Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary School Garstang Road, Bilsborrow, Preston, Lancashire PR3 0RE

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Outcome

Bilsborrow John Cross Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is a safe and happy place for pupils to learn. Pupils receive high levels of care, guidance and support. Leaders and teachers ensure that pupils respect and care for one another. Staff forge positive relationships with pupils. Leaders deal quickly and effectively with any incidents of bullying or unkind behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations for pupils’ achievements. Teachers get to know pupils as soon as they join the school, enabling them to get off to a flying start. Staff engage pupils in their learning by preparing exciting activities. Pupils enjoy learning, and they are achieving well. Children in the early years are ready for the next steps in learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to behave well. Children in Nursery and Reception listen carefully to their teachers. As they grow up through school, this positive behaviour continues. Pupils are respectful, thoughtful and kind. They behave well in lessons. Teachers make sure that everybody keeps to the rules. Pupils enjoy being part of this calm and orderly school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love the ‘wellies in woods’ activities. They learn the names of the trees and create beautiful artwork outside. Pupils gain a deep understanding of the local area. They appreciate the wide range of enrichment opportunities they are given. This includes a mini zoo, an animal club and many other extra-curricular activities.

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

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. This includes children in the early years. In the main, leaders have designed a curriculum that helps pupils to learn a great deal of knowledge about different subjects. Staff have thought carefully about the subject-specific 14 March 2023

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vocabulary and language that pupils need to know for the next stage of their education. However, in one or two subjects, the curriculum attempts to cover too much information. This means that some pupils do not develop the depth of knowledge that they should about important topics and concepts. Occasionally, pupils’ knowledge in these subjects is shallow. Nevertheless, pupils learn well overall, and children in the early years are well prepared for the demands of Year 1.

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Leaders have capitalised on the heritage of the local area in their curriculum offer. For example, teaching staff tell stories about local war heroes . They use the woodland area to model knowledge in science. Teachers in the early years help children in the Nursery and Reception classes to learn about cold and hot seasons. Pupils in key stage 1 successfully build on this learning. For instance, they observe the changes across the four seasons.

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge. Typically, they deliver new information well. In most subjects, teachers skilfully use leaders’ assessment systems to check when pupils have not understood new information. They repeat these aspects of learning in their teaching to help pupils remember important concepts. Teachers successfully address pupils’ misconceptions in their everyday lessons.

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The teaching of reading is a priority for leaders. They ensure that teaching staff are trained to deliver the curriculum for reading expertly. In Nursery, teachers introduce children to different sounds through songs and nursery rhymes. Teachers use the same phonics approach across the school consistently well. Those pupils who fall behind with the phonics programme are helped to catch up. Leaders ensure that the books that pupils read match the sounds they are learning.

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Leaders also foster a love of reading in older pupils. Pupils are well supported to read with fluency and with expression. Leaders provide a wide range of challenging and exciting books for pupils to read as they move through the school. Most pupils become confident and capable readers by the end of Year 6.

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Leaders work closely with parents to plan for pupils’ additional needs. Leaders identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in a timely and efficient way. Staff have suitable training, and they gain specialist knowledge to teach pupils with SEND. Teachers successfully adapt the delivery of the curriculum. This enables pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers. Overall, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Pupils learn, play and move around the school calmly. Teaching staff use praise frequently, and they give pupils reminders about behaviour, when required. Teaching staff develop strong, nurturing relationships with pupils and children in the early years.

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Pupils are given a suitably wide range of opportunities to access sporting events with local primary and secondary schools. Leaders and pupils work well together to support many varied charities. The wider personal development programme successfully enables pupils to develop into responsible citizens. 14 March 2023

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Governors are knowledgeable and ambitious about the quality of education that pupils receive. They are keen to ensure that pupils are achieving well. Leaders and governors are mindful of staff’s workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All staff have regular safeguarding training. They know that safeguarding is everyone’s concern. Leaders respond robustly when pupils who may be at risk of harm are referred by staff. When necessary, leaders refer pupils to external agencies in a timely manner. Leaders keep accurate and detailed records about safeguarding incidents.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are attentive to pupils’ worries and changes in their behaviour. For example, teachers are proactive in tackling online bullying. They ensure that pupils learn about online safety and the potential dangers in the local area. Pupils know who to talk to if they need help.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the curriculum attempts to cover too much content. On occasion, this means that pupils do not gain the depth of knowledge that they should about some important topics and concepts. Leaders should refine these curriculums so that pupils have enough opportunities to learn important information in sufficient depth.

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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 January 2018.

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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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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. 14 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256215 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 9 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not use any alternative provision.  This is a voluntary-aided Church of England school in the Diocese of Blackburn. The last section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in 2016.

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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 carried out deep dives in early reading, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also heard some pupils read.  Inspectors held discussions with pupils from across the school. They discussed behaviour and bullying, as well as pupils’ wider personal development. 14 March 2023

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes, lunchtimes and during lessons.  The lead inspector checked leaders’ safeguarding procedures. She scrutinised a range of safeguarding information and considered how safeguarding incidents are managed and recorded.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including leaders’ own evaluation of the school and their improvement plans.  During the inspection, the lead inspector held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors held meetings with staff to discuss their workload and well-being.  The lead inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Trish Merritt, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Mandy Dodd Ofsted Inspector 14 March 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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