Hornby St Margaret's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Hornby St Margaret’s Church of England Primary School Main Street, Hornby, Lancaster, Lancashire LA2 8JY

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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 12 and 13 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and relaxed at this small school. They enjoy coming to school and form trusting bonds with staff and with each other. Pupils know that staff will listen to any worries that they may have. They feel valued and respected.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well during lessons and at playtimes. They are courteous towards staff and one another. Pupils enjoy the rewards and the ‘house points’ that they receive for behaving well and demonstrating the school values.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school wants the best for pupils’ achievements. However, in some subjects, this aim is not realised. The school’s expectations of what pupils should achieve are not high enough. Weaknesses in how well the curriculum is designed and delivered in these subjects mean that some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not develop a deep body of knowledge over time. They do not achieve as well as they could.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of trips and clubs. For example, they spoke excitedly about visiting a castle, travelling on a train and going caving, as well as residential trips and caring for animals. These experiences enable pupils to explore new interests and to develop their talents.

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better?

The school fosters a love of reading. Pupils benefit from reading a wide range of interesting books. Staff have received training to deliver the phonics programme effectively. Typically, pupils who do not keep up in their reading are supported to catch up quickly. As a result, most children in the Reception class and pupils in key stage 1 gain a secure knowledge of phonics.

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better?

In some subjects, the school has ordered learning thoughtfully. In these subjects, when staff introduce new content they ensure that it builds on pupils’ previous learning. In the main, staff check on what pupils know and can remember. They use this information to shape future learning.

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better?

In several other subjects and areas of learning, the school has not ensured that the knowledge that pupils should learn is clear enough for staff. Subject leadership in these curriculums is underdeveloped, and the school does not provide effective support. This means that these subject curriculums are not designed effectively and that the implementation remains unchecked. Teachers do not receive the guidance and support that they need to design appropriate learning activities that enable pupils to know and remember more. Consequently, some pupils, and children in the early years, do not achieve as well as they should.

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better?

The school accurately identifies pupils’ additional needs, including for those with SEND. However, for some pupils with SEND, access to the curriculum is not adapted 12 and 13 March 2024

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consistently well. This means that, in some subjects, these pupils do not learn as well as they should.

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Pupils behave well in classrooms and around the school. They engage in their learning and are attentive during lessons. Children in the early years settle in well. They receive effective support to quickly learn classroom routines and expectations. This helps children to learn and to play cooperatively alongside each other.

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Pupils are proud of their leadership responsibilities, such as being members of the school council. They support charities through fundraising initiatives and welcome being involved in community projects, such as litter picking. Pupils learn how to look after their own mental health and to also consider the well-being of others. These rich opportunities help pupils to make a positive contribution to the school and to the local community.

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The school is considerate of staff’s workload and well-being. For example, it reflects on the impact of implementing new initiatives to ensure that these do not cause undue workload for staff. The governing body is also mindful of staff’s well-being. The governing body is newly formed as of the start of this academic year. As such, governors do not have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. This means that the governing body does not provide the level of challenge that the school needs to ensure that pupils receive a high-quality education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In several subjects, including areas of learning in the early years, the school has not identified clearly enough the important information that pupils should learn and when this should be taught. This hinders staff in designing learning in these subjects and checking that pupils achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that teachers are clear about the essential knowledge that pupils should learn and when this should happen.  The leadership of some subjects is underdeveloped. This means that teachers are not provided with the support and guidance that they need to deliver the curriculum well. The school should ensure that it develops subject leadership so that teachers are helped to deliver all subject curriculums effectively.  For some pupils with SEND, the curriculum is not adapted consistently well. This means that these pupils struggle to learn as well as they should. The school

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

should ensure that suitable adaptations are in place so that pupils with SEND are able to access the full curriculum. 12 and 13 March 2024

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 The governing body does not have sufficient understanding of the quality of education that pupils receive. Over time, it has not challenged the school sufficiently well about pupils’ learning. Governors should ensure that they gain a clear oversight of the effectiveness of the quality of education and hold the school to account for its actions to bring about improvement.

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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). 12 and 13 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Nicole Davison (Associate Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 July 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 At the time of this inspection, the school was being led by an associate headteacher, who has been in post since January 2024.  Since the previous inspection, the school has federated with another local school. One headteacher and one governing body are responsible for both schools.  A new chair of governors has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.  This Church of England school is in the Diocese of Blackburn. The most recent section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in March 2017. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place by the end of 2025.

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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. 12 and 13 March 2024

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the associate headteacher and other school leaders. The lead inspector also spoke with representatives of the local authority and of the diocese.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors discussed the curriculum in some other subjects and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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.  Inspectors spoke with pupils during meetings and around school at lunchtimes.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. Inspectors also spoke with some parents during the inspection.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Victoria Burnside, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Cleo Cunningham Ofsted 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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