Clayton-le-Moors Mount Pleasant Primary School

Inspection of Clayton-le-Moors Mount Pleasant Primary School Earl Street, Clayton-le-Moors, Accrington, Lancashire BB5 5NH

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 4 and 5 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to belong to this inclusive school. They are greeted each morning by caring and nurturing staff. Pupils start the day well and quickly focus on their lessons. Many pupils say how proud the staff are of them. Pupils know they will be listened to if they have any concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of what pupils are capable of. Starting in the early years, the school aims for every child to reach their potential. Children learn how to count, read, write and socialise. As they get older, pupils become increasingly independent. They work hard in their lessons and achieve well. Pupils enjoy showing off their projects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is warm and welcoming. Pupils behave well. There are peaceful routines in every year group. Pupils are polite around corridors and stairways. They take time to greet visitors and hold doors open for one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take their leadership roles, including as ‘rota kids’ and school councillors, seriously. They are proud of the extensive charity work they lead. Pupils are passionate about serving their local community and helping people in need. This prepares them well to be good citizens.

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

Staff and governors are ambitious for all pupils to achieve. These ambitions are not fully realised in pupils’ attainment in some areas. The school has taken action to make some recent improvements to the curriculum. These refinements have ensured that new learning connects with what has gone before. The school has strong systems in place to pinpoint gaps in learning and revisit topics when needed. The improvements have already had a positive impact. Most pupils can recall what they have learned. They demonstrate their understanding in their workbooks and discussions.

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

Staff deliver the reading programme well. Children begin to distinguish sounds as soon as they start in the Nursery Year. The school helps pupils to catch up if they need extra support. Most pupils leave key stage 1 able to read fluently. Older pupils love to talk about their reading choices. They enthusiastically discuss reading preferences.

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

The school has made changes to the way in which mathematics is taught. This has made a positive difference to how well pupils build up their mathematics knowledge over time. In the early years, children have sufficient time to practise independently what they have learned. They learn how to form numbers correctly, recognise amounts and calculate with increasing accuracy. Older pupils recall basic facts such as times tables automatically.

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

All year groups benefit from the school’s woodland area. Learning in the woods is matched to the skills that pupils need for the design and technology curriculum. For instance, pupils use tools confidently to cut and join. 4 and 5 March 2025

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The school provides effective support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Experienced staff identify any additional needs that pupils may have quickly. They employ the help of specialist agencies when needed. Staff ensure that pupils with SEND access the curriculum alongside their peers. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

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On occasion, the curriculum is not as well delivered as the school intends. Sometimes, staff do not select activities that match pupils’ needs. Added to this, staff sometimes miss opportunities to address pupils’ insecure knowledge during lessons. When this happens, some pupils do not learn as well as they should.

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The school is relentless in its work to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. The school is creative and persistent in supporting families who struggle to get their children to school on time. They form productive relationships. These actions are successful. Most pupils attend on time each day.

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Pupils behave well and work hard. This positive behaviour is based on the school’s core values. These are to ‘be kind, be safe, be thoughtful, be happy’. This starts in the early years. For example, one child asked an inspector, ‘Would you like a pancake? I’ll get it from the oven. Be careful, it is hot!’ Older pupils are also generous and respectful.

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Pupils value the numerous sporting, musical and creative clubs that they can join. This helps them discover new talents. Pupils enjoy visits to the local foodbank and care home. They develop a mature understanding of the world around them. There are a wide range of leadership opportunities for pupils. These contribute significantly to developing their character and resilience.

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Governors use their expertise to provide the school with effective support. They are committed to the success of every pupil and check the school’s work to achieve this ambition. Staff appreciate the supportive culture. They feel valued and enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, the curriculum is not delivered as well as the school intends. On occasions, teachers do not select activities that match pupils’ needs or help them learn the curriculum content. As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that the curriculum is delivered consistently well so that all pupils can learn successfully.  At times, teaching does not identify well enough pupils’ gaps and misconceptions. Occasionally, pupils move on to new learning without gaps and misconceptions in their 4 and 5 March 2025

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knowledge being addressed. The school should ensure that teaching identifies and addresses pupils’ misconceptions and gaps routinely well so that pupils learn the curriculum with greater success.

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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 and 5 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 October 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new chair of governors has been appointed.  The school does not currently make use of alternative provision.  The school runs a before- and after-school club.

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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 evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 4 and 5 March 2025

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 The inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  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 completed deep dives in these subjects: early reading, geography, computing and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors made visits to lessons.  The lead inspector listened to some younger pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also considered information about some other subjects.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders. The lead inspector also

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met with the school’s improvement partner and a representative of the local authority. She also spoke to members of the governing body.  Inspectors spoke with some parents and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  The inspectors met with groups of staff and pupils. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.  The inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including records of behaviour and attendance. They also reviewed school improvement plan documents.  The inspectors spoke with groups of pupils and staff, visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work and listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors spoke to pupils at breaktimes and lunchtimes.

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Inspection team

Trish Merritt, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Craig Dewar-Willox Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 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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