Scorton Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Scorton Church of England Primary School Snow Hill Lane, Scorton, Preston, Lancashire PR3 1AY

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 14 and 15 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Part of the school vision is for pupils to reach out with kindness and compassion. They do this with great enthusiasm in school and within the local community. For example, pupils write to local residents, who they know live by themselves and have limited contact with others. This helps pupils to develop an understanding of empathy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Adults and older pupils in the school are positive role models. They inspire others to make the right choices. Children demonstrate excellent attitudes to learning from the moment they join the Nursery Year. Behaviour is impeccable and contributes to creating a calm school, where pupils feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school holds high ambition for its pupils to achieve well. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff in the early years help children get off to a flying start with their education. From the moment children join the Nursery or Reception Years, they are supported exceptionally well to build up their confidence and independence. Throughout the school, pupils work hard in lessons and take pride in what they do. Across much of the curriculum, pupils achieve well.

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

The school has carefully considered the important knowledge that pupils should learn across the curriculum. In different subjects, the curriculum is designed well to meet the needs of the three mixed-age classes in the school. In most subjects, pupils learn well and are prepared for the next stage of education.

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

In the early years, the ambitious curriculum is delivered by staff who are experts in child development. They closely check on what children know and remember. Staff provide focused support that addresses any gaps in knowledge that children have. Children leave the early years exceptionally well prepared for the Year 1 curriculum.

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

The school ensures that pupils are well prepared for the demands of secondary school in reading, writing and mathematics. In these subjects, teachers check effectively what pupils know and remember from previous learning. Timely extra support for pupils is provided to address any gaps in knowledge. The school has effective systems in place that identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Pupils with SEND benefit from well-chosen resources that help them to access the same curriculum as their peers. This has been supported by high-quality training for staff.

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

In a small number of foundation subjects, some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The reasons for this are varied. In some cases, the activities pupils complete do not focus sufficiently on the important knowledge that is set out in the curriculum. In other cases, the school has recently changed the curriculum. Weaknesses in the previous subject curriculum have led to some pupils having gaps in their knowledge. These gaps have not been identified and addressed, which at times hinders pupils from making sense of new learning. 14 and 15 January 2025

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Pupils in the Reception Year and key stage 1 get off to a strong start with reading. Staff deliver the phonics programme with accuracy. Pupils quickly learn sounds and the letters that represent them. Parents and carers appreciate the resources that the school provides to help them support phonics learning at home. Pupils read books that are well matched to their knowledge. Many pupils are confident and fluent readers by the end of Year 2.

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Behaviour across the school is excellent and learning is rarely interrupted. Pupils are immersed in their work and they make the most of what the school provides for them. Children in the early years share and cooperate very well when learning alongside one another. They quickly follow instructions from staff and are keen to help at tidy-up time. Pupils have excellent attendance at school. The school’s systems and procedures to maintain high rates of attendance are very effective.

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Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. They also understand what foods they should eat to maintain a healthy lifestyle and learn about healthy relationships. Pupils benefit from a range of extra-curricular clubs that help them to develop their talents and interests. These activities include choir, rugby and dance.

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Governors support and challenge the school well to improve the quality of education. They work effectively with the school to realise the agreed vision. Staff appreciate what the school does to support their workload and well-being. Being a small school, teachers take on the leadership role for several subjects. They appreciate the training and time that the school provides for them to carry out their duties effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, some of the learning activities that pupils experience do not build up their understanding of the key knowledge set out in the curriculum. As a result, some pupils knowledge is insecure and they do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped to design learning activities that sufficiently cover the curriculum key content, so that pupils achieve well in these subjects.  In a small number of foundation subjects, pupils have gaps in their knowledge as a result of weaknesses in the previous curriculum. Some of these gaps have not been identified or addressed. Consequently, this hinders the ability of some pupils to make sense of new learning. The school should ensure that teachers are able to swiftly identify and remedy these gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This is so that pupils can build and further strengthen their knowledge in these subjects.

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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). 14 and 15 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2 October 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Blackburn. The previous section 48 inspection took place in March 2023. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place by the end of 2028.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The governing body operates a breakfast club and after-school provision.  The school is federated with one other primary school, which is led by the same headteacher and governing body.

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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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 14 and 15 January 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors completed deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors also looked at the curriculum and pupils’ work in some other subjects. The lead inspector observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair. He

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also spoke with representatives of the diocese and the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record and took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils. They also considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons. They spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. They also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  Inspectors spoke with some parents. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Michelle Ridsdale Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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