Winmarleigh Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Winmarleigh Church of England Primary School Church Lane, Winmarleigh, Preston Lancashire PR3 0LA

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of 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, including children in the early years, arrive at school each morning happy and eager to learn. Staff build warm and caring relationships with pupils. Pupils know who to talk to if they have any worries. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since the previous inspection, the school has set out a more ambitious curriculum. Some pupils are starting to benefit from this new curriculum. However, the school’s expectations for pupils’ achievement, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are too low. Some pupils do not achieve as highly as they should.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Throughout the school, pupils learn in a calm and harmonious environment. Pupils behave well. In lessons, pupils are attentive and they concentrate on their learning. They treat each other, their teachers and visitors with courtesy and respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips and visits. For example, they enjoy going on an overnight residential with their friends. They value taking part in activities which help them to learn about different faiths and religions, such as visiting a Hindu temple.

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

Governors are committed to the school. They want the best for pupils. However, this vision is not fully realised. Over time, governors have overseen a decline in the quality of education that pupils receive. They do not have suitable procedures in place to give them a comprehensive understanding of the school’s work. Governors do not check that the 24 June 2025

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school maintains its focus on pupils’ academic success. This limits their ability to spot any decline in the quality of education that pupils receive.

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The school has reviewed its curriculum. Many subject curriculums are new. The school has identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn and remember. In many subjects, the school has ensured that pupils learn this new knowledge in a logical order.

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Teachers have a secure knowledge of the subjects they teach. Even so, there is inconsistency in how well the curriculum is delivered. This includes in the early years. At times, the school does not ensure that staff check what pupils know and understand well enough. This means that staff do not select the most appropriate learning activities to help pupils to learn the intended curriculum. As a result, some pupils have misconceptions that are not addressed. They struggle to recall the important knowledge set out in the school’s curriculum. This hinders pupils in building depth in their knowledge.

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The school has prioritised the teaching of early reading. It has ensured that staff who deliver the phonics programme are well trained. In the early years, children start to learn sounds and the corresponding letters. Where pupils struggle with reading, the school makes sure that they receive the help that they need to develop into confident and fluent readers.

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The school has introduced new procedures to help identify and meet the needs of pupils with SEND. This work is in its infancy. The school does not identify pupils’ additional needs accurately. This means that teachers do not have the information that they need to successfully adapt learning so that pupils with SEND achieve well. Some pupils with SEND have gaps in their learning and struggle to secure important knowledge. This hampers how well they progress through the curriculum.

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Throughout this small school, there is a positive atmosphere. Pupils rise to the school’s high expectations of how they should behave. These expectations begin in the early years. Children in the Nursery Year settle quickly into routines. They learn to take turns. The school makes regular checks on pupils’ attendance. It provides effective support for those pupils who need to attend school more regularly.

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The school’s provision to promote pupils’ personal development prepares them well for life in modern Britain. Pupils respect the differences that may exist between people. They know how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. Pupils appreciate the help that they receive from Wilson, the therapy dog. They learn how to keep themselves safe, including online.

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The school considers the workload and well-being of staff when making decisions. Staff appreciate the time given to them by the school to complete any additional responsibilities. Many of the staff feel valued and enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 24 June 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Governors do not have a precise understanding of the quality of education at the school. This means that they do not have a comprehensive oversight of the school’s areas for development or the impact that these have on pupils’ achievement. Governors should establish suitable processes to evaluate the impact of the school’s work and support it to implement effective improvement strategies.  The school does not have high enough expectations for pupils’ achievement in some subjects. This means that some pupils, including some pupils with SEND, do not achieve as well as they should. Pupils are not given enough opportunities to deepen their understanding of their learning. The school should ensure that it raises it expectations for pupils’ achievement, so that all pupils achieve as well as they should.  On occasions, the school does not check how well pupils have learned the curriculum. This makes it difficult for staff to identify and address any misconceptions or missing

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

knowledge. The school should ensure that staff know how to identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge so that they can design activities to help them learn the curriculum in sufficient depth.  The school does not routinely identify and address the additional needs of pupils with SEND. This means that staff do not have the information that they need to successfully adapt the delivery of the curriculum for these pupils. The school should ensure that pupils’ additional needs are accurately identified, and that staff are supported with the knowledge and skills that they need to adapt learning appropriately for pupils with SEND.

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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, 24 June 2025

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behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2016.

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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). 24 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school offers breakfast and after-school provision.  The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision for pupils.  This is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Blackburn. It was previously inspected under section 48 of the Education Act for schools of a religious character in January 2025. Its next section 48 inspection will take place in the 2030/31 academic year.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 24 June 2025

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders, members of the governing body and a range of staff at the school. The lead inspector spoke with representatives from the local authority and the diocese.  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 visited a sample of lessons, spoke with most pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also spoke with some pupils to gather their views. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, at breaktimes and when moving around the school.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including records of governing body

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meetings, the school’s evaluation of its strengths and areas for improvement and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  An inspector met with parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Mark Hazzard, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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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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