Middleton Parish Church School

Middleton Parish CofE Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 5–11 Inspection date(s) 23–24 November 2011 Inspection number 377306 Unique Reference Number 105821 Local authority Rochdale Inspection number 377306 Inspection dates 23–24 November 2011 Reporting inspector James Kidd

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 214 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nick Feist Headteacher Jacqui Potts Date of previous school inspection 23 April 2009 School address Springfield Road Middleton Manchester M24 5DL Telephone number 0161 6430753 Fax number 0161 6430753 Email address office@middletonparishce.rochdale.sch.uk 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 rates council children's services, and inspects services for looked after

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children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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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

This inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors. They observed 13 lessons taught by nine teachers. They held meetings with pupils, parents and carers, staff, three members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. They observed the school's work, and looked at pupils’ books, school improvement planning, safeguarding documentation, local authority reports and internal and external pupil progress data. Inspectors also scrutinised 126 questionnaires returned by parents and carers, 21 completed by staff and 114 returned by pupils in Key Stage 2.

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Introduction

The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.

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Introduction

 Whether the challenge in teaching is good enough to accelerate pupils’ progress and thus improve attainment.  Whether the new progress tracking system enables underachievement to be identified rapidly enough, and leads to more timely support for pupils.  The quality and impact of senior and middle leaders to bring about and sustain improvement.

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Information about the school

This is a smaller than average-sized school. Most pupils are White British and there are very few pupils at the early stages of learning English. The percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is broadly in line with that usually seen. There is a below average proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school hosts and governs breakfast and after-school clubs. It is also a nationally-recognised Healthy School, has extended school status and holds the ActiveMark for its work in physical education. There have been several staffing changes since the previous inspection, including the appointment of a new headteacher and the establishment of a restructured senior leadership team. 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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Main findings

This school provides a satisfactory quality of education for its pupils. Pupils feel safe in school as a result of the outstanding care, guidance and support they receive from the adults who work with them. Following a period of uncertainty, good leadership from the relatively new headteacher and senior team sharply focused on improving pupils’ achievement, is now leading to accelerated progress and rising standards. The school evaluates its performance accurately and senior staff are now placing greater emphasis on enhancing the impact of leadership and management at all levels. Members of the governing body support the school well and are becoming more skilled in holding the school’s leadership to account. High staff morale, more effective assessment systems, accelerating progress and improved attendance, which is now above average, demonstrate that the school has good capacity for sustained improvement.

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Main findings

Children enter the Reception class with skills that are generally below the expectations for their age. They make good progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage and enter Year 1 with average standards. Pupils make satisfactory progress across the rest of the school to reach broadly average but improving attainment by the time they leave. However, although more pupils reached Level 5 in writing in 2011, progress and attainment is stronger in mathematics than it is in English.

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Main findings

Pupils are proud of their school and behave well in lessons and around the site. They are polite and respectful to visitors and are more than willing to show them their work. They enjoy taking on responsibilities in school and their work for a range of charities is much appreciated in the local community and beyond.

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Main findings

The quality of teaching observed during the inspection varied from outstanding to satisfactory but is satisfactory overall. For example, in some lessons staff provide activities which meet pupils’ individual learning needs closely and which challenge the more-able pupils to reach for the higher National Curriculum levels. This is not the case in all classes. The curriculum is enriched by a wide variety of activities that promote pupils’ personal development well.

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Main findings

Middleton Parish is a school with a strong ethos based on Christian values. It ensures that pupils come first. Their progress and well-being, both personally and academically, are at the forefront of its work. As one parent commented, speaking for many, ‘This is a happy and harmonious school and one in which all pupils are encouraged to join in the activities it provides.’

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Main findings

Up to 40% of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further accelerate pupils’ progress, particularly in English, by: - consolidating systems to help teachers use data to ensure work and activities in lessons meet pupils’ individual learning needs more closely - providing consistent challenge for the more-able pupils to enable them to reach the higher National Curriculum levels in both key stages - giving pupils more opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning - ensuring pupils are consistently well aware of what they need to do to improve their work - sharing across the school good and exemplary practice in teaching.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve the impact of leaders and managers at all levels by: - developing the monitoring role of middle leaders to enable them to take even greater ownership of their specific areas - ensuring members of the governing body build on their work to hold the leadership of the school to account.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils enter classrooms happily and eager to meet the challenges of the day. They greet their teachers and teaching assistants warmly and get down to work with the minimum of fuss. In most lessons, pupils show a real willingness to learn and are delighted when they reach their targets. In many lessons, they are delighted when they are challenged to think more deeply about the subject-matter and are also pleased when their classmates succeed. Although pupils tend to make better progress in mathematics than in English, standards in writing have risen and pupils’ progress overall is beginning to accelerate. This is as a result of a greater focus on the monitoring of pupils’ progress over the past 15 months or so to ensure nobody falls behind. However, the more-able pupils in particular do not always reach the higher National Curriculum levels as often as they should in both key stages. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities make the same satisfactory

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

progress as their peers as a result of the targeted support they receive from their teachers and teaching assistants.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Pupils develop well personally. They are proactive in taking on a range of responsibilities in school, for example, as members of the school council and as ‘buddies’ for younger children. They feel safe in school and talk accurately and confidently about what constitutes safe and unsafe situations. Indeed, they are grateful for the support they receive from the adults who work with them and one pupil commented, ‘The staff are always there for us when we need them.’ Pupils support the immediate community by hosting events for the elderly and as members of the choir when they perform in the local area. Pupils have a good understanding of what makes a healthy diet and they speak with confidence about why physical fitness is important to their everyday lives; there is a good take-up of extra-curricular games and sports. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good overall, but there are strengths in the spiritual, moral and social aspects,

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

demonstrated by the thought-provoking assemblies which classes deliver and to which parents and carers are invited.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning Taking into account: Pupils' attainment 1 The quality of pupils' learning and their progress The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress The extent to which pupils feel safe 2 Pupils' behaviour 2 The extent to which pupils adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which pupils contribute to the school and wider community 2 The extent to which pupils develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being Taking into account: Pupils' attendance 1 The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

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How effective is the provision?

Teaching is satisfactory overall but its quality is inconsistent across the school. In the best lessons, an outstanding literacy session in Year 5, for example, challenge is realistic for all groups of pupils, who are well aware of exactly what they need to do to improve their work. In such sessions, pupils are given many opportunities to take responsibility for their own learning and they enjoy working in groups and thus promoting the progress of their classmates. In some lessons, however, activities are not based well enough on an accurate understanding of pupils’ prior attainment and consequently activities do not match closely enough pupils’ individual learning needs. On occasions there is too much teacher input and there is insufficient challenge for the more-able pupils to reach the higher National Curriculum levels. Assessment is satisfactory and improving. There is a greater emphasis on monitoring pupils’

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How effective is the provision?

progress and the new tracking system, which measures pupils’ progress six times during the year, is beginning to identify any possible underachievement more rapidly. As a result support sessions are now more closely matched to individual need. Marking is regular and detailed and pupils value the target cards, which, they say, ‘We can refer to when we are completing a new piece of work.’

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How effective is the provision?

The curriculum continues to have a positive effect on pupils’ personal development and a satisfactory impact overall on pupils’ attainment. The school is placing greater emphasis on creativity within subjects and is working steadily towards a curriculum that incorporates more global dimensions. Pupils enjoy French and are proud of the display, partly in the foreign language, which highlights the two residential visits to

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How effective is the provision?

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4 is low France. They speak highly also of the wide range of enrichment activities, including visits and visitors, and they enjoy the trips to a variety of museums. The breakfast and after-school clubs are popular and well attended and comprise a variety of activities to reinforce learning.

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How effective is the provision?

Pupils and their parents and carers recognise the outstanding quality of care, guidance and support pupils receive, not only from the adults who work with them but also from fellow pupils with specific responsibilities for looking after others. The talented and committed team of teaching assistants ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those whose circumstances may make them vulnerable take full advantage of what the school has to offer. Parents and carers of children entering the Reception class are grateful for the excellent induction procedures into the Early Years Foundation Stage. Procedures to promote regular attendance are very successful over time and attendance is now above average and higher than at the time of the previous inspection.

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How effective is the provision?

These are the grades for the quality of provision The quality of teaching Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships The effectiveness of care, guidance and support 1

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How effective are leadership and management?

The inspirational headteacher leads by example and is supported by a strong and committed leadership team. As a result, staff at all levels of experience and responsibility share the same vision for how the school is to develop. Accurate self- evaluation ensures that strategies for improvement are well-founded and are focused clearly on accelerating pupils’ progress and raising attainment. These include consolidating systems to improve teachers’ understanding of data and the sharing of good and exemplary practice in teaching across the school. Leadership at middle level is developing well and there is now an increasing emphasis on enhancing the middle leaders’ monitoring role in order for them to become even more proactive in promoting improvement in their specific areas. The governing body is committed to the school and provides support in many areas. Members of the governing body are taking steps to ensure they hold school leaders even more fully to account for pupils’

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How effective are leadership and management?

Engagement with parents and carers is good and this is reflected in the positive comments in the questionnaires returned. There are strong links with the church and good links with a variety of external partners, pre-school providers and secondary schools. The promotion of equality of opportunity is satisfactory and the school is becoming more sophisticated at analysing the progress of different groups of pupils to ensure no gaps in performance are developing. Discrimination in all its forms is not tolerated and is tackled on the very rare occasions it occurs. Safeguarding and child-protection procedures are good. Staff training is up to date, all relevant policies are in place and procedures are well known to all staff. The school promotes community cohesion well. There is a detailed audit of the school’s context and pupils are actively involved in the local community and beyond, and enjoy their residential

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How effective are leadership and management?

These are the grades for the leadership and management The effectiveness of leadership and management in embedding ambition and driving improvement Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning The effectiveness of the governing body in challenging and supporting the school so that weaknesses are tackled decisively and statutory responsibilities met The effectiveness of the school's engagement with parents and carers 2 The effectiveness of partnerships in promoting learning and well-being 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes equality of opportunity and tackles discrimination The effectiveness of safeguarding procedures 2 The effectiveness with which the school promotes community cohesion 2 The effectiveness with which the school deploys resources to achieve value for money

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Early Years Foundation Stage

Children enter the Reception class from a range of nursery settings. The positive relationships with parents and carers and the outstanding induction procedures ensure that children settle down quickly into their new surroundings and make a good and stimulating start to their school careers. Resources continue to be developed and extended well and, as a result, children’s indoor learning is reinforced effectively in the outdoor area. In addition, there is a good range of child-initiated and teacher-led activities which inspire children’s curiosity and which ensure they make good progress in both their personal and academic development during the year. Progress in their social and emotional development is particularly strong. Leadership and management are good. The committed and talented coordinator is well informed about the latest thinking on Early Years education and she fosters good levels of teamwork among the staff in the setting. Staff make detailed and

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Early Years Foundation Stage

accurate assessments of children’s progress. They monitor all areas of the setting on a regular basis and draw up effective action plans that are underpinned by a strong emphasis on moral values and on the school’s mission.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation stage Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage The effectiveness of leadership and management in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Views of parents and carers

There was an above average return of questionnaires. The overwhelming majority of parents and carers who returned the questionnaire believes the school is led and managed effectively, keeps their children safe and helps their children to have a healthy lifestyle. Almost all are happy with their children’s experience at the school. Most parents and carers express the view that the school meets their children’s particular needs and that it prepares them well for the future. A very small minority do not believe that the school helps them to support their children’s learning. The inspection team examined this concern and found that the school works well with parents and carers. Indeed, several parents and carers were very positive about the advice the school gives on how pupils’ learning can be promoted at home, one commenting, ‘The school involves parents well. We need more schools like this!’

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questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Middleton Parish CofE Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school. The inspection team received 126 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 214 pupils registered at the school.

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questionnaire

Statements Strongly agree Agree Disagree Strongly disagree Total % Total % Total % Total % My child enjoys school 78 62 43 34 3 2 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 88 70 35 28 2 2 0 0 The school informs me about my child's progress 56 44 63 50 5 4 0 0 My child is making enough progress at this school 62 49 56 44 5 4 0 0 The teaching is good at this school 72 57 49 39 2 2 0 0 The school helps me to support my child's learning 67 53 48 38 10 8 0 0 The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 68 54 56 44 2 2 0 0 The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 59 47 55 44 7 6 0 0

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questionnaire

The school meets my child's particular needs 61 48 59 47 3 2 0 0 The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 52 41 66 52 6 5 0 0

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questionnaire

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 56 44 64 51 4 3 0 0

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questionnaire

The school is led and managed effectively 76 60 47 37 0 0 0 0 Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 84 67 39 31 3 2 0 0

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questionnaire

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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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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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 43 47 10 0 Primary schools 6 46 42 6 Secondary schools 14 36 41 9 Sixth forms 15 42 41 3 Special schools 30 48 19 3 Pupil referral units 14 50 31 5 All schools 10 44 39 6

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously.

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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

The data in the table above is for the period 1 September 2010 to 08 April 2011 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ).

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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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Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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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

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on 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 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. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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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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Inspection of Middleton Parish CofE Primary School, Manchester, M24 5DL

I have kept my promise! Here is the letter I said I would write to tell you what the inspection team thinks about your school. First of all, thank you all very much for your wonderful welcome and your courtesy to us during the two days. A special ‘thank you’ goes to those of you who came to talk to us on Wednesday lunchtime and to the pupils in Year 5 who delivered such a marvellous assembly.

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Inspection of Middleton Parish CofE Primary School, Manchester, M24 5DL

Middleton Parish gives you a satisfactory education but it is improving all the time. Your teachers and teaching assistants take excellent care of you and, as a result, you feel safe in school and your attendance is now above average. You also look after younger children in school and you have many opportunities to take responsibility. The teaching you receive is satisfactory overall and in some lessons the teaching is good or outstanding. You make satisfactory progress in your studies but you do better in mathematics than you do in English.

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Inspection of Middleton Parish CofE Primary School, Manchester, M24 5DL

I would like to help your headteacher and all the other staff improve your school. I have asked them, therefore, to ensure that your progress, especially in English, gets better. I have asked them to do this by giving you work which is more suited to your needs and by challenging those of you who sometimes find the work easy to reach higher standards. I also think it is a good idea if they give you more opportunities to find things out for yourselves and make sure that you are fully aware of what you need to do to improve your work. You can help your teachers to do this by continuing to work hard and by asking them how you can reach higher standards.

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Inspection of Middleton Parish CofE Primary School, Manchester, M24 5DL

Thank you again for your kindness to us during the inspection. We enjoyed hearing your views and watching you learn.

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Inspection of Middleton Parish CofE Primary School, Manchester, M24 5DL

James Kidd 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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