Poulton St Chad's C of E Primary School which had pop up swimming pool in playground praised by inspectors

Pupils at a Poulton primary school are "well mannered" and feel "safe and comfortable", according to an inspection report.

A team of Ofsted inspectors, led by Sue Eastwood, said St Chad's C of E Primary reached the expected standard in all areas and was rated as "strong" for the development and wellbeing of its 237 pupils.

In her report, Ms Eastwood said the school, on Hardhorn Road, had "high aspirations" for pupils' achievement, including those with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND).

She said: "Pupils build important knowledge and skills in reading, writing and mathematics securely over time.

"Staff provide effective support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. They make steady progress from their different starting points."

The inspectors noted that the friendly and inclusive atmosphere at the school in Hardhorn Road had contributed to above average attendance.

Ms Eastwood said: "Pupils feel safe and comfortable in school. This approach has worked particularly well for pupils with SEND.

"Pupils are well mannered. Classrooms have a lively atmosphere with pupils actively involved in their learning.

"Pupils play well together and older pupils show great care for their younger peers, holding their hands, chatting and playing with them at break times.

"Pupils say they feel safe from bullying and they trust staff to quickly and effectively deal with any issues they cannot resolve."

Back in March the school installed a temporary swimming pool on the school playground.

Ms Bitsakaki said it transformed how children experience their swimming lessons.

She said the two-week pop-up pool project allowed pupils to complete their swimming curriculum in a more efficient and engaging way while creating a memorable experience for the whole school community.

She said: “The rationale behind it was that for a 30-minute swimming lesson we used to spend a whole morning or afternoon walking to and from the local swimming baths. That meant a lot of curriculum time was lost for just half an hour in the water.

“They’re still getting 30-minute sessions but instead of spreading them over many weeks, they’re doing them intensively over two weeks, which we’re finding is really working. It gets them back into class quickly so other lessons aren’t affected.”

The novelty of having a swimming pool on the playground added to the excitement. “For the first time ever we can smell chlorine and hear splashing when we’re standing on the school playground,” Ms Bitsakaki said. “That’s never happened before.”