eager to answer and to show how much they have learned.  Pupils are very keen to get on with their work. For example, in a Year 4 and 5 mathematics

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

lesson there were gasps of delight at the introduction of more and more complex geometric figures on the electronic whiteboard and then the lesson became a hive of activity as pupils tried to identify how best they could complete their calculations. In such lessons pupils are happy when their classmates do well and show their pride not only in their own achievements but also in the achievements of others. Talented and committed teaching assistants play their part here November 2012 5 of 9

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

too: by giving strong support to pupils who sometimes find the work difficult they make sure that these pupils can benefit to the full from everything the lessons have to offer.  Teachers’ use of information on the progress their pupils are making is faultless and leads to detailed topic and lesson planning, designed to meet the needs and interests of all pupils irrespective of their ability. Without doubt, teachers have an exact understanding of their pupils’ strengths and of where they find things difficult.  Marking is outstanding. Pupils receive accurate advice on how well they are doing and on how they can improve their work. As a result, pupils know the levels at which they are operating and what they need to do to reach the next level.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are very proud of their school, of their classmates and of the adults who work with them. They show their satisfaction with everything the school has to offer them by their excellent behaviour and manners, by their eagerness to learn and by their courtesy to visitors. In their words, ‘We are lucky to be pupils here because there are so many things for us to do and because the grown-ups and our friends look after us.’ Over a four-year period, at least, attendance has been high.  Pupils feel safe because there is always someone to talk to if they have any problems. They have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe and they talk with confidence about ‘stranger danger’, road safety and of how to use the internet securely. They also have an excellent awareness of the dangers of bullying in all its forms, including cyber-bullying, name- calling, physical assault and bullying based on prejudice. Their view is that bullying is very rare

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

in the school and that, if it does happen, it is dealt with immediately by the staff.  ‘Golden Time’ is just one example of many when pupils show their willingness to take responsibility: older pupils support younger ones, often as young as children in Reception, in a variety of activities: model making, art and team games, for example. Throughout the school day pupils are delighted to praise and record the achievements of others, for example when they hang ‘post it’ notes on the ‘Christian Values Washing Line’ in recognition of their classmates’ kindness towards others.  School councillors have a wide range of responsibilities, represent the views of their constituents with skill and take the lead in raising money for a variety of charities, sponsoring a child in Zimbabwe, for example. Members of the Eco team play an important role in teaching other pupils about the importance of saving energy and of recycling. They look after the environment

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

and are currently busy making Eco sculptures in the school grounds. It is a testament to their work that the site is free from litter.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. Pupils have an excellent understanding of right and wrong, enjoy celebrating cultures and religions which are different from their own and value the many opportunities they have to take part in music and drama. Parents have a high regard for how the school treats their children and comment, ‘The school takes time to understand its pupils and there is a genuine celebration of children’. Pupils agree and add, ‘The clock hands seem to go round really fast here!’

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Outstanding leadership from the headteacher, who is supported exceptionally well by the assistant head, has led to a significant improvement in performance in all areas of school life since the previous inspection. The school knows itself and meets the needs of all of its pupils outstandingly well.  Leadership by example is the order of the day and all staff speak with one voice about the high November 2012 6 of 9

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The leadership and management are outstanding

levels of teamwork: ‘We are listened to and our work is valued; leadership is open and we are encouraged to innovate in our work’. Staff believe that performance arrangements are rigorous but fair and that the ongoing emphasis on improving the quality of teaching has improvements in pupils’ learning at its core. There is a wide range of relevant training opportunities for teaching and support staff.  The curriculum is always under review and topics enable pupils to see the links between the different subjects they are studying. There is a wide variety of extra-curricular opportunities, in which sport and music loom large, and pupils cannot wait for the Friday activities in ‘Golden Time’.  Safeguarding and child protection policies and practice fully meet current requirements. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated and equality of opportunity for all is at the heart of everything the school does.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority provides strong support for the school, particularly in relation to training on data analysis, to gauging and improving the quality of teaching and learning and to identifying what can be learned about pupils’ progress from a scrutiny of their work. The local authority uses the expertise of the headteacher to offer advice to other schools on how to gauge pupils’ progress in Key Stage 1.  The governance of the school:  Members of the governing body have an accurate view of how the school is doing and they hold the leadership to account with the utmost rigour. They check regularly on the quality of teaching and on the progress of all groups of pupils. For example, they oversee the spending of pupil premium funding and question the leadership about its ongoing impact on the progress of those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. They are fully aware of the arrangements for the performance management of staff and ensure that salary progression is

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The leadership and management are outstanding

closely linked to the quality of teaching and to pupils’ achievement. November 2012 7 of 9

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. November 2012 8 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 119461 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 403390

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 109 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tommy Wilson Headteacher Nick Ward Date of previous school inspection 02 May 2008 Telephone number 01772 600431 Fax number 01772 600431 Email address n.ward@bretherton.lancs.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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