Poulton-le-Fylde the Breck Primary School

Poulton-le-Fylde The Breck Primary School Fouldrey Avenue, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 7HE

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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 make outstanding progress in all classes across the school. They reach standards at the end of Key Stage 2 which are consistently well above average in reading, writing and mathematics.  The most able pupils make particularly strong progress, especially in mathematics, because of the very challenging work they are given.  The quality of teaching is outstanding. Teachers have very high expectations, plan their lessons thoroughly and make it very clear to pupils exactly what is expected of them.  Well-qualified and very skilful teaching assistants provide valuable support in lessons, so that all pupils can make excellent progress.  Pupils are very happy at this school, which they describe as, ‘like a massive family’. They love learning and work extremely hard.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are extremely polite and welcoming. As one parent commented, ‘Breck children have

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

manners.’  Pupils feel very safe in school. Adults respect and value the pupils, and they, in turn, trust and respect adults.  The school continues to go from strength to strength under the strong and aspirational leadership of the new headteacher. She is very well supported by other senior leaders. They have made sure that achievement and teaching have continued to improve.  There is tremendous teamwork among the staff. Senior and middle leaders, teachers and support staff, are equally determined that all pupils will do as well as they possibly can.  There are very well-established systems for checking on the performance of all staff. However, when leaders carry out checks on the quality of teaching, they do not always set precise targets for teachers, in order to help them to improve their teaching even further.  Members of the governing body have an excellent understanding of the school. They support the school and rigorously hold it to

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 16 lessons, including two observations carried out jointly with the headteacher. The inspectors listened to pupils reading and observed the teaching of early reading skills. They observed teaching in small support groups. They also looked at examples of pupils’ work, together with senior leaders, to obtain a view of teaching and learning over time.  Discussions took place with pupils, parents, the Chair of the Governing Body and four other governors, a representative from the local authority, senior and middle leaders, and other staff.  The inspectors took account of 64 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, one letter and one phone call from parents, parental and pupil surveys carried out by the school and 40 staff questionnaires.  The inspectors looked at a range of documents, including data on pupils’ progress across the school, the school’s view of its own effectiveness and its development planning, records of the

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Information about this inspection

quality of teaching and learning, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documentation in relation to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Christine Potter, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Carol Machell Additional Inspector Gordon Alston Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a slightly larger than average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below average.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is below average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.)  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school club.  Breck Beanies is a pre-school setting, situated within the school building. This is subject to a

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Information about this school

separate inspection and the report is available on the Ofsted website.  There have been a number of staffing changes since the last inspection, including the appointment of a new headteacher and deputy headteacher.  The headteacher is a consultant for the Wyre and Fylde Affiliation and provides leadership support for local schools, including a newly established academy.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that, when leaders carry out checks on the quality of teaching, they always give teachers precise targets to help them to improve their teaching even further.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are broadly typical for their age, although this does vary. They make rapid gains in all areas of learning because of the warm and caring environment and the very clear focus on developing basic skills.  Pupils continue to make excellent progress in all classes across Key Stages 1 and 2. Their attainment is consistently well-above average in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6.  Published data from 2013 shows that the progress of last year’s Year 6 pupils, from the end of Key Stage 1, was not as strong as in previous years, particularly in writing. This was due to over- generous assessment when these pupils were in Year 2, so that it was not an accurate reflection of the progress that they had in fact made. The school’s own data, together with the work in pupils’ books and the progress they are making in lessons, clearly shows the rapid progress that

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

pupils make in all classes.  The most able pupils make particularly strong progress, especially in mathematics, with well- above average proportions reaching levels above those expected for their age by the end of Key Stage 2. Teachers make sure that they are given challenging work in all subjects and the pupils themselves say how much they enjoy doing difficult tasks. A small group of Year 6 pupils regularly attend ‘booster’ sessions at the local high school to help them to achieve the highest levels possible in writing and mathematics in 2014.  Pupils’ work shows that they reach very high standards in all subjects. They use their writing skills extremely successfully in a range of different contexts as they report on investigations they have carried out in science, describe a land-fill site in geography or evaluate how well they have done when making a puppet in design and technology.  Pupils confidently use their skills in information and communication technology to help them to

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

carry out research and to learn in other subjects. For example, older pupils used ‘data logging’ to record and explain changing temperatures throughout the day and night in their classroom.  The school places a significant emphasis on developing pupils’ early reading skills. Teachers make highly effective links between speaking, reading and writing from an early stage. Children in the Reception class were keen to try writing unfamiliar words on their whiteboards. Almost all pupils in Year 1 are predicted to reach the expected standard in the national phonics screening test this year.  Most of the small number of disabled pupils, those with special educational needs, and those for whom the pupil premium provides support, make the same rapid progress from their individual starting points as other pupils. This is because of the excellent, highly personalised, support that they receive, which helps them socially as well as in their learning. This demonstrates the

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

school’s commitment to ensuring equality of opportunity.  The small number of pupils in Year 6 in 2013 for whom the pupil premium provided support makes comparisons between their attainment and that of other pupils statistically unreliable. However, although some of them had complex needs, the standards that they reached at the end of Year 6 represented excellent progress overall from their starting points.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching across the school inspires pupils to learn and to give of their best. Teachers have very high expectations of what pupils can achieve and make sure that pupils understand exactly what they are going to learn, and why.  Teachers plan their lessons and prepare resources extremely thoroughly. They systematically build on pupils’ learning as the lesson progresses, and provide plenty of examples and opportunities for pupils to practise, so that they develop a secure grasp of new skills. Teachers carefully check pupils’ understanding as they go along. Pupils of all ages have many opportunities to recap and practise what they have learnt previously through ‘Jotter Job’ and ‘Busy Bees’ time. All of this contributes to their excellent progress.  Teachers ask very probing questions so that pupils really have to think about and explain their answers. This helps them to constantly refine and develop their ideas, such as when pupils in

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

Year 4 reflected on and improved the similes and metaphors they were using in their poems.  Pupils say how much they enjoy their lessons because of the friendly relationships they have with teachers and other adults and the praise and encouragement they receive. They never feel ‘put down’; as teachers listen carefully to them and gently correct any misconceptions. This also means that they are not afraid to try new things and to discuss different ways of doing things to find what works best for them. For example, pupils in Year 6 were discussing the effectiveness of the different ways they knew of calculating with fractions, to help them solve problems.  Pupils also love the way that teachers always try to make learning interesting and fun. For example, pupils in Year 1 enthusiastically discussed how to present information about their favourite ice creams on a graph. Children in the Reception class who were timing themselves as

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

they jumped, hopped and stacked blocks, were not only developing physical and mathematical skills but were having a lovely time.  Pupils have many opportunities to apply and combine skills that they have learnt in real-life contexts. For example, a group of the pupils in Year 5 measured the school hall, calculated its area and then used long multiplication of decimals to work out the cost of re-tiling it. They were totally absorbed in the task.  Teaching assistants are highly qualified and very experienced. They provide extremely valuable support in all lessons for pupils of different abilities. Sometimes they provide additional challenge for the most able pupils and sometimes they give intensive support to help individual pupils or groups who are finding things difficult. They know the pupils well and are involved at all stages of planning, so that they know exactly what pupils need to do in order to make rapid progress.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers’ marking is extremely effective in identifying what pupils have done well and what they need to do next. Pupils also receive a lot of verbal feedback, and time to look at, and learn from, what teachers have said about their previous work.  Pupils have individual learning targets, which they help to set, and teachers regularly refer to these, both in their marking and throughout lessons. Pupils assess their own work against these targets and so they know exactly how well they are doing. It helps to give them a real sense of achievement.  Teachers set homework which reflects what pupils have done in lessons and gives them a chance to practise it further, but which also gives them additional challenges to complete. Parents say that they enjoy the opportunity to be involved in their children’s learning, especially through extended project work, and to see and comment on how well they are doing.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Most of them behave impeccably at all different times of the school day. They have excellent attitudes to learning, are enthusiastic and hardworking in lessons, and they work and play together extremely well.  The school is a very happy place. Pupils are welcomed at the door and they come into school with smiling faces. They are eager to get into their classes and settle quickly to their work. As one parent governor commented, ‘It doesn’t matter what’s going on in your life, if you come into school you always leave with a smile on your face.’  All pupils, from the youngest to the oldest, are expected to take responsibility for their own behaviour. If they do something wrong, this is discussed and explained, and they learn to apologise and make amends. Older pupils seemed puzzled when asked whether teachers sort things out quickly if they fall out with each other. ‘We can sort things out ourselves.’ one of them

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

confidently stated; ‘And anyway, we hardly ever fall out.’ said another. They all agreed with this.  Pupils talk about how important friendships are to them. Newer pupils say how welcome they were made to feel when they arrived and how easily they have made friends. Pupils understand and value the importance of working as a team, for example, in ‘Big Art’ projects.  Pupils are very proud of their school. They learn from an early age to take on responsibility, and older pupils see themselves very much as role models for the younger ones in the way that they behave and treat each other. They confidently take on roles as prefects and pupil governors.  Pupils are extremely aware of their wider responsibility within the community, especially in looking after the environment. Recycling is part of everyday life in school and pupils have noticed that, ‘some of the younger ones are dropping litter, so we need more bins’.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils feel extremely safe in school, appreciate the school’s security systems, and have absolute trust in the adults who look after them. Parents are completely in agreement. As one of them said, ‘I trust this school with my child.’  Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe. The school is totally committed to making sure that pupils are extremely well prepared for their move to high school and how to deal with new and potentially difficult situations that they might encounter.  Neither pupils nor parents think that there is any bullying in the school, but they all feel that if any incidents occurred, these would be sorted out very quickly and effectively. Pupils have a very good understanding of different types of bullying. They know that name-calling is hurtful and wrong and they say that it does not happen in this school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance is consistently high. The very well-attended breakfast club and before-school physical activity sessions encourage pupils to arrive on time and provide a ‘fun way to start the day with your friends’. Pupils are able to choose from an excellent range of healthy and appetising food, which helps to prepare them for learning. As one pupil said, ’I have beans on toast – it’s healthy and yummy!’

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Parents, pupils, staff and governors alike have absolute confidence in the strong and determined leadership of the new headteacher. She is highly ambitious for the school, knows what still needs to be done and sets aspirational standards for pupils and staff alike. She is extremely well supported by other senior leaders and by members of the governing body, and there is a relentless drive to move the school forward.  Staff at all levels feel that they are valued members of the school ‘team’. They work together, share ideas and support each other, including those who are new to the profession. They also challenge each other, such as when they compare their judgements on the levels reached by pupils in different classes. Senior leaders give them many opportunities to undertake additional training in order to improve their skills.  The headteacher has recognised the leadership potential of other staff, both teaching and non-

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The leadership and management are outstanding

teaching. Several staff have taken on additional responsibility and there is now a strong team of middle leaders. They work hard to make sure that they have a very sound grasp of what is going on in their areas of responsibility. They contribute highly effectively to plans for improvement and report regularly to the governing body.  Senior leaders have taken very effective action to eliminate weaker teaching and to ensure that, overall, its quality is outstanding. They regularly check on the quality of teaching and make it very clear to teachers what their strengths are. However, they do not always give teachers precise targets to help them to improve their teaching even further.  There are excellent systems in place to track the progress of individual pupils. Pupils who are at the slightest risk of not doing as well are quickly identified. The coordinator for special educational needs works with leaders and teachers to make sure that all of them get the precise

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The leadership and management are outstanding

help and support that they need in order to make the best possible progress.  Several members of staff, including senior and middle leaders, make an active contribution to helping other local schools to improve. Senior teaching assistants lead a support group for other local teaching assistants and have provided training for them.  The curriculum, whilst retaining a strong focus on making sure that pupils acquire the necessary basic skills, provides an exceptional range of exciting activities, both in and out of school hours. Parents and pupils talk animatedly about the occasion when a hot air balloon landed on the school field and staff set off in it to travel ‘Around the World in 80 Days’. This was the starting point for many imaginative and interesting activities, during which pupils found out about life in different parts of the world. In an assembly, Year 4 pupils demonstrated their considerable

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The leadership and management are outstanding

prowess in playing the ukulele after just five lessons. The school choir regularly performs in the local community. Pupils are given many opportunities to reflect on their experiences and feelings, and to consider issues affecting the wider world. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is therefore extremely strong.  The school makes excellent use of the primary school sports funding. The Prime Minister, speaking to a local news reporter, has singled the school out as a key example of a school where the extra money is being used well. The physical education coordinator spends one day each week training alongside other local teachers and this expertise is shared amongst all staff. The school also uses the funding to provide a broader range of sports and dance for pupils.  Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. They appreciate the many opportunities that they have to be involved in school life, and say how approachable the headteacher and

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The leadership and management are outstanding

other staff are. ‘Milestones’ books give them the chance to see and comment on how well their children are doing. Grandparents are invited into school to see how their grandchildren learn. They love being shown around, and being given tea and homemade biscuits.  The local authority has supported the headteacher in her new role and now provides light-touch support for this outstanding school.  The governance of the school:  Governors have an exceptionally good understanding of the school, because of their regular involvement in school life and the wealth of information that they receive. They come in and see for themselves what is going on in classrooms. They are delighted by the ‘buzz’ in school and proud of how the school provides ‘a well-rounded education’. They have looked at pupils’ work and seen the impact that improvements in teaching have had. They receive detailed reports from the headteacher and subject leaders. Pupil governors give presentations which

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The leadership and management are outstanding

give governors a view of the school from their perspective. Members of the governing body study the school’s performance data and ask very challenging questions if they think pupils are not doing well enough. They have provided very strong support for the headteacher in taking action to eliminate weak teaching. They are very well informed about the outcomes of teachers’ performance management and make absolutely sure that decisions relating to pay progression are linked to this. They are very concerned to ensure that pupil premium funding is spent wisely to support eligible pupils, not just in their learning, but also through providing additional out-of-school activities. They monitor their progress closely to make sure that gaps between their achievement and that of other pupils are closed. They are fully committed to equality of opportunity and to tackling discrimination of any kind. They have a very good

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The leadership and management are outstanding

understanding of safeguarding matters and ensure that requirements are met fully in order to keep all pupils as safe and secure as possible.

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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 119301 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 440838

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 278 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Raynor Headteacher Cheryl Brindle Date of previous school inspection 23 May 2011 Telephone number 01253 885319 Fax number Not applicable Email address bursar@breck.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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