Weeton St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection of Weeton St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Church Road, Weeton, Preston, Lancashire PR4 3WD

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 2022

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good School 22 and 23 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and children in the early years, told inspectors that staff make everyone feel part of the school community. They said that everyone is treated with respect regardless of their differences. Pupils said that this makes them feel happy. They enjoy coming to school. Pupils trust that staff will help them if they have any worries or concerns. This helps them to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in school because of leaders’ high expectations. If bullying does happen, leaders and staff deal with it quickly. Pupils get on well together and make friends easily.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the opportunities that they have to take on responsibilities such as being house captains or part of the ethos group. That said, leaders do not make pupils’ personal development a priority. Pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they should be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard in lessons and enjoy their learning. However, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not achieve as well as they should. This is because leaders and teachers are not clear about what pupils should learn and when subject content should be taught.

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better?

Up until recently, leaders had not ensured that the curriculums for subjects other than English and mathematics were sufficiently ambitious or well organised. They have started to take steps to remedy this situation. For example, subject curriculums are more aspirational in scope than they were previously. However, the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils, and children in the early years, should learn continues to be unclear in some subjects and areas for learning. As a result, teachers are not clear what should be taught and when this should happen. This means that pupils are not able to build a deep body of knowledge over time. Their achievement across subjects is variable.

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better?

Some subject leaders have not had the training or support that they need to carry out their roles effectively. This limits their ability to provide advice and guidance to teachers. The new approach to checking on what pupils have learned is having variable impact. This is because leaders have not ensured that all staff have been trained to follow the new systems. As a result, teachers are not fully aware of what pupils do or do not know. This hinders some teachers in their efforts to design appropriate learning activities.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading. Staff are well trained in teaching phonics. Children in the Reception Year quickly learn the sounds that letters represent. The books that pupils read closely match the sounds that they are learning. Pupils use effective strategies to help them to read new words. They are determined and focused when School 22 and 23 November 2022

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reading. As a result, pupils experience the enjoyment that comes from reading a book. Leaders and staff carefully check to see if pupils need extra help with reading. These pupils benefit from the support that they receive from skilled staff. This helps them to keep up with their peers.

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Most pupils understand the importance of respect and model this in their own behaviour. They are attentive in lessons and keen to learn. This means that pupils generally learn without interruption.

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Leaders ensure that pupils play a positive role in their local community. However, pupils do not experience a sufficient range of high-quality personal development opportunities. For example, leaders have not ensured that some pupils know and understand British values. In addition, teachers do not deliver some aspects of the relationships and health education curriculum effectively. Pupils are not as well prepared to grow up in modern Britain as they should be.

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Leaders ensure that there are effective systems in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND early. However, leaders have not assured themselves that pupils with SEND always get the support that they need. Some staff are not sufficiently trained to adapt their teaching to support pupils with SEND. This means that pupils with SEND do not always access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Governors ensure that they carry out their legal duties well. However, they have not received the training that they need to hold leaders to account effectively over the quality of education. Leaders and governors are considerate of staff’s workload when making decisions and take positive steps to support staff well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are trained to spot the signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Leaders provide staff with regular safeguarding updates. This reinforces the focus that staff have on pupils’ safety and well-being. Leaders work well with other organisations. This ensures that pupils and families get the support they need.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that pupils know how to keep themselves and others safe. Pupils benefit from visits from organisations such as the fire service and road safety team. This helps pupils to know how to keep safe outside of school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not identified the key knowledge and vocabulary that children in the early years and pupils in Years 1 to 6 should learn. This hampers teachers from designing learning that builds up pupils’ knowledge over time. Leaders should School 22 and 23 November 2022

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ensure that they finalise their curriculum thinking so that it is clear what pupils should learn and when this should be taught from the early years to Year 6.  Some subject leaders do not have the knowledge that they need to fulfil their roles effectively. This means they are not able to support staff to improve their teaching or subject-specific knowledge. Leaders should ensure that all subject leaders receive the training and support that they require to be fully effective in their leadership roles.  Leaders have not made sure that all pupils learn all that they should to be ready for life in modern Britain. Leaders should ensure that all pupils experience a range of high-quality personal development opportunities that prepare them for the diverse society in which they live.  Some staff have not received sufficient training on how they deliver the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This means that some pupils

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with SEND struggle to access the same curriculum as their peers. Leaders should ensure that teachers are trained to adapt their pedagogical approaches to meet the needs pupils with SEND so that these pupils achieve well.  Governors do not hold leaders to account for the quality of education. This limits their impact on school improvement. Governors should ensure that they access appropriate training and support to enable them to hold leaders to account effectively.

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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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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. School 22 and 23 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240138 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.weeton-st-michaels.lancs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 September 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a voluntary aided primary school. It is part of the Diocese of Blackburn. Its last section 48 inspection took place in November 2015.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.  The school operates a breakfast club.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors completed deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. As part of the deep dives, the inspectors met with leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited lessons with senior leaders, met with teachers and looked at children’s and pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils reading to a familiar adult. Inspectors also spoke with leaders and pupils about the curriculum in a small number of other subjects. School 22 and 23 November 2022

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 Inspectors checked the arrangements for keeping pupils safe. They looked at a range of documentation and spoke to leaders and staff. Inspectors also spoke to pupils about whether they feel safe in school.  An inspector spoke with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  An inspector met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at social times. They spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. Inspectors also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted's online survey for pupils.  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.  An inspector spoke with parents and carers. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Brown Ofsted Inspector School 22 and 23 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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