Burscough Lordsgate Township Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Burscough Lordsgate Township Church of England Primary School Lordsgate Drive, Burscough, Ormskirk, Lancashire L40 7RS

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Outcome

Burscough Lordsgate Township Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including children in the early years, thrive at this school. They embrace the high ambition that the school has for their academic achievement. Pupils are well prepared for the demands of secondary school. They know that staff care for them deeply and want them to succeed. Pupils said that staff encourage them to be themselves while pushing them to be their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils are respectful and polite. They value the rewards that they receive for their positive behaviour, for example ‘star of the week’ or a mention in the golden book.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils of all ages are confident and articulate. They have a deep understanding of equality and they explained that, at this school, everyone is accepted for who they are.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils were unanimous in their view that they can talk to staff about any problems that they may have. Pupils said that staff help them to manage their emotions well. This helps pupils to feel safe. They are proud ambassadors for their school, and they happily attend each day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the school’s support for their mental health. For instance, they described ‘grounding sessions’, where they are encouraged to think positively. Pupils said that they learn the importance of loving themselves, loving others and loving the world. They spoke enthusiastically about participating in yoga and meditation.

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

The school is aspirational for all pupils. To this end, staff have designed a high-quality curriculum that is firmly rooted in the school’s values. Through the curriculum, the school 14 and 15 March 2024

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prepares pupils well for the next stage of their education, while encouraging them to become curious and enthusiastic learners. Pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects.

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In the main, the school has thought carefully about the knowledge and concepts that it wants pupils to learn, from the early years to Year 6. Staff are passionate that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and or/disabilities (SEND), follow the same ambitious curriculum. To achieve this vision, the school ensures that the additional needs of pupils with SEND are carefully identified, and that staff are furnished with rich information. This enables staff to successfully adapt the delivery of the curriculum so that pupils with SEND can flourish.

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Teachers feel empowered. This is because the school has invested considerably in enhancing their subject knowledge and leadership skills. Teachers receive appropriate guidance, for example through the knowledge progression documents, about what curriculum content to teach and when this should be taught. For the most part, the curriculum is implemented well. Teachers are adept at encouraging pupils to deepen their understanding and build on prior learning. For example, skilful questioning and fruitful discussion help pupils to make powerful connections across concepts that they are learning.

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Typically, the quality of pupils’ work is strong. They spoke confidently about their current learning, using appropriate subject-specific vocabulary. Pupils are accustomed to revisiting and consolidating what they already know. Teachers use assessment strategies proficiently to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions in the moment. This is highly successful in most instances. However, in a small number of subjects, the school is refining its approaches to assessment to support pupils to embed their knowledge securely in the long term. While pupils have broad knowledge of topics learned over time, some do not demonstrate the same depth of understanding that they do of more recent learning.

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A love of reading permeates the school. Children in the early years eagerly anticipate their daily phonics sessions. Staff deliver the phonics programme with considerable expertise, supporting the majority of pupils to keep up with their peers. As a result, most pupils are well prepared to become confident and fluent readers. This ensures that they have firm foundations on which to embark on future learning.

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The school ensures that pupils in key stage 2 have access to high-quality texts. Across the school, pupils read voraciously. They understand the importance of reading and they learn new vocabulary with fervour. Pupils said that reading opens their minds and their imaginations. They spoke enthusiastically about the diverse range of authors they have been introduced to, and the exciting discussions about books that they share in class.

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Pupils recognise that the school’s renewed approach to managing behaviour has had a positive impact. They value learning how to take responsibility for their own behaviour choices. In lessons, pupils display positive attitudes towards their learning. They understand that their teachers want the best for them. This, together with teachers’ passion and expertise, helps most pupils to become fully immersed in the curriculum. 14 and 15 March 2024

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Attendance is a high priority across the whole school community. Most pupils attend school regularly. The school’s rigorous analysis, coupled with effective strategies, enables staff to successfully support pupils who do not attend school as often as they should.

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Staff are deeply committed to ensuring that pupils benefit from a diverse range of experiences beyond the academic curriculum. For example, the ‘Lordsgate passport’ ensures that pupils, irrespective of their background or ability, can fully access all that the school has to offer.

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Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the wide variety of opportunities available to them, such as school trips, talent shows and choir competitions. They told the inspector that their wider experiences at school are getting them ready for future life.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They said that leaders, including those responsible for governance, fully consider their workload and well-being when making changes to the curriculum. Staff were enthusiastic to further develop their leadership roles.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, the school’s current assessment systems do not enable teachers to check how deeply pupils have secured knowledge over time. This sometimes hinders pupils from demonstrating a rich body of subject knowledge. As the school refines its approaches to assessment, it should ensure that teachers are fully equipped to support pupils to embed their knowledge fluently in the long term.

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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 November 2014. 14 and 15 March 2024

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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 and 15 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school is part of the Diocese of Liverpool. The last section 48 inspection took place in March 2022. The school’s next section 48 inspection is due to take place in 2027.

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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 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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders in the school. She also spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of governors.  The inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority and a representative of the diocese. 14 and 15 March 2024

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 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 carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. She spoke with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils.  The inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult and spoke with pupils about their learning in other subjects.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and as they moved around the school. The inspector scrutinised leaders’ records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. She considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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 The inspector spoke with parents and carers as they brought their children to school. The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.  The inspector spoke to staff about the school’s support for their workload and well- being. She also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Rachel Goodwin, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 14 and 15 March 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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