Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary School

Inspection of Morecambe and Heysham Torrisholme Community Primary School Low Lane, Torrisholme, Morecambe, Lancashire LA4 6PN

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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since October 2016. The school received an ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Act on 28 and 29 February 2024. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 8 and 9 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this school. They are proud of the school’s vision, ‘learning together, to care for ourselves, each other and the world’. Pupils take their role in this seriously. For example, they strive to make a difference to the lives of others through being ‘buddies’ and through leading initiatives to support charities. Pupils behave well. At lunchtime, they enjoy accessing the extensive range of activities. These promote their social and problem-solving skills, as well as developing their independence and resilience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils’ achievement and for their personal development. Pupils achieve well across a range of subjects. The school ensures that pupils are ready for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides exceptionally strong pastoral support to pupils. Leaders and staff understand the emotional and personal needs of every pupil. They are unwavering in their determination to meet their needs. Pupils benefit from a vast range of extra-curricular activities. These are carefully planned to ensure that they reflect the breadth of pupils’ interests and talents. After-school clubs include chess, jewellery making, science, knitting, choir and sports. The school makes it easy for pupils to join clubs by removing any obstacles. Consequently, there is high take-up of these.

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

The school has proactively enhanced its support to meet the rise in the number of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It works with specialists to ensure that it accurately identifies and meets the needs of pupils with SEND. This includes tailored support and adaptations to the way the curriculum is taught.

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

The school’s curriculum is engaging and broad. In the main, the school has identified what pupils should learn and in what order. However, some aspects of the curriculum, including in the early years, are still being refined to ensure that key knowledge is clearly defined. At times, this means that pupils are not building on previous learning as well as they could.

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

Staff generally deliver the curriculum effectively and plan well-judged activities. However, occasionally activities are not focused as well as they could be on pupils’ next learning steps. This makes it harder to close any gaps in pupils’ understanding and deepen their learning. While staff use various methods to check how well pupils are learning and adjust their teaching, in a few subjects these approaches are still developing.

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

The school fosters a love of reading. Pupils read a diverse range of books across different genres. Children in the Reception Year quickly gain confidence in matching sounds to letters and using this to read words. Younger pupils, including children in the Nursery, benefit from a strong emphasis on developing their communication skills. This includes activities such as singing and targeted language work. Throughout the school, staff provide support to help pupils gain confidence in aspects of reading that they find difficult. This supports them to keep up with their peers. 8 and 9 July 2025

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The school has high expectations of attendance. It supports families to address any personal or practical challenges that impact on regular attendance. Pupils have an enthusiasm for learning. In the early years, children follow the school’s routines and maintain focus during activities. The school provides effective support to pupils who need help to manage their emotions.

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Provision for pupils’ broader development is exceptionally strong. The school actively identifies pupils’ strengths and nurtures their talents with care and attention. For example, many pupils learn to play musical instruments and play in the school band, alongside local musicians. The school also ensures that every pupil has an opportunity to represent the school and to attend external events.

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The school significantly enriches pupils’ learning through an extensive range of experiences beyond the classroom. Pupils demonstrate a strong understanding of fundamental British values and equality. Their knowledge is deepened through regular engagement with faith leaders and members of the wider community. Pupils also go on many trips, including a residential trip to the Isle of Man. Pupils develop their knowledge of finances, marketing and design through the school’s enterprise work. They benefit from accessing many activities that promote healthy lifestyles. For example, pupils develop their physical and mental health through outdoor learning activities.

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Governors carry out a range of activities to assure themselves of the quality of education at the school. Governors and leaders consider the impact on staff’s workload when making changes to school polices and practice.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few aspects of the curriculum, including in the early years, the school has not identified or sequenced clearly enough the important knowledge that pupils should learn. As a result, some pupils do not develop their knowledge as securely as they could. The school should strengthen its curriculum by clearly identifying the essential knowledge that pupils are expected to learn.  In a few subjects, the school’s checks on pupils’ learning are not as effective as they could be. As a result, some gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not identified or addressed well enough. This also means that some learning activities are not focused well enough on pupils’ next learning steps. The school should ensure that its approaches enable staff to check how well pupils are learning and address any gaps in pupils’ knowledge to help pupils to build on their previously learning. 8 and 9 July 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). 8 and 9 July 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 and 29 February 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 In February 2025, the school opened a Nursery class for three- and four-year-old children.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school operates a before-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 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. 8 and 9 July 2025

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 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders, governors, and staff at the school. The lead inspector also spoke with the school’s improvement partner and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, music 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. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils during breaktime, lunchtime and in lessons.  Inspectors spoke to parents and carers and considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. Inspectors spoke to pupils and to staff to gather their views.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including those related to the governance of the school.

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Inspection team

Liz Dayton, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Elliot Costas-Walker Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 July 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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