West End Primary School

Inspection of West End Primary School Chatsworth Road, Morecambe, Lancashire LA3 1BW

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to come to school as they feel safe and cared for. They appreciate having a team of adults who are there to help them if they feel upset. They understand what bullying is and said that it does not happen at their school. Any incidents are dealt with well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in school is exceptional. This is because leaders have prioritised helping pupils to manage their own feelings. Pupils understand that sometimes they make the wrong choices and that there are consequences, but adults teach them to make the right choices. They are self-aware and learn to behave very well without needing adults to intervene.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of the work and behaviour of every pupil, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The pastoral team takes the time to get to know every child well. Staff work on strategies to help every child to overcome any barriers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of trips to broaden their experiences. They take on many responsibilities in school, including acting as school councillors, librarians, sports and computing leaders. Older pupils take their play-leader responsibilities seriously as they play with younger pupils and children and show them how to behave.

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better?

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum which includes a range of experiences to enhance pupils’ learning. Leaders have made sure that the school’s curriculum broadens pupils’ horizons and gives them experiences which they may not otherwise have had.

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better?

In the curriculum design, teachers are clear about what they must deliver and what pupils should know. This flows well from the early years to Year 6. However, in a small number of subjects, teachers have not had enough training to understand how lessons build on previous learning. This means that, on some occasions, pupils are not making as much progress as they could.

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better?

Teachers check what pupils have learned and if they find gaps, pupils get extra support straight away. This is particularly well developed in teachers’ assessment of reading and mathematics. Teachers regularly check that all pupils are getting the help that they need. Any pupils falling behind get the support that they need to catch up.

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better?

Leaders have prioritised reading and have recently introduced a new, ambitious reading curriculum. The teaching of reading is ordered logically. However, staff are at the early stages of implementing this programme and occasionally there are some inconsistencies in the approaches that they use. Leaders are aware of this and they 22 and 23 November 2022

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have effective plans in place to ensure that staff receive appropriate further training in this area.

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Teachers encourage pupils to read widely and they enjoy getting stickers on their bookmarks when they read at home. Older pupils have developed a love of reading. They describe being able to lose themselves in a book. Leaders have ensured that pupils understand the importance of learning to read to be able to achieve well in later life.

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Leaders have developed a team approach to support children in the early years and pupils with SEND The expert knowledge developed in the team ensures that they identify children’s needs as early as possible. Leaders use outside agencies to make sure that teachers know how to address pupils’ needs well. As a result, pupils with SEND progress well through the curriculum.

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Pupils, and children in the early years, learn about other faiths and cultures and are adamant that everyone is welcome in their school. They know that families are made up in lots of different ways and they learn to treat everybody with respect. They are very proud of their sporting achievements and enjoy taking part in a wide range of sports competitions through the local high school.

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Behaviour is a real strength. Leaders have created a pastoral team in the school that work effectively to help pupils understand and manage their behaviour. Pupils can explain why they may have made the wrong choices in the past and how they have now learned how to make the right choices. Members of the pastoral team teach children about the impact that their actions have on others. As a result, pupils’ behaviour is excellent, whether they are in lessons or in less structured parts of the day.

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Leaders support staff’s well-being through structured activities, as well as a strong pastoral offer for adults. Staff are proud to work at this school and they feel appreciated by leaders. Governors have a strong presence and they know the school well. This helps them both to challenge and support leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Adults in school, including governors, complete regular safeguarding training to ensure that they understand potential risks to the safety of pupils. The safeguarding team is proactive and organises visits from other agencies to address particular issues that pupils may face in the local community.

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Safeguarding

Staff know how to spot if a pupil is in difficulty and what to do if they have any concerns. The pastoral team foster strong relationships with families who appreciate the work that staff do to help their children.

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Safeguarding

Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe, both online and out in the world. 22 and 23 November 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a very small number of subjects, some staff have not received sufficient training to deliver some aspects of these curriculums effectively. This stops some pupils from building on previous knowledge, as well as what leaders intend. Leaders should ensure that staff are supported to deliver curriculums well in these subjects.

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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. 22 and 23 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241925 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 6 June 2017, 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 graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection 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, senior leaders and members of staff. They also spoke with members of the governing body, the school improvement partner and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and design and technology. Inspectors spoke with staff who lead these subject areas. They visited lessons and spoke with teachers. Inspectors spoke with pupils about their learning and viewed examples of their work. 22 and 23 November 2022

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 Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents relating to safeguarding. They reviewed leaders’ approach to safer recruitment. Inspectors also spoke with staff about their safeguarding knowledge and checked on how well they understood their safeguarding responsibilities.  Inspectors observed pupils in key stages 1 and 2 reading to trusted adults.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during playtimes and while in lessons.  Inspectors spoke to parents and carers to gather their views about the school. They also spoke with staff.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses. They looked at the responses to the Ofsted staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Sarah Barraclough, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Amanda Whittingham Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 November 2022

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