Ormskirk Asmall Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further improve the teaching of mathematics by ensuring that all teachers, including those in the early years, regularly provide:
  • challenging work that encourages strong progress in learning
  • activities that encourage the use and development of reasoning skills.
• Improve progress in reading across key stage 2, by providing regular opportunities for pupils to work with challenging texts that help to develop a wider vocabulary and improved comprehension skills.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The school is no longer outstanding and is now good. Over the past two years, pupils have not made enough progress in reading and mathematics. As a result, pupils’ attainment in these subjects at the end of key stage 2 has been too low. However, leaders at all levels are working successfully to improve standards. Inspectors saw evidence of impact in the good quality of pupils’ work in English, mathematics and many other subjects.
• There have been many staffing changes since the previous inspection. The new staff team are fully committed to the school. They told inspectors that they enjoy working at the school and feel valued by school leaders. Staff also said that they receive high-quality training and good support from school leaders.
• There is a broad and balanced curriculum at Asmall Primary. For example, inspectors saw evidence of pupils’ strong learning in science, particularly in key stage 2. They also saw work of good quality in history. Pupils across the school have been studying the First World War and Second World War this term at a level appropriate to their age. Pupils in Year 6 had recently researched the role that women played in the war effort. Younger pupils learned about the impact of war on the daily lives of children. The school cook supported this work by creating school dinners that were typical at those times.
• Middle leaders are playing an effective role in improving standards. They have good subject knowledge and are highly committed to their role in improving the quality of teaching and learning. They make regular checks on the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress and regularly lead training for staff.
• Leaders ensure that staff regularly focus on developing pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. The school promotes British values well. Staff encourage pupils to value and celebrate diversity. Pupils study major world religions and develop a good knowledge of different cultures that exist in Britain and further afield. For example, the school has close links with a school in Africa. Pupils in both schools communicate and learn about the similarities and differences between their daily lives.
• Staff and pupils work together to prevent any form of direct or indirect discrimination. Older pupils regularly consider issues related to equality. They recently studied the life of Emmeline Pankhurst and her role in helping women to win the right to vote. The active school council regularly represents the views of their classmates and help pupils to develop an understanding of democracy. Pupils on the school council recently visited the town hall to meet a councillor and learn about how local government contributes to their daily lives.

Governance of the school

• Governance is effective. Governors know the strengths of the school and are aware of the current areas for development. They are proud of the school and committed to their role. They offer leaders a good balance of support and challenge.
• Governors help to ensure that additional funding is spent effectively. They ask searching questions of the headteacher to ensure that the funding is having the desired impact on pupils’ outcomes.
• Governors make appropriate checks to ensure that the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures are compliant. Along with the headteacher, they ensure that staff have access to appropriate training.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff have a secure understanding of their responsibilities in keeping pupils safe. They receive regular updates on safeguarding issues. They have had training on the most recent guidance on safeguarding and child protection. They know what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil’s welfare or safety.
• Inspectors saw evidence that leaders rigorously pursue safeguarding issues. School leaders work well to support parents, where necessary. Leaders liaise effectively with external agencies should the need arise.
• The school’s safeguarding records are detailed and well maintained. All appropriate checks are made on adults who work with pupils.
• Pupils are taught how to keep safe, when in school, out in the community or when using the internet. Pupils said that they feel very safe in the school. All parents and members of staff who inspectors spoke to also said that pupils are safe and well looked after.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The overall quality of teaching is good. Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They make good use of time and plan lessons well to ensure that pupils remain actively engaged in their learning. Teachers use questioning skilfully to challenge pupils and find out exactly what they know. This skilful aspect to their teaching helps pupils to make good progress.
• Teachers regularly assess pupils’ work and provide helpful feedback in line with the school’s marking policy. Pupils use this feedback well and show good commitment to improving the quality and accuracy of their work.
• The teaching of phonics is highly effective. Teachers and teaching assistants have been well trained and have good subject knowledge. They are skilled in teaching well-structured lessons, pitched according to pupils’ knowledge and abilities. As a result, children get off to a good start in their reading.
• There is currently a focus on the teaching of reading. Although most pupils are competent readers by the time they move into Year 3, older pupils are not adept in other aspects of their reading, such as comprehension.
• Teachers follow well-planned programmes of study for science, history and geography. Most pupils make strong progress in developing their knowledge, skills and understanding in these subjects. Teachers also provide regular opportunities for pupils to use and develop their reading, writing and mathematics skills in other subjects such as science and history.
• The work in pupils’ books shows that teaching over time is particularly strong in Year 5 and Year 6. As a result, pupils in these classes are making strong progress in English, mathematics and subjects across the curriculum. The work that teachers set is well matched to pupils’ needs and supports the progress of pupils of all abilities.
• Specialist teachers and coaches make a positive contribution to the quality of teaching in the wider curriculum. Sports coaches work alongside teachers in physical education lessons. Pupils across the school are taught Spanish each week. In key stage 2, all pupils learn to play the saxophone and the clarinet. Pupils across the school learn how to perform, review and evaluate music in their weekly music lessons.
• There has been a recent focus on improving the teaching of mathematics. This is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning, particularly in key stage 2. However, at times, the work that some teachers set is too repetitive and does not challenge pupils to apply their mathematical knowledge and skills in different contexts.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are given sensitive support to help them to overcome the barriers to learning that they face. As a result, they are able to access the curriculum alongside their classmates. They make good progress from their various starting points.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding
• Pupils are appreciative of the interest that teachers take in all aspects of their achievement and welfare. Pupils say that are happy and feel safe at school because they trust the adults who teach and support them.
• Pupils learn to respect and celebrate each other’s differences. Pupils are tolerant and respectful towards each other. They develop an excellent understanding of the cultural diversity which exists both within and beyond their immediate experience.
• Pupils are proud of their school and keen to make a positive contribution to school life. Older pupils enjoy taking on different responsibilities, such as the buddying role with children in the early years. There is an active school council and pupils have many opportunities to attend after-school clubs.
• Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe in various contexts. Each year, pupils in Year 6 take part in a cycling course during which they learn how to cycle safely on local roads. Pupils also demonstrated a good understanding about the different forms of bullying, including cyber bullying. They develop an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe when working online.
• Pupils who met with one of the inspectors to discuss behaviour said that bullying rarely happens at the school. They said that if they were worried about anything they could talk to a member of staff and things would quickly be resolved.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils get on exceptionally well with each other at Asmall. They are courteous, welcoming and polite to their friends, staff and visitors.
• Parents and staff who spoke with inspectors during this inspection said that behaviour at the school was excellent. Parents were universally supportive of the efforts that staff make to ensure that pupils are well supported.
• Pupils behave extremely well, both in class and during breaktimes. Pupils have excellent attitudes towards learning. They try hard and show pride in their work. Very good support is provided for the small number of pupils who occasionally exhibit challenging behaviour.
• School leaders have worked successfully to improve attendance, particularly with the families of a small number of pupils who have been persistently absent from school. As a result, attendance has improved significantly. During this school year, few pupils have been absent or persistently absent from school.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Progress across key stage 2 in in reading and mathematics has been well below average for the past two years. However, inspectors saw evidence that standards are improving in these two subjects. Pupils currently in key stage 2 are making much stronger progress, not only in English and mathematics, but also in subjects across the curriculum.
• Pupils quickly develop a secure knowledge and understanding of phonics. Almost all pupils have passed the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 over the past three years. Pupils make good progress in their reading across key stage 1. The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard has been above the national average for the past two years. The proportion exceeding the expected standard was above the national average in 2018.
• School leaders have acted to improve progress in reading across key stage 2. They have purchased new resources and have provided training for teachers and teaching assistants. There are clear signs of improvement. Older pupils who met with one of the inspectors read fluently. They said that they now read more regularly in school and at home. However, pupils do not work with challenging texts to develop their vocabulary and improve their comprehension skills.
• Pupils make good progress in writing across the school. Younger pupils use their good knowledge of phonics to help them to develop into independent writers. Older pupils have many opportunities to write, both in English and in subjects across the curriculum. Inspectors saw some excellent pieces of writing in pupils’ history books. Older pupils also regularly complete written work in Spanish.
• Pupils’ progress in mathematics is improving, particularly in upper key stage 2, where pupils are making strong progress in their learning. Pupils across the school work hard and are increasingly accurate in their calculation work. However, sometimes pupils are required to do a lot of repetition. They are not asked to demonstrate how they can use their knowledge and skills to investigate and solve problems.
• Evidence in pupils’ books shows that they acquire and apply new knowledge, understanding and skills in subjects across the curriculum. For example, pupils make good progress in science. Inspectors saw some high-quality reports that pupils had written following science experiments. There was evidence too of pupils using their mathematical skills effectively to record results. The pupils at Asmall Primary have a broad range of high-quality experiences. This prepares them well for the next stage of their education when they move to secondary school.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress in the early years and key stage 1. They also make good progress in writing across key stage 2. However, over the past two years, they have made weaker progress across key stage 2 in reading and mathematics. The gap between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally did not diminish in these subjects.

Early years provision Good

• Children make good progress in the early years from starting points that are often below those typical for their age. Effective teaching and good levels of care help them to make strong progress. The proportion of children who reached a good level of development at the end of the Reception class was above the national average in 2018.
• The early years is well led. The early years leader has a good understanding of the strengths that exist and the areas that need to improve further. Leaders ensure that all safeguarding policies and procedures are implemented appropriately.
• There is a very calm atmosphere in the early years. There are strong relationships between adults and children. This supports all children to feel safe and secure while in school. Parents told inspectors that their children love school and the adults who teach them.
• Staff make regular observations of pupils as they work and play. Staff make regular checks on children’s progress. However, this information is sometimes not used to set work that challenges children. For example, there was limited evidence of children being made to think hard about their work with number or other areas of mathematics.
• Children are regularly encouraged to develop their independence. During this inspection, children selected their own snacks from a healthy assortment. Children also help to keep the early years class in good order by helping to tidy up and put things in their place.
• There are often additional adults (students and volunteers) in the early years class. They are deployed well to interact with children and support their learning. Parents are also encouraged to stay and spend time reading with their children each morning and talk with them about their learning.
• Staff ensure that there is a highly simulating learning environment both indoors and outside. Children particularly enjoy the outside area. Although it was raining during this inspection, they happily put on their wet-weather clothing and carried on playing and learning with their friends.
• Parents who spoke to one of the inspectors were extremely positive about the early years provision. They referred to the positive relationships that they have with staff. Parents said that they appreciated being involved in the initial assessments that are made when their children start at the school. Parents also said that they like the fact that their children learn Spanish, like other pupils in the school.
• Parents feel fully involved in their children’s education. They particularly value the regular opportunities they have to learn about different aspects of their children’s learning, such as phonics. During this inspection, there was a workshop for parents on communication.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 119314 Lancashire 10053071 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 157 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Jim Riley Michelle Speak 01695 576654 www.asmall.lancs.sch.uk head@asmall.lancs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 17–18 July 2013

Information about this school

• Asmall is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• Almost all pupils are White British.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups who attend the school is lower than average.
• A small proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is above the national average.
• There is one Reception class. Children attend full time.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching, learning and assessment in all classes. Some of the observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in subjects across the curriculum.
• The lead inspector looked at school 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 subject leaders. The lead inspector also met with two members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ conduct during breaks and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors met with groups of pupils to listen to them read and discuss behaviour and other aspects of school life. Inspectors also spoke with many other pupils informally.
• Inspectors spoke with parents in the playground before school on the second day of the inspection. They also talked with staff about teaching, safeguarding and leadership.

Inspection team

Paul Tomkow, lead inspector Sally Aspinwall John Shutt

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector