Poulton-le-Fylde St Chad's CofE Primary School

Inspection of Poulton-le-Fylde St Chad’s Church of England Primary School Hardhorn Road, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire FY6 7SR

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 February 2022

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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 Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 15 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 22 and 23 February 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at St Chad’s Primary School. They arrive each day ready to learn. Pupils forge positive relationships with staff and with their peers. Staff offer lots of support and guidance to pupils. This helps pupils to feel safe. Pupils know that staff will act on any worries or concerns that they may have. Pupils said that staff help them to resolve any disagreements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have very high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. Recently, pupils enjoyed working alongside school leaders to develop a new behaviour policy. Pupils delight in earning points, pebbles and stickers for their learning and their positive attitudes in lessons. Most pupils try their very best to follow the school rules and they behave well around school. Pupils said that staff deal effectively with any poor behaviour or bullying so that it is not repeated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in early years, experience a wide range of extra-curricular activities. These activities enable pupils to develop their sporting and creative skills. Pupils learn about the benefits of keeping fit and healthy. They enjoy performing with the school choir.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at St Chad’s Primary School have a genuinely positive outlook on their learning. Staff nurture pupils’ talents. They ensure that pupils have a range of strategies to help them to persevere with new learning until they understand it.

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better?

Governors are effective in their role. They successfully challenge leaders and hold them to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. They make sure that all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), access the same ambitious curriculum.

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better?

In each curriculum area, subject leaders have identified the essential knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn. Subject leaders have organised the curriculum so that teachers deliver new content in a logical order. Furthermore, leaders have appropriately considered the important vocabulary that they want pupils to use in each year group.

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better?

Typically, new learning builds on what pupils already know. For example, in music, pupils develop their understanding of rhythm through well-planned activities. In all subjects, leaders make appropriate checks to see what pupils know and remember of the content of the curriculum. That said, the checks that leaders make are not as effective in every subject. In a small number of subjects, leaders ask teachers to deliver new learning in key stage 1 without considering the skills and knowledge children have already acquired in early years. This hinders a few pupils’ achievement in key stage 1. 22 and 23 February 2022

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Children who enter early years get off to a good start in school. The early years curriculum is well planned and delivered by staff. Children in early years quickly establish positive behaviours and routines to support their learning and development.

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Across the school, pupils continue to focus on their learning and they behave well. In lessons, most pupils demonstrate high levels of respect for their teachers and their classmates. As a result, there are rarely any disruptions to learning.

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Leaders prioritise reading across the school. Leaders ensure that the books that children in early years and pupils in key stage 1 take home to read build on the sounds that they learn in class. Pupils who fall behind with their reading and phonics receive timely support to enable them to catch up quickly.

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Leaders have recently introduced a new approach in how they deliver the phonics curriculum. Teachers continue to introduce pupils to new sounds in a systematic and effective way. That said, there are minor inconsistencies in the way in which some staff deliver the phonics programme. This is because leaders are still in the process of training staff to implement the new approach and they are ironing out the remaining variations in how teachers deliver it.

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Leaders successfully identify any additional needs that pupils may have. They do this in a timely manner. Leaders’ early identification of additional needs enables them to provide the support that pupils need to achieve the best possible outcomes. Most pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, achieve well.

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Pupils and children in early years benefit from a rich diet of wider curriculum experiences. During their time in school, pupils learn how to develop healthy relationships. Older pupils act as ‘buddies’ and support younger children at playtimes. Older pupils have also established a ‘worry club’. Each lunchtime, they provide pastoral support and guidance for any younger pupils who feel lonely or just want to discuss their concerns.

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Subject leaders engage in a wide range of ongoing training. They support teachers to develop their levels of expertise across the curriculum. Staff are very proud to work at the school. They appreciate the positive steps that leaders have taken to lessen their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that there is a deep culture of safeguarding in school. Staff receive appropriate training to safeguard pupils. They use this training to help them to remain vigilant and alert to possible signs of neglect or harm. Staff know how to respond to safeguarding concerns. They keep meticulous records. 22 and 23 February 2022

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The headteacher and the family support worker form the core safeguarding team, along with other school leaders. Families and pupils are provided with the support that they need in a timely manner. Staff know the pupils and families well.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe while using the internet and while away from school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not paid sufficient attention to what pupils have already learned in early years. As a result, some teachers are not checking whether pupils are repeating work that they have already learned in early years at key stage 1. Leaders should refine their curriculum in key stage 1 to make sure that new knowledge builds on what pupils have already learned in early years.  Leaders are in the process of training staff to deliver the new phonics programme. As a result, there are some minor inconsistencies in how well the programme is delivered for some pupils. Leaders should ensure that all staff are equally well trained to deliver the new approach to phonics to their pupils.

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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. 22 and 23 February 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.poultonstchadsce.lancs.sch.uk

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Date of previous inspection

18 October 2007, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England school. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in 2018.  The school does not use alternative provision.  A new headteacher was appointed in September 2021.

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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 had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and members of the senior leadership team. 22 and 23 February 2022

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 The lead inspector met with four members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of safeguarding documentation. They spoke with staff to check how well they understood their safeguarding responsibilities. Inspectors also spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at playtimes. Inspectors spoke with pupils to gather their views about behaviour and safeguarding in the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, music and physical education. Inspectors met with subject leaders, visited lessons and spoke with teachers. They spoke with pupils about their work.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil

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surveys. An inspector spoke with parents and carers before school to gather their views and opinions about the school.  Inspectors observed children in early years and pupils in key stages 1 and 2 reading to a trusted adult.

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Inspection team

John Donald, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sally Timmons Her Majesty’s Inspector 22 and 23 February 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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