Morecambe Bay Community Primary School

Inspection of Morecambe Bay Community Primary School Station Road, Morecambe, Lancashire LA4 5JL

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 October 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 19 and 20 October 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said it is like being part of a big happy family at Morecambe Bay. They enjoy coming to school. Children in the early years settle in quickly and new pupils receive a warm welcome whenever they join the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that their teachers want the best for them. They listen carefully, concentrate and try hard in lessons. Pupils know they can ask for help if they need it. This helps all pupils to learn well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a calm and orderly place. Pupils are sensible. They move around school quietly, taking care not to disturb other pupils. They are polite to each other, staff and visitors. Pupils do not approve of bullying. They are confident that if it happened, their teachers would put a stop to it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe in school. Relationships between adults and pupils are warm and caring. Pupils trust their teachers to take care of them. They know who to ask for help if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many opportunities that they have to take on special responsibilities. For example, they can apply to be a subject ambassador or a member of the school council.

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better?

The curriculum covers a broad range of subjects from the Nursery class to Year 6. Leaders know what they want pupils to learn in these subjects by the time they leave the school. They have set out this knowledge in the curriculum plans for all groups. This includes the early years. In most subjects, the plans show the precise content that pupils will learn. This helps teachers to build new learning on what pupils already know. In a small number of subjects, curriculum plans are less detailed. In these subjects, teachers are not as well informed about what pupils need to know and remember before they move on to new learning.

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better?

Most subject leaders are experts in their subjects. This is because leaders have made sure that they receive up-to-date training. Subject leaders use their expertise well to guide other staff. This helps teachers to plan effectively for pupils’ learning. A few subject leaders are new to their roles. They have had less training in leading their subjects. This limits the guidance that they can provide to other teachers.

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better?

Teachers make sure that pupils keep practising their earlier learning. For example, children in the Reception class practise the letters and sounds that they already know, as well as learning new ones. Pupils in Year 4 recall their earlier learning when they learn new facts about numbers. This helps pupils to know more and remember more over time. 19 and 20 October 2021

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Pupils with SEND learn well. This is because leaders have clear systems to identify the needs of these pupils, and teachers are skilled in making sure pupils with SEND can access the curriculum. Leaders and teachers work well with parents, carers and other professionals. This helps them to secure the right support for pupils with SEND.

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Leaders have put reading at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils of all ages enjoy reading. Children in the Nursery class love listening to stories. As soon as they start in the Reception class, they start to build their phonics knowledge. Teachers are ready to help children catch up if they fall behind. Older pupils talked about their favourite authors, such as Roald Dahl. Pupils, including those with SEND, read confidently and fluently. They enthusiastically read a range of books about the different subjects they learn.

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There are many opportunities for pupils to develop as well-rounded individuals. Pupils learn about values such as democracy when they vote for school councillors. They learn about differences and similarities in faiths and cultures. Leaders provide activities for pupils outside the school day, such as sports clubs.

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Pupils behave well in school. Children in the early years learn to follow simple rules and routines quickly. Older pupils are respectful to each other and to staff. Staff value the support that leaders provide to help them manage pupils’ behaviour well.

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Governors receive important information from leaders, for example, about the curriculum. They ask leaders plenty of questions about the decisions that they make for pupils. This helps governors to make sure the school is running effectively. Governors and school leaders are mindful of staff’s workload. Teachers and staff feel well supported in their roles.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff have regular training. This training helps staff to recognise any signs of abuse or neglect. Staff know the right action to take if they are concerned about a pupil. Leaders and staff work well with other professionals. They secure help for pupils and families who need it.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum helps pupils to learn how to stay safe. For example, pupils learn about the risks of using social media. They know how to keep themselves safe when they work online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 New subject leaders have not had enough training to help them in their role. This prevents them from providing subject-specific guidance and support to teachers and 19 and 20 October 2021

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staff. Leaders must ensure that new subject leaders have the training that they need to carry out their roles effectively.  In a small number of subjects, curriculum plans do not contain enough detail about the components of learning that leaders want pupils to learn. This hinders pupils from knowing more and remembering more of the planned curriculum. Leaders should ensure that curriculum plans help teachers to know what should be taught and when so that they can easily build on pupils’ prior learning.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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 pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 19 and 20 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199658 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 3 March 2016, under section 5 of the Education act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher and a new chair of the governing body have been appointed since the last inspection.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the assistant headteacher.  The lead inspector met with some members of the governing body and spoke on the telephone to representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, 19 and 20 October 2021

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looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about music, computing, history, languages, physical education and geography.  As part of their work to inspect the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors looked at the school’s records, and spoke with leaders, governors, staff and some pupils, including some members of the school council.  Inspectors considered the views expressed by parents in the responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. Inspectors also considered the 25 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Mavis Smith, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nick Capron Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 October 2021

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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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