Pinfold Primary School

Inspection of Pinfold Primary School Pinfold Lane, Scarisbrick, Ormskirk, Lancashire L40 8HR

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 2 and 3 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy belonging to this small school community, where there are no outsiders. Leaders prioritise pupils’ mental health and well-being. This helps pupils to feel happy and well cared for. Pupils appreciate learning outdoors. They benefit from opportunities to build their resilience and to try new things with confidence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to take part in the wide range of interesting activities on offer. This supports all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to develop their talents and interests. Older pupils act as mentors to younger pupils. They carry out these leadership roles enthusiastically. They encourage younger pupils to read, to stay safe online and to understand that we are all uniquely different.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are positive about how well pupils behave. They understand that some pupils need extra support to behave as well as leaders expect them to. Pupils play happily together at playtime. They are confident that staff deal with any rare incidents of bullying quickly and well. This helps pupils to feel safe. Parents and carers also feel confident that leaders and staff look after their children well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have designed a curriculum that has raised teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve. However, some pupils have not benefited from the improvements to the curriculum. These pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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better?

Leaders have given careful thought to designing a curriculum that builds pupils’ knowledge within the mixed-aged classes, including in the early years. The curriculum aims to develop pupils’ vocabulary across subjects and broaden their experiences.

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better?

In some subjects, the curriculum is well established. Teachers have been trained to deliver it well. They are clear about what pupils need to learn and when subject content should be taught. This enables teachers to choose activities that carefully introduce, revisit and check key content. Pupils, including those with SEND, spoke enthusiastically about their learning in these subjects. They can recall what they have learned with confidence.

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better?

In other subjects, teachers do not currently have secure knowledge about what pupils should learn and when it should be taught. As a result, pupils, including those with SEND, do not build their knowledge in these subjects as well as they should. This hinders their progress. Pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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better?

Leaders, including governors, have made the teaching of reading a priority. Staff have been trained to deliver the phonics programme well. They ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, begin to build up their phonics knowledge from 2 and 3 March 2022

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the early years. Teachers and staff ensure that these children are well prepared to learn to read as soon as they are ready.

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Pupils read books that match the sounds that they are learning. This helps them to develop their accuracy and confidence. Teachers carefully select the books that they read to pupils. They inspire pupils to read books about a wide range of topics. These books broaden pupils’ understanding of how people might be different to themselves.

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Leaders successfully identify pupils with SEND. They provide the support that these pupils need to behave well in lessons. This helps all pupils, including those with SEND, to get the most from their lessons. For some pupils with SEND, the COVID-19 pandemic has led to inconsistent support for their learning. This, coupled with the weaknesses in the curriculum, hinders how well these pupils build up the key knowledge that they need to progress well.

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Children in the early years learn well alongside older pupils. Children make a confident start to school. They are enthusiastic and inquisitive learners. Pupils in Years 1 to 6 also display positive attitudes in lessons. This means that they can learn without disruption.

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Leaders provide high-quality opportunities for pupils’ wider development. Pupils reflect on the diverse lives that people lead. They respect and celebrate difference. For example, pupils said that they are looking forward to their forthcoming Pride celebrations. Teachers introduce pupils to a range of religions. Pupils take part in visits to places of worship and meet leaders from different faiths. However, pupils’ understanding of different faiths is not secure. They can talk about what they have experienced but they are unable to recall what they have learned.

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Many of the governors are new to their roles. They have benefited from external support to help develop their expertise. They are well equipped to offer leaders informed support and challenge. Governors make sure that staff continue to develop professionally. They share a common purpose. They expect pupils at Pinfold Primary School to thrive. Staff appreciate leaders’ consideration of their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that staff and governors are well trained. They know how to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm, including from radicalisation. Staff know the actions to take if they have a concern. Leaders follow up any concerns diligently. They make effective use of external support to protect pupils from harm when this is needed.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to manage safeguarding risks when working and playing online. Older pupils enjoy sharing this knowledge with younger pupils as part of their school 2 and 3 March 2022

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council role. Pupils also learn about potential risks in the community, including the harm associated with substance misuse.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders are in the process of establishing the essential knowledge that they expect pupils to know in each subject. This means that in these subjects, pupils do not have secure knowledge on which to build as they progress through the school. Leaders should ensure that key knowledge is clearly identified in each subject. This will help pupils to know and remember more across the curriculum.  The curriculum does not support pupils well enough in developing their understanding of different faiths. This means that some pupils are not prepared as well as they might be to grow up in multi-faith Britain. Leaders should ensure that pupils secure their understanding of faiths other than their own so that they develop respect for other beliefs.

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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. 2 and 3 March 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do 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. Inspectors spoke with three governors, including the chair of the governing body. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography and history. They talked with the curriculum leaders of these subjects. Inspectors also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders and looked at samples of work from other areas of the curriculum. They also spoke with pupils about these subjects. 2 and 3 March 2022

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 Inspectors considered the views of parents and carers shared through Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also spoke with parents as they dropped their children off at school.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. Inspectors also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors checked the arrangements for keeping pupils safe. They reviewed documentation and spoke to leaders and staff about safeguarding.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at lunchtime. They spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school, including how safe they feel. There were no responses to consider to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation shared by school leaders, including the school development plan, minutes from meetings of the governing body and leaders’ self-evaluation document.

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Inspection team

Jackie Stillings, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sandie La Porta Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 March 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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