Caton Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Caton Primary School Broadacre, Caton, Lancaster, Lancashire LA2 9NH

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Outcome

Caton 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 happy in this small and friendly school. They feel safe. They know that if they have any worries there is an adult that they can talk to. Pupils are kind and thoughtful. In their roles as prefects, librarians and play leaders, pupils act as role models and set an example to other pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils proudly showcase their talents through musical performances, performing arts and talent shows. Through these activities, pupils build their confidence and independence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious about what pupils can achieve. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are positive about their school and their learning. Many pupils achieve well and are ready for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Typically, pupils behave well during lessons and around school. Staff encourage them to behave sensibly and to treat others with respect. Teachers 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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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides opportunities for pupils to learn about faiths and cultures that may be different to their own. These experiences support pupils to value difference.

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

The school and the governing body have carefully considered the needs and interests of all pupils in its curriculum design. They have worked together effectively to develop 4 February 2025

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ambitious and well-thought-out curriculums in most subjects from the early years to the end of key stage 2.

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In a few subjects, the school is still determining the precise knowledge that pupils should acquire and the order in which this should be taught. This means that, on occasion, staff do not place the right emphasis on the knowledge that the pupils need for future learning. This sometimes prevents some pupils from making connections with what they have learned before.

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The school ensures that staff have the knowledge and expertise to deliver the curriculum effectively across a number of subjects. In most subjects, staff carefully check what pupils know and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge. In the main, staff select activities that enable pupils to develop their knowledge in a logical and coherent way. Nevertheless, from time to time, the activities that pupils complete do not support pupils to deepen their knowledge as well as they could. Occasionally, this hampers the depth of subject knowledge that some pupils acquire.

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Reading is a priority. Staff are well trained to support children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 to learn to read. They quickly identify when pupils 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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Pupils’ individual needs, interests and talents are known well at this school. The school quickly and effectively identifies pupils’ additional needs, including pupils with SEND. These pupils benefit from well-tailored teaching so that they can succeed in lessons.

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Typically, pupils are considerate towards each other and towards staff. Most pupils try their best to listen attentively during lessons and to answer questions. Staff support children in the Reception Class to follow well-established routines. This helps them to learn and to play cooperatively alongside each other.

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The vast majority of pupils attend school regularly. The school provides effective support for families when attendance is a concern.

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The school provides a wide range of opportunities to extend pupils’ learning beyond their immediate environment. It organises a range of trips and visits from speakers to help pupils to better understand the wider world. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online and how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. They learn about important values, such as democracy and tolerance. Pupils recognise that rules are there to keep them safe. As a result, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Staff are positive about the actions that the school takes to support their workload and well-being. For example, they appreciate receiving additional time to carry out their curriculum responsibilities. 4 February 2025

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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 subjects, the school is determining the precise knowledge that pupils should learn and when this should happen. This means that, sometimes, staff do not emphasise and revisit some important ideas and concepts. This makes it difficult to pupils to connect what they know with new learning. The school should make clear to staff the important knowledge that it wants pupils to learn in each area of the school’s curriculum.  Occasionally, the activities that pupils complete do not help them to deepen their learning as effectively as they could. This hinders some pupils from learning all they should. The school should support staff in selecting activities that help pupils to acquire and remember knowledge securely overtime.

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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 May 2019. 4 February 2025

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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). 4 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, several staff have been appointed to the school.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and with other school leaders. The lead inspector also met with governors, including the chair of governors, and spoke with a representative from the local authority. 4 February 2025

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 Inspectors 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, 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 observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  Inspectors spoke with pupils, in meetings, at playtime and at lunchtime, about their wider experience of school. 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.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered

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the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Victoria Burnside, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Debbie Withey Ofsted Inspector 4 February 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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