Leck St Peter's Church of England Primary School

Leck St Peter’s Church of England Primary School Leck, Carnforth, Lancashire, LA6 2JD

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Achievement is good. Pupils make good progress in all classes.  Teaching is good. Reading, writing and mathematics are taught well.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. They say the school is like a happy family. This is reflected in their smiling faces, enjoyment of lessons and in the respect they show each other.  Leaders, managers and governors work as a team under the headteacher’s good leadership. The impact of their efforts is seen in improved teaching at Key Stage 1 and better achievement in writing.  The governing body acts strategically and provides good challenge so as to ensure that this good school continues to improve.  Ways for checking on the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement are good. There is good quality training for teachers, some of it through strong links with other schools.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy an excellent range of rich activities in sport, music and art which

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

enhance their learning, personal development and physical well-being.  Parents are very supportive and express high levels of satisfaction with the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding. Pupils’ progress slows when teachers spend too long on introductions and explanations rather than moving on to new learning.  In a few lessons, teaching does not challenge the more able.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed the teaching of three teachers and visited all classes. They saw seven lessons altogether. One inspector was joined by the headteacher in a walk around all classes to sample teaching and learning during the afternoon.  The inspectors looked at the work in pupils’ books to assess achievement currently and over time and the quality of teachers’ marking. This was done jointly with the headteacher.  The inspectors spoke to groups of pupils to get their views on the quality of teaching, what they enjoy learning and what they feel about pupils’ behaviour and safety. They took account of 11 responses from parents to the online questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors also talked to parents as they brought their children to school.  Meetings were held with the governing body, teachers and support staff and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a number of documents including the school’s evaluation of its work, the

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Information about this inspection

school improvement plan and various policies, for example on behaviour and attendance. Inspectors looked at safeguarding documents and the school’s records of behaviour and bullying incidents.  Inspectors took account of the school’s evaluation of the quality of teaching. With the headteacher, they looked at the school’s tracking of pupils’ progress. Inspectors looked at results in the 2012 standard assessment tasks and at unvalidated data in the same tests for 2013.  The inspectors listened to pupils read and checked the school’s records of reading progress.

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Inspection team

David Law, Lead inspector Additional Inspector John Ellwood Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a much smaller than average-sized primary school. Although the school has places for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage Reception Year, there were no such children enrolled at the time of the inspection. The school experiences a greater level of pupils joining the school during Key Stage 2 than is typically seen. This particularly affects Years 5 and 6.  All pupils are from White British backgrounds and there are none who speaks English as an additional language.  An above average proportion of pupils are supported at school action because they are disabled or have special educational needs. This figure has increased since the last inspection. A below average proportion have a statement of special educational needs or are supported at school action plus.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is much lower than average. The pupil premium is extra funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and a very

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Information about this school

small number of pupils at the school are in this group. Pupil premium is also for children who are looked after by the local authority, or are children of families in the armed services, but there are no pupils at the school in this position.  The headteacher is also employed as headteacher at another school. The schools are not federated, having their own governing bodies and being separately established.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so more is outstanding by:  developing strategies for introducing activities and undertaking explanations so lessons move at a brisk pace and enable pupils to more rapidly gain new skills and understanding  ensuring that more-able pupils are suitably challenged in all lessons by pitching work at a level that stretches them to make the best possible progress at all times.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although there are currently no children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, school information shows that in previous years they entered with levels of skills, knowledge and understanding typical for their age. Records of learning from last year showed children made good progress in the Reception class so that most reached above average standards by the time they entered Year 1.  Good progress continues in Years 1 and 2 where pupils make particularly good gains in reading. Their ability to use letters and sounds (phonics) develops well.  Attainment in writing has improved at Key Stage 1, remedying the below average standards seen in the 2012 ‘end of Year 2’ assessments. Currently, pupils make good progress in writing and more are reaching levels above that expected for their age.  Good progress is seen at Key Stage 2. Pupils work hard, concentrate well and often engage in lessons enthusiastically. These positive attitudes support their good progress in reading, writing

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The achievement of pupils is good

and mathematics.  By the end of Year 6, most pupils are fluent and expressive readers and able to articulate clear views about books they read. The few who find reading more difficult work hard to improve and make good progress like their peers.  Pupils across Key Stage 2 write in a range of styles. They make good progress overall; some make outstanding progress. Attainment in writing has improved in the last two years. More pupils are reaching the higher level by the time they leave Year 6.  Pupils in all classes make good progress in mathematics. When they leave Year 6 attainment is above average overall.  Both boys and girls make good progress. Teaching aimed at helping boys learn letters and sounds at Key Stage 1 has helped them to improve these skills. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because of timely support from skilful teaching assistants. More-able pupils generally make good progress but there is not always enough

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The achievement of pupils is good

attention focused on this group and some lessons do not challenge them enough so consequently they do not make the progress of which they are capable.  Pupils who join the school in Key Stage 2 make good progress because they settle well and their needs are quickly assessed.  The few pupils currently eligible for free school meals make the same good progress as those in the school who are not eligible for a free school meal and their attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is above that of similar pupils nationally.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Excellent relations exist between pupils and teachers. Teachers foster positive attitudes, ensuring all pupils have equal opportunity to learn. Teaching skilfully promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development through interesting lessons about places and people, for example the video pupils made for friends at a school in Chile.  Teaching assistants are adept at supporting pupils with special educational needs. In one lesson at Key Stage 1, the teaching assistant supported good progress in science by doing exercises that raised pupils’ heart rates which they then measured.  Reading is taught well. The school has worked effectively to improve pupils’ ability to use letters and sounds (phonics) to help them read. Younger pupils particularly are confident in using phonic skills to read less familiar texts.  Training to improve the teaching of writing has made an impact across the school but especially

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The quality of teaching is good

at Key Stage 1 where more pupils are reaching the higher level. At Key Stage 2, teachers plan lessons thoughtfully so pupils can write in various styles in different subjects. For example, pupils had written some excellent pieces about the Victorians.  The impact of good mathematics teaching is seen in pupils’ good ability to manipulate numbers and solve problems.  The performance of teachers is monitored carefully. Relevant training develops their skills and all teachers have personal targets to help them improve. The headteacher, as a leader at two schools, arranges for teachers to visit each other’s classrooms and this has extended teacher’s professional knowledge.  Teachers plan carefully to match learning to pupils’ ability. This generally works well, particularly for pupils with special educational needs, but in some lessons the more-able pupils’ thinking is not stretched because teachers have not planned for this sufficiently.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers check pupils’ progress well and the marking of books is thorough. Pupils say they find teachers’ comments helpful. Teachers make sure that pupils know what to improve and this helps pupils reach their personal targets and they know these well.  Teaching effectively imparts key literacy and numeracy skills but there is also strong subject knowledge in art, history and Spanish. The school arranges for additional teaching in music and physical education and pupils respond enthusiastically to these subjects.  Teachers’ explanations are clear and pupils know what they have to do. Transitions between activities are smoothly managed. However, in some lessons explanations go on too long and pupils spend too much time listening instead of moving on to new learning and consequently their learning slows.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils show exceptionally positive attitudes to learning. They are eager to achieve and apply themselves with tremendous enthusiasm to their work. They display an excellent ability to work cooperatively and take turns.  Pupils’ outstanding behaviour is seen both in lessons and around the school and is fundamental in supporting good progress. There have been no exclusions in the last three years. Pupils treat each other with high levels of respect and tolerance. They are friendly and welcoming to visitors and eager to announce their pride in the school.  Pupils feel entirely safe in school. They frequently mention the friendly atmosphere the school provides. Parents, too, are highly positive about the family ethos and are extremely pleased with how the school promotes pupils’ personal and social development.  Pupils feel entirely free from any form of bullying and school records show this is virtually non-

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

existent. The school has an excellent programme of personal, social and health education so pupils gain a strong grasp of different kinds of bullying and how to keep safe. For example, pupils have an excellent knowledge of dangers associated with internet use and can explain how they keep themselves safe online.  Attendance is well above average and there is no persistent absence. Pupils are keen to get into lessons to enjoy their learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s strong leadership of teaching expects the very best of staff and pupils and promotes enthusiastic teaching. He is supported well by the deputy headteacher; her good teaching is used to improve practice across the school. The impact of this leadership of teaching is seen in the rise in writing standards and improved teaching at Key Stage 1.  There are good systems for checking the quality of teaching. The observation of lessons by leaders is used to shape further training and inform teachers’ personal performance targets. Teacher appraisal is effective and movement along the pay scales has to be merited.  The headteacher tracks pupils’ progress carefully. He makes sure teachers use the information to prevent pupils falling behind. The good leadership of special educational needs means that provision for these pupils is relevant and timely.  Informed by accurate self-evaluation, leaders and governors set challenging targets for

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The leadership and management are good

improvement which are clearly stated in the strategic plan. Everyone knows what the school is trying to achieve. One priority is to improve teaching so more is outstanding and clear steps have been set out to achieve this ambition.  Leaders and governors ensure learning is exciting for pupils through an excellent range of rich activities in art and music. Pupils participate keenly in many sports enabling a positive impact on health and physical well-being.  Pupils benefit from exciting visits that enhance learning and personal development. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the stimulating opportunities they enjoy including exploring forests and doing adventure activities. Much of this is provided through excellent partnerships with other schools.  There are links with schools in Chile, India and in East Lancashire. This contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and their understanding of diversity.

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The leadership and management are good

 Governors and leaders effectively foster good relations, ensuring all pupils have equal opportunity to learn. No group suffers from discrimination and strategies are in place to tackle this if it should occur.  Pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs get good support. The small amount of funding for pupils eligible for the pupil premium is used well to provide additional teaching assistant support. Because the progress of groups is tracked carefully, anybody falling behind is quickly helped and this includes pupils eligible for a free school meal.  Governors and school leaders value the support of the local authority, particularly the School Improvement Adviser.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a good knowledge of teaching through the headteacher’s reports and their own visits to lessons. They have a sound grasp of pupils’ achievement because they look closely at attainment information. Governors use information from the school’s self-review to

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The leadership and management are good

challenge and support leaders well. They make sure the performance of teachers is appraised. They are involved closely in steps to tackle underperformance in the rare event that this is needed. They monitor pay awards carefully to see they are justified. They ensure that there is a close watch kept on all safeguarding requirements.

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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.

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School details

Unique reference number 119535 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 427247

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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 39 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Ellis Headteacher Kerry Stafford-Roberts Date of previous school inspection 2 February 2010 Telephone number 01524 271538 Fax number 01524 271757 Email address head@leck-st-peters.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

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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