Bretherton Endowed Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 November 2023

Pupils are happy and proud to belong to this welcoming school that is at the heart of the community. They appreciate warm greetings from staff as they arrive each morning. Parents and carers said that their children skip into school with a smile. Pupils know that kindness is important. They enjoy playing and learning together. Pupils, including those who have recently joined the school, make friends easily. The positive relationships that they forge with caring staff help them to feel valued as individuals. Pupils are confident that staff will support them to resolve any worries that they may have. Pupils are keen to reach the high expectations that are set for them. They behave well during lessons and around the school. Pupils are eager to learn. They achieve highly in many areas of the curriculum. Pupils pursue their talents and interests in the broad range of clubs on offer, such as ju-jitsu, gardening and football. They take great pride in their successes, particularly when representing their school in choral performances and sports competitions. By taking on roles of responsibility, including as digital leaders and members of the ethos group, pupils learn that they can make a positive difference in their school and to the local community. They understand the value of being good citizens and the importance of helping others who are less fortunate than themselves.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of subjects, the school has not fully defined the most important knowledge that pupils should learn. This makes it difficult for staff to design learning so that pupils remember information in these subjects in the long term. The school should identify the knowledge that pupils need to acquire in each subject so that pupils' learning builds securely over time.
• Occasionally, teachers' use of assessment strategies in some subjects is not fully effective in checking pupils' understanding. This leads to delays in the support that some pupils receive to address misconceptions and errors. The school should ensure that staff check pupils' learning consistently well and help them to learn all that they could.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)