Lower Pastures, Nr Darwen

What it's like to be a pupil at Lower Pastures

The school is a welcoming and safe place for pupils. Leaders have high expectations. Pupils attend school regularly and on time. This is despite most pupils attending school erratically in the past. Pupils respond to their teachers well. They find their learning interesting and fun. Pupils typically remain at the school for a short time. During this time, they develop confidence and resilience. However, pupils do not achieve as well as they might. This is because they do not develop important knowledge securely enough, including in reading. Careers information, education and guidance is underdeveloped. Pupils are not as fully prepared for their next stages of education, employment or training as they could be as a result. The school provides clear routines that pupils embrace. These help pupils to behave well. They are highly motivated to earn tokens, which they exchange for activities to enjoy during leisure time. Pupils develop effective social skills. They learn how to express their ideas and opinions respectfully. Pupils learn that democratic systems, such as school council meetings, make sure that everyone's view is included. They are well prepared for living in modern Britain. Pupils embrace people's differences. Bullying is rare because leaders deal with any use of derogatory language swiftly and effectively. Teachers get to know the individual needs of their pupils thoroughly. Pupils trust teachers to help them to resolve problems or worries. Leaders at all levels understand and minimise the difficulties that pupils may have in accessing the curriculum due to barriers that they face. They make sure that pupils receive the carefully tailored support that they need. The school provides a wide range of high-quality opportunities to support pupils to develop new skills, talents and interests. For example, pupils learn how to cook, budget and launder their clothes in preparation for greater independence in later life. Through activities such as these, pupils learn how to maintain positive health and wellbeing.

What Ofsted says the school should do next

• Leaders should make sure that teachers identify and address gaps in pupils' foundational and other important knowledge, including in phonics, spelling and handwriting.
• Leaders should make sure that pupils develop the skills and knowledge that they will need to be fully prepared for their next step in education, employment or training. This includes knowing about the different careers options that they can chose from and what requirements that they are likely to need for these. Leaders should also ensure that pupils develop the fluency in reading and writing that they will need to be successful and independent in the adult world.
• The proprietor should ensure that they support leaders to make their workload more manageable. For example, the proprietor should uphold their responsibility of providing effective support and challenge for leaders about how well pupils achieve.

This is a welcoming, safe place where disadvantaged pupils flourish. Teachers know their pupils well and provide tailored support to help them overcome barriers to learning. Pupils develop valuable life skills, confidence and resilience during their time here, and learn to behave well and treat others with respect.

Safeguarding standards are met with an open and positive culture of safeguarding where all legal requirements are met and pupils feel safe.

Cooking, budgeting, laundry skills, physical activity, democratic school council meetings

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