Pinfold Primary School

Pinfold Lane, Scarisbrick, Ormskirk, Lancashire, L40 8HR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher, governors and all staff have worked together to maintain the school’s strengths and to tackle the areas for improvement successfully. The dedicated leadership of the headteacher has been instrumental in moving the school forward. This has ensured that pupils’ progress is tracked more carefully, and that teaching and achievement continue to improve.  Governors know the school well. Effective systems have been put in place to enable them to check the school’s performance, provide effective support and challenge the school.  Children get off to a good start in the early years. The classroom and outdoor area provide a stimulating environment where they develop a love of learning. Children are keen to come to school and achieve well.  Pupils make good progress overall throughout their time in the school.  Teaching is good. Lessons are interesting and successfully motivate pupils.  Teaching assistants work closely with teachers and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

make a good contribution to many aspects of pupils’ learning.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They show great care and respect for one another, and demonstrate mature and responsible attitudes from the earliest ages. As a result, all pupils feel extremely safe.  The curriculum develops pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills well and very successfully promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. High quality science, music and sporting activities both within and beyond the school environment are among the many experiences the school provides for its pupils. As a result, pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education and for life in modern Britain.  The overwhelming majority of parents value the school highly and are very supportive of its work.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In lessons, a few pupils are occasionally not given sufficiently challenging work as soon as they are ready to move on further.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop their problem-solving skills, particularly in mathematics.  In some lessons and in some books, feedback to pupils is not always precise enough to show them how to improve further.  The role of middle leaders is not always fully developed.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed two teachers and visited several lessons, one of which was a joint observation with the headteacher. Additionally, sessions led by teaching assistants were observed and the inspector also listened to pupils read.  The inspector and the headteacher jointly scrutinised pupils’ work.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, staff, pupils, governors and a representative of the local authority.  The opportunity was taken to talk to several parents as they dropped off their children before school.  The inspector observed break time and talked regularly with pupils as they moved around the school.  A wide range of the school’s documentation was checked including safeguarding arrangements, systems for tracking pupils’ progress, improvement plans, planning and monitoring information and minutes of governing body meetings. The inspector also reviewed records relating to behaviour and attendance.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector took into account the 27 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). The 12 responses to the staff questionnaire were also considered.

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Inspection team

Elisabeth Fenwick, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Pinfold Primary is much smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Pupils are taught in two classes: one class for Reception-aged children and Year 1 and Year 2 pupils, and the other class for pupils in Years 3, 4, 5 and 6.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those supported by the pupil premium, is lower than that found nationally. The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is three times higher than the national average.  The government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress, do not apply in this school because fewer than 11 pupils took the recent end of Key Stage 2 assessment tests.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.

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Information about this school

 The school has a high proportion of pupils entering and leaving the school part way through their primary education.  Provision in the early years is for Reception-aged children and is full time.  The school accommodates a nursery and before- and after-school clubs. These are not managed by the governing body and are subject to a separate inspection.  In November 2014, the school was awarded the Rolls Royce Science Ecology Award.  In 2014, a teaching assistant was awarded Primary Science Teacher of the Year by the Primary Science Teaching Trust.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching to outstanding in order to further raise pupils’ achievement and accelerate progress by:  ensuring that pupils are always given more challenging work to do as soon as they are ready to move on in their learning, particularly in English and mathematics  providing pupils with more opportunities to develop their problem-solving skills in mathematics  making sure that teachers’ feedback, including marking, effectively and consistently helps pupils to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by further developing the role of middle leaders so that more members of staff are able to take on leadership responsibilities for different aspects of the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, supported by staff and governors, provides strong, effective leadership and clear direction. Together, they have worked tirelessly to successfully tackle the weaknesses identified in the previous inspection in 2013.  The school’s work is evaluated accurately, and clear and achievable priorities are established for further improvement. There are robust systems in place to check the quality of teaching and learning through regular lesson observations, work scrutiny and learning walks.  The headteacher shares responsibility for the leadership of different subjects and aspects of the school with the two teachers. The school recognises that there is more scope for staff to further develop their middle leadership skills and take on more responsibility for leading more aspects of the school’s work.  The school’s system for managing the performance of teachers is closely linked to pupils’ achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

Objectives to improve performance are closely linked to pupils’ progress. As a result, the quality of teaching has strengthened further since the last inspection.  Effective systems are in place to track pupils’ progress and care is taken to promote good achievement for all, including those pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium. The funding for these pupils is spent effectively on providing one-to-one and small group tuition and, as a result, these pupils often achieve at a faster rate than their classmates.  The special educational needs coordinator ensures that, when pupils’ needs have been identified, support and guidance is quickly put in place. The progress of these pupils is regularly checked. Support is sought from the local authority and other agencies so that all pupils who need specialist help through health plans, with speech and language or in other areas have their needs met rapidly.

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The leadership and management are good

 All pupils are given equal opportunities to succeed and flourish in this very inclusive school. Discrimination of any kind is not allowed and the school fosters good relations between all groups of pupils. Pupils are well aware of the needs of others, and show respect and tolerance of those who have different faiths and cultures from their own.  The curriculum is exciting and provides pupils’ with rich experiences both in the classroom and beyond. The recent residential trip to Borwick for the older pupils gave them opportunities to develop new skills and grow in confidence through a range of outdoor activities. A recent science project provided pupils with the opportunity to work with the local universities to develop their understanding of ecology. This has led to the establishment of the Bonkers Bugs club where pupils can continue to study ecology out of school.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding is extremely well developed. Pupils have a good

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The leadership and management are good

understanding of British values and an example of this was seen through the visits they made to Ormskirk and Preston Councils to see democracy in action. This supported them in setting up their own school council. Every term pupils vote for different awards to be given to their peers for their achievements in different aspects of school life. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The primary school physical education and sport funding has been used well to increase opportunities for sport and physical development. Every child in the school has swimming lessons throughout the year. Specialist coaches work with pupils and staff to increase their skills in a wide range of sports, including tag rugby, dance and gymnastics.  Safeguarding arrangements are extremely effective and meet all requirements. Staff are highly trained and acutely aware of child protection and risk assessment procedures.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the previous inspection, the local authority has provided effective support for the school. It has worked closely with the headteacher, staff and governors to ensure the necessary improvements have been successfully implemented.  The governance of the school:  The headteacher is well supported by the governors, some of whom are relatively new. Together, they have taken decisive actions that have put the school in a stronger position that it was at the time of the previous inspection. The governing body provides a good balance of challenge and support, and carries out its duties effectively.  Governors are highly committed to and supportive of the school. Since the previous inspection, they have carried out an audit of skills and recruited new governors with specific skills needed to move the school forward. They have attended a wide range of training so that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to monitor the performance of the school and hold school leaders to account for

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The leadership and management are good

standards at the school. Governors have a good understanding of data. They also have an accurate view of pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching. They carry out first-hand monitoring in school and receive comprehensive reports from the headteacher which they are confident to question and challenge.  The governing body checks that systems to manage staff performance are implemented and that teachers’ pay reflects the effectiveness of their work.  The governing body ensures that the school’s resources, including the spending of additional funding, are managed effectively to support pupils’ learning.  Governors ensure that safeguarding meets requirements.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils behave extremely well around school and in lessons. They concentrate exceptionally well in lessons, are attentive, very keen to learn and thoroughly enjoy their learning.  Pupils are polite and considerate at all times. In the playground the older pupils take great care of the younger ones, particularly the Nursery children who join the others at break time. Pupils are very aware each other’s needs. They watch out for each other at break and lunchtimes, making sure that everyone has someone to play with. Pupils say, ‘School is like a big family which welcomes everyone.’  Lunchtimes are particularly well organised. Older pupils act as playground leaders and set up games for other pupils to play.  Without exception, parents who completed Parent View would recommend this school. All those who talked to the inspector are extremely happy with all aspects of school life. One parent said, ‘I can’t speak

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Behaviour

highly enough of this school.’  Records show that incidents of challenging behaviour are very rare.  Attendance is average. The school works very closely and successfully with the parents of the very small number of pupils who have regular absences to make them aware of the importance of regular attendance. Consequently, the school has made great strides in improving the attendance of this small number of pupils.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school, are extremely well cared for and that all adults will help them if needed.  All parents who responded to Parent View say their children are safe in school and looked after well.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of different types of bullying, including cyber and homophobic bullying. They said there was no bullying in the school but that sometimes children fall out with each other. When this happens, it is sorted out quickly. Pupils are very knowledgeable about how to keep themselves safe. They are very clear about the dangers associated with using the internet and mobile phones. Pupils are particularly well informed about social media.  Health and safety has a high priority in the school. The premises are checked regularly and are extremely secure. The headteacher has undertaken specialist training to ensure that pupils are guided safely across

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Safety

the busy road outside the school when walking down to the village hall for physical education lessons. Pupils have lessons in first aid.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The impact of teaching on pupils’ learning is good. Teachers are knowledgeable and give clear explanations which develop their skills and deepen understanding in reading, writing and mathematics.  Throughout lessons, teachers regularly check pupils understand their work. However, sometimes there are missed opportunities to challenge pupils further and this prevents them from making faster progress.  The marking of pupils’ work has improved since the previous inspection. Teachers provide constructive feedback to pupils about how to improve their work. However, this is not always precise enough to bring about rapid improvement to enable more pupils reach the highest levels in English and mathematics.  Pupils are keen readers and most read aloud confidently, using expression to give meaning to the text. They receive good quality phonics (the sounds that letters make) teaching to develop their basic skills and

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The quality of teaching is good

are successfully encouraged to read a range of books for pleasure. Teachers take every opportunity to read to the pupils. In Key Stage 2, pupils are currently reading a ghost story based on a local house. This has added to their enthusiasm for reading.  The teaching of writing is good. Pupils write confidently and fluently. They skilfully apply their knowledge of punctuation and grammar to improve the quality of their writing, which is often lively and engaging. Pupils have many opportunities to write at length and in different subjects; this has resulted in higher standards.  The teaching of mathematics is good. Pupils are able to draw upon a range of methods in order to carry out mathematical tasks. However, they are not always given enough opportunities to apply their knowledge and skills to problem-solving activities. As a result, a few of the most-able pupils do not always make the very best possible progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants are well trained and provide good support for learning. They are often responsible for specific group tuition, using an effective range of strategies to help pupils who have special educational needs or those who are in danger of falling behind.  Teachers have high expectations of what they want pupils to learn and are dedicated in ensuring they develop skills for learning which will help them both now and in the future. This includes learning at home. Pupils are provided with high quality homework tasks which extend their learning in a range of subjects and which encourage them to find things out for themselves.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Given their individual starting points when joining the school, children in the early years make good progress and, as they move on up through the school, all groups of pupils achieve well.  In 2014, all pupils in Year 1 achieved the standard expected in the phonics screening check. This is because teachers and teaching assistants are skilled in the teaching of phonics. The few pupils who find learning to read difficult are given effective support and this leads to improvements.  The numbers of pupils in each year group are very small. As a result, the statistics showing overall results at the end of Year 6 can vary considerably from year to year. In the 2014 national tests, overall results were well above the national average and all pupils made good progress. Current work in pupils’ books, as well as the school’s own data, shows that this progress is being sustained.  The pupil premium funding is used effectively and is directed to supporting the very few disadvantaged

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils. This ensures that they make equally as much progress as their classmates. The number of disadvantaged pupils in each year group is too small to compare meaningfully the standards they reach with others nationally or in the school.  The high proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. This is because their additional needs are identified early and are fully met through one-to-one and small- group sessions delivered by highly skilled teaching assistants. Strong links with external agencies, such as speech and language therapy, also supports the needs of individual pupils.  The most able pupils also make good progress. Some are working at levels normally associated with Key Stage 3 in mathematics but they are not fully stretched in developing their problem-solving skills. Several pupils excel in science and in music.  An above average proportion of pupils join the school late in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. They are

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The achievement of pupils is good

warmly welcomed into the school and they settle in well because they are well supported by staff and pupils. Taking into account their individual starting points when joining the school, these pupils do well and make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The early years provision is good

 Children settle well in the early years because of good links between school, home and the on-site nursery. When they enter the Reception Year, children’s skills and knowledge can vary from year to year but are often below those typical for their age, particularly in speech and language, reading, writing and physical development.  From their individual starting points, they make good progress and by the end of their Reception Year the majority of children reach a good level of development and are well prepared for the work in Year 1. In 2014, the proportion reaching the good level of development was lower than the national average. The number of children in this cohort were in single figures and those that did not reach the good level of development were children whose language skills were not secure. The school has provided additional support for these children and, as a result, they are now catching up.

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The early years provision is good

 Children behave very well because adults have very high expectations of them and routines are quickly established. Children are kept extremely safe because staff are highly trained and well aware of the needs of each individual child.  Teaching is of good quality and adults provide a range of exciting activities and experiences for the children to join in with. For example, during an activity where the children were acting out the story Whatever Next, they were deciding what to take for a picnic on the moon. They talked excitedly about their ideas then made lists of the food they wanted to take. The teaching assistant skilfully helped them with their writing, linking this to their learning in phonics. As a result, children were able to make a good attempt at writing their lists.  The early years is well led and managed. Staff are well deployed and children’s progress is carefully tracked and assessed. The learning journals, which are records of a child’s achievements during the early

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The early years provision is good

years, build a good picture of each individual child. They are well used by adults to plan activities that support learning and help children to make progress. The learning journals provide valuable information for parents who also make contributions by sharing the milestones their children achieve at home.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 119209 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 462322

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 38 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anne McGuire Headteacher Gill Gillison Date of previous school inspection 26 June 2013 Telephone number 01704 840338 Fax number 01704 840338 Email address head@pinfold.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 and 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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