Leyland Methodist Junior School

Inspection of Leyland Methodist Junior School Canberra Road, Leyland, Lancashire PR25 3ET

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Inspection dates: 10 and 12 November 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 10 and 12 November 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders put pupils at the heart of every decision that they make. Leaders listen to pupils, who have a strong voice at Leyland Methodist Junior School.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know and understand the school’s values, which include respect, compassion and forgiveness. These values are made explicit in the interactions that pupils have with each other and with staff. Pupils value each other’s differences.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy, safe and well supported in school. They know that adults look after and care for them. Parents and carers agree that pupils are well looked after.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff expect every pupil to achieve well, and they are successful at making this happen. Pupils are eager learners. They told inspectors that they love to learn new things.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils conduct themselves well. When there are upsets, adults quickly sort out any issues. Pupils say that occasionally there is bullying. When it does occur, adults act to stop it straight away. Most parents agree that bullying is dealt with effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the range of clubs, activities and experiences that they are involved in. For example, pupils enjoy going to the theatre and participating in residential trips.

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better?

Leaders have created and implemented a high-quality key stage 2 curriculum. They have made sure that it builds effectively from pupils’ starting points when they enter the school in Year 3. Leaders’ well-planned curriculum gives pupils the knowledge, skills and understanding to be confident learners in a wide range of subjects.

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better?

Leaders have thought carefully about what they want to teach pupils and about the order in which they want to teach new knowledge. Leaders’ approach to the curriculum ensures that pupils are well prepared for the next stages in their education and for life in modern Britain.

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better?

Teachers’ enthusiasm for the curriculum motivates pupils, who said that teachers make their learning interesting. Teachers explain things clearly. They help pupils to remember important information and to make connections between different concepts and topics. Teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects that they teach. They provide regular opportunities for pupils to revisit and recap important learning.

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better?

Leaders have put in place a new way of assessing how well pupils are learning. This is beginning to be effective. However, in a very small number of subjects, teachers’ 10 and 12 November 2021

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use of assessment to identify pupils’ misconceptions is not as effective as it should be. Even so, most pupils across the school achieve well.

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Leaders prioritise reading. The library has a rich and varied supply of appropriate books. Pupils who struggle with their reading are supported well by adults with specialist knowledge of the teaching of early reading. These pupils become increasingly fluent and confident readers.

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Teachers are quick to notice and help if a pupil is struggling. Adults give pupils the right support to achieve well. Leaders identify pupils with SEND accurately. Pupils with SEND are well supported to help them to learn how to control their feelings and reactions. Pupils who are disadvantaged and/or with SEND have their needs met very successfully.

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Overall, pupils behave well and attend school regularly. They are polite and well- mannered. Pupils show a mature understanding of each other. For example, pupils talked about ‘standing in other people’s shoes’ to understand how someone is feeling.

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Leaders offer a good range of opportunities to support pupils’ wider personal development. Pupils benefit from visits to galleries and they enjoy participating in clubs, such as gardening and engineering. Adults have successfully helped pupils to rebuild their resilience following the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. They have provided a wide range of additional activities within the personal, social and health education curriculum, including assemblies.

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The leadership team is knowledgeable and committed. Governors are experienced and are adept at holding leaders to account for school improvement. Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel listened to and well supported.

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Parents appreciate the work of the teachers and leaders of the school. However, a minority of parents feel that leaders’ communication with them could be better. This includes whom to go to when they have any concerns about their children.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders and staff prioritise the safeguarding and protection of pupils. Leaders make sure that all safeguarding policies and procedures are in place, and that everyone knows how to put them into practice.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are quick to act if they are concerned about a pupil. They work well with professionals and other agencies outside of school to keep pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

Adults teach pupils how to stay safe and behave responsibly in different situations. This includes when using the internet. 10 and 12 November 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasions, some teachers do not use leaders’ new assessment strategies as effectively as they could to identify pupils’ misconceptions and their next steps in learning. As a result, a small number of pupils do not progress through the curriculum as well as they could. Leaders should embed their new assessment strategies so that all teachers support all pupils to achieve equally well.  A minority of parents do not feel that leaders communicate as well as they could with them. This makes parents feel unsure about what is happening in school or about whom to go to if they have concerns. Leaders need to improve communication with parents to ensure that they remain well informed about what is happening at the school.

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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. 10 and 12 November 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Matthew Tomlinson

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 27 and 28 January 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a voluntary-controlled school. It had its last section 48 inspection in June 2017.  In April 2020, the school formally federated with the adjacent infant school. Both schools are situated on the same site.  The headteacher of the junior school has become the executive headteacher of both schools. Two heads of school have been appointed – one for the infant school and one for the junior school.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspectors deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that 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 of the school. 10 and 12 November 2021

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 During the inspection, inspectors spoke with pupils, both formally and informally, about their work and school life. Inspectors spoke with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the assistant headteachers and the special educational needs coordinator. They also held discussions with staff which focused on pupils’ well- being and safeguarding arrangements.  Inspectors spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority and an external school improvement adviser. They reviewed a range of documentation, including that relating to school improvement, safeguarding and the checks undertaken on newly appointed staff.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, and the responses received via the free-text facility. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil

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survey, but inspectors spoke to nearly half the pupils in the school during the inspection.  Inspectors talked with pupils about the books that they like to read. They also heard pupils read.  Inspectors looked in detail at English, mathematics, science and art and design. For each of these subjects, inspectors held discussions with curriculum leaders and teachers, visited lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ work and talked with pupils. They also considered other subjects across the curriculum.

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Inspection team

Sue Eastwood, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Morley Ofsted Inspector 10 and 12 November 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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