Weeton St Michael's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection of Weeton St Michael’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Church Road, Weeton, Preston, Lancashire PR4 3WD

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

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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 School 24 and 25 September 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to belong to this small school. Their well-being is central to the school’s work. Pupils are kind and respectful. Older pupils model positive behaviour to children in the early years. They trust that staff keep them safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since the previous inspection, pupils’ learning has been transformed. The school has successfully strengthened the curriculum. Its expectations for pupils’ achievement have risen. Pupils work hard in all year groups to rise to these aspirations. Across each year group, most pupils achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years play and talk in a welcoming and attractive space. Pupils behave well in lessons, and they are polite around the building. Pupils are considerate of each other’s needs. They show an interest in each other’s views and ideas. Pupils demonstrate the school’s values, including empathy and respect. For example, they show interest in each other’s ideas and views.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a variety of exciting experiences to broaden their learning, including visits to museums, the theatre, and residential trips. The school offers a wide range of extra- curricular clubs, such as rugby, construction and indoor dodgeball. Pupils are encouraged to take on responsibilities and develop their leadership skills. For example, pupils act as house captains and monitors.

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

The school has taken resolute action to improve the quality of education on offer to pupils. Staff have designed and implemented an ambitious curriculum for all pupils. The school has carefully identified the knowledge pupils need to know and remember from the early years through to Year 6. Subject content has been broken down into small steps of learning. These steps have been carefully ordered so that pupils build on what has been taught before.

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

The school has developed staff’s expertise across a range of curriculum areas. Staff select appropriate resources to inspire and motivate pupils to learn the content of the curriculum. This supports them to achieve well. Children get off to a good start straight away in the Reception Year. Staff prioritise the development of children’s communication and language skills. For example, children learn to listen to stories and enjoy joining in with them.

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

Staff check carefully that pupils understand important concepts before introducing new ideas. Staff regularly revisit previous learning to help pupils remember essential knowledge. They are quick to help any pupils who may be struggling with learning

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

The school has overhauled the provision for pupils with SEND. It has clear procedures for detecting pupils’ needs at an early stage. The school takes guidance from external agencies to help provide pupils with the support they need. Staff are mostly skilled in School 24 and 25 September 2024

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adapting lessons to help pupils access curriculum content. However, occasionally, the support that the school provides for pupils with SEND does not match pupils individual needs. This hinders how well some pupils with SEND achieve.

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The school has introduced a new phonics programme and has provided extensive additional training for staff. In the main, pupils enjoy early success reading books with the sounds that they know. Younger pupils read with increasing skill and fluency. Older pupils who have gaps in their reading knowledge receive the support that they need to catch up. Even so, some staff are less confident in delivering the new phonics programme. At times, this means that some pupils do not learn to read fluently as quickly as they should.

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The school promotes the love of reading well. Pupils enjoy listening to the stories their teachers read daily. Older pupils appreciate the range of high-quality books they can choose from.

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Staff implement the school rules consistently well. This ensures that pupils can learn in a calm environment. The school ensures that any behaviour incidents are dealt with quickly and positive relationships are restored swiftly. Learning is rarely interrupted. The work the school has done to secure high attendance is effective. Nearly all pupils attend school regularly and on time.

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Pupils’ personal development is at the very centre of all that the school has to offer. Pupils learn about the principles of fundamental British values and understand how to live them out. For example, pupils take pride in knowing that the law keeps them safe and that all groups of people should be treated with equal respect. Pupils enjoy a variety of opportunities to enhance their talents. For example, they are proud of their Young Citizens’ Club, which helps them to give back to the community they belong to.

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Leaders at all levels have been sensitive to staff workload during a time of considerable change. They work well with the local authority and nearby schools to draw on external expertise and to review their work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, the support for pupils with SEND is not as effective as it should be. This means that, on occasion, some pupils struggle to access their learning. The school should ensure that the standard of support for pupils with SEND is consistently high.  Some staff are getting used to the new phonics programme that the school has introduced. There are some inconsistencies in how well it is being delivered. This means that some pupils do not learn to read fluently as quickly as they should. The School 24 and 25 September 2024

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school should ensure that the phonics programme is delivered consistently well across the early years and key stage 1.

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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 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). School 24 and 25 September 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.weeton-st-michaels.lancs.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 November 2022, 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 does not make use of 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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. School 24 and 25 September 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.  The inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leader and members of staff. They spoke with members of the governing body, the school improvement partner and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. They spoke with teachers including those who lead subject areas and visited lessons. They spoke with pupils about their learning and reviewed examples of work.  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.  The inspectors viewed pupils’ behaviour during playtimes, during transition times and

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while in lessons.  The inspectors considered responses from parents, both in person and from Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. Inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.  The inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including records of case studies and attendance records.

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Inspection team

Trish Merritt, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Philip Barlow Ofsted Inspector School 24 and 25 September 2024

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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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