St Peter's Catholic Primary School, Lytham

Inspection of a good school: St Peter’s Catholic Primary School, Lytham Norfolk Road, Lytham, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire FY8 4JG

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Outcome

St Peter’s Catholic Primary School, Lytham continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to belong to their school family. They are polite and considerate. New pupils are warmly welcomed and settle into school life quickly. Pupils trust adults to keep them safe and to listen to any worries that they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils value the recognition that they get for working hard. In each year group, and by the end of key stage 2 , pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years play together happily. Across the rest of school, pupils behave well in lessons and around the building. Adults and pupils have created a culture of mutual kindness. Pupils are proud of the school’s values. They talked readily about forgiveness and empathy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Trips and visits enhance pupils’ learning. For example, during a recent trip to a museum, pupils explored the work of a local artist. The school offers many clubs, such as sewing, golf and book club. Extensive use is made of the outdoor grounds. This enables all pupils to take risks and enjoy adventurous challenges in a safe space. The school makes sure that pupils receive the social and emotional help that they need. Pupils particularly enjoy the chance to spend time with Willow, the school dog.

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

The school has developed a curriculum that is ambitious and takes full account of the local area. It has carefully identified the knowledge that children in the early years and pupils in key stages 1 and 2 should learn. Subject content is broken down into small steps so that pupils build and extend their knowledge in a logical order.

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

Teachers have been suitably trained to deliver the curriculum. They regularly check that pupils have understood what has been taught. They use assessment information well to reteach key concepts if they spot that pupils have struggled to understand new learning. 18 and 19 June 2024

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This ensures that gaps in pupils’ learning are quickly rectified. Pupils progress well through the subject curriculums. By the end of Year 6, they are very well prepared for the move to their secondary school.

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The school has sharpened its approach to identifying pupils with SEND. The support that these pupils receive is well matched to their needs. Teachers are skilled in adapting their lessons and teaching resources to make sure that pupils with SEND can access the curriculum.

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Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is typically higher than the national average by the time they leave school. However, in 2023, the proportion of pupils who met the expected standard of reading in key stage 1 was below the national average. As a result, the school has revisited its phonics programme and provided additional training for teachers. Staff typically select books that are matched to pupils ‘reading ability. This is having an impact for some groups, but not for others. This is because teachers are at varying stages of applying their recent training. Some routines for teaching phonics are not well established and some pupils lack the confidence to join in with phonics sessions. As a result, some pupils are not learning to read as quickly as they should.

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A love of reading is promoted well across school. Pupils enjoy listening to their teacher read to them each day. Older children spoke articulately about their favourite series of books and their preferred authors. They appreciate the weekly awards that they get for reading. They especially enjoy choosing a book from the vending machine when their reading efforts are recognised. Pupils read with confidence and fluency by the end of key stage 2.

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Pupils focus well in their lessons. They actively participate in class discussions and partner work. The school encourages pupils to take responsibility for their actions. Pupils treat each other with respect and kindness in the playground. As a result, pupils learn in a calm environment.

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Pupils’ attendance rates are high. This is because the school has effective and supportive systems in place to make sure pupils attend school regularly and on time.

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The school ensures that there are a wide range of opportunities on offer which allow pupils to follow their interests. Pupils talked proudly about their role as ‘gardeners’, helping to nurture their ‘seedlings’ in the Reception Year. Pupils take part in swimming events and cricket tournaments.

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Governors know the school well. They are supportive and proud of the school. Leaders at all levels know the strengths of the school and they are clear about the next stage of its journey. Despite considerable changes to the curriculum in recent times, the school has successfully managed to avoid overloading staff. This is because it gave careful attention to staff’s well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 18 and 19 June 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff are still honing their expertise in delivering the phonics programme. This means that, at times, pupils are not learning to read as quickly as possible. The school should ensure that staff are supported to deliver the phonics programme consistently well, so that pupils gain a secure body of phonics knowledge in readiness for the next stage in learning.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2019.

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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 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). 18 and 19 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 30 and 31 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher and chair of governors have been appointed.  The school is a voluntary-aided Catholic school. The last section 48 inspection was in March 2024. The next section 48 inspection will take place in 2029.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The school provides 14 places for children aged three and four years old in a governor- run provision set up under section 27 community powers. The provision was reviewed as part of the school inspection.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of the school’s educational provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 18 and 19 June 2024

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 The inspector spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders and members of staff. She also spoke with members of the governing body, the school improvement partner, a representative of the local authority and a representative of the Diocese of Lancaster.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. She spoke with staff who lead these subject areas, visited lessons and spoke with teachers. The inspector spoke with pupils about their learning and viewed examples of their work.  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.  The inspector observed pupils in key stages 1 and 2 reading to trusted adults.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during playtimes, in the dining hall and while

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in lessons.  The inspector spoke to parents and carers to gather their views about the school. The inspector also spoke with staff.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. She reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including records of governing body meetings, case studies and attendance records.

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Inspection team

Trish Merritt, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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