Burscough Village Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Burscough Village Primary School Colburne Close, Burscough, Ormskirk, Lancashire L40 4LB

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Inspection dates: 20 and 21 February 2024

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Outcome

Burscough Village Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They enjoy learning and making new friends. Pupils form a strong bond with the adults around them. They know that staff will listen to them if they are worried about anything.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that the school wants the best for them. They strive to meet these high expectations by working hard in lessons. Learning is rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Pupils are delighted when staff praise them for their efforts. Pupils are successful in their learning over time. When they reach the end of key stage 2, they achieve well in national tests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are considerate and kind. They understand the importance of treating everyone equally, regardless of difference. The school helps pupils to broaden their awareness of other cultures and religions, for example by taking part in a twinning project with a school in an inner-city area. This encourages pupils to see themselves as members of a diverse and multicultural modern society.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from varied opportunities to contribute to school life, such as being a member of the school council. In addition, many pupils delight in representing the school in sporting competitions. They told the inspector that this helps them to grow in confidence.

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

The school’s ambitious curriculum reflects a determination for all pupils to succeed, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In all subjects, the most important knowledge for pupils to acquire is thoughtfully organised. It builds in logical steps from Nursery Year to Year 6. 20 and 21 February 2024

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The school deploys a range of strategies to identify any additional needs that pupils, including those with SEND, may have. Detailed information about these needs equips staff to adapt their delivery of the curriculum effectively for these pupils.

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Most teachers have a thorough knowledge of the subjects that they teach. They are typically quick to identify and revisit pupils’ misconceptions. This helps pupils, including those with SEND, to progress well through the curriculum. Children in early years build a firm foundation of knowledge that prepares them well for key stage 1.

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In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not delivered as effectively as it could be. At times, the activities that some teachers choose do not emphasise the knowledge set out in the curriculum. On occasions, teachers move pupils on to new learning too quickly. This hinders some pupils from building their knowledge of these subjects over time.

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Reading sits at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils develop a love of reading that stays with them throughout their time at the school. Older pupils talk with insight about books that they have enjoyed. Children in the Nursery class experience a wealth of words, stories and rhymes. This gets their communication and language skills off to a strong start. By the time they move up to the Reception class, they are well equipped for their phonics learning. Most pupils soon develop into fluent, accurate readers. Well-trained staff act swiftly to help any pupils who find reading more difficult. This helps these pupils to keep up with their peers.

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On the whole, pupils are curious, motivated and engaged with their learning. They recognise that positive behaviour helps them to learn well together. Three-year-olds in the Nursery class settle quickly and learn to follow routines. Staff are adept at providing support on those occasions when pupils struggle to regulate their own emotions.

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Most pupils attend school regularly. When this is not the case, staff work closely with families to understand any barriers that may prevent these pupils from coming to school. This work is often successful in supporting pupils to attend school more regularly.

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The school has given careful thought to providing pupils with a rich set of experiences to enhance their understanding of the wider world. These opportunities help to prepare pupils to be confident and responsible citizens. Pupils learn about equality, keeping healthy and forming positive relationships. They said that this learning has a positive impact on how they treat one another at school.

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The school’s engagement with parents and carers is notable. For instance, parents are invited into school to attend ‘come learn with me’ sessions, so that pupils gain inspiration from a wide range of positive role models. Many parents, including parents of pupils with SEND, are full of praise for the school. They value the ways in which the school helps their children to achieve the best that they can.

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Governors are well informed about the challenges that the school faces. For instance, they have ensured that the school has the resources that it needs to provide for an increasing number of pupils with SEND. Governors work with the school to ensure that the workload and well-being of staff are considered when making decisions. Staff value 20 and 21 February 2024

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the support that they get from leaders, in particular the emphasis given to their professional development. Staff are overwhelmingly proud to work here.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a minority of subjects, staff do not deliver the curriculum effectively enough to make sure that pupils learn the content of the curriculum. This hinders some pupils from building their knowledge over time. The school should ensure that staff receive effective support and guidance to deliver subject curriculums consistently well.

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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 February 2019.

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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 20 and 21 February 2024

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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). 20 and 21 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Belinda Matchett

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 February 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school operates a nursery on the same site. This provides education for children from the age of three.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector completed deep dives in early reading, mathematics and physical education. He met with subject leaders, visited some lessons, reviewed pupils’ work and spoke with teachers and pupils. The inspector also listened to some pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects. 20 and 21 February 2024

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 The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation. He spoke to the headteacher and senior leaders throughout the inspection. He also met with the SEND coordinator.  The inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also spoke to the school improvement adviser by telephone.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. He also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and for staff.

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Inspection team

Ben Hill, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 20 and 21 February 2024

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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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