Vickerstown School

Vickerstown School

Address: Mill Lane, Walney, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 3XY Unique reference number (URN): 149244

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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.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

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

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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.

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This school requires significant improvement

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They arrive on time and are ready to learn. Most pupils attend regularly. Leaders share their high expectations with pupils and families. This helps them to understand the importance of attending school. Leaders work with external professionals to support families whose children struggle to attend. This helps more pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to attend more often.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have taken action to make sure that pupils follow the school’s routines. The school is a calm and orderly place to learn. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. Pupils feel valued and cared for by the staff who know them well. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. Pupils with SEND benefit from sensitive support from staff. This helps them to meet the school’s expectations for behaviour. As a result, suspensions for disadvantaged pupils are reducing. Incidents of bullying and discriminatory behaviour are rare. When incidents do occur, pupils feel confident to speak with a trusted adult. They know that concerns will be dealt with effectively. This helps pupils to feel safe at school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils develop a secure sense of who they are and their place in the world. This is because leaders have developed a personal development programme that celebrates diversity. Pupils develop a broad understanding of different cultures and ways of life. This helps them to reflect on their own beliefs and experiences. It also helps them to respect the views of others. Pupils speak sensitively and thoughtfully about the differences that exist between people.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils develop a clear understanding of right and wrong. They take on meaningful and varied leadership roles, such as house captains and head pupil roles. Pupils elect their peers to these positions. This helps them to understand democracy. Pupils also learn to be responsible members of their community through projects on climate change, community action and road safety.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn through a well-considered personal, social, health and economic education programme. They benefit from relationships and health education that is appropriate to their age and stage. Pupils also learn how to keep themselves safe, including online. Leaders work closely with class teachers and the pastoral team to identify when pupils and their families need help. This support is particularly valuable for disadvantaged pupils and those

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Needs attention

with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This helps these pupils to participate fully and appropriately in the school’s personal development programme.

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Needs attention

Local and cultural visits, including to the beach, library and church, broaden pupils’ understanding of their community and the wider world. Older pupils look forward to residential visits to cities such as London. These visits help them to develop resilience and independence. Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs, including dance, art and football. Leaders check pupils’ involvement in wider activities and use this information to make sure that disadvantaged pupils do not miss out. These opportunities help pupils to develop the confidence they need for life in modern Britain.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teaching does not help pupils to learn consistently well. Teachers do not identify and address errors in pupils’ spelling, handwriting and grammar effectively enough. This means that pupils do not get the help that they need to write accurately and fluently.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders do not make sure that teachers adapt their teaching to meet pupils’ needs effectively. This particularly affects disadvantaged pupils and many pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils do not receive the consistent and targeted support that they need. Some pupils with SEND are not able to access the school’s curriculum successfully. Disadvantaged pupils do not always get the help that they need to catch up quickly.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Despite these shortcomings, leaders have designed an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. Leaders prioritise reading from the start. They have introduced an early reading curriculum. This helps pupils to learn the sounds that they need to read words accurately. Leaders make sure that pupils who fall behind with reading receive support to catch up quickly. Leaders have begun to take action to address these weaknesses. These are at an early stage. They have not brought about the needed changes to teaching and learning since the previous inspection.

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Early years Needs attention

Some children, particularly those who are disadvantaged, have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders have taken some action to address this. However, these actions lack the precision needed to close gaps in children's knowledge quickly. Staff do not routinely identify precisely what children need to learn next. For example, many children do not master the letter formation that they need to become successful writers.

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Early years Needs attention

Leaders have taken action to improve the early years curriculum. Staff are increasingly designing activities that better meet children's learning needs. As a result of these changes, children are starting to build the knowledge that they need for Year 1. However, gaps in knowledge persist. Interactions between adults and children are warm and purposeful. Staff talk with children as they play to introduce new words. Children are increasingly becoming confident communicators.

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Early years Needs attention

Reading is prioritised from the start. Leaders have introduced an early reading curriculum that is helping children to learn the sounds that they need to read words accurately.

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Early years Needs attention

Staff work closely with parents and carers as children join the school. This helps leaders to identify children’s needs quickly. As a result, children settle into routines and feel safe.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders consistently identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, for pupils without an education, health and care plan, there is some inconsistency in the precision of pupils’ targets and how teaching should be adapted. This means that some of the information that teachers receive does not help them to adapt learning effectively. As a result, some pupils with SEND cannot access the curriculum as well as they should.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders are making changes to address these weaknesses. They work with families and external professionals to understand the needs of pupils with SEND. This particularly helps pupils with an education, health and care plan, including those in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. As a result, pupils with complex needs benefit from a curriculum that is well matched and tailored to their needs.

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Inclusion Needs attention

The pupil premium strategy lacks clarity. It does not contain precise information about the barriers to learning and wellbeing that disadvantaged pupils face. Despite this, disadvantaged pupils embrace the wider out-of-class opportunities that the school provides. Nonetheless, teachers do not provide the timely and targeted support that these pupils need to take part fully in lessons. As a result, disadvantaged pupils do not benefit from the support that they need to access the full ambition of the school’s curriculum.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Over time, those responsible for governance and trustees have overseen a decline in the quality of education provided by the school. They have been too slow to address the issues linked to the curriculum that were identified at the time of the last inspection. As a result, too few pupils are prepared for their next stage of education.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The school has recently been through a period of turbulence. This has had a significant impact on staff. The trust identified issues and has taken action to create stability. Recently appointed leaders and trustees have taken decisive and purposeful action to address this decline. They understand the school’s context well. This helps them to make decisions in the best interests of pupils. This is beginning to have a positive impact on the quality of education. However, for some aspects of the school’s work, particularly the teaching of writing, it is too early to see the impact of leaders' actions. This means that pupils do not consistently benefit from the improvements that leaders intend.

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Urgent improvement

Leaders are mindful of staff wellbeing and workload. Staff value the support that they receive. Leaders have provided training to help staff improve their teaching. This has had a positive and meaningful impact in reading and in managing behaviour. However, this has not consistently helped teachers to make the changes, across subjects, that pupils need.

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Urgent improvement

Those responsible for governance fulfil their statutory duties, including safeguarding. They are beginning to support and challenge leaders more effectively. Despite this, those responsible for governance have not secured the improvements that pupils need over time.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Over time, too few pupils have reached the expected standard across subjects by the end of Year 6. This includes disadvantaged pupils, who achieve significantly below their peers. For these pupils, gaps in knowledge are not closing quickly enough.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Across year groups, pupils do not secure the important basic knowledge that they need. For example, many pupils struggle to write fluently and accurately. Errors in spelling, handwriting and grammar persist across year groups. This is particularly true for disadvantaged pupils. That said, pupils’ retention of knowledge is more secure, and can be demonstrated orally, although this is not reflected in their written work, particularly for disadvantaged pupils.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Many pupils have not secured strong foundations in reading. This includes phonics, where outcomes have been persistently weak. Similarly, pupils do not have a secure understanding of working with numbers, such as multiplication tables. Leaders are beginning to address these gaps. However, these improvements are at an early stage. For example, some pupils are beginning to read with greater accuracy and fluency. Some pupils are working with numbers more accurately. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND, are making suitable progress from their starting points. However, far too many pupils underachieve.

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

Too few pupils achieve as well as they should. Teaching does not consistently help pupils across the school to develop the knowledge that they need. This is particularly true for disadvantaged pupils. In classes, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not consistently receive the support that they need to access the curriculum. This means that they do not learn and achieve as well as they should. In contrast, pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND benefit from a curriculum that is well matched and tailored to their needs. Those responsible for governance have overseen a decline in the quality of education since the previous inspection. As a result, too few pupils are prepared for their next stage of education. Some children in the early years are not as prepared as they could be for Year 1. Staff prioritise learning to read from the start. Some pupils are beginning to read with greater

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

accuracy and fluency. However, many pupils throughout the school do not master the letter formation, spelling and grammar that they need to become successful writers.

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

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They arrive at school happy and eager to learn. Generally, pupils behave well and feel safe. Bullying is rare. Any incidents are dealt with effectively. Most pupils attend regularly. Pupils with SEND receive sensitive support from staff. This helps them to meet the school’s expectations for behaviour.

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

Pupils take on meaningful leadership roles across the school. They enjoy a wide range of enrichment opportunities, including clubs, visits and outdoor trips. Leaders make sure that no disadvantaged pupil misses out on extra-curricular activities. These opportunities help pupils to develop the confidence they need for life in modern Britain.

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Next steps

Leaders should make sure that teachers identify and rectify gaps and errors in pupils’ handwriting, spelling and grammar so that pupils develop the knowledge they need to write fluently and accurately. Leaders should ensure that pupils gain the knowledge expected across the curriculum to raise achievement, particularly in English and mathematics. Leaders should refine the early years curriculum so that adults can identify and address gaps in children’s knowledge, particularly for disadvantaged children, and more children are ready for Year 1. Leaders should make sure that the pupil premium strategy identifies precisely the barriers that disadvantaged pupils face so that teachers can adapt their teaching effectively to meet their needs. Leaders and trustees should make sure that they use evidence carefully to check on the impact of their actions so that the improvements they intend make a difference to pupils’

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About this inspection

This school is part of South Cumbria Multi Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the acting chief executive officer (CEO), Steve Jefferson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by John Burgess.

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About this inspection

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

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About this inspection

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

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Team inspectors:

Keith Wright, Ofsted Inspector Cleo Cunningham, Ofsted Inspector

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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.

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174

Inspectors spoke with the executive headteacher, deputy headteacher and several other leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator, during the inspection. They also spoke to representatives from the trust, including the acting CEO. The lead inspector spoke to the chair of the trustees and representatives of the local governing board. Inspectors spoke with several pupils, staff, parents and carers. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys and Ofsted Parent View.

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174

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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174

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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174

The school has a specially resourced provision for 8 pupils with SEND aged between 4 and 11 years old. The specially resourced provision supports pupils with autism, pupils with a physical disability and pupils with a severe learning difficulty.

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174

The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.

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174

A new executive headteacher and deputy headteacher have been appointed since the previous inspection.

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174

Executive Headteacher: Mick Cull Below average

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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.

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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.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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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.

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What does this mean?

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

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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.

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What does this mean?

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

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What does this mean?

The type of Special Educational Needs provision provided at the school (if applicable).

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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.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

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

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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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.

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mathematics

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

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

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

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

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

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average

2024/25 (revised) 67% 59% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 50% 58% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 50% 58% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

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

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average

2024/25 (revised) 50% 61% Close to average

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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.

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mathematics

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

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

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

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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.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

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

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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.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.9% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.5% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

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

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 15.9% 13.3% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 16.9% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 18.9% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

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

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Strong standard

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

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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.

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Needs attention

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

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Urgent improvement

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

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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.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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