Eccleston Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Eccleston Primary School Doctors Lane, Eccleston, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 5RA

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Outcome

Eccleston Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe in this thriving school. They are proud of their school and their friendships. Positive relationships between pupils and staff are based on respect for each other. They enjoy learning together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are highly engaged in their lessons. They are motivated to do their best because their teachers have high expectations of what they can achieve. Pupils are confident that staff will help them to do well and sort out any problems that may arise. Pupils who are playground buddies, ‘Pals’, or anti-bullying ambassadors are also there to help. Leaders deal with any incidents of bullying effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is rarely a dull moment at Eccleston. Pupils benefit from an ambitious curriculum that encourages them to be curious and excited about the world around them. They have great fun at playtimes running the daily mile. They spoke eagerly about the time they spend on outdoor activities in the forest. They learn to play a range of musical instruments and enjoy playing in their rock bands. A wide range of clubs provide opportunities for pupils to participate in sporting and artistic activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders work to nurture strong relationships with parents and carers. They regularly invite parents to school to take part in events or work alongside their children. Parents spoke highly of the school saying that leaders have created a school that ’brings the whole community together’.

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

Leaders have put together a broad curriculum that reflects their high aspirations and realises their vision. The curriculum meets the needs of all pupils from the early years to Year 6, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Subject leaders have strong subject knowledge. They have thought about the important knowledge and vocabulary they want pupils to know in different subjects. They have 8 and 9 February 2023

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ordered this information effectively so that pupils build on what they know already. As a result, pupils remember what they have been taught and achieve well.

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Teachers present new information clearly. They usually check that pupils remember important knowledge. They use this assessment information to decide the next steps. This includes providing additional teaching for pupils who need it. They routinely revisit earlier learning to ensure that pupils’ knowledge is secure. Consequently, pupils have secure knowledge of the areas they are learning currently. For example, pupils in Year 6 spoke confidently about the causes of the Second World War and in Year 1, pupils shared their knowledge of King Charles III. Leaders work with teachers to help them to teach the right things at the right time. However, sometimes the activities chosen by teachers do not emphasise the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember.

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Leaders identify early the specific needs of pupils with SEND. They arrange for experts to work alongside school staff and provide training. Teachers apply the training and adapt the curriculum so that pupils achieve well.

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Leaders have placed reading at the heart of the curriculum. There is a strong focus on developing enthusiasm for reading from children’s very first days in the early years. Story times are a special time of the day. Young children enthusiastically join in with familiar stories. Older pupils enjoy listening to the wide range of exciting and ambitious texts that teachers read to them. Pupils shared that they love to borrow books from the school’s extensive library commenting ’it’s the best place in the world’.

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Children start learning phonics as soon as they enter the early years. Staff teach early reading well. Pupils use their knowledge of sounds to read and write words confidently. They are given books containing words that match the sounds that they have learned. By the time pupils reach the end of key stage 1, the vast majority are fluent readers. The few who need extra support receive daily help. This enables them to catch up successfully.

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Children settle quickly into the two-year-old provision and the Nursery. Staff model speaking to others with respect and courtesy. Children learn to follow routines, take turns and help each other. This sets the tone for learning throughout the school. Pupils concentrate well and work hard in their lessons. They learn without any disruption. Across the school, pupils’ behaviour is exceptional.

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Activities beyond the classroom help pupils to develop personally and build character. Pupils embrace the chances they are given to volunteer as sports ambassadors, eco- leaders and school council members and ambassadors. Leaders place a high value on pupils becoming responsible citizens. Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities and visits. Pupils spoke with excitement about their experiences, especially the opportunity to grow and sell their own vegetables in the school allotment.

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Governors are ambitious for all pupils to succeed. They understand the school’s strengths and what needs to improve further in the quality of education. Staff appreciate leaders’ actions to reduce their workload. They say that they work well together because they are a ‘supportive’ team. Staff are proud to work at the school. 8 and 9 February 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise pupils’ safety. They ensure that school staff receive regular training. All staff know how to keep pupils safe. They pass on their concerns about pupils and keep detailed records. Leaders respond promptly to concerns and take action swiftly. They use their own expertise, and the support of external agencies, to support pupils and their families.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about how to keep themselves healthy and safe through the curriculum. They are taught about how to keep themselves safe online. They are clear that they should tell a trusted adult if they are worried about something.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes pupils complete activities that do not match the intended curriculum. This means that opportunities are missed to reinforce the most important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. Leaders should ensure that teachers plan activities that reflect the key knowledge that they want pupils to learn.

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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 April 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. 8 and 9 February 2023

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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. 8 and 9 February 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not currently make use of alternative provision for any pupils.  The governing body is responsible for before- and after-school provision at the school.  The school has provision 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.  During the inspection, the inspector held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority and the school adviser.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. This involved visiting lessons with subject leaders, discussing subject curriculums, talking to pupils and teachers and looking at pupils’ work. He also listened to pupils reading to a familiar adult. 8 and 9 February 2023

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 The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes, lunchtime and during lessons. He also talked to pupils about their views of the school.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. He also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and staff.  The inspector checked leaders’ safeguarding procedures. He scrutinised a range of safeguarding documentation and considered how safeguarding incidents are managed and recorded.

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Inspection team

James Blackwell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 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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