Green Haworth Church of England Primary School

School

Address: School House Lane, Green Haworth, Accrington, Lancashire, BB5 3SQ Unique reference number (URN): 119442

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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 special measures

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to provide an acceptable standard of education, and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Pupils’ behaviour across the school is inconsistent. In lessons, too many pupils lose focus and become distracted by others. Many pupils show limited enthusiasm for learning and do not apply themselves when working independently. This often occurs when teaching does not match pupils’ prior knowledge or build effectively on what they already know. As a result, pupils lose confidence and resilience. They often give up. At times, some staff set clear expectations for behaviour. However, this practice is not commonplace across the school. During social times, pupils generally behave well. They enjoy spending time with their friends and interact positively most of the time. Bullying is rare. When it does occur, staff deal with it quickly and effectively.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders have taken effective action to improve attendance. Overall attendance is now close to the national average. Disadvantaged pupils have particularly secure attendance, which is above national figures. Leaders use their knowledge of the community to help reduce barriers to attendance. They have established effective systems to promote and sustain regular attendance. As a result, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has reduced over time. Leaders work purposefully with external agencies, including the local authority, to support pupils and their families.

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Early years Needs attention

Over time, the curriculum and provision in the early years have not prepared children well for the transition to Year 1. Leaders have strengthened the curriculum. They have placed greater emphasis on children’s core knowledge in communication and language, reading, writing and number.

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Early years Needs attention

Leaders have prioritised the celebration and teaching of reading. As a result, children enjoy story time and speak confidently about familiar texts and characters. However, the teaching of phonics is inconsistent. Not all children experience high-quality teaching. Some children in the early years do not have access to phonics. Consequently, this limits children’s ability to learn new sounds and develop confidence in communication and language. Leaders place insufficient focus on developing children’s fine motor skills, including their handwriting. Letters are often incorrectly formed and these errors become ingrained over time. This hinders children’s readiness and ability to write with fluency and accuracy in Year 1.

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Early years Needs attention

Children benefit from warm, caring relationships with staff. They follow clear routines and develop increasing independence. Secure partnerships with parents and carers help staff understand children’s needs and barriers to learning. Staff use this knowledge to support children to feel safe, included and part of the Green Haworth family.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Many pupils with barriers to their learning do not achieve well. Leaders identify pupils’ needs, including those who join mid-year, quickly and effectively. Leaders work with families and external professionals to support pupils. However, despite the training that staff have received, some teachers do not adapt their teaching to help pupils succeed. As a result, some pupils struggle to engage fully in lessons. This is particularly true for those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders rely heavily on additional support sessions in an effort to help pupils keep up. However, the impact of this work is variable.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders use the pupil premium funding appropriately to support disadvantaged pupils. For example, they have provided extra help for pupils who need support with their speech and language skills. This includes specialist support within school. Consequently, this has helped some pupils to communicate with increasing confidence.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

The personal development offer is broad and well structured. However, its impact on pupils is limited. For example, pupils can recite fundamental British values but they cannot explain their significance or give clear examples of how they contribute to society. Similarly, pupils recognise that people come from different backgrounds, but they lack understanding when explaining differences beyond ethnicity, gender or age. Some pupils do not realise how differences are protected by law. As a result, pupils are not as well prepared for life in modern Britain as they should be.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

The personal, social, health and economic education programme teaches pupils how to keep themselves healthy and safe, including when they are online. Pupils can explain the difference between unhealthy and healthy relationships. However, some pupils do not have a secure understanding of consent and how to say ‘no’ to inappropriate behaviour. They know the importance of speaking to trusted adults if something does not feel right. Pupils seek support from staff when they need a listening ear.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Leaders provide opportunities for pupils to explore their talents and interests. They contribute to their local community. For example, the ethos group supports the local foodbank. This develops pupils’ appreciation of those less fortunate than themselves. The school council and house captains are proud of their leadership roles. However, some pupils cannot clearly explain or reflect on the skills they develop through these roles. The impact on pupils’ readiness and aspirations for the future is limited.

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Personal development and wellbeing Needs attention

Pupils, including those who are vulnerable or face barriers to learning or wellbeing, relish opportunities to represent the school at events such as cross-country or cricket competitions. Pupils develop their communication skills and resilience in adventurous activities including orienteering. Leaders strive to ensure that all pupils are included.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Pupils do not achieve well. Published data shows that by the end of Year 6, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics has remained stubbornly low over time. It is below the national average and shows little sign of improvement. As a result, many pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, leave the school ill-equipped for their next stage of education.

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Achievement Urgent improvement

Pupils have significant gaps in their learning. They do not secure essential knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. This limits their ability to access other curriculum subjects. Pupils remember little of what they learn and their knowledge lacks depth across the curriculum. Pupils cannot make links across subjects. They often rely heavily on disconnected facts or experiences to recall core knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

Leaders have not taken the action needed to address the weaknesses in the design of the curriculum. The areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection remain unresolved. Leaders have begun to identify what pupils should know and do. However, this takes too little account of pupils’ needs within the mixed-age classes. As a result, pupils are often taught concepts before they are ready and tasks are not well matched to their stage in learning.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

There are also weaknesses in teaching. Staff’s expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough. For example, teachers often accept work that includes errors. Consequently, mistakes persist over time and become embedded in pupils' knowledge. Teachers do not identify or address gaps in pupils’ knowledge, particularly in their basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities do not receive sufficient support to achieve well across the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Urgent improvement

In contrast, the teaching of phonics is more secure due to a clear phonics curriculum. However, staff expertise in delivering the phonics programme varies throughout the school. Consequently, some pupils do not benefit from the high-quality teaching they need to secure their knowledge. Pupils in key stage 2 receive some support when needed to secure their phonics knowledge.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Low expectations permeate across this school. This has led to deep-rooted weaknesses in several aspects of the school’s work. Leaders, including governors, have not ensured that pupils receive an acceptable standard of education. They have an overly optimistic view of the school’s performance. This has suppressed the drive for improvement. The capacity to bring about much-needed change is weak. Since the previous inspection, leaders have not fully addressed the areas for improvement. As a result, the curriculum pupils experience is not well designed. This is particularly evident in the mixed-age classes. Staff lack the knowledge and expertise they need to teach the curriculum effectively. This is particularly the case when teaching the most vulnerable pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Governors are committed to the school. However, reduced membership of the governing body has contributed to a limited oversight. Governors do not have a sufficiently accurate understanding of weaknesses at the school. They rely on imprecise information and, as a result, do not challenge and support leaders effectively. Governors lack the knowledge required to carry out their statutory duties fully. This is particularly evident in relation to equalities and how leaders reduce barriers to inclusion.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Leaders are conscious of staff’s workload and take action to reduce unnecessary burdens. Even so, staff’s wellbeing is negatively affected by pupils’ behaviour. They have some access to professional development but this is not implemented effectively to improve standards. As a result, staff’s knowledge is not up to date. Parents and carers appreciate the ‘open-door’ culture that exists at the school. They benefit from trusting relationships with leaders and staff.

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

Pupils’ experiences at this school vary widely. Many are not prepared well enough for their next stage of education. A considerable proportion of pupils struggle to make sense of their learning as a result. Leaders do not ensure that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are addressed. This limits pupils’ progress through the curriculum. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, do not receive the academic support they need. Many pupils with barriers to learning are not helped to overcome the challenges that they face. This sometimes affects their behaviour. In the early years, leaders have begun to bring about some positive change. However, children are not prepared as well as they should be for key stage 1.

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

Leaders and staff do not have high enough expectations for pupils’ behaviour or their achievement. Leaders do not ensure that pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to their learning. They do not ensure that pupils are engaged in learning. As a result, learning is often interrupted and hampered. On the whole, pupils do not take pride in their work. They lack confidence in their own abilities. Most pupils attend school regularly. This is especially the case for disadvantaged pupils.

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

Staff develop positive relationships with pupils. This helps pupils to feel safe. Pupils understand what bullying is. Leaders deal with incidents quickly and well when they occur. Pupils value the opportunities beyond the curriculum to enhance their talents and interests. For example, they develop their teamwork skills during the key stage 2 residential visit to Shropshire. Pupil leaders build confidence by leading assemblies using the puppets, Barney, Bob and Bella. Pupils are keen to contribute to school life. Their understanding of diversity is limited. For example, they do not develop a secure knowledge of fundamental British values. As a result, they are not fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Next steps

Governors must strengthen the leadership capacity in the school and their collective expertise so that they can fulfil their statutory duties effectively and hold leaders rigorously to account. This includes ensuring that they have an accurate understanding of the school’s key areas for improvement so that these are addressed swiftly and effectively. Leaders must strengthen the design of the curriculum, particularly in mixed-age classes and ensure that gaps in pupils’ knowledge, skills and understanding are identified and addressed so that pupils are well prepared for their next stage in education. Leaders must improve the quality of teaching by ensuring that staff have the subject knowledge and expertise required to enable all pupils to achieve well. This includes making effective use of information about pupils' barriers to learning, especially for with special educational needs and/or disabilities, so that teaching is suitably adapted.

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Next steps

Leaders should raise expectations for pupils' behaviour and attitudes to learning, ensuring that disruptions are minimised and that pupils are able to learn effectively and develop both academically and socially. Leaders should strengthen provision in the early years by ensuring that staff identify and address gaps in children's knowledge promptly, particularly in early writing, mathematics and communication skills, so that children are well prepared for key stage 1. Leaders should ensure that pupils develop a secure understanding of fundamental British values, including respect for difference, so that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Lindsay Poyner.

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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 His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with school leaders, including governors, during the inspection. Inspectors spoke with representatives from the local authority and diocese.

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About this inspection

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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About this inspection

The school may not appoint early career teachers before the next monitoring inspection. The position regarding the appointment of early career teachers will be considered again during any monitoring inspection(s) we carry out.

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Lead inspector:

Elliot Costas-Walker, His Majesty's 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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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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84

Well below average This school is registered as having a Christian religious character. It is in the Diocese of Blackburn. Its last section 48 inspection was October 2025.

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84

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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84

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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84

At the time of the inspection, there were 63 pupils on roll.

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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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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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average

2024/25 (final) 67% 72% Close to average

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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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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

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

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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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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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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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

2024/25 (3 term) 5.9% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 6.0% 5.5% 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 (3 term) 15.4% 13.0% 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. 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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Urgent improvement

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

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