The Deans Primary School

The Deans Primary School Vicarage Road, Swinton, Salford, M27 0WA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 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 an outstanding school.  Children make an excellent start to their early education because of outstanding provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics in all key stages is exceptional, regardless of their ability and background.  Pupils read and write exceptionally well. This helps them to make brisk progress in other subjects.  Overall standards are considerably higher than the national average by the end of Year 6 and have been for several years.  The school’s results in national tests places them in the top 20% of all schools in reading, writing and mathematics in Key Stage 1 and in English at Key Stage 2. Standards in mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2 are not quite as high as in English.  Teaching is excellent over time. Teachers plan highly appropriate levels of work. This ensures that pupils make rapid progress in a range of subjects. However on occasion,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

teaching assistants are not used to their full extent at the beginning of mathematics lessons.  Behaviour and safety are outstanding. All pupils feel very safe in the school. They have excellent relationships with each other and the adults around them.  Marking by teachers and self-checks by pupils are particularly effective in writing.  There is outstanding provision for a wide range of subjects and activities provided for pupils. This includes high quality provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The headteacher is highly motivating and has set high goals for each pupil. The staff overwhelmingly supports her vision. Since the previous inspection, the school has prospered immensely under this dynamic leadership.  The governing body gives excellent support to the school and helps it to maintain outstanding performance in all aspects of its work, including teaching and pupils’ achievement

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 16 parts of lessons, of which five were joint observations with the headteacher.  Inspectors made a number of shorter visits to other lessons. Inspectors also listened to pupils read and scrutinised their work.  Meetings were held with two different groups of pupils from all ages and from a range of different backgrounds. Inspectors held informal discussions with other pupils.  Inspectors also held meetings with the Chair of the Governing Body, one other governor, senior leaders and a telephone conversation with the representative from the local authority.  Inspectors looked at documents relating to safeguarding, the performance management of staff, checks on pupils’ attainment and progress, records on attendance, behaviour and safety and the school’s overview of teaching and learning. They looked at the impact of the school’s use of the pupil premium funding.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of the views of 22 parents in the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) as well as the school’s own parent survey. The views of parents were sought as they brought their children to school at the start of the school day. Inspectors scrutinised 27 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Zahid Aziz, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Anthony Buckley Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The Deans Primary School is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is below average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.). At Deans, almost all the pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium are those known to be entitled to free school meals and this proportion is smaller than the national average.  The large majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is above average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional

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Information about this school

language is below average.  A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The headteacher has also been supporting another school in the local authority with school improvement.  The school meets 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?

 Raise further the standards that pupils attain, especially in mathematics, by:  making sure that the quality of marking is as helpful in mathematics as it is in writing, so that pupils know clearly how to improve further their mathematical skills  providing clear guidance for support staff on how they can best support pupils’ achievement, particularly at the start of mathematics lessons.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children make outstanding progress through the Early Years Foundation Stage. They join the Nursery with skills that are below those expected for their ages, especially their personal and social skills. As a result of high-quality teaching, high expectations and a first class partnership with parents, a far larger-than-average proportion of children attain average and above average levels by the time they join Year 1.  Pupils make excellent progress in Key Stages 1 and 2 from their individual starting points. At the end of Year 6, the proportion of pupils making and exceeding typically expected progress in English and mathematics is high. As a result, they are very well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Current information on pupils’ achievement shows that pupils are making excellent progress and that 100% of pupils are on their way to achieving expected levels in English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

School data also show that pupils’ standards by the end of Key Stage 2 are on track to be well above the national average, although slightly higher in English than in mathematics.  Pupils’ work shows high levels of achievement in other subjects. In science, a strong focus on practical work, as well as many opportunities to use mathematical and literacy skills, enhances learning in all three subjects.  Through varied topic work, pupils enjoy diverse and wide-ranging experiences. For instance, they have opportunities to hone their skills in letter writing from the point of view of an evacuee in the Second World War  Every pupil has opportunities to learn musical instruments for two years and, as a result, they show exceptional skills in singing and playing musical instruments.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs do exceptionally well. Their progress is checked carefully, and they are given support that closely meets their particular

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

needs and tasks that are demanding but within their capabilities. The same applies also to those few pupils who are learning English as an additional language.  The achievement of all groups of pupils, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, White British pupils and those from minority ethnic backgrounds is equally strong. They do much better than similar pupils in other schools across the country. Equality of opportunity is clearly demonstrated by the way the school cares well for all its pupils and offers them the same degree of challenge and high expectation, and ensures that there is no discrimination.  The gap in attainment between those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and others who are not has narrowed significantly in English and there is now very little difference. In mathematics, these pupils are two terms ahead of their classmates.  There is an excellent focus on the early development of pupils’ skills in reading across the school

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

with a key emphasis on improving phonics (the sounds that letters make). This is confirmed by the results of the screening check in reading for pupils aged six in 2012, which were well above those seen nationally. As a result, as pupils move up the school, they gain confidence in reading and broaden their skills. This contributes positively to raising their achievement even further across the different curriculum subjects.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers plan their lessons exceptionally well. Pupils start lessons by checking feedback on the tasks given by the teachers from the previous day. For example, during the inspection, in Year 5, pupils made corrections to spelling and grammar. In Year 6, pupils made use of different strategies to work out currency through multiplication problems before starting the main lesson task. This helps very well to focus on key concepts across the curriculum. As a result, teaching over time is outstanding.  An important characteristic of many lessons, particularly in English and mathematics, is the way that teachers prepare suitable levels of work for pupils of different abilities. They ensure that work is demanding but within each individual’s ability. This was well demonstrated in an outstanding English session in Year 4 where high quality teaching ensured progress for less-able pupils was equally as good as that of the more able as they completed extended descriptive

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

writing, albeit from their individual starting points.  The teaching of reading is a strength. Before lunch, everyone reads. Pupils read to each other or those who need extra help read in small groups with adults. Everyone strives to fulfil the ‘reading challenges’. This happens every day with a specific focus on checking progress made from the previous night’s reading at home and this helps to engage parents too.  Teachers plan extensive opportunities for pupils to discuss ideas together as ‘talking partners’, so they develop and consolidate excellent speaking, listening and team skills. These strategies, where teachers help pupils to sort out their ideas before putting pen to paper, are one of the reasons for the improvement in pupils’ standards in writing. Increasingly, teachers encourage excellent use of clear criteria for pupils to assess their own and their classmates’ work. They do this extremely well, discussing their work together and improving and refining its quality.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is of high quality, with appropriate use made of the learning environments, both indoors and outside. Teachers plan a highly enjoyable and wide range of practical activities for children such as developing reading, writing, and mathematical skills, using computers and investigative work in science such as the habitat of slugs. Teachers encourage children to challenge themselves and to be independent. Teachers intervene extremely effectively in children’s play, extending their thinking through very careful questioning.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and accurately. They tell pupils what they have done well, and identify errors. In writing, in particular, they often make clear suggestions to help pupils meet their literacy targets. However, this happens less frequently in the mathematical work that pupils have undertaken.  Teachers use with confidence the school’s up-to-date technology, as an aide for teaching and to

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

help check on the progress that pupils make. As a result, teachers successfully ensure that pupils use net books, interactive white boards and computers extensively in all subjects.  The contribution that teaching assistants make to pupils’ learning is mostly outstanding. Pupils with special educational needs and those supported through the pupil premium make rapid progress as a result of intensive individual support and personal programmes of work. However, there are occasions, particularly at the start of mathematics lessons, when the time of the support staff is not always used effectively enough. At these times, the pupils they are supporting do not make the rapid progress of which they are capable.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are highly aware of how to stay safe. Their behaviour is exemplary. This is because children’s social skills are carefully nurtured from the Nursery class onwards. This process is continually re-enforced as pupils move up the school. By the time they leave Year 6, they are highly mature ‘young adults’ in terms of their manners, politeness and the respect they have for adults around them.  In class, pupils display excellent attitudes to their work. They manage their own behaviour beautifully. They co-operate very well with each other and listen attentively to their teachers but also show high levels of application when working independently.  At the start of the day, pupils move around the school in an orderly manner, hanging coats, tidying away bags and entering the class ready for lessons to begin. During break times, they play cooperatively and are very keen to talk with each other. They are very well looked after by

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

adults so that the pupils say that they feel safe. Pupils have excellent social skills and learn these early. For instance, how to use a knife and fork properly in the Nursery when eating their lunch.  Pupils, parents and staff all agree that behaviour is ‘good’ and very well managed by the school. Pupils feel very safe in the school and there is no bullying or name calling. They are well aware of rewards and sanctions for any rare instances of inappropriate behaviour.  Pupils are very aware of the different types of bullying, including cyber-bullying and homophobic bullying. Cases of racial abuse are also rare and diminishing. When bullying does happen, it is dealt with swiftly and effectively by the school. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe from the dangers posed by electricity such as ‘not poking fingers in the socket’ as explained by a Year 2 pupil.  Attendance is high and there have been no exclusions in the school’s history. Pupils enjoy

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

coming to the school and they are proud of it. They feel this is the ‘best school in the world!’ and that ‘teachers are great!’  Pupils take on a wide range of responsibilities in the school, such as monitors, school councillors and zone-park leaders during lunch time. They take the initiative in raising funds for charities. As a result, they make a very positive contribution to the school and the wider community.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher is calm, respectful and an inspirational leader who puts the pupils at the heart of everything she does. Since the previous inspection and under her leadership, the school has maintained outstanding outcomes for its pupils in achievement, teaching, behaviour and safety. As a result, parents feel that this school makes an excellent contribution towards helping their children to be ready for the next stage of their education.  Senior and middle leaders play a full part in moving the school forward and improving the quality of its work. They improve teaching in their particular areas. They follow a very robust system of checks to ensure pupils achieve very well. These staff also provide targeted help to pupils when there is a risk that their achievement may dip. This meticulous system has a considerable impact on maintaining pupils’ consistently high levels of achievement.  The leadership of teaching is outstanding. This is because teachers’ targets are reviewed every

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The leadership and management are outstanding

term. The school is self-reflective in its teaching practices. For example, leaders have realised that outside courses bring short-term benefits only. As result, they have developed an in-school support programme that is helping teachers to improve their skills continuously.  The best practice in teaching in the school is shared effectively and there is very good quality support for those staff that have recently joined the school. This has a very positive impact on improving teaching further because the headteacher has developed their skills according to the needs of the school. Leaders and teachers are rewarded through pay progression only when this is deserved.  Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s performance and strong, focused plans are in place to continue to improve the school still further. All leaders in the school contribute to this process, meaning that they all have a very clear understanding of the school’s main strengths

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The leadership and management are outstanding

and areas for development. There is no complacency here.  The curriculum provides excellent opportunities for pupils to perform well academically but also to enjoy the extra-curricular activities the school offers to all pupils. These include a whole range of after-school clubs, modern foreign languages such as Spanish, sports, singing, music and residential visits such as to Winmarleigh Hall. This has a significant, positive impact on pupils’ attitudes, views and behaviour, as well as on their involvement in everyday school life.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is supported exceptionally well through the curriculum and it has an outstanding impact in cementing pupils’ first-class personal development and manners.  Links with parents are excellent. Parents feel this is a ‘listening’ school in which views of the school community are valued and so contribute to school improvements. Parents are very well

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The leadership and management are outstanding

supported through training such as in reading, phonics and writing so that they are able to support their children effectively.  The school receives ‘light touch’ support from the local authority which has confidence in the school’s own ability to sustain its high-quality development.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a wide range of professional expertise in areas such as education and finance. They have excellent knowledge of what happens in the school. They undertake regular training and this helps them to challenge school leaders very effectively and so contribute to maintaining outstanding pupils’ achievement. Governors make sure that appropriate safeguarding and child protection procedures are in place. Through scrutiny of the school’s finances, governors are well aware of how effectively pupil premium funding is used to support eligible pupils’ learning. They are well informed about the quality of teaching and of

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The leadership and management are outstanding

the progress pupils are making in all key stages. Governors know about teachers’ performance management and make sure that pay awards are approved where targets have been met.

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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 105924 Local authority Salford Inspection number 411811

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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 Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 235 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Naylor Headteacher Pamela Frayne Date of previous school inspection 20 September 2007 Telephone number 0161 728 2089 Fax number 0161 728 2091 Email address deans.primaryschool@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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