Read St John's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Read St John’s CofE Primary School Straits Lane, Read, Burnley, Lancashire BB12 7PE

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Outcome

Read St John’s CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Read St John’s CofE Primary School. They get on well with each other and they appreciate the support that they receive from teachers. Staff are quick to deal with any incidents of bullying and unkindness. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff aspire for all pupils to achieve highly and behave positively. Pupils live up to these expectations. They behave well and attend school regularly. This supports their learning and helps them to know and remember more of what they are taught.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand and fully respect people’s differences. They access a wide range of activities to develop their interests and nurture their talents. Pupils enjoy learning how to cook, garden and swim. The pupils in the choir club are also proud to perform for the elderly and for their local community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embrace the roles that give them the opportunity to make a difference to school life. For example, pupils like being school council representatives, eco-warriors, librarians and playground leaders.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. Leaders use visitors and trips to bring the subjects in the curriculum to life. This helps to foster pupils’ curiosity, and a love of learning.

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

Leaders have thought carefully about the essential knowledge that they want pupils, and children in the early years, to learn. Leaders have also identified the vocabulary that they want pupils to know and use. This helps teachers to design learning that helps pupils build on what they know. Children in the early years, and pupils across the rest of the school, are well prepared for their next steps. They achieve well. 8 and 9 February 2023

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Some teachers are further ahead than others in getting used to the new subject curriculums. Sometimes, teachers do not choose the most appropriate teaching activities to help pupils learn and know more. Leaders have not checked how well the revised curriculums are being implemented so that they can offer suitable advice and guidance to shore up teachers’ skills and knowledge. A few teachers do not use assessment strategies effectively to check how well pupils have learned what they have been taught. This means that gaps in pupils’ understanding are not spotted quickly enough. This hinders the progress that some pupils make through the curriculum.

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Leaders have made reading a high priority at the school. They have invested in books that match pupils’ phonic knowledge and expose them to a wide range of authors and texts. For instance, books have been carefully selected so that pupils read non-fiction, traditional stories, biographies, rhymes and poetry. Pupils enjoy reading, and do so regularly in school and at home.

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Children in the Reception class begin the phonics programme as soon as they start in the early years. Teachers are well trained to deliver the phonics programme effectively. They offer regular opportunities for pupils to blend sounds out loud and silently, as well as to revisit familiar words. Teachers are also well equipped to identify the barriers that might prevent pupils from reading fluently. Teachers offer effective support to help these pupils catch up. As a result, pupils apply their phonic knowledge well and read confidently.

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Leaders identify pupils’ needs quickly and accurately. Leaders make sure that pupils with SEND receive the help that they need to succeed through the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils are respectful and kind to each other. They care about other pupils’ feelings and value their opinions. Pupils ensure that they follow classroom routines. This enables them to learn well.

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Leaders place a strong emphasis on promoting respect and building a sense of community in the school. They create opportunities for pupils to learn about differences and to be active citizens in their local area. For instance, leaders enable pupils to engage in a range of charitable endeavours, supporting hospices and visiting nursing homes. Pupils also develop awareness of the wider world beyond school, through links with different types of schools and visits to a range of places of worship. This prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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Leaders support staff to manage their workload. Governors forge strong relationships with the school community. As a result, staff feel well supported and work well as a team. This helps leaders to introduce change that leads to improvements 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 are fully aware of the challenges and risks that pupils could face. Leaders make sure that staff and governors keep up to date with relevant safeguarding training. This means that staff are well informed about how to identify and report their concerns about vulnerable pupils. Leaders liaise with relevant agencies and specialists to ensure that pupils receive the support that they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe from the risks that they might face in their everyday lives, such as when using the internet. Pupils also learn about unhealthy relationships, personal boundaries, giving consent and how to resolve friendship issues. The pupil ‘well-being warriors’ are also proactive in supporting their peers. For example, they have raised funds for a ‘well-being shed’, with games, resources and activities to promote positive mental health.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not use assessment strategies effectively enough. This means that they are not aware of pupils’ misconceptions. This hinders pupils’ progress through the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that teachers spot gaps in pupils’ learning and reshape their teaching to ensure that pupils’ learning is secure.  Some teachers are further ahead than others in implementing the revised curriculum. At times, teachers do not choose appropriate teaching methods to help pupils know and remember more. This leads to pupils having gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should ensure that staff receive the support and guidance that they need to deliver the curriculum effectively.

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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 September 2012. 8 and 9 February 2023

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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. 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 22 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The current headteacher was appointed in September 2020.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.  This is a Church of England school. The last section 48 inspection took place in March 2018.

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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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, other leaders and members of staff. She also spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector analysed safeguarding documentation, including the single central record. The inspector spoke with a range of pupils, staff and leaders to evaluate the culture of safeguarding in the school. 8 and 9 February 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. She talked with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at examples of children’s and pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with children and pupils. The inspector also observed some pupils reading to trusted staff.  The inspector observed children’s and pupils’ behaviour in class and as they moved around school. She also observed pupils playing at lunchtime.  The inspector spoke with groups of children and pupils about their experiences at school.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. She also met with parents and carers before school to find out their views of the school.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Amina Modan, lead inspector His Majesty’s 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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