Earby Springfield Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Earby Springfield Primary School Bailey Street, Earby, Barnoldswick, Lancashire BB18 6SJ

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, quickly make friends at this warm and welcoming school. Pupils new to the country also settle in well. Parents and carers, who shared their views with inspectors, hold the school in high regard. They feel a valued part of the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff provide pupils and children with high levels of care and support. Pupils feel happy and safe. They know that they can talk to trusted adults about any worries or concerns. Leaders respond swiftly and effectively to any incidents of bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most staff expect pupils to work hard and to try their best. Many pupils strive to live up to these expectations. However, some staff do not share these high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. As a result, some pupils do not behave as well as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders expect pupils to achieve well. In some subjects, pupils benefit from a well- thought-out curriculum. Pupils learn well in these subjects. However, leaders’ development of other subjects is at an earlier stage. As a result, some pupils, and children in the early years, are not as well prepared for the next stage of their education as they should be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), participate in a range of activities to enhance their learning and wider development. Pupils spoke proudly about representing the school in various sporting activities, including athletics competitions and county cricket championships. 13 December 2022

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

Overall, leaders are ambitious for pupils, including those with SEND. In some subjects, leaders have identified the topics that children and pupils will study from the Reception class to the end of Year 6. In these subjects, leaders have ensured that teachers introduce new knowledge in a logical order.

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

Staff have accessed subject-specific training, which helps them to present new learning effectively and build on pupils’ prior knowledge. In the main, teachers use assessment methods well to check what pupils have learned. In subjects where the curriculum is designed well, pupils demonstrate understanding of both new and previously taught content. This helps pupils to achieve well in these subjects.

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

In other subjects, leaders’ curriculum thinking is not as clear. Teachers do not know the most important content that pupils should learn and the order in which they should learn it. Added to this, some leaders and teachers do not routinely check how well pupils understand and remember in these subjects. As a result, some pupils’ learning is uneven.

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

Leaders have prioritised reading across the school. They have made sure that staff are trained well to deliver the phonics programme effectively. Children in the early years begin to learn their sounds as soon as they start school. For the most part, children and pupils read books that match the sounds that they have learned. Many children and pupils progress well through the phonics programme. However, some older pupils have not benefitted from the current phonics programme. They do not read well enough. This hinders how well these pupils access the key stage 2 curriculum. Nevertheless, by the end of key stage 2, most pupils read well.

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

Leaders work well with a range of external agencies to identify and support pupils with SEND. Teachers make effective use of the information that they receive to support pupils with SEND to learn well alongside their peers. However, weaknesses in some subjects mean that some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they should.

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

Leaders and governors do not check that staff apply the behaviour policy consistently well and that staff have equally high expectations of pupils. As a result, there are some instances of low-level disruption in lessons and around school which go unchecked. Some pupils told inspectors that they sometimes find it hard to concentrate when their classmates talk in class.

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

Pupils are proud members of their school. They value the opportunities that they have to take on different leadership roles. These include organising games for younger pupils at breaktimes and encouraging pupils to make healthy food choices. Pupils relish the wealth of extra-curricular clubs that staff provide.

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

Governors question leaders about the impact of the school’s curriculum in English and mathematics. However, governors do not make the same robust checks in other areas of the school’s work. This hinders how effectively governors hold leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. Leaders and governors are considerate of staff’s workload and well-being. 13 December 2022

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspectors agreed that early reading and either history or geography may usefully serve as areas of focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff pride themselves on knowing their families and pupils well. Leaders ensure that staff receive appropriate and regular training about safeguarding issues, including concerns within the local area. Staff know what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil’s welfare. They follow the school’s procedures for reporting any issues diligently.

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Safeguarding

Leaders seek support from a wide range of external agencies to make sure that pupils and their families receive timely and appropriate support.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught about how to keep themselves safe. This includes using the internet safely and fire safety.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not read as well as they should. This sometimes hinders how well these pupils access the key stage 2 curriculum. Leaders and governors should ensure that these pupils receive effective and timely support to enable them to become fluent and confident readers.  In some subjects, leaders have not identified clearly enough the most important content that pupils should learn from the early years to the end of Year 6. This means that some pupils’ learning in these subjects is uneven. Leaders should ensure that teachers are clear about the key concepts to teach and when to teach them, so that pupils can build on prior knowledge effectively.  Some subject leaders and teachers have not checked how well pupils have learned the curriculum. Some pupils learn less well in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that, in these subjects, effective systems are in place, so that subject leaders and teachers

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

check that pupils are learning well.  Leaders and governors do not check that the behaviour policy is implemented consistently well and that staff have equally high expectations of pupils. As a result, there are some instances of low-level disruption in lessons and around school which are not addressed. Leaders and governors should check that the school's behaviour policy and systems are consistently well implemented and are having the intended impact on improving pupils’ behaviour. 13 December 2022

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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 June 2014.

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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. 13 December 2022

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Unique reference number

Inspection number 10240684 Type of school Primary

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Unique reference number

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Unique reference number

Date of previous inspection 27 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

 This was the first routine inspection that the school has received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and they have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and physical education. For the early reading and mathematics deep dives, inspectors met with leaders, discussed curriculums, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning, and reviewed samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also observed pupils from Years 1 to Year 3 reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also spoke with other subject leaders to discuss their curriculums.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, other leaders and staff.  Inspectors met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority.

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 Inspectors spoke with different groups of pupils to gather their views of the school, including their behaviour and learning. They also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at playtimes.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. They spoke to several parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors met with those responsible for safeguarding at the school. They scrutinised a range of documentation in relation to safeguarding. Inspectors also spoke with governors, staff, parents and pupils about safeguarding.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation provided by school leaders and staff. This included the school development plan, minutes of governing body meetings, headteacher reports and leaders’ self-evaluation document.

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Inspection team

Louise McArdle, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Victoria Burnside Ofsted Inspector 13 December 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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