Oak Tree Primary School

Queens Road Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 17–18 January 2012 Inspection number 377347 Unique Reference Number 106073 Local authority Stockport Inspection number 377347 Inspection dates 17–18 January 2012 Lead inspector Steven Hill

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 247 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jane Crombleholme Headteacher Catherine Wilde Date of previous school inspection 11 January 2007 School address Buckingham Road Cheadle Hulme Cheadle SK8 5NA Telephone number 0161 4851453 Fax number 0161 4855283 Email address headteacher@queensroad.stockport.sch.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Steven Hill Stephen Docking Additional inspector Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Fourteen lessons or parts of lessons were observed, taught by 11 teachers. Meetings were held with representatives of the governing body and with staff. There were no responses available to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) before the inspection, but inspectors analysed 89 questionnaires that were returned by parents and carers, as well as questionnaires from pupils and from staff. Several parents spoke to the inspectors by telephone, and about 20 were spoken to informally on the playground at the start of the day. Inspectors observed the school's work, and looked at a range of documentation including the school’s monitoring records, data about pupils’ progress, and documents concerning safeguarding. Samples of pupils’ work in different classes were examined. Inspectors talked informally with pupils, and more formally in four meetings with pupils from different age-groups. Inspectors listened

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Introduction

to a small sample of pupils in Years 1 and 2 reading.

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Information about the school

This is an average-sized primary school in a suburban area. It has provision for up to 40 Nursery-aged children, who attend part time. The large majority of pupils are White British, but an increasing proportion comes from a variety of minority ethnic heritages; many of these are in the youngest classes. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or with disabilities is broadly average.

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Information about the school

The school runs a daily breakfast and after-school club for its pupils.

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Information about the school

The school has met government floor standards during the last three years. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key Findings

 Pupils achieve well because of good teaching. They greatly enjoy learning because of an exciting, imaginatively organised curriculum, which makes meaningful links between different subjects.

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Key Findings

 Boys and girls from different backgrounds get on extremely well together at work and at play. All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are fully included in the life of the school.

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Key Findings

 Pupils feel extremely safe and behave well. They, and their parents and carers, agree that they are well cared-for.

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Key Findings

 A difference between boys’ and girls’ achievement in writing has been reduced considerably, although boys still lag behind girls in the older classes.

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Key Findings

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They are polite, friendly and caring towards each other.

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Key Findings

 Teaching is good in most lessons. Teachers manage classes well and engage and enthuse pupils. They have high expectations of work and behaviour and pupils try hard to meet them. Marking does not always tell pupils how to improve their work.

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Key Findings

 There is some outstanding teaching but, in a few lessons, pupils make satisfactory rather than good progress. This is usually because the pace is too slow, or pupils sit too long without being actively involved, so their attention wanders and they lose concentration.  Children make a good start to their education in the Nursery and Reception classes. They are happy, settled and make good progress in their learning.

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Key Findings

 The school is led and managed well. Thorough tracking of pupils’ progress and regular and effective monitoring of provision are used well to drive improvements.

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Key Findings

 The very large majority of parents and carers are positive about almost all aspects of the school’s provision. However, a few express strong concerns about their children’s progress, and about misbehaviour in Key Stage 2.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in writing by: - consolidating the action taken to engage boys in writing tasks, and so close the remaining gaps between their attainment and that of girls at Key Stage 2 - improving the spelling, punctuation and handwriting skills of pupils in Key Stage 1 so that more of them reach the higher Level 3 by the end of Year 2.  Increase the consistency of teaching so that pupils always make good progress by: - ensuring that all lessons have a good pace to learning and that pupils do not spend too long without being actively involved in interesting tasks - making sure that the marking of pupils’ work more frequently shows them how they can improve in future, and ensuring that teachers’ comments and suggestions are always followed up.  Work with the parents and carers of pupils in Key Stage 2, so that they all have more confidence in how well their children are making progress, and in how the

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils make good progress across the school. For example, children in the Nursery made exceptionally good gains in their knowledge and understanding of the world as they explored the properties of ice in the frozen water trays outdoors. Thoughtful interventions by the adults in their play ensured that they made great strides in their vocabulary, as well as thoroughly enjoying themselves. Pupils’ collaborative skills are strong. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 made good progress in their communication and science skills as they worked together in groups to work out from a ‘crime scene’ who had stolen Grandma’s birthday cake. Pupils in Year 4 made good progress in their understanding of measurement when they were engaged by interesting practical activities, responding well to searching questioning from adults. Pupils in Year 6 greatly improved their understanding of how to approach a problem systematically when considering possible combinations of digits in numbers. This was

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Achievement of pupils

because the work was well matched to their different needs. Occasionally, progress is only satisfactory, particularly if pupils are not actively involved. Most parents and carers are rightly positive about their children’s progress, but a few have reservations about progress in Key Stage 2. Progress does occasionally slow in satisfactory lessons. However, the work in pupils’ books and the school’s records of attainment show that pupils make good progress overall in all four classes.

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Achievement of pupils

Children’s attainment on entry is broadly in line with that expected and they make good progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage, reaching above average levels in many areas of learning by the end of Reception. Progress continues to be good at Key Stage 1, and results are rising. However, relatively few pupils reach the higher Level 3 in writing by the end of Year 2. The content of their writing is often of high quality, but some are let down by inconsistent spelling and punctuation, or by their handwriting. Continued good progress in Key Stage 2 ensures that standards at the end of Year 6 are significantly above average and have been for a number of years. In the past, girls have outperformed boys in writing, but changes to the curriculum have engaged boys more in writing, so their progress last year matched or exceeded that of girls. The gap in attainment has been significantly narrowed, but

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Achievement of pupils

still remains in the older classes. The achievement of other groups, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, those known to be eligible for free school meals, and those from different ethnic groups, does not differ significantly from that of their classmates. Reading is a particular strength in pupils’ achievement, because they are given a secure understanding of phonics from their start in the school, so all have mastered the basics by the end of Year 2. This gives them a firm platform for accelerated progress in older classes. By the end of Year 6 in 2011, 75% of pupils exceeded the expected standards in reading.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers are usually successful in engaging pupils’ attention through interesting activities, lively and animated presentations and good strategies to ensure that all are involved. For example, good use is made of discussion in pairs or groups for pupils to share ideas and clarify their thinking. This practice develops pupils’ social and communication skills well. This was seen during an exciting project in Key Stage 1, when pupils investigated a ‘crime’ based on the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Such cross-curricular projects make a good contribution to pupils’ learning, exemplified by Year 6 pupils’ very effective use of mathematics in science. Teachers are skilled in monitoring pupils’ ongoing progress in lessons, often intervening effectively to address misconceptions or to challenge them to refine their work. This is a notable strength in Reception and Nursery. It was also seen to good effect in a

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Quality of teaching

Year 3 lesson, as the teacher questioned pupils about their findings when they undertook a practical weighing task, so they made good progress. The regular use of small whiteboards, for writing down answers, shows teachers how well pupils are doing. They then amend their teaching accordingly, as was seen in a good mathematics lesson in Year 6. Teaching makes a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, particularly to their collaborative skills.

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Quality of teaching

In a few lessons, particularly at Key Stage 2, the pace is too slow, or teachers spend too much time focusing on minor behaviour issues rather than on engaging pupils’ interest. The large majority of parents and carers rightly say that teaching is good. A few expressed major reservations about teaching in some classes but evidence shows that, although teaching is only satisfactory in a few lessons, it is good overall in all age groups. Pupils themselves are very positive about their teachers, saying how much they enjoy lessons, and how much they are learning. The marking of pupils’ work is done conscientiously, with errors pointed out and success praised. However, marking does not often tell pupils how to improve in future, and pupils do not always respond to teachers’ suggestions.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils behave well and in some lessons their behaviour is excellent. Behaviour is often exemplary in assemblies when they join in sensibly and answer questions thoughtfully. Around the school their behaviour is orderly and they show care and respect for each other and for adults. Attendance is above average. Pupils feel very safe in school and enjoy learning. They have a good understanding of how to stay safe in different situations. One said, ‘Everyone in the school looks after everyone.’ A pupil in Year 6 explained that the adults ‘...rely on us to help keep everyone safe’.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils report that bullying or racist incidents are very rare, and are dealt with swiftly by the adults. In a ‘Rainbow Assembly’, when pupils sat in mixed-age groups, their positive relationships with each other and their inclusion of all their schoolmates, regardless of background, were impressive. Particularly striking was the way Year 6 pupils greeted and looked after Reception children, treating them kindly and escorting them back to class after the assembly. The older pupils clearly see this opportunity to take responsibility as a privilege rather than a chore.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

A few pupils have particular problems in conforming to accepted standards of behaviour, and the school has good strategies in place to deal with issues that arise. Extra staffing has been provided at key times, or in particular classes, to ensure these are effective. Most parents and carers are positive about behaviour, but a few expressed concerns about their children’s lessons being disrupted by such pupils. In discussion, pupils showed positive but realistic views on behaviour, viewing it as good ‘most of the time’. They agreed that sometimes other pupils were ‘naughty or silly’ but said that any disruption was only momentary, as teachers or other adults dealt with any incidents swiftly. They were convinced that their own learning did not suffer as a result, and showed great understanding of how some of their classmates find it difficult to cope with some situations.

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Leadership and management

Clear leadership from the headteacher and senior staff results in an effective team who work together well to drive improvements. Issues identified at the last inspection have been fully addressed and good teaching and progress maintained. Self-evaluation is good, based on rigorous monitoring of teaching and pupils’ progress. Effective use is made of monitoring to provide feedback to teachers, which helps them improve their practice. All this demonstrates that the school has a good capacity to improve further. The governing body has a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and provides a good balance of support and challenge. It plays a full part, with all staff, in ensuring that safeguarding procedures meet requirements. Equality is promoted well, and the school is very inclusive, so all make the same progress regardless of background.

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Leadership and management

The school has made major improvements to the curriculum, which greatly enhances pupils’ learning and enjoyment. A more practical hands-on approach to writing has helped boys make better progress. Good links between subjects help make learning more meaningful and effective. A range of visitors, visits, clubs and special projects, such as the joint work on design and technology by Years 4 and 5 during the inspection, all make a good contribution. Many aspects of the curriculum make a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Good use is made of the increasingly varied home backgrounds of the school’s families to widen understanding. Social development is generally very strong, reflected in pupils’ positive relationships with each other and with adults. The policy of staying silent in the dining room, however, is a missed opportunity to develop pupils’ social skills.

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Leadership and management

This is the only aspect of school than many pupils say they do not like.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduc ed on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Queens Road Primary School, Cheadle, SK8 5NA

 Thank you all for your help when we visited your school. We enjoyed meeting you and finding out your views. You told us that you enjoyed school, and we could see that you work hard in lessons. Your school provides you with a good education. You make good progress because your teachers are good at helping you to learn. In most of your lessons the adults keep you involved with interesting things to do. We have asked the teachers to make sure all lessons are like this. We have also asked them to make sure they tell you, when they mark your work, how to do even better next time. Your achievement is good and you reach above average standards by the end of Year 6.

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Inspection of Queens Road Primary School, Cheadle, SK8 5NA

In the past, boys have not done as well as girls in writing. The teachers worked hard last year to give boys lots of interesting things to write about, and they have caught up a lot. Their writing is not quite as good as the girls’ yet, so we have asked the teachers to keep working at this. In Years 1 and 2, you are producing really interesting and exciting writing. Unfortunately, some of you are a bit careless with your spelling, punctuation and handwriting, so we have asked the teachers to help you get better at this.

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Inspection of Queens Road Primary School, Cheadle, SK8 5NA

Your behaviour is good and you feel safe in school. You are growing into sensible and caring young people, who are a credit to your school and to your families. Some of your parents and carers are worried about behaviour and about how you are getting on, so we have asked the school to reassure them about this. The adults are good at organising the school and keep a careful eye on how everyone is doing, so they can provide extra help when it is needed. They are keen to make the school even better. You can help by keeping up your hard work, especially in writing.

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Inspection of Queens Road Primary School, Cheadle, SK8 5NA

Steven Hill Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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