Arnside National CofE School

Inspection of Arnside National CofE School Church Hill, Arnside, Carnforth, Lancashire LA5 0DW

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Nick Sharp. This school is part of a single-academy trust, Arnside National Church of England School, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ian Service. 11 and 12 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their small, friendly school. They know that their school holds a special place at the heart of their village community. Children in the early years enjoy exploring the exciting resources that adults provide indoors and outdoors. Older pupils relish spending time with their friends in the school’s beautiful grounds. Strong relationships with staff help pupils to feel happy and secure at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils try their best to live up to the school’s high expectations for their achievement. They apply themselves well to their learning. For example, in the early years, children learn to listen carefully so that they know what to do. Older pupils complete their work with diligence. Pupils of all ages, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), typically achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a calm and orderly place. Pupils’ positive behaviour reflects the school’s values, which are known as ‘star qualities’. For example, pupils endeavour to treat each other with kindness and patience. Pupils behave well in and around school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a varied programme of activities beyond the academic curriculum. For instance, pupils work with local coastguards to develop an understanding of water safety. They learn about world faiths when they visit a mosque or a synagogue and the role of Parliament when they visit London. These experiences help to prepare them for life in British society.

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better?

Since the last inspection, the school has wasted no time in improving its curriculum. This swift and decisive action has been effective. Pupils benefit from an exciting, ambitious curriculum that spans a broad range of subjects. This curriculum contains the important knowledge that the school wants pupils to learn from the early years to Year 6. All pupils, including pupils with SEND, access this strong curriculum. This enables them to build a secure body of knowledge over time so that they achieve well.

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better?

In each subject, pupils learn knowledge in small, carefully ordered steps. This helps pupils to build new learning on firm foundations. In most subjects, the curriculum contains opportunities for pupils to connect new and earlier learning. This enables pupils to begin to understand the bigger concepts that underpin their growing knowledge. However, in a small number of subjects, these opportunities are less clearly defined. This makes it more difficult for staff to ensure that pupils make such important connections in their learning.

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better?

The school provides training for staff to enable them to deliver the curriculum effectively. Staff check regularly to ensure that pupils have understood new learning. Any misconceptions are swiftly addressed. The school is adept at using information 11 and 12 June 2024

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from assessment activities to identify whether pupils have any missing knowledge. This helps staff to adjust their teaching if necessary.

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Reading has been placed at the heart of the curriculum. Children in the early years are introduced to a wide range of stories, songs and rhymes. This prepares them well for the phonics curriculum at the start of the Reception Year. Children rapidly build up knowledge of letters and sounds. This continues into Year 1. Staff use their expertise to match reading books to the sounds that pupils have learned. This helps pupils to read with confidence and success.

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Since the last inspection, the school has improved and expanded the range of books available for pupils to read. In each subject, carefully selected texts support pupils’ learning and the expansion of their vocabulary. Pupils across the school develop a real love of reading.

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The school ensures that pupils with SEND are identified quickly. Staff make appropriate adaptations to their delivery of the curriculum to ensure that pupils with SEND are able to learn the curriculum successfully. The school communicates closely with parents, carers and with other professionals to secure extra support for these pupils when this is needed.

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The school successfully promotes pupils’ regular attendance at school. Pupils arrive at school punctually and they work conscientiously in class. They rarely disturb each other by chatting. This helps everyone to get on with their learning.

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Pupils broaden their cultural knowledge through visits to galleries, theatres and museums. They relish the opportunities that the school provides to develop interests and talents, such as musical theatre and jujitsu. Through the curriculum, pupils learn important lessons about internet safety. They also learn about diversity and difference among people in their community and in the wider world. By the time they leave Year 6, pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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Trustees have worked closely with leaders to address the weaknesses identified at the last inspection. Their successful actions have ensured that pupils are provided with a high-quality education. Leaders and trustees have due regard for any impact on staff’s workload and well-being in the decisions that leaders make about the school.

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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 subjects, the curriculum does not identify clearly enough the opportunities for pupils to make connections between their current learning and 11 and 12 June 2024

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their earlier learning. This sometimes hinders pupils from developing a deeper understanding of broader concepts in these subjects. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped to help pupils understand key ideas so that they can apply their knowledge in an increasing range of situations.

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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). 11 and 12 June 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 March 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, a new chair of the board of trustees has been appointed.  The school is part of a single-academy trust, Arnside National Church of England School.  The school is a Church of England primary school that is part of the Diocese of Carlisle. The last section 48 inspection took place in December 2017. The next section 48 inspection is expected to take place in the academic year 2024/25.  The school does not make use of any alternative provisions.

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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 pandemic with the school and 11 and 12 June 2024

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have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and with other members of the leadership team.  The lead inspector met with members of the board of trustees and spoke on the telephone to a representative of the diocese. She also spoke to the school’s external adviser.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and design technology. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to some pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects and looked at a range of pupils’ books.  The inspectors considered the views expressed by parents in their responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text comments. The inspectors also

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chatted to a few parents at the start of the school day.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  The inspectors spoke to some pupils about their experiences of school life. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  The inspectors spoke with staff to discuss the school’s support for their workload and well-being.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors 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

Mavis Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Moxham Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 June 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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