Littleborough Community Primary School

Inspection of Littleborough Community Primary School Calderbrook Road, Littleborough, Lancashire OL15 9HW

p.1

Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

p.1

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 19 and 20 November 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of its pupils, both in terms of their achievement and behaviour, while fostering a culture of care.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know the pupils and their families well. This means that they can pick up quickly on any small changes in pupils’ behaviour and offer help when it is needed. Pupils benefit from the school’s focus on their mental health.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well in most curriculum areas. This includes early reading, where pupils become fluent and expressive readers. Pupils enjoy reading a range of high-quality texts during lessons and in their free time.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are knowledgeable about and respectful of diversity and difference. They are keen to share their learning about other faiths and cultures.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and at playtimes. They move around the school in a calm and orderly manner, showing their ‘wonderful walking’ on the corridors. Pupils relish their roles as leaders in school.

p.2

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is well matched to the needs of its pupils, while maintaining breadth and balance. The school has paid particular attention to broadening pupils’ horizons beyond the locality. The curriculum exposes pupils to a range of contrasting settings and different cultures.

p.2

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

In most subjects, it is clear what pupils should learn. However, in a small number of subjects, the curriculum does not identify what pupils should know or when subject content should be taught. In these subjects, pupils sometimes find it difficult to remember their learning.

p.2

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

Teachers use a range of techniques to check what pupils know and remember. Teachers use this information well in most subjects to adapt their teaching and ensure that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are addressed. Teachers typically revisit prior learning to help pupils to recall what they have learned. For example, in mathematics, teachers deliberately design opportunities to recall and practise number facts and calculations.

p.2

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

Reading is a strong part of the school’s culture. Staff apply their training well to help pupils build their phonics knowledge. Pupils who are at risk of not keeping up with the phonics programme are quickly identified and supported to catch up. As a result, pupils read confidently and with fluency and expression.

p.2

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

The school has effective systems for identifying the needs of pupils with SEND quickly. These pupils are suitably supported so that they learn alongside their peers and achieve well. 19 and 20 November 2024

p.2

3

In the early years, children are eager to learn. They listen attentively to the adults, who focus successfully on developing children’s communication and language skills. Mostly, children take part in activities that help them to develop their knowledge across different areas of learning. However, at times, the activities that adults design do not help children to learn all that they should.

p.3

3

Pupils enjoy and benefit from a range of trips and visitors to the school. The school wants its pupils to be active citizens. Pupils are taught to be respectful and responsible within school and in the local community. For example, the eco club carries out community litter picks and the digital leaders help to manage the computers in school. Pupils are taught about fundamental British values. The careers workshops that pupils attend help to prepare them for later life.

p.3

3

Pupils are consistently polite and courteous, including during their free time. They are interested in their learning and they engage well in lessons. Lessons are rarely disrupted by pupils’ behaviour. Pupils of all ages are taught to support each other. They are keen to celebrate the success of others and they want to help their peers when they experience challenge.

p.3

3

Staff appreciate the support that they receive from the school. Their well-being and workload are considered carefully and they know that they can always ask for help and support when needed.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has not defined clearly enough the key knowledge that pupils need to know or the order in which this content should be taught. This means that, occasionally, pupils struggle to remember what they have learned. The school should ensure that it has clearly set out the precise knowledge pupils should learn and the order in which they should learn it.  At times, some of the activities that children complete in the early years do not help them to learn as well as they should. Occasionally, this hinders their progress. The school should further enhance staff’s expertise so that the activities that they design deepen children’s learning. 19 and 20 November 2024

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

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 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). 19 and 20 November 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Website www.littleborough.rochdale.sch.uk

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 December 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has relocated to a new building on an adjacent site.  The school operates before-and after-school provision on site.  The school makes use of one unregistered provider of alternative provision.

p.5

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.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 19 and 20 November 2024

p.5

6

 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.  The inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other leaders and staff.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the local governing body, including the chair of governors.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  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 considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils

p.6

6

and for staff.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, early reading, science, computing and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also spoke with leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspectors reviewed a wide range of evidence, including the school’s self- evaluation documents and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  The inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. They also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.

p.6

Inspection team

Alex Reed, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Andy Reidel Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 November 2024

p.6

7

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.

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