Penwortham Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Penwortham Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Penwortham Primary School really do live up to the school motto of 'happy children who achieve'. They are proud of their school and eager to learn. Leaders have high expectations of how well pupils achieve and behave.

Pupils behave well around school and in lessons. Pupils know how to be respectful to each other. They are polite to their teachers and others.

Parents and carers said that their children are happy in school, and this is clear from the way in which pupils respond to instructions from staff.

Pupils feel safe in school. Leaders manage incidents of b...ullying well when they do occur.

Pupils know whom to go to if they have any worries.

Pupils enjoy many activities beyond the subjects that they study. For example, younger pupils attend 'wheels club', where they learn to ride scooters and bicycles.

Pupils learn to play an instrument and they learn about personal finance.

Pupils have many opportunities to take on responsibilities in school. For instance, pupils organise their own fundraising inspired by what is happening around them.

All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), take an active role in school life.

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

Leaders know the school and the community well. They are determined to give pupils the best possible start to their education.

This includes pupils with SEND. However, leaders' curriculum thinking in a small number of subjects is not as well developed as it is in most other subjects. From time to time, this hinders teachers in delivering the curriculum in a logical order, particularly in key stage 1.

Leaders have clear aims for the curriculum that are matched to the school's values. The full breadth of the national curriculum is taught. Leaders have made sure that the curriculum is helping pupils to catch up on any learning that they have lost because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mostly, leaders have developed a curriculum that deepens pupils' knowledge of key ideas in each subject, and pupils achieve well. Nevertheless, in some units of work, the curriculum does not deepen pupils' knowledge well enough. For example, in key stage 1, some learning does not build successfully on the curriculum in early years.

Teachers regularly check what knowledge pupils learn. They spot and support any gaps in pupils' understanding.

Leaders ensure that reading is given the highest priority.

They have provided appropriate training for staff. The school's approach to teaching phonics enables pupils to achieve well in reading. Those pupils who fall behind in reading receive additional support to catch up with their peers.

As these pupils get older, they become more confident and fluent in their reading. Leaders have invested in high-quality texts and pupils develop a keen love of reading.

Leaders make certain that teachers accurately identify the needs of pupils with SEND.

Staff provide strong care and support for these pupils. Teachers plan carefully for pupils with SEND, so that they can learn as well as their classmates.

Pupils behave well in lessons.

They pay attention to their teacher. When they do become distracted, adults swiftly bring them back to the task. This means that teachers can focus on delivering the curriculum.

Pupils work and play well with pupils of different ages. Older pupils are very supportive of younger children. Staff ensure that all pupils access after-school clubs and visits.

These experiences enhance pupils' learning and enable them to find out about the wider world.

Governors are knowledgeable about the school. They have checked carefully to ensure that the curriculum enables pupils to achieve well.

Staff feel well supported and valued by leaders. They are proud to work at Penwortham Primary School. Leaders take staff workload and well-being seriously.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding is a high priority, and all staff take responsibility for ensuring that pupils are safe. Staff know how to recognise the potential signs of abuse, neglect or exploitation and know how to report any concerns.

Leaders act immediately to secure help when pupils and their families need it. Leaders work in partnership with other agencies to make sure that pupils' needs are met.

Teachers adopt an age-appropriate approach to teaching about risk, relationships and online safety.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum in some subjects is less well developed. This means that there are occasions when teachers do not deliver some aspects of these curriculums in a logical order. This is particularly the case in key stage 1, where some curriculums do not build successfully on children's learning in early years.

This hinders some pupils in deepening their understanding of key ideas and concepts. Leaders should ensure that the curriculums in these subjects are sequenced logically and well considered.

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 a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2012.