Trinity Church of England/Methodist Primary School, Buckshaw Village

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Jill Wright Headteacher Trinity Church of England/Methodist Primary School, Buckshaw Village Unity Place Buckshaw Village Chorley Lancashire PR7 7HZ

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Buckshaw Village

Following my visit to the school on 2 May 2019, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in July 2015.

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Buckshaw Village

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I am of the opinion that the school has demonstrated strong practice and marked improvement in specific areas. This may indicate that the school has improved significantly overall. Therefore, I am recommending that the school’s next inspection be a section 5 inspection.

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Buckshaw Village

There have been some notable improvements since the school’s last inspection. Pupils’ progress in reading, mathematics and writing has been very strong. In 2018, progress and attainment for Year 6 pupils in these key subjects were significantly above the national average. Achievement in early years and in Year 2 was similarly impressive.

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Buckshaw Village

You have successfully addressed the areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection report. You and your deputy headteacher lead the school with an infectious desire for improvement. Staff and pupils enjoy coming to school and appreciate the help and support they receive. The leadership team has fostered a strong sense of ambition and pride in the whole workforce. This is driven by you and the school’s governors. Staff feel that leaders encourage, challenge and support them to continually improve. Leaders and governors are committed to ensuring that everyone is helped and encouraged to achieve their very best. The school’s Christian ethos underpins its work. From my meeting with governors, it was very evident that they are skilled and experienced. They know the school extremely well and hold leaders to account effectively. They use information that leaders provide to make sure that plans for

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improving the school focus on the correct priorities. Governors share your determination to make sure that all groups of pupils make equally strong progress.

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As I walked around the school with you and your deputy headteacher, I saw that the staff are totally united in their determination to provide the highest standard of education possible for the pupils. Staff said that, on a daily basis, you and your leadership team are around school, challenging and supporting teachers and pupils to do their very best.

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During my conversation with pupils at lunchtime, they spoke with great enthusiasm about the curriculum that you provide. They were very appreciative of the numerous enrichment and additional activities. These include visits to museums, singing as part of a choir and a whole range of sporting activities. Some pupils said that they are proud to represent their school as a member of the football and netball teams. Pupils also benefit from learning about other faiths and cultures. They learn about all religions. They have a first-hand opportunity to learn about Islam through their link with Sacred Heart Primary School in Blackburn, which serves a predominantly Muslim community.

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As well as encouraging and expecting high educational aspiration, you have developed a positive school community. There were 175 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. They were positive about the leadership of the school. Parents spoken to at the beginning of the inspection are very appreciative of your drive and the commitment that you have for all within the school community. Parents’ comments included: ‘Ms Wright is an inspiration’, and, ‘I can wholeheartedly say that we all feel part of the school family’. Parents said that their children are happy and safe.

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You have addressed the areas for improvement successfully, which were identified in the previous inspection report. At the last inspection, you were asked to strengthen the curriculum, so that more emphasis would be placed on reducing the number of incidents of poor behaviour and derogatory language. You have addressed this by creating a behaviour culture that reflects the ethos of the school. Since the previous inspection, incidents of poor behaviour have all been logged. The number of incidents has reduced year on year. Pupils have many opportunities in assemblies and in the curriculum to learn about positive behaviour and taking responsibility. This is particularly evident in their work in religious education. There were many examples, in all classes, where pupils have the opportunity to reflect on their responsibility to care for other pupils. At the same time, you have worked with the pupils to make sure that they understand their role in ensuring that everyone

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feels safe and happy. During the inspection, I spoke with a number of pupils who were unanimous in the view that everyone was happy and secure. A typical comment from pupils was: ‘We all look after each other and our teachers are always there to help.’ I observed the pupils at play and in class. At all times, their behaviour was exemplary. Safeguarding is effective.

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The school’s safeguarding procedures and routines are excellent. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Everyone on the staff is alert to pupils’ needs and to any warning signs that pupils may need help. In addition, a well-trained team of staff keeps a close watch on attendance and family matters. All staff and governors are trained effectively in all aspects of safeguarding. Employment checks on staff are made and kept correctly. Pupils’ records are up to date.

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Pupils said that there is no bullying in the school. That being said, any allegations of bullying are taken seriously. Staff follow up any problems promptly and thoroughly. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in different situations and know what to do if they are worried about something. They said that they feel safe in school.

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Inspection findings

 At the start of the inspection, we agreed our key lines of enquiry. I have already written about how well you have addressed the areas for improvement identified in the previous inspection report. I have also commented on how effectively you manage safeguarding.  The first line of enquiry was to consider how the quality of teaching and learning is securing high achievement, particularly for the most able. During our visits to classrooms, we witnessed a successful learning culture, underpinned by mutual respect and highly positive relationships. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very positive. This was evident in the diligent way that they applied themselves to their activities.  The most able pupils make some strong progress. They are challenged to take responsibility for their own development. We saw some good examples in their books where they make decisions about their learning and, on occasion, decided

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themselves how they would develop their work.  A further line of enquiry focused on the actions that leaders have taken to improve pupils’ ability to solve problems in mathematics and apply this within other subjects. During my visit, we saw Year 3 pupils engaged in a challenging problem-solving activity. The teacher was skilled in ensuring that the pupils had deep technical vocabulary to help them. Year 2 pupils worked collaboratively to solve problems in relation to three-dimensional shapes. Current workbooks demonstrate firm foundations in mathematics, which pupils apply to solving more complex problems across a range of contexts. All pupils, including the most able, are given opportunities to develop their reasoning further or to think more deeply about their learning.  The monitoring of mathematics lessons has been rigorous. Your team has also worked hard to ensure that pupils have significant opportunities to apply their

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mathematical skills in other subjects. This work is consistent across the school and is of a high standard. For example, in a recent health week, pupils engaged in measuring how far they could jump and the time taken to do exercises. In art, pupils have developed a more practical understanding of symmetry. In Year 4, in geography, pupils drew graphs to explore temperature and rainfall.  The final line of enquiry was about the quality of provision to ensure that pupils write at a consistently high standard. Overall, the teaching of writing is effective. Teachers ensure that pupils learn and practise different kinds of writing. Pupils develop and apply an appropriate range of vocabulary and punctuation in their writing as they move through the school. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve in writing are high. Year 5 pupils developed effective plans to support them in writing a letter in relation to their class reading book ‘Kensuke’s

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Inspection findings

Kingdom’.  While pupils produce some high standards of writing, this is not consistently the case when they are writing in their topic work, particularly in geography and history. Throughout the school, this can vary in respect of the opportunities for pupils to write, as well as in the quality of their writing. In some classes, there are limited opportunities for pupils to write in geography and history. Sometimes, pupils do not consistently take the same care over their spelling and sentence construction in these subjects.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 pupils’ writing in geography and history is of the same standard as it is when they are writing in their English books.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Blackburn, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Lancashire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I carried out short visits with you and your deputy headteacher to all year groups, including early years. I met with you and the leadership team, the chair of governors and other members of the governing body. I spoke to a representative of the local authority. I spoke to parents at the beginning of the school day. I considered the 175 written responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. I also considered the 39 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil questionnaire. I scrutinised a range of school documentation, including the single central record, the school’s self-evaluation and school improvement plans, the minutes of governing body meetings and safeguarding information. I observed pupils’ behaviour at the beginning of the school day, on the playground and also during lessons. I spoke to a group of pupils. I also spoke to other pupils and staff informally throughout the

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