Accrington Peel Park Primary School

Inspection of Accrington Peel Park Primary School Alice Street, Accrington, Lancashire BB5 6QR

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since June 2012. 10 and 11 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school. They enjoy playing with their friends at breaktimes. 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 aspirations for pupils’ achievement. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has overhauled its curriculum to ensure it is suitably ambitious for pupils. However, weaknesses in the previous curriculum mean that some pupils have developed gaps in their learning over time. These pupils are not as well prepared for the next stage of education as they should be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They are kind to one another and play cooperatively together. Many pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They delight in the array of rewards that they receive for behaving well and working hard.

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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 speak excitedly about visitors to school and the vast array of clubs on offer. Children in the early years, and pupils across the rest of the school, benefit from outdoor learning in the school’s woodland area. This helps pupils to learn more about the natural world and to develop their teamworking skills.

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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 recognise that the school has had to make a number of changes quickly. Staff benefit from appropriate guidance and support to carry out their roles effectively. Most staff said that the school provides effective support for their well-being and to ensure that their workload is manageable. Many 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 and governors are working together productively to improve the educational offer that pupils receive. Following positive changes to strengthen the knowledge and expertise of the governing body, governors provide a suitable level of challenge and support to the school.

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

The school has recently taken decisive action to review and revise its curriculum. It has thought carefully about the important knowledge that it wants pupils to learn over time so that they know more and remember more. This is similar in the early years, where the curriculum in each area of learning clearly identifies the key knowledge that children should learn in readiness for key stage 1.

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

Staff have benefited from suitable curriculum training in recent times. This is helping them to deliver the subject curriculums more effectively. Pupils achieve increasingly well. However, despite these improvements, weaknesses remain in how well aspects of the curriculum are delivered. This hinders pupils’ achievement. 10 and 11 December 2024

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A new early reading and phonics curriculum has recently been introduced. Most staff have received training so that they deliver the new early reading programme effectively. As a result, children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 are starting to read with greater fluency and accuracy. However, some staff are still developing expertise in how to best deliver the early reading and phonics curriculum. The support that some pupils receive to catch up in phonics is not effective enough. This hinders these pupils in becoming fluent readers as quickly as they should.

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In several subjects, some pupils, particularly in key stage 2, have gaps in their knowledge as a result of weaknesses in the previous curriculum. The school is supporting staff to hone and develop their expertise in assessing what these pupils remember from previous learning. Nevertheless, some pupils, including pupils with SEND, experience learning that does not build on what they know or address the gaps in knowledge that they have. This means that over time, in some subjects, pupils’ learning is insecure.

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The school has developed an effective approach to identifying pupils’ additional needs. It ensures that pupils who need extra help benefit from a wide range of support, including support from professionals outside of the school. This ensures that these pupils, including those with SEND, can access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Typically, pupils behave well during lessons and around school. Staff step in quickly when pupils need help to follow the school’s rules or to regulate their own emotions. This ensures that pupils’ behaviour is addressed sensitively and effectively.

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Most pupils attend school regularly. The school provides effective support for families where attendance is a concern.

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The school has thought carefully about pupils’ personal development. Pupils take full advantage of the array of high-quality enrichment activities that the school offers. For example, pupils are keen to take part in beekeeping, dancing and choir. Pupils learn about online safety and the differences between people, such as different families. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In several subjects, pupils have gaps in their knowledge due to weaknesses in the previous curriculum. This makes it difficult for them to make connections with prior learning when they learn new content. The school should ensure that teachers are suitably equipped to use assessment strategies with confidence and accuracy, ensuring that gaps in pupils’ learning are identified and tackled quickly. 10 and 11 December 2024

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 Some staff are still developing their expertise to deliver aspects of the curriculum successfully. This hinders how well some pupils acquire and develop a deep understanding of subjects over time. As the school implements its refined curriculum, it should ensure staff are supported to deliver subject content consistently well.  Some pupils who find reading more difficult are not supported as well as they should be to catch up. This hinders these pupils from becoming confident readers. The school should ensure that staff are supported to deliver the phonics and early reading curriculum effectively so that pupils become fluent readers.

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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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 June 2012, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is part of The Futures Learning Trust.  The school does not make use of alternative provision for pupils.  Since the previous inspection, the headteacher and several other staff have been appointed.

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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 judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 10 and 11 December 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection 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 met with the headteacher and other leaders. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, science, music and design technology. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors discussed the curriculum in some other subjects. They spoke with pupils

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about their learning in some of these subjects and looked at samples of their 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.  Inspectors spoke with pupils in meetings and around the school at lunchtimes and breaktimes. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors 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 inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors met with parents and carers during the inspection. They took account of the

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responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. Inspectors also considered parental letters sent for their attention.

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Inspection team

Victoria Burnside, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Elliot Costas-Walker Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 December 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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