Catforth Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Catforth Primary School School Lane, Catforth, Preston, Lancashire PR4 0HL

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Outcome

Catforth Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school strives for all pupils to realise the motto, ‘To be the best that we can be’. Pupils are keen to meet the high expectations that the school has for them to achieve well. Many pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), leave the school well prepared for the next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school expects pupils to behave well. Children in the mixed Nursery and Reception class quickly learn about these expectations. They readily follow adult instructions and treat one another with care and consideration. Pupils with emotional difficulties, who need extra help in managing their behaviour, are ably supported by caring staff. Learning is rarely interrupted by disruptive behaviour. Pupils benefit from positive relationships with staff. Pupils feel happy and safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take on a range of responsibilities at the school. These responsibilities range from being class monitors, reading books to younger pupils or being a member of the school council. Pupils take part in a range of charitable activities, such as collecting donations for a local food bank. These opportunities build pupils’ understanding of empathy and compassion.

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

The school curriculum has been carefully organised from the Nursery Year through to the end of key stage 2. Across the majority of subjects, the school has identified the key knowledge that pupils should learn and when this should be taught. However, in a small number of subjects, the school curriculum does not cover all of the content that is set out in the national curriculum. As a result, pupils do not deepen their knowledge as well as they should in these few subjects. 14 September 2023

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The school provides teachers with appropriate training. This helps them to develop their subject knowledge. It also helps teachers to identify and support the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Across the majority of the school curriculum, learning activities effectively build on what pupils already know. The school has strategies in place to enable teachers to check on what pupils have learned and remembered from previous lessons. Where needed, pupils have opportunities to revisit prior learning. Overall, many pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.

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The school has ensured that many pupils experience success when reading. Staff teach the phonics programme well. Pupils quickly learn the sounds that letters represent. Timely additional support is put in place for those pupils who need it. This helps them to keep up with their peers. The books that pupils read closely match the sounds that they have learned. Many pupils become fluent and confident readers by the end of key stage 1.

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The school ensures that pupils access a broad range of books, including poetry and non- fiction. This begins in the Nursery Year, where children enjoy a range of stories and nursery rhymes. Older pupils read a range of high-quality books, both classic and modern. This helps pupils to broaden their vocabulary.

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Many pupils do their best to treat others in the same way that they would like to be treated themselves. On the rare occasions that a pupil’s behaviour falls below the expectations of the school, timely support is put in place. This helps to stop the pupil repeating the behaviour in the future. The school provides staff with effective training that helps them to support those pupils with SEND.

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The school has carefully selected opportunities to enhance pupils’ wider development. Pupils understand the importance of keeping fit and eating healthy foods. They are clear that they should treat everyone with respect regardless of their differences. Pupils benefit from opportunities to develop their talents and interests through attending clubs such as cricket, knitting and football.

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Governors ably support and challenge the school to improve the quality of education. The school communicates well with parents and carers and guides them on how to support their child’s learning at home. Staff state that their workload and well-being are supported well by the school. For example, the school is mindful that there are a small number of staff to share responsibilities between. Many staff value being part of the school community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In one or two subjects, the school has not ensured that a small amount of the knowledge set out in the national curriculum receives sufficient coverage in the school 14 September 2023

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curriculum. As a result, pupils do not deepen their knowledge as well as they should in these areas. The school should refine the curriculum to ensure that pupils learn all that is set out in the national curriculum.

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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 September 2018.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 14 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 September 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.  The governing body operates a breakfast club and after-school provision.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors completed deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. As part of the deep dives, the inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited lessons, met with teachers and looked at pupils’ work. The inspectors also looked at the curriculum and pupils’ work in some other subjects. The lead inspector observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff. 14 September 2023

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 The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record and took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils. They also considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons. They spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. They also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s survey for pupils.  The inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s survey for staff.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lindy Griffiths Ofsted Inspector 14 September 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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