Lostock Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Lostock Primary School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a vibrant and welcoming school where pupils are eager to learn. The motto, 'aim high, together we will fly', is truly at the heart of school life. Pupils love coming to school.

They speak about Lostock Primary School with immense pride.

Leaders expect pupils to behave well and achieve highly. Pupils, including children in the early years, develop the conf...idence and curiosity that will help them to become lifelong learners.

Pupils are remarkably well prepared for their future lives.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They are incredibly respectful towards each other and to adults.

Pupils relish celebrating their positive behaviour. For example, pupils talked excitedly about 'WAGOLL' (what a good one looks like) assemblies and the Friday afternoon tea treat for award winners. Bullying rarely occurs, but if it does, leaders take swift and appropriate action.

Pupils comment that they feel safe in school.

Older pupils enjoy the privilege of taking on leadership roles. They were keen to recount how they support younger pupils, organise lunchtime clubs and host fundraising events.

Leaders provide for pupils' wider development exceptionally well. A range of interesting and engaging trips, experiences and guest speakers enhance the curriculum and help bring it to life. A well-considered personal, social, health and economic education curriculum supports pupils to become self-assured, resilient individuals.

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

Leaders have created an extremely ambitious curriculum for all pupils from the early years to Year 6. Staff share high aspirations for pupils' success, irrespective of pupils' background or ability. Pupils benefit from an exceedingly well-thought-out curriculum.

Leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge that they want pupils to learn across a broad range of subjects. By the end of key stage 2, pupils develop a deep and rich body of subject knowledge.

Leaders have ensured that teachers have expert subject knowledge.

Teachers use this expertise to deliver the curriculum extraordinarily well. For example, teachers skilfully break challenging concepts into manageable steps for pupils. Teachers explain sophisticated ideas with clarity, helping pupils to deepen their learning over time.

Staff are adept at using assessment strategies to check that pupils understand key concepts. They use this information well to design learning that builds on what pupils have previously learned before introducing new knowledge.

Pupils are confident, fluent readers who appreciate books and enjoy reading a range of genres.

Staff foster a love of reading in pupils. Pupils readily engage with high-quality, diverse texts across the curriculum. This deepens their understanding of the wider curriculum and broadens their reading repertoire.

Leaders' unswerving commitment to teaching pupils to read begins as soon as children start in Reception. Children benefit from a consistently well-delivered phonics programme. They learn to read with skill and clarity.

Leaders identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) accurately. They furnish staff with a wealth of information to ensure that they are fully equipped to successfully meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Teachers make appropriate adaptations to the delivery of the curriculum to ensure that pupils with SEND learn well.

Classrooms are calm, focused environments where pupils enjoy their learning, even when they find some subjects difficult. Teachers encourage all pupils to aim as high as possible, including pupils with SEND. Pupils described how they are confident to make mistakes and learn from them.

They learn without disruption.

Leaders encourage positive behaviour. All pupils, including children in the early years, respond by being courteous, polite and ready to learn.

Leaders promote mental health and well-being, as well as academic success. Pupils have an impressive understanding of their own mental health needs and those of others. For example, they benefit from mindfulness and relaxation strategies shared by visiting therapists.

Leaders prioritise pupils' personal development. They ensure that pupils have rich experiences, which contributes strongly to pupils developing aspirations for themselves. Pupils learn about many important topics and issues, including equality and diversity, positive relationships and caring for the environment.

This helps them to develop an understanding of themselves, their local community and the world in which they live.

Leaders are relentless in their drive and determination to ensure that pupils receive the highest quality of education. To this end, governors support and challenge leaders in equal measure.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate leaders' consideration of their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff receive regular and appropriate training. They ensure that all pupils are safe and well cared for.

Staff know pupils well. This enables them to spot any changes in pupils' behaviour swiftly. Staff know what to do when they have a concern about a pupil, and they act quickly.

Leaders work closely with external agencies so that families receive appropriate and timely support.

Pupils are taught about how to keep themselves safe in a range of settings and when they are online.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2012.

Also at this postcode