Spindle Point Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Spindle Point Primary School Moss Lane, Kearsley, Bolton, Lancashire BL4 8SE

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 January 2022

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Outcome

Spindle Point Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Spindle Point Primary School. Pupils say that teachers make learning interesting. They work hard and eagerly participate in their lessons. Pupils thrive and achieve well because of the high expectations from leaders and staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They behave exceptionally well and collaborate effectively when learning. Pupils play harmoniously at breaktimes. They enjoy using the outdoor gym and the adventure play area. Pupils build trusting relationships with adults in school. They know that adults will listen to them if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils are confident that adults will act swiftly to stop any bullying if it occurs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a wide range of activities, such as sports, photography and dodgeball. They speak fondly of visits to the cinema and museums. These events help to promote pupils’ personal development well. Residential trips enable pupils to develop their personal resilience and self-confidence by undertaking outdoor adventurous activities. Older pupils have many opportunities to take on roles of responsibility in school. For example, Year 6 pupils act as anti-bullying or online safety ambassadors, money mentors and members of committees. Other pupils join the ‘fun bunch’ to lead play activities for younger children.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. They have ensured that nearly all of the curriculum is carefully sequenced from the early years through to Year 6. The curriculum for most subjects is logically ordered and includes the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. This helps teachers to know what subject content to teach pupils and the order in which to teach it. This means that pupils build on what they already know and remember. Pupils achieve well in nearly all subjects. In a very small number of subjects, leaders have not thought carefully enough about the key pieces of knowledge that pupils need to know and remember and the order in which they are taught. This hinders pupils’ achievement in these subjects. 12 and 13 January 2022

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Leaders are equally ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff have the skills they need to quickly identify pupils with SEND. Leaders ensure that these pupils receive the support that they need to be able to access all aspects of the school’s curriculum. This enables pupils with SEND to learn alongside their classmates.

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Teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects they teach because of the training they receive. Teachers frequently check pupils understand what they have been taught. They use this information to plan what pupils will learn next.

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Children in the Nursery class explore the wonderful world of books through stories, picture books, rhythms and songs that adults share with them. In the Reception class and key stage 1, pupils systematically learn about phonics from well-trained staff. The books that pupils read enable them to practise the phonics sounds that they have learned. This helps pupils to read confidently and fluently. For the small number of pupils who find reading difficult, appropriate, additional help is provided to help them develop their fluency.

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Older pupils demonstrate a strong love of reading. Some pupils love to curl up with a book in the outdoor reading shacks at breaktimes. Leaders encourage pupils to broaden their reading experiences by providing ‘mystery books’, wrapped in plain paper, to prevent pupils from pre-judging the book by its cover. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about their favourite authors and genres of text.

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Pupils behave well and work hard. Their enthusiasm for learning means that it is extremely rare for lessons to be disrupted by inappropriate behaviour.

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Leaders have reinstated a broad range of clubs and activities to promote pupils’ personal development. Pupils have opportunities that prepare them well for their future. Pupils enjoy gardening. They take care of the vegetables which are used in food technology lessons. Pupils develop their understanding of the rich cultures found in British society through working with partner schools and by visiting local places of worship.

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Governors know their school very well. They provide appropriate support and challenge. Governors monitor the impact of leaders’ actions to improve the quality of education for pupils. Nearly all staff say that leaders consider their workload before making decisions and taking action. Staff are proud to work at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff are knowledgeable about their role in safeguarding pupils, including how to manage concerns effectively. Regular training ensures they keep their knowledge of how to identify potential risks to pupils’ welfare and well-being up to date. Staff use well-established systems to share with leaders any concerns they have. They work effectively with other appropriate authorities to help keep pupils safe. 12 and 13 January 2022

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Governors have ensured that the school’s internet connection has appropriate filtering and monitoring in place to help keep pupils safe from online threats of harm.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few curriculums do not clearly identify the key pieces of knowledge that leaders expect pupils to know and when they should learn them. This means that in a few subjects pupils do not systematically build their knowledge and understanding on what they already know. This hinders the progress that pupils make. Leaders must ensure that the curriculums for all subjects clearly outline the essential knowledge that pupils must learn and the order in which it should be taught.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as 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 February 2017.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 12 and 13 January 2022

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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. 12 and 13 January 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.spindle-point.bolton.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 7 and 8 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, there have been some changes to the leadership of the school. This includes the appointment of a new headteacher and deputy headteacher.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector spoke with pupils about their work and school life. He also spoke with three members of the governing body.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator.  The inspector met with a representative of the local authority  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at 12 and 13 January 2022

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curriculum plans, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and spoke to some pupils about their learning. The inspector also looked at pupils’ work and listened to pupils read. He looked at planning in other subjects, such as art and languages.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation related to the work of the school and scrutinised documentation relating to safeguarding.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector also spoke with parents and carers at the start of the school day. He considered the responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

John Nixon, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 January 2022

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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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