Earby Springfield Primary School

Inspection of Earby Springfield Primary School Bailey Street, Earby, Barnoldswick, Lancashire BB18 6SJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 16 and 17 April 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming school that provides a caring and inclusive place for pupils to learn. The school instils in pupils the importance of respect. It places high importance on building pupils’ self-esteem. Pupils value the positive relationships that they have with staff. They trust that staff will help them if they have any worries or concerns. This helps pupils to feel happy at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils across the school, including children in the early years, behave well. This means that they can get on with their learning without disruption. Those who need extra support in managing their emotions are supported well by staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the opportunities that they have to take on responsibilities such as being head pupil or a member of the school council. Such experiences teach them about the importance of teamwork and responsibility.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well. However, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in some subjects. This is because the curriculum in these subjects is not consistently taught in the way that the school intends.

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better?

The school has developed a broad and balanced curriculum. The important knowledge that pupils should learn and by when has been carefully considered. Teachers deliver the curriculums in English and mathematics well. In these subjects, teachers have benefited from the effective training provided by the school. Teachers check on what pupils know and remember. They use this information well to design learning activities that help pupils build up a deep body of knowledge. In English and mathematics, most pupils, including those with SEND, leave Year 6 well prepared for the next stage of education.

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better?

In subjects other than English and mathematics, the school has taken steps to ensure that the curriculum is sufficiently ambitious and well-organised. Some teachers use this information well to design appropriate activities that deepen pupils’ knowledge. However, elements of key knowledge set out in the curriculum, including important vocabulary, is not taught in sufficient detail by a number of teachers. This is because these teachers have not received the training that they need to be able to deliver the curriculum as intended. This leads to some pupils having gaps in their knowledge. As a result, these pupils’ learning in some subjects is insecure.

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better?

Children in the early years benefit from carefully considered activities that support their personal, social and emotional development. However, in some other areas of learning, staff are not clear on what children need to learn next to help them build up their knowledge. This includes vocabulary. The lack of clarity means that some activities do not support children to learn or develop their spoken language as well 16 and 17 April 2024

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as they could. This hinders how effectively some children are prepared for the demands of the Year 1 curriculum.

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The school has put in place a carefully constructed phonics programme. It has ensured that most staff have had the training that they need to teach phonics well. However, this is not the case for all staff. This hinders how well a few staff deliver the programme. The school provides extra support for pupils who are struggling to keep up with their peers. The extra support for a small number of pupils is not as effective as it should be. This is because the school does not accurately check what sounds these pupils need help with. Moreover, a few pupils are given books to read that do not match the sounds that they know. Most pupils learn to read accurately and fluently by the end of key stage 1. Nevertheless, a small number of pupils do not learn to read as well as they could.

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The school has effective systems in place to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Carefully considered support and resources ensure that pupils with SEND progress through the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils behave well and are generally attentive in lessons. Children in the Reception Year cooperate well with their classmates. They are keen to follow the school rules and routines. Year 6 buddies are positive role models for the children in the Reception Year.

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The school has well-developed attendance systems and procedures. These allow it to identify any potential issues and take effective action. Any concerns with pupils’ attendance are picked up and addressed at an early stage. This ensures that these pupils do not miss important learning.

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The school has carefully selected opportunities to enhance pupils’ wider development. For example, pupils understand the hazards of open water and what they should do in the event of a fire. The school ensures that pupils learn about healthy relationships. Pupils enjoy attending the broad range of clubs that the school provides, such as science, engineering and choir.

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The governing body understands what the school needs to do to improve the quality of education. It has worked with the local authority to increase the school’s capacity to undertake this work. However, some of this external support is recent and there have been changes in staffing since the previous inspection. This has hindered progress.

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Staff value being part of the school. They are positive about the school’s support for their workload and well-being. They have valued the training that they have received to help them to develop their knowledge and expertise in certain subjects.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 16 and 17 April 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not teach parts of the essential knowledge set out in the curriculum in sufficient detail. This includes vocabulary. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. The school should ensure that teachers have the training that they need to deliver the curriculum as intended, so that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education.  In phonics, the school does not ensure that the gaps in knowledge that some pupils have are identified accurately. This means that some learning activities do not help these pupils build up a secure body of phonics knowledge. The school should ensure that assessment systems are used effectively and inform appropriate learning activities that help these pupils catch up with their peers.  A few staff do not deliver the school’s phonics and early reading programme as intended. This hinders how well some pupils learn to read. The school should

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

ensure that staff have the training that they need to deliver the programme effectively, so that pupils learn to read fluently and confidently.  In some areas of learning within the early years curriculum, staff are not clear on what children need to learn. This means that some activities do not support children to learn well or to develop their spoken language. The school should ensure that staff use assessment information to devise learning activities that help children build up a deep body of knowledge.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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). 16 and 17 April 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 December 2022, 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.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  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. 16 and 17 April 2024

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 The inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body. He also spoke with representatives 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.  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 online pupil survey.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  Inspectors spoke with some parents and carers. They considered the responses

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to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Philip Barlow Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 April 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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