Lytham Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Lytham Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Park View Road, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire FY8 4HA

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Outcome

Lytham Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They say that it is a happy place where everyone tries to get along. Pupils say that bullying and name-calling are rare and that adults listen to their concerns. Pupils understand the school behaviour policy. They enjoy earning rewards for good behaviour. Most pupils hardly miss a day of school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish helping one another. They enjoy demonstrating their ideas to and sharing them with their friends. They are keen to ensure that no one is ever left out. Leaders have instilled an ‘I cannot do this yet’ attitude in the pupils. Pupils try their best to live out the school vision through their positive actions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils take on a range of responsibilities. This helps pupils to consider how they can be better citizens. They enjoy growing food, looking after the garden and raising money for charity. Pupils enjoy the wide range of after-school clubs and activities. Older pupils are beginning to think about the jobs that they would like to do in the future.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide pupils with the skills they need to stay safe. Pupils have a good understanding of the dangers of online gaming. They know how to stay safe when walking or cycling to school.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have developed a curriculum which is broad and interesting. It develops pupils’ knowledge and skills in a logical order. As a result, pupils leave Year 6 achieving as well as other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) also achieve well. These pupils receive high-quality support. Teachers adapt the curriculum to meet their different needs. 15–16 October 2019

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Leaders provide pupils with opportunities to become resilient and determined. They encourage pupils to do their best and to never give up. Pupils have a strong understanding of what it means to be a British citizen. They are respectful of the views of others. Pupils have a deep understanding of other faiths and cultures. They enjoy the many clubs, trips and visits that enrich the curriculum.

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Leaders place reading at the heart of the curriculum. A love of reading is promoted well throughout school. Older pupils willingly discuss their favourite books and authors. Children in Reception get off to the best possible start with their reading. They read books that are challenging. Children take home books and games that help them practise what they learn in class. Teaching assistants provide structured support for pupils who struggle. Staff have been well trained to teach phonics. As a result of leaders’ focus, pupils become fluent and confident readers at this school.

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In 2017, pupils in Year 6 did not achieve well in mathematics. In response, leaders overhauled their approach to how mathematics is taught. This included providing staff with high levels of training. Teachers now plan more opportunities to allow pupils to think carefully about mathematics and to explain their thinking. This helps them to solve problems. Teaching also builds on what pupils already know. Pupils now enjoy mathematics lessons and like to challenge themselves. They take pride in their work and carefully present their findings. The efforts of leaders’ work are now showing signs of sustained improvement.

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The history curriculum is well planned. Leaders consider the skills and knowledge that they want pupils to remember. Pupils refer to this as their ‘sticky knowledge’. Teachers build on what pupils already know about history. As a result, pupils have a strong understanding of what happened in the past and when. They consider what is the same and different about historical events. For example, older pupils know what is the same and what is different between the Roman and Anglo-Saxon invasions of Britain.

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Parents and carers are very supportive of the school. Many parents said that the school is extremely supportive of pupils with SEND. Staff enjoy coming to work. They feel supported by leaders. They said that leaders listen to their views. However, teachers did say that they would benefit from more training to help them lead the different subjects even more effectively.

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Governors know the school well. They challenge leaders to ensure that pupils achieve the best that they can.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular training in safeguarding and are kept up to date. They are aware of the dangers faced by the pupils in their care. They are clear in their responsibilities for recording and documenting any concerns. The headteacher and learning mentor keep careful records of their safeguarding work. They work with an extensive range of other professionals. This helps leaders to ensure that pupils and their families receive timely and 15–16 October 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders were disappointed with mathematics results in 2017. A new approach to teaching reasoning and problem solving within mathematics is becoming embedded. Leaders should continue to develop this new approach to the teaching of mathematics. This will allow pupils to further develop their skills and knowledge, so that they can continue to achieve well in this subject.  Staff have received much training to teach English and mathematics. Opportunities for training in other subjects are not as well developed. Many staff complete their own research. Engaging in regular training opportunities would help staff to lead the curriculum with higher levels of expertise .

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2015.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and 15–16 October 2019

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pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 15–16 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10087706 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20–21 May 2015

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Information about this school

 The headteacher is new to post since the previous inspection.  The school is a Church of England school.  The school had its most recent section 48 inspection, undertaken by the Diocese of Blackburn, in May 2017.

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Information about this inspection

 During this inspection I met with the headteacher and senior leaders.  I met with class teachers and subject leaders.  I met with eight members of the governing board, including the chair of governors.  I held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  I spoke to staff about their workload and their well-being.  I spoke to parents. I considered the 42 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and the 22 free-text comments. I considered the 10 responses to the staff survey and the 137 responses to the pupils’ survey.  I listened to pupils in each key stage read. 15–16 October 2019

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 I observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at playtimes. I spoke to pupils about behaviour and expectations.  I scrutinised a range of documentation in relation to safeguarding. I also spoke to the person responsible for safeguarding to understand how leaders keep pupils safe.  As part of this inspection, I considered the school’s approach to the teaching of reading and phonics. I considered how the science and mathematics curriculums were planned and delivered. I visited lessons in each key stage. I spoke to teachers about the lessons they had taught, and I spoke with some of the pupils who had been in the lessons. With senior leaders, I looked at examples of pupils’ work in these subjects.

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Inspection team

John Donald, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 15–16 October 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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