Pupils flourish and make tremendous progress at Chorley Primary

Staff and children at Euxton Primrose Hill are today celebrating a clean sweep of “outstanding” judgements following an inspection from Ofsted that took place earlier this term in June.

The Chorley primary school was last inspected in 2011 when it secured “outstanding” under the previous inspection regime. The current regime is recognised as being more demanding, and few schools have achieved a second outstanding judgement from Ofsted.

The school secured “outstanding” overall, with outstanding in each of the sub judgements of leadership and management; quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and early years.

Inspectors spoke of pupils “flourishing at this warm and welcoming school”, in which pupil behaviour is exceptional and where teachers are highly ambitious for all pupils, including those with special needs.

Key highlights in the impressive report include:

• Praise for the achievements of Year 6 children, who complete their time at primary school with the “knowledge, social skills and maturity needed to be well prepared for life at secondary school”
• The opportunities for children to take positions of responsibility in school, which they eagerly grasp, such as digital leaders.
• The strength of the “broad and highly ambitious curriculum” which has been carefully constructed and maps out what children should learn from Reception until the end of Year 6, resulting in pupils “progressing tremendously well”.
• Recognition of the skills of the teachers in identifying where pupils may have any gaps in their knowledge and providing any support needed to fill those.
• Children with SEND are identified quickly and with accuracy and staff are able to make adaptations and provide the support needed so that pupils learn extremely well alongside their peers. SEND pupils “benefit fully” from all that school has to offer thanks to the passion of staff in building their social skills and wider interests alongside academic work.
• Phonics and reading are seen as real strengths, with children reading fluently and accurately by the end of Year 2. “Pupils’ love of language and reading extends throughout the curriculum” with children “relishing reading” as they progress through the school.
• Behaviour is “exemplary”, with pupils being “polite, caring and thoughtful”. Attendance rates are high, and children are “eager to learn”.
• Personal development is another highlight, with pupils learning a “vast amount” about different cultures and communities and are “deeply respectful” of the differences between people. They are also taught how to keep themselves safe and healthy.

Claire Jones, Headteacher of Euxton Primrose Hill Primary said:

“This is a tremendous report and it is wonderful to see the efforts and commitment of our brilliant team and our wonderful children recognised in this way. There are so many positives in this report – our ambitious curriculum; the opportunities we offer; how caring and thoughtful our children are; how children with SEND are supported; and the love of reading that we work hard to nurture. But the standout most important aspect for me is that our children are happy – we want every single one of our children to thrive and go on to lead successful lives – that starts with being happy.

“Today is a proud moment for all of us, but none of this would be possible without teamwork – teamwork both within school and beyond, with our families and the wider community. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who plays a part in making Euxton Primrose Hill the very special place that it is.”