St Annes on Sea St Thomas' Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Annes on Sea St Thomas’ Church of England Primary School St Thomas’ Road, St Anne’s, Lytham St Annes, Lancashire FY8 1JN

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school’s work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this exceptionally nurturing school. They are happy and know that staff care about them. Children in the Reception class love exploring the exciting outdoor environment. They learn and play harmoniously alongside their friends. The positive relationships fostered across the school help all pupils to settle quickly, especially those pupils who may arrive at different points during the school year.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and listen attentively in lessons. Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), endeavour to live up to the high expectations that the school has of them. They work hard and strive to do their best. This helps them to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk enthusiastically about the exciting opportunities that the school provides. They know how to keep themselves safe, especially when they are near the beach or using the internet. Learning to canoe on residential trips and performing at the Blackpool Opera House help to develop pupils’ confidence and resilience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the extensive range of clubs that they can attend, for example early morning football, cooking and crafts. Older pupils contribute to the life of the school as members of different committees. As role models, they embody the school’s values of kindness, honesty, friendship and respect. 25 and 26 March 2025

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

The school’s ambitious curriculum has been thoughtfully designed. It meets the needs of all pupils exceptionally well, including those who are disadvantaged and pupils with SEND. The school’s high standards are promoted consistently across all subjects. The essential knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn have been carefully sequenced. This helps pupils to make links across and within subjects.

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

Skilled staff deliver appropriate learning activities effectively. Any gaps or misconceptions are identified quickly and addressed successfully. This helps pupils’ knowledge and understanding to build securely over time. As a result, pupils talk confidently and explain how they are able to apply what they know when they are learning something new.

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

Pupils are very polite and well mannered. Their conduct around school, and during social times, helps to create a calm environment in which to learn. This plays an important role in ensuring all pupils achieve their best.

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

The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND at the earliest opportunity. Skilled staff ensure that appropriate support is in place, such as specialised equipment and resources. This enables pupils to learn alongside their friends. Pupils with SEND participate in all aspects of school life and achieve well.

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

Pupils read widely and often across a range of subjects. They talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors and eagerly recommend books to their friends. Children in the Reception class talk excitedly about the characters from their favourite traditional tales.

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

Phonics is taught consistently well from the time children start school. The books that they read match the sounds that they are learning. This helps them when they are reading new and unfamiliar words. Expert staff are extremely effective at supporting pupils who struggle with reading. This enables pupils to catch up quickly. Most pupils are confident and fluent readers by the end of key stage 1.

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

The offer for pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils learn how to stay safe and healthy. For example, they learn how to manage a budget and how to cook a healthy meal. Pupils are actively encouraged to learn how to play a musical instrument and to take part in a broad range of sporting activities. Pupils develop their perseverance and confidence further through the carefully designed opportunities for learning outdoors, including growing their own produce. Visits to museums and places of cultural interest help to broaden pupils’ horizons further.

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

The school has developed a range of effective strategies to promote the importance of attendance and punctuality. Pupils understand the importance of attending school each day. Staff work closely with individual families to provide any additional help and support should a pupil’s attendance need to improve.

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

Governors are highly skilled and know the school well. They use their knowledge effectively to ensure that the positive improvements to the quality of education are 25 and 26 March 2025

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maintained. The school considers staff’s workload very carefully. Staff are extremely proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2015.

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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 25 and 26 March 2025

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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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a voluntary-aided Church of England primary school. It is part of the Diocese of Blackburn. The last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in June 2017. The next section 48 inspection is due by the end of this academic year.  A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the school’s reporting systems and the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, 25 and 26 March 2025

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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 inspector met with the headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, members of the senior leadership team and some subject leaders. She also spoke with other staff during the inspection.  The inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She also met with the school’s adviser and spoke with representatives from the local authority and the diocese.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. She also listened to pupils read to a familiar adult. The inspector considered a range of documents and spoke to some staff about early years, the curriculum, attendance, safeguarding, personal development and behaviour.  The inspector spoke to parents at the start of the school day and considered the

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responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys. She also spoke to pupils about what it is like to attend this school.

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Inspection team

Amanda Stringer, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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