Britannia Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Britannia Community Primary School Rochdale Road, Bacup, Lancashire OL13 9TS

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 January 2022

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Outcome

Britannia Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend Britannia Primary with a smile. They feel valued and well cared for. As the school motto states, ‘every child counts, every moment matters’. Parents and carers appreciate the warm welcome that they and their children receive each morning from the school staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. Pupils visit places such as the museum, theatre and orchestra to further broaden their experiences. They learned about exciting career choices through a talk from scientists and doctors during a recent ‘science week’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know that teachers take swift action should any bullying or name-calling occur. Pupils explained to inspectors that staff will listen to their worries and help them when needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and achievement. Pupils are rewarded for their positive attitudes and hard work. Those who consistently show these qualities receive a coveted ‘Britannia Bee’ badge. Pupils wear their badges with pride.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respect their peers. They are kind to each other and work collaboratively. These attributes are developed from the early years, giving pupils strong foundations to be successful learners.

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

Leaders have planned a broad and balanced curriculum that begins in the early years. They have ensured that the curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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

Subject leaders have made clear the important knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. In most subjects, teachers use this information to help them to design learning that builds on what pupils already know. Pupils talk with confidence about their 25 and 26 January 2022

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learning. For example, pupils in Year 1 could explain different strategies to make the number eight in their mathematics lesson. In Year 5, pupils were able to interpret a range of increasingly complex information from different types of graphs.

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In a small number of subjects, leaders have only clarified more recently the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Consequently, teachers are at an earlier stage of being able to use this information to build on pupils’ prior learning. In these subjects, pupils do not display the same depth of knowledge.

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Reading is a priority for leaders. Children learn phonics as soon as they join the Reception class. Staff receive regular phonics training. This enables them to deliver the phonics curriculum effectively across the early years and key stage 1. Pupils’ reading knowledge is developed logically over time with books that match the sounds that they know. Any pupils, including those in key stage 2 who find reading more difficult, receive the help that they need to catch up quickly. This helps pupils read with fluency and understanding.

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Pupils talked knowledgeably about different books and their favourite authors. They enjoy listening to their teachers read to them. Teachers use a range of books to support pupils’ learning in other subjects. For example, pupils in Year 3 were able to quickly retrieve key information about the Stone Age from books in their history lesson.

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Pupils are polite and respectful. They work hard in their lessons. Learning is rarely disrupted with any misbehaviour. At breaktimes, pupils take part in a range of activities. They wait patiently for their turn if the equipment is already being used by others.

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Leaders encourage pupils to be active citizens. Older pupils take on a range of responsibilities, such as reading to children in the Reception class. Pupils support different charities. They have recently been involved in litter picking in their local area. Pupils understand the importance of rules and democracy in society. They celebrate diversity. One pupil explained, ‘Everybody is equal, even though we are all different.’

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Leaders identify pupils with SEND quickly. Well-trained staff support pupils with SEND effectively. Leaders work closely with a range of agencies to provide specialist support for this group of pupils when required. As a result, pupils with SEND, including children in the early years, access the same curriculum as their peers. These actions are helping pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Governors are knowledgeable about leaders’ priorities. They support and challenge leaders in their work to make further improvements. Leaders and governors are considerate of staff’s workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. Leaders use the curriculum and a range of visitors to help them understand the risks to their safety that they may face. For instance, 25 and 26 January 2022

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the police have recently talked to pupils about a variety of topics, including ‘stranger danger’. Another visitor talked to older pupils about the dangers of drugs.

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Staff receive extensive and regular training to help them to identify any pupils who may be at risk from harm. Staff understand the process for reporting any concerns that they may have. They follow these processes quickly and diligently. Leaders work with a range of outside agencies to provide pupils and their families with any additional support that they may require.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have only finalised recently the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. This means that teachers are at an early stage of planning activities that build on pupils’ prior learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers are given the time to embed this important knowledge so that learning builds on earlier content. This will help pupils to deepen their understanding of these subjects and know and remember more of the intended curriculum.

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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 January 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 . 25 and 26 January 2022

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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. 25 and 26 January 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.britanniaprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection 17 and 18 January 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new chair of governors has been appointed.  The school does not make use of 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 his evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and eight members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. This involved visiting lessons with subject leaders, discussing curriculum plans, talking to pupils and teachers and reviewing pupils’ work.  The inspector held discussions with the subject leaders for art and design and computing. He also observed pupils reading to a familiar adult. 25 and 26 January 2022

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 The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at playtimes, lunchtime and during lessons. Pupils also talked to the inspector about their views of their school.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and spoke with parents at the start of the school day. He also considered responses to Ofsted’s pupil and staff questionnaires.  The inspector reviewed a range of safeguarding documentation. This included the record of checks on staff suitability to work with pupils.

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Inspection team

John Tomlinson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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