St Andrew's Methodist Primary School

St Andrew’s Methodist Primary School Prescott Street, Off Hilton Lane, Worsley, Manchester, M28 0ZA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is good school.  Pupils make outstanding progress from their starting points, particularly in reading and mathematics. Standards in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6 are above average.  Most teaching is good and a significant amount is outstanding.  Teaching assistants help to promote good progress in lessons.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of different types of safety, including bullying. They feel that adults care well for them and listen to their concerns. Pupils support each other’s learning in lessons extremely well.  The outdoor environment is used well to promote the physical development of pupils in lessons, as well as providing lots of fun at break times.  Senior leaders, staff, and governors have worked well together to ensure that the school continues to be a safe and a happy place. Pupils’ behaviour and safety, as well as their spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development are outstanding.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is a small amount of teaching that requires improvement.  The quality of teachers’ marking is not always detailed enough to help pupils improve their work. At other times, pupils do not have enough opportunities to respond to teachers’ written comments on their work.  Governors are not aware of some details about pupils’ progress and achievements, including the difference the use of the pupil premium is making to pupils’ achievements.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 10 lessons, of which one was a joint observation with the headteacher.  Inspectors listened to pupils read from different year groups.  Inspectors took account of 21 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View).  Meetings were held with two groups of pupils. Inspectors also held discussions with the headteacher, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors, a representative of the local authority and school staff.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, documents relating to the school’s plans for improvement and its procedures for checking the quality of teaching, records relating to behaviour, attendance and performance management of teachers and documents relating to safeguarding.  Pupils’ books were checked closely by the inspectors.

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Inspection team

Clarice Nelson-Rowe, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kirsty Haw Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of boys is higher than average.  An above average proportion of pupils are supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children in local authority care, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and the children of forces families.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is average.  The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school is in a collaborative partnership with another primary school. The headteacher is executive headteacher of both schools.  The school exceeds the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching and ensure that it is always at least consistently good by:  improving the consistency of teachers’ written comments, particularly in writing and with relation to the presentation of pupils’ work  providing planned opportunities for pupils to respond to teachers’ comments, so that they can improve their work more quickly  making sure all teachers plan lessons that allow pupils to apply and develop their writing skills, and that all expect high standards from pupils  ensuring that leaders, including governors, make better use of the available information about the progress of groups, to enable them to assess the impact of teaching and the use of funding, such as the pupil premium, more effectively.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Over time, standards in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6 have been above average. This represents outstanding progress from pupils’ starting points. The school’s data and inspection evidence indicates that this trend of fast progress and above average attainment in English and mathematics continues to be the case.  While there is no doubt that pupils’ overall achievement is outstanding, inspection evidence, including pupils’ work, shows their rate of progress varies across the school. Where teaching is strong, progress is rapid; where teaching is not so strong, progress is slower.  Children start the Nursery class with skills that are generally below those typical for their age. Due to carefully structured activities and a stimulating outdoor environment, they make rapid progress, especially in their physical development.  Pupils’ achievement in mathematics is outstanding. By the end of Year 6, standards are

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

significantly above average. Younger pupils, such as those in Year 1, display high levels of skill in using numbers up to 100. Older pupils, such as those in Year 6, also display strong mathematical understanding.  Pupils in Years 1 and 2, increasingly tackle new and unfamiliar words well because of the good way they are taught about how to link letters and their sounds. This is reflected in the most recent phonics check, where pupils reached well-above average scores. By Year 6, pupils read widely and show understanding of what they are reading, such as themes around characters in the stories they read.  In 2012 at the end of Year 6, pupils’ writing was not as strong as their reading and mathematics. The school has taken action to improve the quality of writing, for example, by purchasing more interesting books to promote higher writing skills. This has been effective, because most pupils’ skills have improved quickly, especially in Years 2, 5 and 6.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The school promotes equality of opportunity well, because all groups of pupils are achieving as well as each other. For example, pupils supported by the pupil premium, including those eligible for free school meals, make the same progress as other pupils in the school. They attain much better than pupils nationally who are known to be eligible for free school meals. This is due to the one-to-one tuition and small-group work. Boys and girls achieve equally well.  Carefully-targeted teaching and support also help disabled pupils and those with special educational needs to do as well as other pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching throughout the school is good with a significant amount that is outstanding. However, there is a small amount which requires improvement and school leaders are working to improve this.  Where it is outstanding, teachers show strong subject knowledge, promote high levels of challenge and clearly know the levels at which pupils are working. They use this information to plan work to push pupils on further.  Some teachers are very skilled at getting pupils to work well on their own or to support others in groups. In a Year 4 mathematics lesson about division, for example, pupils were teaching other pupils well about what they had learned about doing long division using the ‘bus stop’ method. Pupils who struggled with where to put remaining numbers from calculations, rapidly learned about where to put them and how to continue on dividing large numbers.  All teachers give feedback in lessons, while checking on pupils’ work. They help pupils to reflect

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The quality of teaching is good

on the level of work done in lessons, through encouraging them to link what they have done with the list of expectations teachers set with them at the beginning of the lesson.  However, the quality of written feedback in books is inconsistent. Some teachers do not mark in sufficient detail to help pupils to improve further. When work is marked well, there is lack of evidence of pupils improving their work further in response to teachers’ comments.  Teaching assistants are very effective. They carefully demonstrate ways of working problems through, and always ensure that pupils think for themselves. They encourage and motivate pupils well, especially those with special educational needs.  Lessons are usually carefully planned and structured to ensure that the ability needs of all pupils are met. Occasionally, where the impact of teaching is less strong, pupils have fewer opportunities to apply their skills and make maximum progress. Scrutiny of pupils’ books shows

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The quality of teaching is good

some very high standards of work but there are some variances in teachers’ expectations of pupils’ presentation and work completed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour at all times is exemplary. This is reflected in the school’s records, which show an absence of exclusions and low incidents of poor behaviour.  Pupils are considerate, polite and courteous. As a result, the school is a happy and positive place in which to learn. Their outstanding conduct in and out of lessons shows their genuine consideration for each other. Attendance is improving well.  Pupils speak proudly about their school and their work. They are particularly proud of the lively outdoor environment, which is used well for lessons, but also makes break times fun.  Pupils feel very safe. The majority of parents, who responded to the online survey (Parent View), agree with this. Pupils are fully aware of different types of safety, including different forms of bullying, such as cyber-bullying. They say that if bullying should occur, the school would deal with it very effectively.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils feel that they are listened to by staff. For example, pupils stated that the ‘worry box’ was useful. This is because they could write down their concerns at any time, post the note in the box and an adult would pick it up and discuss their worries with them.  Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent. Pupils enjoy raising money for charities in the United Kingdom and abroad. They very much appreciate opportunities to learn about different religions, visit museums and to take part in performances.  Pupils are very keen to reflect on spiritual and moral issues in assemblies, which governors help to promote well. For example, the Chair of the Governing Body was observed in assembly, holding an Olympic torch and discussing how pupils could ‘let their light shine’ by using their talents and skills.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Staff are highly motivated and demonstrate the strong ambition of the headteacher and deputy headteacher. All leaders, including governors, are committed to ensuring all children are well cared for and do as well as possible. The senior leaders have taken fast and effective action to ensure that a relative weakness in writing in 2012 has been tackled with success.  Teachers’ performance is managed very well. Teachers’ targets to improve their performance are closely linked with the school’s priorities and there is an extensive programme of staff training. This has helped to support and develop teachers’ work and their effectiveness, especially that of newly qualified teachers.  Senior leaders are very skilled at appointing good staff. This shows in the way that subject leaders are highly knowledgeable about their subject areas and provide good role models for teachers throughout the school.  Leaders make regular checks on the quality of teaching and the quality of learning in

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The leadership and management are outstanding

classrooms. They know that the next steps are to ensure that the outstanding elements in teaching are consistently applied across the school. The school have already begun actions to rectify the small amount of teaching that requires improvement, but there is still more to be done.  The local authority provides light touch support for this good school.  The school works closely as part of a Family of Schools. Staff from St. Andrew’s provide support to another primary school.  The governance of the school:  The good governing body has a broadly accurate view of how well pupils are doing and the quality of teaching in the school. This is because governors make regular visits to the school and are updated by the headteacher. Some governors have backgrounds in education and the church. This means they are well equipped to provide strong expertise in assessing provision for pupils with special educational needs, as well as directly contributing to assemblies in order

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The leadership and management are outstanding

to promote the spiritual development of pupils. They ensure that the school’s finances are well managed and that teachers are rewarded only when they meet their targets. However, while they have been effective is maintaining high standards, governors have not risen to the new expectations regarding knowing about the impact of the pupil premium funding and the finer details about the progress that all pupils make, compared to the national picture, by making use of available information.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 105938 Local authority Salford Inspection number 411734

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 235 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Brian Evitts Headteacher Anne Smith Date of previous school inspection 17 June 2010 Telephone number 0161 790 3194 Fax number 0161 799 2718 Email address a.smith@salford.gov.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

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. 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

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

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