Adlington Primary School

Inspection of Adlington Primary School Park Road, Adlington, Chorley, Lancashire PR7 4JA

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 11 and 12 July 2023

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this friendly school where everyone is welcome. The warm and caring environment that staff provide creates a safe space for pupils to flourish. Pupils benefit from kind and supportive relationships with staff. They are confident that staff will listen to them and help them if they have any worries or concerns. This helps pupils to feel happy and safe in school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ achievement and behaviour. Pupils live up to these expectations each day. For example, they listen carefully and work hard during lessons. Pupils know that they can ask for help if they do not understand something. Typically, pupils achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the school rules and they are eager to follow them. For example, they line up promptly at the end of breaktime. In the early years, children learn to tidy away the resources that they have used. Pupils learn about the differences between bullying and falling out with their friends. Leaders take swift and appropriate action to address any incidents of bullying.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development is exceptional. Pupils value the many opportunities that they have beyond the academic curriculum. For instance, they take part in a wide variety of before- and after-school clubs. Added to this, pupils are eager to contribute to leaders’ decisions through their roles as school councillors, anti-bullying ambassadors and reading buddies. They are also keen to help others and raise money for charities.

p.2

better?

Leaders have designed a suitably broad and ambitious curriculum which meets the needs of pupils, including those with SEND, well. The attainment of Year 6 pupils in the national assessments in 2022 was lower than is typical at the school. This is because a high proportion of pupils in this year group joined or left the school during the academic year. As a result, some of these pupils arrived too late in key stage 2 to benefit fully from the leaders’ curriculum. In the main, current pupils achieve well across a range of subjects.

p.2

better?

In most subjects, leaders have identified the essential knowledge that they want pupils, and children in the early years, to learn. For example, they have considered the key vocabulary that they want pupils to understand and be able to use. Leaders have organised the curriculum so that pupils learn this knowledge in a logical order. This helps pupils to make connections in their learning and develop a rich body of subject knowledge over time. 11 and 12 July 2023

p.2

3

In a small number of subjects leaders have not designed the curriculum as well. This prevents some pupils from connecting aspects of new learning with their prior knowledge. This hinders some pupils in deepening their understanding of concepts.

p.3

3

Leaders provide staff with high-quality training to enable them to deliver the curriculum effectively. Teachers use their strong subject knowledge to design activities that help pupils to learn all that they should. Teachers check routinely that pupils understand earlier learning. This enables staff to swiftly identify and correct any misconceptions that pupils may develop. Learning during lessons is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour.

p.3

3

Leaders have made reading a high priority for staff. Children begin learning phonics as soon as they join the school in the early years. Staff ensure that the books that pupils read are closely matched to their phonics knowledge. This helps pupils to read with increasing fluency and confidence. Staff ensure that any pupils who are at risk of not keeping up in reading receive appropriate help to catch up quickly with their peers.

p.3

3

As pupils move into key stage 2, they read a wide range of high-quality texts from the school’s well-stocked library. Leaders and staff inspire pupils to read more widely and often. For example, older pupils are keen to promote the benefits of reading to younger pupils in their roles as reading ambassadors. Pupils enjoy hearing from famous authors when they make visits to the school. Pupils of all ages develop a real love of reading and appreciate the joy that books offer.

p.3

3

Leaders have appropriate systems in place to identify pupils’ additional needs quickly and accurately. Leaders ensure that staff are furnished with the information that they need to support pupils with SEND effectively. Pupils with SEND learn the curriculum successfully alongside their classmates.

p.3

3

Leaders provide exceptionally well for pupils’ wider development. Pupils benefit from a wealth of activities that help them to develop further their talents and interests. For instance, pupils take part in exciting activities ranging from karate to band music. They develop their understanding of the arts and other cultures when they go to see professional orchestras and choirs perform.

p.3

3

Pupils learn to speak confidently in public and to participate in meaningful debates. Staff encourage pupils to challenge traditional stereotypes and celebrate diversity. For example, pupils learn to play football with a local women’s professional football team. Pupils learn about different faiths, cultures and fundamental British values such as democracy. All these experiences prepare pupils very well for life in a modern British society.

p.3

3

Governors provide a robust level of challenge to leaders. Members of the governing body are informed well about the quality of education for pupils. Leaders consider staff’s workload and well-being when making decisions about the school. Staff feel valued by leaders. 11 and 12 July 2023

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.4

Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that there are stringent procedures in place to ensure that safeguarding is everyone’s priority. Staff are trained well. They know what to do if they have any safeguarding concerns about a pupil. Added to this, staff have a secure understanding of the potential safeguarding risks that pupils may face in the local community.

p.4

Safeguarding

Leaders liaise closely with external agencies to ensure that those families facing challenging circumstances receive the help and support that they need.

p.4

Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to manage risk and keep themselves safe in different situations such as when learning and playing online.

p.4

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not designed the curriculum to enable pupils to connect aspects of new learning with what they already know and can do. This hinders some pupils in developing their understanding of more complex concepts. In these subjects, leaders should ensure that the curriculum is well designed to enable pupils to make connections in their learning.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

to 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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 11 and 12 July 2023

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10268765 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Website www.adlingtonprimaryschool.co.uk

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 11 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Governors run before- and after-school provision.  Leaders make use of one registered alternative provider for pupils.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

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 this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other members of staff.  The lead inspector spoke with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority and an independent school adviser.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum with subject 11 and 12 July 2023

p.5

6

leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and with some pupils about their learning. They also looked at a sample of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils read with a familiar adult. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum with leaders in some other subjects.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including that relating to safeguarding. They spoke with leaders, staff and pupils about the culture of safeguarding in the school.  Inspectors observed behaviour as pupils moved around the school, in class, in the dinner hall, outdoor-play area and before- and after-school provision.  The lead inspector considered the views expressed by parents in their responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text comments. She also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaires for staff and pupils.  The lead inspector spoke with parents as they brought their children to school at

p.6

Inspection team

Pat Speed, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Mavis Smith His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 July 2023

p.6

7

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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7