Lytham St Annes High School

Inspection of a good school: Lytham St Annes High School Worsley Road, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire FY8 4DG

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 October 2022

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Outcome

Lytham St Annes High School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the range of learning opportunities that leaders afford them. They are proud to keep a portfolio of their many achievements. For example, pupils record their participation in a wide variety of extra-curricular activities, such as music, sports and art clubs. They are equally proud to note the many trips and visits that they have undertaken. Pupils also pinpoint exactly how they have developed their leadership skills, for example through participating in a range of voluntary work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), told inspectors about the high expectations that staff have for their behaviour in lessons. They said that poor behaviour does not disrupt learning. This is because teachers follow the behaviour policy consistently well to deal with any issues.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe and happy at school. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. However, a very small number of pupils do not always choose to behave as well as they should at social times. Pupils explained that leaders will not tolerate bullying or the use of derogatory language. Adults deal with any incidents of bullying quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that teachers expect them to achieve highly. Most pupils, including those with SEND, learn well across subjects.

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

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is well designed for all pupils, including those pupils with SEND. The order of learning has been carefully considered to make sure that pupils build up a strong body of knowledge in most subjects. In many curriculum areas, new topics and concepts are delivered effectively to pupils. However, in a small number of subjects, there is some inconsistency in how well teachers deliver new learning. This prevents a minority of pupils from achieving all that they could. 19 and 20 October 2022

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Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is ambitious. For example, they have made appropriate changes to what pupils must learn, and how teachers deliver subject content, in modern foreign languages. This has resulted in an increasing number of pupils choosing to study a modern foreign language option in key stage 4. This is also having a positive impact on improving the proportion of pupils who are accessing the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects.

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Teachers use leaders’ assessment systems effectively. They successfully check how well pupils are learning the curriculum. Leaders and teachers use a suitable range of different types of assessment strategies to identify the gaps that pupils may have in their learning. Subject leaders are appropriately held to account for how well pupils are learning. Leaders have valuable discussions with subject teachers about how well pupils understand topics and concepts. Pupils regularly revisit learning to ensure that they have remembered what they have been taught.

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Leaders have recently expanded the size of the team of staff who support pupils with SEND. This has provided additional capacity so that leaders can identify pupils who may have SEND more quickly. The staff with oversight for pupils with SEND are appropriately trained and have specialist knowledge. Regular communication between staff, parents, carers and pupils enables leaders to provide tailored support to pupils who may need extra help to access the curriculum.

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Reading is a priority for leaders at this school. Fostering a love of reading in pupils is woven into the curriculum activities across subjects. Pupils enjoy the opportunity for shared reading in form time. Pupils understand the value of reading to help them access the full curriculum. Leaders have effective systems in place to identify any pupils who find reading more difficult. Well-trained staff support pupils to improve their fluency and comprehension in reading.

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There are high-quality leadership and enrichment opportunities built into every aspect of school life for pupils of all ages. Staff recognise pupils’ wider developmental achievements through the school’s ‘more than grades’ programme. All pupils, including those with SEND, participate in activities which link to the school’s six key areas of development outside of the classroom. Pupils also benefit from activities related to careers education, citizenship, and science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

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Leaders have ensured that there is a wide range of experience on the local governing body. This ensures that governors provide appropriate challenge to leaders about the quality of education that pupils receive. Governors know the school well. They understand their statutory requirements and fulfil them effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created effective systems and procedures to safeguard pupils. Staff are well trained to identify any potential safeguarding concerns. Leaders keep appropriate 19 and 20 October 2022

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safeguarding records. These records are effective in helping staff to connect information to identify where pupils may be at risk of harm.

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Leaders take external multi-agency advice when needed. They engage timely support for pupils and their families. Leaders are acutely aware of issues that may affect pupils in their local area. They successfully adapt the personal development curriculum to reflect pupils’ wider personal safety needs. Consideration by leaders of staff workload and well- being underpins all decisions in school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, there is inconsistency in how well teachers deliver new learning to pupils. This prevents some pupils from achieving all that they could. Leaders should ensure that all teachers are trained to deliver the content of the curriculum consistently well.  A very small minority of pupils do not always regulate their behaviour as well as they should at social times. This means that on rare occasions where there is less supervision by adults, a small number of pupils do not choose to behave as well as they could. Leaders should work with those pupils who require additional support to manage and regulate their own behaviour during social times.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2013.

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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. 19 and 20 October 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. 19 and 20 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212459 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1534

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Beverley Harrison

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher and the chair of governors are new to role since the last inspection.  The school uses five registered and five unregistered alternative providers for a small number of pupils.

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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.  As part of this inspection, inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: mathematics, English, history, modern foreign languages and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited some lessons, spoke with pupils and teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, the special educational needs team, subject leaders and teachers. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. 19 and 20 October 2022

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 Inspectors checked safeguarding procedures, including the recruitment checks made on staff. Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leader, staff and pupils to discuss wider aspects of safeguarding. They scrutinised a range of documentation in relation to safeguarding.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation, including that relating to the curriculum, pupils’ behaviour, improvement plans and leaders’ self-evaluation summary.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in a range of situations, including in corridors, at breaktimes, at lunchtimes and in lessons. They also spoke with pupils about behaviour and bullying.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their programme of wider personal development.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey. This included the comments submitted via the free-text facility.  Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Elaine Mawson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nell Banfield Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 October 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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