Stanah Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Stanah Primary School Lambs Road, Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire FY5 5JR

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Outcome

Stanah Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to belong to this harmonious school community. They feel exceedingly well cared for by staff. In turn, pupils learn to care for each other. For instance, older pupils make sure that their younger peers have friends to play with at breaktime.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that the school expects them to behave in accordance with its values. Most do this successfully. They are delighted by the recognition that they receive when they meet the school’s high expectations for their achievement. Pupils spoke with particular pride about being given the ‘Stanah Superstar’ award in front of the whole school and their parents and carers. Pupils are motivated to try their best and they achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the wealth of extra-curricular opportunities on offer because they enable them to discover new talents and interests. A rich variety of sports clubs are offered and are particularly popular. This includes fencing and curling. Pupils embrace opportunities to demonstrate their talents by representing the school or performing for others. For example, Year 4 pupils participated in a trumpet performance to showcase their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils said that the school helps them to become independent. Starting in the Reception Year, children take positions of responsibility such as subject ambassadors. Pupils value these roles and take them seriously.

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

From the Reception Year to Year 6, the school’s ambitious curriculum is logically ordered. It reflects the school’s determination that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), will succeed. Topics are enriched by a multitude of activities designed to spark pupils’ curiosity. For instance, pupils in Year 2 enjoyed examining historical artefacts linked to their learning about the Great Fire of London. 12 and 13 March 2024

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In most subjects, teachers are clear about the essential knowledge that pupils need to acquire. Teachers deliver the curriculum well. Typically, they are alert to any misconceptions that pupils may have and act swiftly to address them when they arise. The clarity about what pupils should learn in these subjects helps teachers to prioritise this knowledge when they revisit learning and check what pupils know and remember. Pupils build secure bodies of knowledge in these subjects.

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In a few subjects, the school has not identified the information that pupils should learn clearly enough. This hinders staff in emphasising the most important knowledge when designing lesson activities and checking what pupils know. Pupils remember their current learning well. However, at times, they struggle to connect it to what they have learned before.

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The school has thoughtfully enabled pupils to discover the pleasure of reading. Older pupils said that they enjoy getting comfortable in their classroom reading areas and ‘going on an adventure’ inside a book.

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The school ensures that, from the start of the Reception Year, children begin to learn phonics. In the main, this programme is delivered effectively. Staff swiftly identify any pupils who struggle with their phonics knowledge. However, the effectiveness of the support for struggling readers can vary. On occasions, staff do not use the most appropriate strategies to help these pupils to catch up. This means that some pupils do not become accurate and confident readers as quickly as they should.

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The school has an effective process in place to identify any additional needs that pupils may have early and accurately. Detailed information is shared with staff about those needs. They use this information effectively to adapt their delivery of the curriculum so that pupils with SEND typically learn well. The school ensures that these pupils are included in all aspects of school life, for example they undertake responsibilities such as road safety ambassadors. Many parents of pupils with SEND said that their children thrive in school.

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The school has devised a carefully considered programme to support pupils’ personal development. This is enhanced through a range of trips and visits. The school teaches pupils about global issues and it also encourages them to be active within their local community. For instance, some pupils participated in a community charity event to raise money for a local hospice.

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The atmosphere around the school is one of calm productivity. From the Reception Year to Year 6, pupils follow well-established routines that promote positive learning behaviours. They are supported to build their independence and to tackle challenges with resilience. Pupils relish such challenges. They attend school regularly.

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Governors provide valuable support and challenge. Recently, the school has given greater prominence to promoting the well-being of staff. It has created a staff working group tasked with exploring additional ways to reduce workload and to support well-being. Most staff welcome the changes that have been made so far. They are happy to work at this school. 12 and 13 March 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school has not identified clearly enough the most important knowledge that pupils, including children in the early years, should know and remember. This makes it more difficult for teachers to design learning so that pupils remember important content in the long term. The school should clarify the knowledge that pupils should remember in these subjects so that their learning builds securely over time.  At times, some staff do not use the most effective strategies to help those pupils who struggle with reading to keep up. As a result, some pupils do not develop their phonics knowledge as quickly as they should. The school should ensure that staff receive the training that they need to support pupils to develop into accurate and confident readers.

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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 June 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. 12 and 13 March 2024

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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). 12 and 13 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The chair of governors was appointed in November 2023.  The school offers a breakfast and after-school club for pupils.  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 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, other leaders and staff.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. She met with subject leaders, visited lessons, reviewed some samples of pupils’ 12 and 13 March 2024

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work and spoke with staff and pupils. The inspector also looked at curriculum documentation relating to other subjects.  The inspector observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar member of staff. She spoke with some pupils about reading.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes. She also visited the breakfast club.  The inspector met with pupils to ask about their experiences of school. She also considered the responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  The inspector met with several groups of staff. She also considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  The inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority. She also spoke with an educational consultant who works with the school.

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 The inspector reviewed a wide range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation documents.  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.

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Inspection team

Sally Rix, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 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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