Fleetwood Flakefleet Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by developing the role of subject leaders in monitoring, evaluating and improving their areas of responsibility.
• Improve teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that all teachers, including those in the early years, use assessment information more effectively to set work that provides greater levels of challenge so that a higher proportion of each cohort are working at greater depth.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since his appointment in April 2016, the headteacher has focused on the link between the quality of teaching and the impact it has on pupils’ learning, development and progress. He has worked effectively with other leaders to improve pupils’ outcomes by making regular checks on the quality of teaching and providing highly effective support to teachers and other adults who lead or support learning at the school.
• The headteacher provides staff with regular opportunities to reflect on the quality and impact of their practice. Teachers and teaching assistants regularly benefit from training, coaching sessions and working alongside colleagues to learn from best practice. The improvements which have been made to teaching and learning are reflected in the improved outcomes at the school and the quality of work seen in pupils’ books during this inspection.
• The headteacher has rightly prioritised the improvement of pupils’ progress in mathematics, reading and writing. However, he has also ensured that staff continue to focus on pupils’ personal, social and emotional well-being. Along with other school leaders, he has made sure that individual children and groups who were most at risk of falling behind receive appropriate support, both academically and pastorally. The effective use of the school’s pupil premium funding is reflected in the improved outcomes for disadvantaged pupils in the provisional key stage 2 national test results for 2018.
• There are some strengths in the wider curriculum. Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have to learn a musical instrument, and some excellent examples of pupils’ art work are on display around the school. However, in some classes pupils do not learn well enough in science, history or geography, as teachers do not routinely set work which provides sufficient challenge.
• Subject leaders for mathematics and English have been successful in overseeing improvements over the past two years. They are knowledgeable about their subjects and have identified the actions required to improve standards. However, the role of other subject leaders is not as effective and has not had the same positive impact on teaching, learning and assessment.
• The physical education (PE) and sport premium has resulted in improvements to the quality and frequency of physical activity for all pupils. The funding has been used to employ sports coaches who work alongside teachers in physical education lessons. It has also been used to fund additional inter-school sports events, which teams from Flakefleet have participated in with considerable success.
• Good provision is made for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils develop strong values as they move through the school. They learn to treat each other with respect and to value diversity. Staff promote tolerance and do not tolerate discrimination. Pupils understand why British values are important, including democracy and the rule of law. This prepares them well for life in modern Britain.
• Additional funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is used well. The SEN leader works closely with class teachers to monitor pupils’ progress and ensure that the support being provided is having the desired impact.
• The school has strong links with the wider community, hosting events such as ‘Flake Fest’, a music festival where families and local residents are invited into the school to watch performances, including some from the pupils themselves. The school also makes good use of social media to engage with parents, promote the school and celebrate pupils’ achievements.

Governance of the school

• Governors know the school well. They are aware of the challenges the school faces and are proud of the inclusive ethos that school leaders have developed over time. They share the headteacher’s ambition for the school and his high expectations for all pupils.
• Some governors visit the school regularly to see for themselves how well pupils are learning and to ensure that safeguarding policies and procedures are fully in place. This helps them to provide effective support and challenge to school leaders.
• Governors undertake relevant training in order to carry out their roles effectively. They understand how the school’s performance compares with other schools nationally. They also help to ensure that the additional funding the school receives for disadvantaged pupils and PE and sport is spent well.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff are well trained and fully understand the school’s systems for raising concerns about any safeguarding issues. Governors have completed appropriate safeguarding training. They ensure that all safeguarding requirements are met and that safeguarding pupils is always a high priority.
• The school’s pastoral and nurture teams provide excellent support for vulnerable families and do all that they can to ensure that pupils are kept safe.
• Safeguarding policies are comprehensive and clear. All statutory checks are carried out on staff, governors and visitors.
• Pupils say that they feel safe in the school. They say that adults are easy to talk to if they have a problem. Parents also say that their children are safe and well looked after at Flakefleet.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Current pupils are making strong progress, because the quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good across the school. Teachers use time in lessons productively and help pupils to focus well on their learning by setting clear tasks that challenge pupils, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Teachers use questioning well in lessons. They encourage pupils to give full and reasoned answers to their questions. They often invite pupils to take the lead during lessons, sitting down while individual pupils go to the front of the class and give their opinions, which may be challenged by other pupils. The manner in which this is carried out builds confidence among pupils and helps them to develop resilience and the ability to debate issues productively.
• Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning and progress. They play a full and active role in teaching and learning, both within lessons and when supporting pupils in small groups. Other members of staff, such as those who work in the nurture room, also provide valuable support particularly to those pupils who are experiencing difficulties with their emotional well-being or self-esteem.
• Leaders make regular checks on teachers’ practice in classrooms. They provide good support to staff, through a wide range of training and coaching opportunities. This process has been effective in improving the standard of teaching and learning at the school. Every member of staff who responded to the Ofsted survey said that leaders use professional development well to encourage, challenge and support teachers’ improvement.
• Teachers use their secure subject knowledge in English and mathematics to plan learning that builds on pupils’ knowledge and challenges their thinking. However in other subjects, such as science and history, the level of challenge is not as good as it should be in some year groups. Teachers do not tackle misconceptions well enough, and as a result pupils’ progress is not as good as it should be.
• The teaching of reading, particularly phonics, is effective. Children in the early years develop good phonics knowledge and this supports them in becoming competent, independent readers as they move through key stage 1.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning and are proud to attend Flakefleet Primary School. They work hard in lessons and, from a young age, develop resilience and extremely positive attitudes to learning. They told inspectors that they were always encouraged to, ‘Be yourself and believe in yourself’.
• The school places a strong emphasis on pupils’ physical and emotional well-being. A nurture room provides space for pupils to discuss any worries with staff, and a calm place for pupils who occasionally struggle with their emotions or behaviour. One pupil said to an inspector, ‘When I walked into Nurture, I was sad. When I walked out, I was happy’.
• Adults do all they can to support pupils’ learning. They provide excellent levels of care and support which make a significant contribution to the development of pupils’ self-confidence and self-awareness.
• Pupils show a great willingness to contribute their ideas and are often encouraged to take the lead during discussions in lessons. They learn how to challenge the views of others in an appropriate manner and they know that staff and fellow pupils will show them respect.
• Pupils are proud of their achievements and were keen to share their positive experience of school with inspectors during this inspection. Older pupils talked with great enthusiasm about recent educational visits. They also told inspectors how they learn about different career options. One pupil said, ‘The school helps us to be ambitious – to believe in ourselves.’
• Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe when working online. They know not to share personal information and understand the importance of telling a trusted adult if they have any concerns.
• Staff and pupils work hard and effectively to prevent all forms of bullying at the school. The rare instances of bullying are dealt with swiftly and effectively. Pupils say that they trust adults to support them with any concerns that they might have.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• The school provides a calm and orderly place for pupils to learn. Disruption to lessons is rare because pupils respect each other and the adults who teach them.
• Pupils’ conduct around school is exemplary. They are polite and well mannered towards each other and adults.
• The school is successful in helping pupils who have specific behavioural difficulties to manage their conduct. School staff often work with the wider family to support pupils and help them to overcome barriers to their learning.
• Pupils’ attendance has been below the national average in recent years. However, the school has worked successfully with the families of pupils whose attendance has been a cause for concern. As a result of this work, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school has reduced significantly this year, and attendance is currently around the national average.
• Almost all parents who responded to Parent View agreed that the school makes sure that pupils are well behaved. All members of staff who responded to the Ofsted questionnaire said that they were well supported by senior leaders in managing pupils’ behaviour.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Although attainment at the end of key stage 2 is below the national average, it has improved significantly over the past two years. The school’s own assessments and the quality of work seen in pupils’ books indicate that current pupils are making strong progress considering their different starting points, which were, for many, well below those typically found.
• Improvements to the quality of teaching since the previous inspection are having a positive impact on pupils’ progress across the school. Provisional data for 2018 shows that the proportion of children gaining a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year has increased for the second year running and a greater proportion of pupils passed the Year 1 phonics check. The data reflects an upward trend in pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1 from the levels achieved two years ago in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils are now making good progress in writing across key stage 2. They are given regular opportunities to write at length and they develop good writing stamina as a result. Inspectors saw evidence in pupils’ books that there have been significant improvements, and these are reflected in provisional key stage 2 national test and assessment results for 2018. However, too few pupils are making rapid progress and achieving greater depth by the end of key stage 2.
• Outcomes in reading have improved strongly over the past two years. The school’s own records show that the proportion of pupils achieving the expected level is improving across almost all year groups. Pupils are reading more widely and often, both in school and at home. However, the proportion of pupils judged to be working at greater depth remains too low.
• Pupils’ outcomes in mathematics have also improved steadily since 2016. Current pupils are making strong progress in this subject across all key stages. Provisional data for 2018 shows that the proportion reaching the expected standard at the end of key stage 2 is now around the national average. The work seen in books shows that pupils across the school are increasingly proficient in using number to investigate and solve problems. However, school leaders recognise that teachers need to challenge pupils even further to ensure that more make rapid progress and a greater proportion achieve the higher standard.
• Most pupils make good progress in subjects across the wider curriculum. However, in some classes progress is not as strong in science, geography and history because teachers have lower expectations about what pupils can achieve and fail to address pupils’ misconceptions. This leads to slower progress for these pupils.
• The overall improvements to pupils’ outcomes over the past two years reflect the better progress that is being made by disadvantaged pupils. The provisional key stage 2 results for 2018 show that disadvantaged pupils are making at least similar progress to that of other pupils with the same starting points, with some making rapid progress in their learning.
• Leadership of SEN is generally effective, and funding is used well to provide additional support for those pupils who struggle with their learning. The leader for this aspect of the school’s work was able to provide some information to reflect the good progress made by some pupils, but information about the overall progress of these pupils was not demonstrated well.

Early years provision Good

• The majority of children start in the Nursery and Reception classes with skills and abilities which are below those typically found. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year has been lower than that found nationally over the past two years. However, current assessment information shows that children are now making stronger progress and a larger proportion are well prepared for the next stage of their education in Year 1.
• Staff develop excellent links with parents and do all that they can to involve them in their children’s learning and development. Parents appreciate the many opportunities that they get to visit the school and find out about their children’s learning. They also value the regular updates they receive through social media and enjoy using technology to send information about their children into school to share with staff.
• Leadership of the early years is effective. This is evident in the successful introduction of provision for two-year olds earlier this year. Staff receive good training and all appropriate safeguarding measures are in place. Leaders also work with external agencies, where necessary, to support individual children.
• Teachers and teaching assistants constantly look for opportunities to develop children’s language. They regularly plan activities which are aimed at developing children’s vocabulary. They also intervene when children are initiating their own play to extend children’s learning by feeding in new vocabulary and challenging children’s thinking.
• Teachers have created a rich and stimulating learning environment in which children thrive. Every day, staff provide a wide selection of engaging activities and this helps to ensure that children behave well and develop good attitudes to learning. During this inspection, children were seen enjoying ‘Welly Wednesday’ in the outside area, playing with large construction toys, writing messages to put in bottles as part of the current pirate theme and discovering which objects floated or sank in the water play area.
• Teachers and teaching assistants make regular observations of children and use these to build up a picture of their progress and current stage of development. However, the assessments that staff make on children are not used well enough to ensure that all children regularly undertake challenging activities. This limits the progress that some more-able children make.
• Leaders ensure that the early years is a safe and secure place for children. Adults encourage and support children’s independence, and this results in children quickly becoming happy and successful learners. Children also learn to care for and look after each other, further evidence of the school’s commitment to welfare and nurture.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 130336 Lancashire 10045889 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 470 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Jim Crouch David McPartlin 01253872884 http://www.flakefleet.lancs.sch.uk head@flakefleet.lancs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 22 May 2014

Information about this school

• The school is much larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is more than twice the national average.
• The school met the government’s floor standards in 2017. These are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is around the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below the national average. The vast majority of pupils speak English as their first language.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching, learning and assessment across the school in a wide range of subjects. Some of the observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ written work in subjects across the curriculum.
• Inspectors looked at documentation, including school improvement plans, the school’s self-evaluation document, minutes of governing body meetings, attendance and behaviour information, and safeguarding records.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and several middle leaders. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ conduct during breaktimes and lunchtimes.Inspectors met with groups of pupils to listen to them read and discuss behaviour and other aspects of school life. They also spoke with many other pupils informally.
• Inspectors spoke with parents in the playground before school. Inspectors also took account of the 83 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s parental questionnaire, and the 51 responses to the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Paul Tomkow, lead inspector Dean Logan Julie Bather

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector