Freckleton Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Freckleton Church of England Primary School School Lane, Freckleton, Preston, Lancashire PR4 1PJ

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Inspection dates: 9 and 10 November 2022

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Outcome

Freckleton Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They know that its unique history makes it a special place in their community. They see their school as safe and welcoming for everyone. They said that being with their friends and their teachers each day makes them happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults set high expectations for pupils’ achievement and behaviour. Pupils enjoy learning and they work hard in lessons. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). If they find anything difficult, pupils know that they can ask for help. This helps them to keep moving forward in their learning and to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are typically very sensible in school. Two- and three-year-olds in the early years learn to treat toys carefully. Older pupils walk quietly around the building. Pupils show respect when they speak to adults, including visitors. They know the difference between bullying and falling out. Although bullying is rare, leaders respond swiftly and effectively if ever it occurs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are exciting opportunities for pupils to develop beyond the academic curriculum. Some of these activities enable pupils to contribute to their community. For example, they learn to play instruments such as those used in the village’s brass band. They take part in singing events with other local schools. Pupils spoke with enthusiasm about the range of clubs and activities that the school provides.

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

Leaders have created a broad, exciting and ambitious curriculum from the early years to Year 6. All pupils benefit from this strong curriculum, including those with SEND.

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

Leaders have identified the key knowledge that they want all pupils to have by the time they leave the school. In most subjects, leaders have carefully broken down this important knowledge into smaller steps that pupils acquire over time. This enables teachers to make sure that pupils learn everything that they need to know in order to 9 and 10 November 2022

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achieve well. In a few subjects, some of these smaller steps have not been identified clearly for teachers. This makes it more difficult for teachers to provide pupils with all of the important knowledge that they need. Sometimes pupils learn less well in these subjects.

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Leaders provide training to develop staff’s subject knowledge. This helps staff to provide learning for pupils that is engaging and memorable. Teachers usually check in lessons to make sure that pupils understand fully before introducing new knowledge. This ensures that pupils build up their learning securely. On a small number of occasions, in a few subjects, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding sufficiently before moving on to the next topic. When this happens, pupils’ learning in those subjects is less secure.

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Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Children in the early years learn about phonics as soon as they start school. They learn new letters and sounds every day. The words in their reading books contain the letters and sounds that they know. This helps them to read successfully. Pupils learn to read more complex words as they move through key stage 1. Skilled staff provide swift support for any pupils who fall behind, so that they catch up quickly. Older pupils read a wide range of texts. They spoke enthusiastically about books that they have read recently. Pupils enjoy working towards awards for reading at home. Children and pupils of all ages, including those with SEND, learn to read well.

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Pupils who may have SEND are identified quickly. Leaders and staff work together to make any careful adaptations, for example, to resources, so that these pupils have access to the curriculum. Leaders work effectively with parents and with a range of professionals to secure expert help if it is needed. Pupils with SEND achieve as well as their classmates.

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Pupils usually pay attention in lessons. They try not to disturb others by chatting. These positive attitudes enable everyone to get on with their learning.

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Two-year-olds settle quickly into the school’s early years provision. Skilled staff know how to support children’s learning and development effectively. Relationships between adults and children are warm and trusting. These children learn well alongside their three- and four-year-old classmates.

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Leaders ensure that pupils have opportunities to take on roles of responsibility. For example, pupils act as worship leaders or digital leaders. They experience democracy when they vote for the pupil voice representatives. Through the curriculum, pupils learn about a range of faiths and cultures. They learn about diversity within their own community and in the wider world. All of these experiences help pupils to prepare for the next stage in their education and for adult life.

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Governors are knowledgeable about the school. They ask leaders plenty of challenging questions about their work to improve the curriculum. Governors and leaders are considerate of staff’s workload and well-being. 9 and 10 November 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide regular safeguarding training for staff. Staff know how to recognise when a child might be at risk from harm, for example, from neglect or abuse. They follow the school’s clear procedures for reporting any concerns that they may have.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established effective working relationships with agencies, such as local authority children’s services and the police. This helps them to secure timely support for pupils and families who need it.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum provides pupils with important learning about online safety. Pupils know what to do if they see or hear something that they know is wrong.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not provided staff with enough information about the smaller components of knowledge that pupils need to learn. This makes it difficult for staff to make sure that pupils are learning everything that they need to know in these subjects. Leaders must ensure that in all subjects, from the early years to Year 6, staff have the information that they need to ensure that pupils learn all components of essential knowledge.  On occasion, in some subjects, teachers do not make sure that pupils’ knowledge is secure before they move on to new learning. Leaders, including subject leaders, must ensure that knowledge is secure for all pupils before they move on, so that pupils are better prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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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 October 2012. 9 and 10 November 2022

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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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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. 9 and 10 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241750 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 July 2017

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Blackburn. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in January 2020.  Leaders make use of one registered alternative provider.  The school provides early education and care for two-year-olds.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other leaders, and with members of the governing body. The inspector also spoke on the telephone to the school’s improvement adviser.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects with leaders. 9 and 10 November 2022

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 The inspector reviewed a range of documentation about safeguarding. The inspector also spoke with staff to understand how they keep pupils safe.  The inspector considered the views expressed by parents in their responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included free-text comments.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils. The inspector also spoke with some pupils about school life.  The inspector spoke with staff to discuss leaders’ support for their workload and well- being.

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Inspection team

Mavis Smith, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 9 and 10 November 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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