Ladybridge Community Primary School

Inspection of Ladybridge Community Primary School Broadford Road, Deane, Bolton, Lancashire BL3 4NB

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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 Requires improvement 8 and 9 February 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that they are proud to belong to this school. They develop confidence in their own capabilities. Pupils learn to be independent. They enjoy offering each other support and guidance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respect different points of views and other cultures. This results in the school being a happy and harmonious community, where everyone is focused on learning. Pupils told inspectors, ‘It is impossible not to have friends in this school as everyone is so welcoming.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils. Teachers plan learning that captures pupils’ interests. Leaders make sure that all pupils achieve well. Pupils and their parents and carers spoke highly of the well-thought-out support that pupils benefit from, particularly if they have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children settle quickly into the routines of learning in the early years. Children and pupils rarely need reminding about maintaining high standards of behaviour. They are well motivated in lessons. They are polite and well-mannered as they move around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kept safe. ‘Anti-bullying ambassadors’ and ‘well-being champions’ work to ensure that everyone enjoys breaktimes. Bullying is not tolerated. Pupils are confident that staff will help them if they have any worries. Leaders diligently deal with pupils’ concerns, including those relating to bullying.

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better?

Leaders have designed a well-organised and ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of the pupils at the school. Leaders have made sure that teachers are clear about the topics that pupils should learn. In most subjects, leaders have defined the key knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember within those topics. Teachers successfully enable pupils to build on what they have learned before. In the main, pupils, including those with SEND, make strong connections between the concepts and topics across most of the curriculum.

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better?

In a small number of subjects, however, it is sometimes less clear exactly what leaders expect pupils to know. As a result, teachers sometimes miss minor aspects of the key knowledge that pupils must learn. This prevents some pupils from achieving as highly as they could.

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better?

Children get off to a ‘flying start’ in the Reception Year. Leaders have expertly prioritised reading. This is especially important as some children are behind in communication and language due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Teachers across the school are skilled at finding out what pupils already know so they can plan what they need to learn next. 8 and 9 February 2022

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Leaders ensure that children in early years who may have SEND, or those who are at the early stages of learning to speak English, are identified as soon as possible. Leaders make sure that the appropriate support is in place for pupils who may be struggling with learning to read. As a result, all children and pupils build up their phonics knowledge well.

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All teaching staff follow the school’s phonics programme diligently. Pupils enjoy practising reading with books which are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. This helps to develop pupils’ fluency in reading. Older pupils are enticed into reading unfamiliar texts. This successfully builds up their stamina in reading and broadens their understanding of different historical periods and cultures. By the time they are in Year 6, all pupils, including those with SEND, read widely and appreciate how this helps them to learn more.

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Leaders have ensured that pupils develop a thirst for learning. Teaching staff do not accept ‘second best’. Pupils and children in the early years strive to achieve highly in lessons and to make the right behavioural choices at social times.

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Leaders provide a well-considered range of activities to support pupils’ wider development. Most pupils are keen to take part in the clubs on offer. In addition, pupils develop strong leadership skills in the many roles that they carry out on the playground and around the school. They demonstrate respect and maturity in the way that they listen to and consider different points of view. Pupils enjoy times of reflection. They told inspectors that they think it is important to learn about other faiths and cultures, so that they do not unintentionally offend someone with different beliefs to themselves.

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Governance is strong. Governors have provided effective support and challenge to leaders and to staff to make sure that pupils receive a consistently high-quality education. They liaise effectively with staff and listen to the views of pupils and parents so that everyone feels valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work to ensure that pupils are safe in school. Leaders and governors are well trained in the safeguarding of pupils. They are diligent in keeping abreast of the potential dangers that pupils may face.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff take swift action to address any safeguarding issues that arise. Staff liaise effectively with the personnel who are responsible for safeguarding when they identify that vulnerable pupils need additional support. They also work effectively with a wide range of external agencies, when required.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, especially when they are online. Pupils understand and follow the school rules. 8 and 9 February 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not finalised the essential knowledge that pupils must learn in a minority of foundation subjects in key stages 1 and 2. Consequently, some pupils do not achieve as highly as they could. Leaders should refine their curricular thinking in these remaining subjects so that teachers know exactly which key knowledge pupils must learn.

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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. 8 and 9 February 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.ladybridgeprimaryschool.co.uk/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A large proportion of pupils at this school have lived in other countries before they began at the school. Many pupils speak English as an additional language.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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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 that the school 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.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other leaders in the school, including the special educational needs coordinator. Inspectors spoke with a group of governors, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation relating to safeguarding. This included the school’s central record of staff and visitors, staff training records, records of safeguarding and samples of the records kept on individual pupils. 8 and 9 February 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, music, languages and design and technology. They talked with the curriculum leaders of these subject areas. Inspectors also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils. Inspectors looked at the curriculum plans and samples of work from other areas of the curriculum.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around the school.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  Inspectors spoke with parents as they dropped their children off at school. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. They also considered the free- text responses from parents to find out their views of the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Claire Cropper, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cole Andrew Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 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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