Larkholme Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Larkholme Primary School Windermere Avenue, Fleetwood, Lancashire FY7 8QB

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 October 2024

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Outcome

Larkholme Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are cared for at this nurturing school. They are greeted warmly by calm and caring staff as they arrive at the start of the school day. Pupils are happy. They feel valued and accepted.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ learning. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils try their best. They achieve well from their differing starting points. Pupils are prepared well for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and at playtimes. They are respectful to one another. They enjoy the rewards and the ‘golden tickets’ that they receive for behaving well and working hard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides many opportunities for pupils to take on positions of responsibility. This includes being members of the school council and sports leaders. These opportunities enable pupils to demonstrate the school’s values of ‘responsibility’ and ‘resilience.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the range of opportunities on offer beyond the academic curriculum. They spoke excitedly about visitors to school and the vast array of clubs on offer. Pupils benefit from outdoor learning in the school grounds. This helps pupils to learn more about the natural world and to develop their teamworking skills. 29 and 30 October 2024

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

The school has undergone numerous challenges since the last inspection. Following a period of turbulence, the school is now in a position of greater stability. Staff speak very positively about the school. They praise the support that they receive to reduce their workload so that they can be more focused on pupils’ learning. They are proud to be a part of the school community.

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

The school has reviewed and revised the curriculum in all areas, including in the early years. The curriculum reflects the school’s ambition for all pupils to receive a high-quality education. The key knowledge and skills that pupils should learn are identified and carefully ordered to help pupils know and remember more over time.

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

In most subjects, staff regularly check pupils’ learning and use the information that they gather to adapt future teaching. However, in a few subjects, where the curriculum is relatively new, the school is in the process of developing its approach to checking what pupils know and remember. In these subjects, on occasion, this hinders teachers in identifying and addressing gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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

Reading is a priority. Staff are well trained to support pupils with learning to read. They quickly identify when children in the early years, and pupils in key stage 1, do not keep pace with the phonics programme. Staff give pupils the help that they need to catch up. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know and have learned. This helps them to read with increasing fluency and confidence.

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

Staff get to know pupils well, which means that they are alert to their individual needs, including pupils with SEND. These pupils benefit from the support that they receive. This ensures that they can access the same curriculum as their peers. Staff are well informed about the best ways to help pupils with SEND thrive in all aspects of their development.

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

The school places great importance on pupils’ regular attendance. Pupils know that they need to be in school in order to learn. This has ensured high rates of attendance for the large majority of pupils. For those pupils who do not attend school regularly, the school offers effective support to families to reduce absence levels.

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

Pupils show positive attitudes to their work. Staff support children in the early years to learn the school’s rules and routines from the start. Staff respond quickly when pupils forget to be kind or need guidance, so that unwanted behaviour is addressed effectively. This helps pupils to learn and play cooperatively alongside each other.

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

Pupils’ broader development is well- considered. Pupils are taught about faiths and cultures that may be different to their own. They visit places of worship and speak confidently about the importance of respecting others. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to stay safe. For example, they learn about the risks that they might encounter while online and when sitting around a campfire. 29 and 30 October 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, assessment strategies are at an early stage of development. As a result, teachers sometimes do not identify gaps in pupils’ learning or adapt their future teaching to help pupils overcome these deficits in knowledge. The school should ensure that teachers are suitably equipped to check pupils’ learning across the curriculum.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in July 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. 29 and 30 October 2024

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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). 29 and 30 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 July 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed to the school. The headteacher took up post in September 2022.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and with other school leaders.  The inspector met with governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority. 29 and 30 October 2024

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ 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’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  The inspector spoke with pupils, in meetings and lunchtime, about their wider experience of school. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  The inspector 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.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text

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comments. She also spoke with some parents during the inspection.  The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. She also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Victoria Burnside, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 29 and 30 October 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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