Saighton Church of England Primary School & Pre-School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Saighton Church of England Primary School & Pre-School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy at this school.

They enjoy being part of a friendly community. As pupils arrive for school each morning, staff are there to greet them with a warm welcome. Trusting relationships with their friends and with staff help pupils to feel safe.

Leaders have high expectations for what pupils can achieve, and pupils try their best. Leaders ensure that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have the help that they need to access an ambitious curriculum. As a result, pup...ils achieve well.

Pupils behave well around school. They move calmly and sensibly between their classroom and the hall, for example. Children in the early years know when it is time to play and when to stop and listen.

Pupils said that their teachers act quickly and successfully to resolve any bullying, should it ever occur.

Pupils have a well-developed understanding of diversity. They know that everyone has differences and similarities.

Older pupils enjoy supporting others, for example as school and vision ambassadors to promote the school's values. Leaders and staff have successfully enhanced pupils' learning through a range of residential visits, trips and after-school clubs.

Pupils are polite and respectful.

They are enthusiastic about sharing their learning. Pupils are proud of their school. One typical comment was that 'you get a good education here'.

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

Leaders have built an ambitious curriculum from the early years to Year 6. Leaders have designed the curriculum carefully so that pupils extend their love of books and reading. They also provide many opportunities for outdoor learning.

Staff teach pupils new knowledge in well-ordered steps as they move through the school in most subjects. This helps pupils, including children in the early years, to achieve well.

Leaders make sure that pupils learn phonics through a well-ordered curriculum.

This begins when children start in the early years. Any pupils who are at risk of falling behind in their learning of phonics are identified early. For these pupils, additional and effective support is provided by staff.

By the end of key stage 1, most pupils are successful readers.

Teachers provide lots of opportunities for pupils to read and to listen to stories. Leaders say that this means reading becomes the 'heartbeat of the school'.

Staff teach pupils the meaning of important new words and help them to understand how language is written. As a result, pupils' understanding of the texts that they read is improving well over time. Older pupils read fluently with expression, intonation and a real sense of understanding.

In the majority of subjects, such as English and mathematics, teachers know what pupils in their classes need to learn and understand. However, in a small number of other subjects, teachers are less clear about some of the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember in those subjects. This is because the curriculum does not provide them with this information.

In history, for example, pupils have learned facts from the curriculum. However, leaders have not been precise enough in identifying some of the key knowledge that they most want pupils to know in readiness for future learning. This makes it more difficult for teachers to provide learning that builds solidly on what pupils already know, and to deepen pupils' understanding further.

Teachers, including those in the early years, make suitable checks on pupils' learning. These checks help them to identify which pupils need more help, support and guidance.

Leaders and staff are skilled at identifying the specific needs of pupils with SEND.

Teachers and teaching assistants support the learning of all pupils effectively. They ensure that pupils with SEND follow the same curriculum as other pupils. This helps these pupils to achieve well.

Children in the early years know the routines to help them work and play safely and purposefully. Pupils across the school concentrate on their learning with limited distractions. This allows them to do their best in lessons.

Leaders have created effective provision for character education. They have made sure that the curriculum provides high-quality opportunities to promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, links with the local church and diocese help develop pupils' deep spiritual and global understanding.

Governors know the school well. They ask leaders challenging questions to understand how well the curriculum is helping pupils to know more and remember more. Staff report that leaders and governors are considerate of their well-being and workload.

They believe that, as a small team, they work together closely, and each staff member can ask for support from anyone else. They said that they are proud to work at the school.

Parents and carers spoke positively about the communication from school.

They also value the support provided by leaders and staff to their children. They know that their concerns will be listened to.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

School leaders have clear processes and procedures to ensure that recruitment of staff meets statutory requirements. Staff know the school's safeguarding procedures well. Leaders ensure that staff complete appropriate training and provide updates which help to keep their knowledge of safeguarding up to date.

This helps staff to identify pupils who may be at risk from harm.

Leaders and staff have established strong working relationships with families and with a range of other agencies. This enables leaders to secure help for families who need it.

Leaders and governors ensure that appropriate risk assessments are carried out as needed. Through the curriculum, pupils learn about how to stay safe, including when working online and in the school's outdoor classroom.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The content of the curriculum in a small number of subjects is not as clear for teachers as it is in most other subjects.

This means that, in these subjects, it is more difficult for teachers to design learning that builds securely on what pupils already know and can do. Leaders should review and improve the clarity of the curriculum content in these subjects so that pupils build securely on learning as they move through the school.

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 February 2014.