Richard Durning's Endowed Primary School

Inspection of Richard Durning’s Endowed Primary School Chorley Road, Bispham, Ormskirk, Lancashire L40 3SL

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

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

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 almost 11 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 16 and 17 July 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Richard Durning’s aptly describes itself as ‘a small school with a big heart’. It has a strong sense of family and community. Staff understand and nurture their pupils’ individual personalities. The school provides pupils with high levels of love and care. Pupils value the way that they all get along together and know each other well. They feel happy and secure.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have an abundance of opportunities to pursue their wider interests, be they academic, creative or sporting. A few of these many opportunities include individual and team mathematics competitions, poetry competitions and numerous sporting events. Extra-curricular clubs are plentiful and run throughout the school day. These include rounders club at lunchtime and after-school clubs such as geography, art and craft, and singing clubs. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), consistently benefit from this rich offer. Pupils also have a wide range of opportunities to take on meaningful responsibilities around the school, such as being buddies for the children in the Nursery class and school council roles.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for what pupils should learn. Many pupils achieve well across the curriculum. In some instances, pupils’ knowledge is particularly strong.

p.2

better?

The way that the school caters for pupils’ personal development is exceptional. It is at the front and centre of all that the school does. The school has built strong connections to its local community. For example, pupils recently manned the school’s summer fair stalls and performed at the village fair. They also visit local farms to bring their learning about animals and agriculture to life. Pupils develop a secure knowledge of the fundamental British values. They explicitly discuss them every week during their assemblies. The school’s ‘curriculum drivers’ further reinforce important themes and values, such as respect, tolerance and independence. They develop a secure knowledge of how to look after their own mental and physical well- being.

p.2

better?

The school has constructed an ambitious curriculum which is broad and balanced. In national curriculum subjects, the school has broken down curriculum content clearly, and into a logical order, across key stages 1 and 2. This helps staff to deliver new learning in a coherent way. It also helps staff to design suitable learning activities that support pupils to acquire key knowledge. As a result, pupils achieve well across the curriculum.

p.2

better?

The school has ensured that some parts of the early years curriculum are designed well, with the same level of specificity that can be found in key stages 1 and 2. However, in some other parts of the early years curriculum, the school has not clarified the smaller steps of foundational knowledge that children should acquire over time. Sometimes, children do not encounter new knowledge in a coherent 16 and 17 July 2024

p.2

3

manner and the school is not as well placed as it could be to help pupils to build on what they already know when they move into key stage 1.

p.3

3

The school fosters a love of reading. Pupils engage with a variety of literature. The school ensures that children begin to learn through its chosen phonics programme as soon as they start school. The programme is taught with fidelity by trained staff. Pupils read books that are well matched to their early reading needs. The school provides additional support to help pupils to close their gaps in phonics knowledge. Most pupils become fluent readers by the end of Year 1.

p.3

3

The school uses a variety of assessment strategies to identify when a pupil might have misconceptions. The school uses assessment information appropriately to provide pupils with helpful guidance and support with their learning.

p.3

3

The school has effective systems in place to identify pupils with SEND early. It makes appropriate adaptations to curriculum delivery so that these pupils can access their learning.

p.3

3

The staff are positive about leaders’ actions to support their well-being and ensure a manageable workload. For example, staff spoke positively about the recent changes to their curriculum monitoring duties. Governors fulfil their statutory duties well and play an active part in school life.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some parts of the school’s early years curriculum are not clearly defined, nor are strong links made with key stage 1 content. At times, this hinders children from building secure foundations for their future learning. The school should further develop its early years curriculum so that staff understand the smaller steps of knowledge that children should be taught. It should also ensure that there are stronger links with key stage 1 so that pupils can capitalise on what they already know and can do when they leave the early years.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 16 and 17 July 2024

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 16 and 17 July 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Website www.richarddurnings.lancs.sch.uk

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 October 2013, under section 5 of the Education Act

p.5

Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.  Independent before- and after-school clubs operate on the school premises. They were not considered as part of this inspection.

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.5

Information about this inspection

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

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: religious education, early reading and mathematics. They met with subject leaders and teachers. They visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of 16 and 17 July 2024

p.5

6

pupils about their learning. The lead inspector observed pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum, spoke with pupils about their learning and evaluated their work in some other subjects.  The lead inspector spoke with a group of governors.  Inspectors talked to staff about their workload and well-being.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority and the school’s external improvement partner.  Inspectors met with the leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their wider experience of school.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documents related to pupils’ welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

p.6

6

considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were no responses to the online survey for pupils.  The lead inspector met with parents at the end of the school day and took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.

p.6

Inspection team

David Spruce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Stephanie Swift Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 July 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7