Ofsted Reports

Our report highlights the high priority given to the care and wellbeing of our pupils and the achievement of pupils in their GCSE’s across a wide range of subjects. The inspectors also commented on the good behaviour of our pupils and their politeness and friendliness. We accept the issues raised by the inspectors’ findings and with the support of the LA we have already made improvements where they are needed.

This is a good school. The recently appointed headteacher has given a vision for the future and has implemented considerable change in a short time. This has resulted in rapid, all round improvement. The governing body achieves the right balance between trust and holding senior leaders to account for their actions. Students’ behaviour is exemplary whether they are in lessons or unsupervised. They are naturally respectful of each other and adults. They have a genuine love for learning and respond very positively to the wealth of opportunities the school offers. Students know how to stay secure, because they are taught how to be safe. They take personal responsibility and look out for others. Procedures for ensuring safety are of a high standard. Staff and students are enthusiastic about the developments they are experiencing because they can already see real benefits to their hard work.

This is a satisfactory and improving school. Students achieve well in Science and Modern Foreign Languages but examination results are broadly average overall. This represents satisfactory learning and progress given students’ starting points. Ambitious leadership by the headteacher is now promoting a culture of improvement, although the full impact of this has yet to be realised in academic outcomes. Central to this improvement are high-quality data systems that inform well-targeted improvement strategies. Students are benefiting from the closer monitoring that ensures they are now starting to make better progress. The school recognises the need to raise standards further at Key Stage 4 and most recent assessments and modular results indicate that the school may be on course to achieve significant improvements in performance in 2011.

Burscough Priory provides its pupils with a satisfactory education. The school has some important strengths but there are also a number of areas which require some improvement. There is a clear commitment in the school to promoting the pupils’ personal development and in many respects this is successful. The school has a very friendly and harmonious atmosphere and staff are focused on the well-being of the pupils. The behaviour and attitudes towards learning of pupils are positive. Extra-curricular provision in the school is strong and some of the teaching is very effective. The school’s science status has been successful in improving the quality of the provision and building links with the local community.

Science Department Inspection The overall effectiveness of science was judged to be good. Achievement and standards in science are good. Key Stage 3 results were outstanding in 2005. The proportion of pupils who achieved level 5 and above was much higher than the national figure, as was the proportion who achieved level 6 and above. Measures which take account of contextual factors show that pupils’ achievement improved steadily between 2003 and 2005 and the school was in the top 3% of schools on this measure in 2005.

Burscough Priory Science College is a good school with strong traditional values that bring considerable strengths. High standards have been sustained and achievement is very good. GCSE results were well above the national average in 2003; they improved slightly in 2004. Very good leadership by the headteacher instils the confidence to do well. Leadership and management are good, but governance is unsatisfactory. Matching the overall quality of provision with the below average cost of educating pupils, the school gives very good value for money.