Poulton-le-Sands Church of England Primary School

School

Address: Church Street, Morecambe, Lancashire, LA4 5QA Unique reference number (URN): 119538

p.1

Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.1

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders, including governors, prioritise pupils’ attendance. They understand the impact that missing school can have on pupils’ achievement and wellbeing. Leaders carefully check pupils’ absence levels and work closely with families to reduce any barriers to attending school that pupils may face. Leaders and staff promote positive habits for attendance and punctuality, which has helped reduce persistent absence, particularly for pupils who are disadvantaged. Whole-school attendance rates have improved and are now broadly average, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have created a caring and welcoming ethos. Pupils understand the school’s expectations for their behaviour. They walk around the school sensibly and hold doors open for others. They generally behave well in lessons and show respect to staff and to their peers. Pupils trust that adults will deal with incidents of bullying or discrimination. Pupils are keen to learn. On occasions when some pupils find it hard to stay focused on their learning, staff provide effective support to help them to follow the school’s rules. This minimises disruption to pupils’ own, or to others’, learning.

p.2

Early years Expected standard

Children get off to a positive start to their education in Reception. Leaders have high expectations for children's achievement and have developed a rich, progressive curriculum that reflects this aspiration. Leaders work in partnership with families to support continuity of children’s learning between school and home. Leaders consider children's starting points and prior experiences. They ensure that the curriculum builds on these and prepares them well for Year 1. For example, there is a strong emphasis on promoting children’s physical skills. Children build their core strength by having many opportunities to be active. They climb, balance and skilfully transport large items in their play. Staff use their interactions with children to deliberately and effectively target children’s next steps in learning.

p.2

Early years Expected standard

Staff focus sharply on developing children’s speech, language and communication. They are skilled at introducing new words to children and engaging them in purposeful conversations. From the outset, leaders identify any pupils who struggle with their speech, and they provide targeted support to help overcome this. Staff deliver the phonics programme well. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, progress well with their early reading and confidently use their knowledge of letters and sounds to read and write sentences.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have developed robust transition processes for when pupils join the school in the early years or at other times. From the outset, leaders engage with other professionals, parents and carers to accurately understand the barriers pupils face to their learning and wellbeing. This informs their decisions about what support is given to pupils. For example, staff are trained to deliver targeted learning programmes and support pupils in lessons to address gaps in their learning. Staff also provide pastoral support to pupils who face challenges affecting their wellbeing. Leaders regularly review the effectiveness of this support and consider if changes are needed.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that adaptations go beyond the classroom. For example, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and other vulnerabilities, value the dedicated quiet, calm spaces that they can access with their friends at social times. This helps to ensure that pupils' sensory and emotional needs are met. It enables pupils to participate fully in school life.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have carefully considered how to use pupil premium funding to support pupils’ learning and to enrich their experiences. Leaders, including governors, ensure that funding is used to tackle the precise challenges that pupils face. They check that actions linked to this are having the intended impact.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

There have been significant changes to the leadership of the school since the last inspection, including changes to the headteacher and deputy headteacher. These recently appointed senior leaders have, in a short space of time, brought about developments to the curriculum to improve how well pupils learn. They have also strengthened the school’s wider systems and processes, which have had a positive impact on, for example, pupils’ behaviour.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors have a clear, ambitious vision for the school. They are acutely aware of the school’s areas for development. Governors hold this vision and the drive to improve at the heart of the strategic decisions that they make. This includes recent decisions about the recruitment of leaders. Governors are knowledgeable and carry out their roles effectively. They check the impact of leaders' actions linked to the school's priorities. For example, governors understood the impact that pupil absences were having on pupils’ achievement. They provided an effective challenge to leaders to ensure that persistent absence reduced. This included for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors have considered staff wellbeing when making changes to the curriculum. They ensured that these changes did not increase staff workload, or impact negatively on their wellbeing. Leaders make sure that staff have professional development to build their expertise in delivering the curriculum. Staff appreciate the support that they receive from leaders and feel that they are valued members of the school.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have adopted a clear personal development curriculum that builds on pupils' broader knowledge and prepares them well for life beyond school. This curriculum is informed by the local context. For example, given the school’s proximity to the beach, pupils learn about how to stay safe in open water. The relationships and sex education and health education programme enables pupils to understand how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Leaders ensure that teachers are equipped to deliver the personal development programme consistently. Teachers make well-considered adaptations to

p.3

Needs attention

ensure that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, learn the intended content and can access new experiences.

p.4

Needs attention

Staff provide pupils with a range of pastoral support. This enables them to feel confident, cared for and secure at school. Staff help pupils to build positive, respectful relationships with their peers. For example, older pupils actively help younger pupils at lunchtimes. Pupils enjoy these responsibilities and feel a sense of pride and accomplishment from helping others within their ‘school family’.

p.4

Needs attention

Pupils generally understand the importance of fundamental British values and protected characteristics; they respect each other’s differences. However, some pupils lack a depth of understanding of how these areas impact our lives and society.

p.4

Needs attention

Pupils develop their confidence and leadership skills through opportunities for responsibility within the school. For example, through the school council, pupils raise money for charities and organise events to help others learn about career pathways. Pupils are proud of their school and the local environment. They have developed plant boxes on the school site and completed litter picks around their locality.

p.4

Needs attention

Pupils appreciate and enjoy the school's broad range of clubs and trips, which help them to develop their interests and talents. Leaders actively monitor pupils' participation in these experiences and ensure that time and cost are not barriers to pupils' access to them.

p.4

Achievement Needs attention

Pupils’ achievement is variable. They progress well in the early years and achieve broadly in line with national averages in phonics and multiplication checks. However, in other areas of their learning, pupils do not secure the important knowledge and skills they need. This is reflected in the published outcomes at the end of key stage 2. Across the wider curriculum, pupils’ depth of understanding is inconsistent and they struggle to remember learning in the longer term. This affects their readiness for future learning.

p.4

Achievement Needs attention

Leaders’ actions to improve pupils’ achievement are beginning to have a positive impact. In mathematics, current pupils build on their knowledge well and demonstrate confidence in using mathematical strategies. This includes disadvantaged pupils, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other vulnerabilities. However, it is too early to see the long-term impact on pupils’ achievement. Some pupils have not secured the important knowledge they need, particularly in writing.

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have a detailed understanding of the quality of education the school provides. They use this to inform their decisions about actions to improve teaching and the curriculum. While these actions are appropriate, some developments to the curriculum are in their infancy and not embedded. The quality of teaching in Years 1 to 6 is variable. In phonics and mathematics, staff deliver the curriculum effectively, helping pupils to secure early reading and arithmetic skills. However, in other subjects, including writing, teaching is less effective. Here, teachers’ modelling of new concepts and the design of learning activities do not focus sharply enough on the intended knowledge. There is also inconsistency in how effectively teachers check that pupils have understood what is being taught. This hinders pupils from building their knowledge securely. That said, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive effective support that is tailored to their

p.4

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

needs. Teachers use appropriate adaptations in lessons to reduce barriers to their learning.

p.5

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum is broad and its aims are ambitious. It sets out what pupils should know in progressive steps. Leaders have considered local contextual factors and pupils’ starting points when designing the curriculum. For example, there is a focus on extending pupils’ vocabulary, as this is an aspect of pupils’ learning that some find difficult when they join the school.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are happy and secure at this friendly school. Children in the early years, and those who join the school at later points, receive a warm welcome from staff and pupils alike. They settle quickly and forge positive, trusting, respectful relationships with their peers and with staff. Pupils enjoy learning and generally follow the school rules. They are confident that staff will deal with bullying, should it occur. Pupils support each other within their ‘school families’ and develop their social skills through their roles as ‘wellbeing champions’. They also learn how they can contribute positively to society. For example, pupils have participated in a beach walk to raise money for a local hospice.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders develop pupils’ cultural capital through a broad range of experiences. This includes visits to castles, theatres and a residential trip to the Isle of Man. Pupils have opportunities to develop their interests and talents. They access a range of clubs, such as football, cricket, choir and art. Leaders make adaptations to ensure that all pupils can access these broader experiences, including those who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders ensure that pupils attend well and that their personal and social needs are met through effective pastoral support.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. Pupils, including those with SEND, access a clearly designed, progressive curriculum. However, pupils have not always achieved as well as leaders and staff would like. While many pupils make positive progress from their starting points, a significant number of pupils do not secure the knowledge they need by the end of key stage 2. Leaders have made changes to the curriculum to improve pupils’ learning. However, these changes are still being embedded. There is currently variability in how effectively the curriculum is delivered in Years 1 to 6, which affects how securely pupils’ knowledge develops across subjects.

p.5

Team inspectors:

Sarah Price, Ofsted Inspector Debbie Withey, Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Next steps

Leaders should ensure assessment and learning activities work together to identify and close gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge so that pupils achieve well across the curriculum. Leaders should ensure teachers have the expertise to deliver the curriculum effectively so that teaching and learning activities focus sharply on pupils securing the intended knowledge. Leaders should strengthen the impact of the programme to support pupils' personal development so that pupils develop a deeper understanding of fundamental British values.

p.6

About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is David Woodhouse.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.6

About this inspection

Following our updated inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other leaders, governors, the school improvement advisor and a representative from the local authority during the inspection.

p.6

About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

p.6

About this inspection

This school is registered as having a Church of England religious character. The school's most recent section 48 inspection took place in March 2024.

p.6

About this inspection

The school does not make use of any alternative provisions.

p.6

About this inspection

The school has undergone significant leadership changes since the last inspection. A new acting headteacher and a new acting deputy headteacher were appointed in September 2025. They were both in these positions at the time of the inspection.

p.6

About this inspection

There were 165 pupils on roll at the time of the inspection.

p.6

Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

p.7

What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

p.7

What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

p.7

What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years. National average: 26.3%

p.7

What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

p.8

What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

p.8

What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

p.8

What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

p.8

Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

p.9

Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

p.9

Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

p.9

average

2023/24 (final) 66% 72% Close to average

p.9

Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

p.10

Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

p.10

mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

p.10

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

p.10

average

2023/24 (final) 60% 62% Close to average

p.11

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

p.11

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

p.11

Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

p.12

mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

p.12

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

p.12

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

p.12

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

p.13

Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

p.13

national average

2024/25 (2 term) 5.2% 5.2% Close to average

p.13

Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

p.14

national average

2024/25 (2 term) 15.4% 13.3% Close to average

p.14

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

p.14

Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.14

Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

p.14

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.14

Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

p.14

Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

p.14

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.14

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.15

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.15