St Michael's-On-Wyre Church of England Primary School & Nursery

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 8 November 2023

Pupils are cherished at this welcoming school. They form strong and trusting bonds with staff and each other. Children in the early years, including two-year-olds, settle into school life well. Pupils enjoy learning and socialising with their friends. They feel happy and accepted. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils enjoy learning and try their best. They typically achieve well and are ready for the next stage of their education. Pupils behave well in lessons and at playtimes. They are respectful to one another. Pupils enjoy the rewards and the shiny 'gems' that they receive for behaving well and working hard. Pupils benefit from a range of trips and clubs beyond the academic curriculum. For example, pupils spoke excitedly about rock climbing, paddle boarding and ghyll scrambling, as well as residential trips and travelling on a ferry. These experiences enable pupils to develop exciting new interests and find undiscovered talents. Pupils excel in their various roles and responsibilities. These include house captains, librarians and school councillors. Older pupils are proud to be special 'buddies' to children in the early years. Pupils are proud to care for their local and wider community. They learn that they can make a positive difference by raising money for charities.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of subjects, including in the early years, the school has not given sufficient thought to the essential knowledge that pupils must learn and in what order this should be taught. Some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects. The school should finalise its curriculum thinking so that teachers know exactly what pupils must learn and when this should be taught.
• Sometimes, a few teachers do not use assessment strategies as effectively as they could to identify pupils' misconceptions. This holds some pupils back from learning all that they should. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment strategies effectively to help pupils get the most out of their learning across the whole curriculum.
• For a small number of pupils with SEND, access to the curriculum is not adapted consistently well. This means that these pupils struggle to learn as well as they should. The school should ensure that suitable adaptations are in place so that pupils with SEND are able to access learning.

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