Baxenden St John's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Baxenden St John’s Church of England Primary School Church Avenue, Baxenden, Accrington, Lancashire BB5 2RQ

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Outcome

Baxenden St John’s Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel cared for and welcome at this school. They are greeted warmly each day by staff. Children in the early years adapt smoothly to well-established routines. They relish opportunities to explore the outdoors and to learn alongside their classmates.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning a diverse range of subjects. They rise to meet the school’s high expectations of what they can achieve academically. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. They work hard and strive to do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. Staff promptly address any conflicts that arise. This helps pupils to feel safe in school. Pupils are respectful to each other and to adults. Pupils celebrate difference and make everyone feel valued and accepted in their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen ambassadors for their school. They eagerly embrace taking part in sports competitions and musical performances. Older pupils demonstrate a sense of duty through their various roles of responsibility. For example, they act as members of the school parliament and sports captains. Pupils enjoy opportunities to take part in residential trips and fundraising activities. These bolster their confidence, resilience and self-worth. Pupils are proud to be part of their school community.

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

The school’s well-designed curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND. The important knowledge that pupils need to learn is carefully ordered from the early years to Year 6. Pupils have many opportunities to practise what they learn. Their knowledge and understanding in most subjects deepen over time. This helps pupils to apply what they know when they encounter new learning. 19 and 20 March 2024

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The school accurately identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Staff use a variety of approaches to help these pupils to learn the same curriculum as their peers. Customised support enables pupils with SEND to be successful and to achieve well.

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In most subjects, the school checks how well the curriculum is being delivered. This information is used to inform improvements to the curriculum in these subjects. However, in a small number of subjects, this work is at an earlier stage. This hinders the school from identifying where some teachers need more support to deliver these subjects well.

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The school checks pupils’ learning in most subjects. This provides teachers with useful assessment information, which informs how they shape future learning.

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The school has successfully fostered pupils’ love of reading. This is reflected in the wide range of books that pupils experience. Pupils read widely and often across a range of subjects. Children in the early years enjoy listening to their teachers read their favourite stories. Older pupils enthusiastically recommend books from their favourite authors to their friends.

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Phonics is taught consistently well from the beginning of the Reception Year. Children quickly learn the sounds that letters represent. This helps them when they read new and unfamiliar words. Staff support pupils who struggle to keep up with the phonics programme so that they learn all that they should. Most pupils become confident and fluent readers by the end of key stage 1.

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Pupils are polite and well mannered. They spoke positively about their experiences of school. Children in the early years settle into school quickly. They learn the behaviours that the school expects. This strong start is built upon across the rest of the school.

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Attendance is a high priority for the school. Most pupils attend well. The school provides effective support for pupils and their families to help reduce any rates of absence.

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Pupils benefit from many opportunities to enhance their personal development. For example, they develop their aspirations for their future careers by meeting people from a range of professions. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. This prepares them well for life in modern Britain. Visits to places of interest, including to the theatre, help to broaden pupils’ experiences further. As members of committees, pupils make a positive contribution to the life of the school. For example, they lead assemblies and run sports clubs.

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Governors are well informed about the work of the school. They use their breadth of knowledge successfully to hold the school to account for the quality of education that it provides for pupils. Governors are mindful of staff’s workload. Staff appreciate the support available for their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 19 and 20 March 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s checks on how well the curriculum is delivered in some subjects are not specific enough. This prevents the school from having a clear enough understanding of the impact of curriculum delivery on pupils’ learning. The school should ensure that the checks that they make on the impact of the curriculum accurately identify where teachers need more support to deliver the curriculum 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2014.

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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). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Church of England school is part of the Diocese of Blackburn. The last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in October 2023. The school’s next section 48 inspection is due before December 2028.  The school does not use any alternative provision for pupils.  The schools runs a before and after-school club.

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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 carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and physical education. She met with subject leaders and teachers. The inspector visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning. The inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 reading to a familiar adult. 19 and 20 March 2024

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 The inspector considered the curriculum in other subjects. She met with leaders, spoke with pupils and reviewed pupils’ work in these subjects.  The inspector spoke with members of the governing board, including the chair of governors. She also spoke with representatives of the local authority and the diocese.  The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. She also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  The inspector met with leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  The inspector looked at a range of policies and documentation relating to pupils’ welfare and education. She observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, at lunchtime and when moving around school. The inspector visited the breakfast club.  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

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector met with parents and carers at the start of the school day. She took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  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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Inspection team

Julie Brown, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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