Burscough Bridge St John's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Burscough Bridge St John’s Church of England Primary School School Lane, Burscough, Ormskirk, Lancashire L40 4AE

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Outcome

Burscough Bridge St John’s Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years make a confident start to school life. They are inquisitive and active learners who enjoy exploring in the outdoor wooded area. Children quickly become secure in their environment and themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Older pupils build on these positive beginnings. They feel safe and happy in school. They know who to turn to for support if they have any worries. Staff listen to pupils and help them to overcome difficulties. Leaders deal swiftly and well with any rare incidents of bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know how leaders and staff expect them to behave. Children in the early years listen attentively to adults’ instructions. Older pupils follow the school rules respectfully. This makes the school a calm and orderly place to learn and play.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are aspirational for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils work hard in lessons. They enjoy their learning and are keen to share their knowledge with others, including visitors. Pupils achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils care about others. They eagerly take on positions of responsibility . Pupils who act as ‘huff and puff’ monitors help younger pupils to have energetic and fun playtimes. Pupils play an active part in supporting each other to keep physically and mentally healthy.

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better?

Leaders have designed a relevant and ambitious curriculum steeped in the rich heritage of the local area. In most subjects, curriculums are well established. Leaders 2 and 3 February 2023

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have ensured that staff have the expertise and guidance that they need to deliver these curriculums well. Teachers introduce, check and revisit the knowledge that pupils need to know and remember skilfully. Pupils, including pupils with SEND, spoke with knowledge and enthusiasm about their learning across a broad range of subjects. Pupils’ achievement in subjects such as English, mathematics and science prepares them well for the demands of the key stage 3 curriculum.

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In a small number of subjects, pupils’ knowledge has not built as well over time. Leaders have carefully considered why pupils have gaps in their learning. They have begun to refine their curriculums in response. These changes are more recent and not fully embedded. Leaders have not built staff’s expertise in delivering newly revised curriculums consistently well. That said, pupils have begun to remember essential knowledge in these subjects better than they did. However, some pupils’ recall of their previous learning remains superficial.

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Leaders make reading a top priority. They ensure that staff are trained well to teach pupils to read. Staff systematically build pupils’ knowledge of letters and the sounds that they make. They make sure that pupils practise their reading using books that are closely matched to their reading knowledge. This helps pupils to build fluency and confidence. Pupils who find reading difficult receive extra support to help them to keep up. For example, they read to adults at home and in school regularly. Pupils’ strong reading habits continue as they move through the school. By Year 2, pupils apply their reading knowledge accurately to comprehend appropriately demanding texts. They are well prepared for the reading challenges of key stage 2.

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Staff provide positive reading role models. They inspire a love of reading in pupils by skilfully drawing them into well-chosen books. Staff in the early years deepen children’s keen interest in story by exploring far-away settings. They enrich children’s vocabulary by introducing ambitious words such as inukshuk. This prepares children well to develop their knowledge of subjects such as geography in key stages 1 and 2.

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Leaders ensure that staff, including in the early years, know how to identify pupils’ additional needs. Teachers successfully adapt their delivery of the curriculum to support pupils with SEND. These pupils fully access the curriculum alongside their classmates.

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Pupils are attentive in lessons. They are well motivated to achieve the wide range of rewards on offer such as the highly prized green slips. Pupils’ positive attitudes allow them and others to get on with their learning without distraction.

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Leaders and staff place a strong focus on pupils’ wider development. Pupils understand what it means to have healthy relationships, both online and in person. They are highly respectful when talking about sensitive issues such as disability. Staff actively promote pupils’ physical and emotional health and well-being. Pupils are well prepared for their future lives.

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Governors are proud to serve the school community. They bring a wide range of skills and expertise and high levels of commitment to their role. Staff feel valued by 2 and 3 February 2023

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leaders. They appreciate that leaders do all that they can to make their workloads manageable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff know how to keep pupils safe. Staff are vigilant. They pass on any worries that they may have about a pupil’s welfare quickly. Leaders follow these concerns up thoroughly. They work effectively with external agencies when needed.

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Safeguarding

Staff also know how to identify pupils who may need help with their mental or emotional health. Leaders put effective pastoral support in place quickly.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online. They are taught to consider risks carefully. These include potential risks in the local area, including those associated with roads, canals and railways.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have only recently clarified what they want pupils to learn in a small number of subjects. Pupils have gaps in their knowledge in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that staff have the expertise to deliver newly revised curriculums consistently well and that these curriculums are implemented fully.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2017.

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How can I feed back my views?

to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted 2 and 3 February 2023

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Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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. 2 and 3 February 2023

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Appropriate authority The governing body

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Headteacher Karen Cartwright and Jayne Wallington

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Date of previous inspection 27 and 28 June 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The leadership team has been restructured since the school was last inspected. The same headteacher is in post, but she now leads the school on a part-time basis. The deputy headteacher assumes the role of headteacher for two days each week.  The school belongs to the Diocese of Liverpool. Its last section 48 inspection took place in May 2019.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision for pupils.

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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 both headteachers, other school leaders and staff.  The inspector spoke with representatives of the local authority and the diocese. 2 and 3 February 2023

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 The inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The inspector checked the arrangements for keeping pupils safe. She looked at a range of documentation and spoke to leaders and staff. The inspector also spoke to pupils about whether they feel safe in school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils.  The inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector also spoke with leaders and pupils about the curriculum in a small number of other subjects.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. The inspector also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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 The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. The inspector also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  The inspector spoke with parents and carers as they dropped their children off at school. She considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Jackie Stillings, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 2 and 3 February 2023

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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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