CofE School of the Resurrection

CofE School of the Resurrection Pilgrim Drive, Beswick, Lancashire, M11 3TJ

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Pupils make excellent progress across the school in a range of subjects and consistently reach high levels of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. This represents outstanding achievement from their starting points on entry to the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Pupils enjoy reading and their skills in this subject often exceed their years. They read widely in school and at home.  Their writing is of the same high standard and they value the many opportunities they have to write to politicians, members of the Church and airmen at RAF Lossiemouth.  There is a similar picture in mathematics and pupils’ exceptional calculation skills enable them to solve increasingly difficult problems. Their awareness and use of mathematical language is, however, a little underdeveloped.  As a result of excellent support from the highly committed team of teaching assistants

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and additional staff, pupils who speak English as an additional language, those known to be eligible for free school meals and those who sometimes find the work difficult make the same outstanding progress as others.  The quality of teaching is outstanding and has improved since the previous inspection. Adults have very strong relationships with their pupils and challenge them relentlessly so that they reach and in many cases exceed their targets.  Pupils are very proud of their school and of all those connected with it. Their behaviour is impeccable and they feel safe because, in their words, ‘No one is alone here and the grown- ups are like hawks watching over us!’ Attendance is consistently high.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well. The school is akin to an art gallery and the walls are adorned with pupils’ paintings, drawings and 3-D sculptures.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The inspirational headteacher is supported to the full by a most talented senior team. Governors support the school strongly in all it tries to do but they hold leaders to account with the utmost rigour. Outstanding leadership at all levels has brought about significant improvements since the previous inspection. The school does not rest on its laurels, however, and leaders recognise that outdoor learning experiences in the Early Years Foundation Stage are not always as effective as they are indoors.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 16 lessons or part-lessons. One observation was made jointly with a member of the senior leadership team. Inspectors also attended two school assemblies and visited the art exhibition at the Victoria Baths in Longsight, which was part of the school’s involvement in the Manchester Arts Education Initiative. In addition, they observed the play performed by pupils in Year 5, which was part of the same project.  Inspectors spoke to three groups of pupils, including representatives of the school council. They also had meetings with four members of the governing body, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, support staff and the senior leadership team. In addition, they spoke informally with parents at the beginning and end of the school day.  Inspectors took account of 17 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and of 13 responses to the staff questionnaire.

p.2

Information about this inspection

 They observed the school at work and considered a range of documentation including internal and external pupil progress and attainment data, pupils’ workbooks, school development planning and procedures to enable the school to gain an accurate view of its own performance. In addition, they scrutinised documentation in relation to safeguarding, child protection, attendance and behaviour.

p.2

Inspection team

Jim Kidd, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Peter McKay Additional Inspector Janet Keefe Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. There are more girls than boys.  The proportion of pupils supported by school action is just below average. The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is also below that usually seen.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional funding for those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after) is high, at over half the school population.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is twice the national average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is a nationally accredited Healthy School and holds the Artsmark (Gold) and

p.3

Information about this school

Activemark (Gold) awards and also the Sing Up Gold Award. It also has strong links with 617 Squadron RAF and has received the Squadron Commander’s commendation for outstanding contribution to RAF Lossiemouth.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the quality of learning experiences for children in the outdoor area of the Early Years Foundation Stage is as good as it is in the indoor classroom.  Give pupils more opportunities to become aware of, and use actively, the language of mathematics.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Although it can vary from year to year, children generally enter the Nursery with skills and knowledge which are below those expected for their age. For a significant proportion, their skills are well below those expected, particularly in communication, language, literacy and personal development. Children grow enormously in confidence during the two years in the Early Years Foundation Stage and by the end of Reception, they are confident to talk to visitors and to involve them in their learning.  This excellent progress continues throughout the rest of the school and pupils reach high standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave. Inspection evidence, including discussions with pupils, scrutiny of their work and observations of lessons, shows that they achieve outstandingly well both personally and academically. Indeed, in both Years 5 and 6, their skills in reading and writing in particular are every bit as good as those seen in the early

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

years of secondary school.  Pupils enjoy learning and are very keen to find things out for themselves. In a Key Stage 1 mathematics lesson, for example, there were shrieks of delight when they used balances to gauge the relative weight of items of food. Their literacy skills were reinforced, too, when they were required to use ‘heavier than’, ‘the same as’ and ‘lighter than’ when reporting what they had found. The school recognises that, on occasions, pupils’ knowledge and use of mathematical language is underdeveloped.  Pupils also make the same outstanding progress in subjects other than English and mathematics. Pupils in Year 5, for example, talk confidently and accurately about the suffering of innocent victims of war. They go further, and demonstrate their excellent understanding of how the First World War broke out through their enviable skills in drama. Similarly, in Year 6 the ‘Resurrection

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

Dancers’ perform quite complex routines exceptionally well to illustrate the meaning of Titian’s painting ‘Noli Me Tangere.’  As a result of the very well-considered use of pupil premium money, to provide focused support for reading and to ensure that pupils can take part in a wide range of cultural activities, including music, dance and drama, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals make the same outstanding progress as others in the school and reach the same high standards.  This is also true for disabled pupils, those with special educational needs and those who speak English as an additional language. This is the result of an ideal balance between support and challenge for pupils from the excellent team of teaching assistants and additional staff.  The vast majority of parents who responded to the Parent View are entirely satisfied with the progress their children are making.

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Over time, pupils have benefited from outstanding teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Indeed, during the inspection, outstanding teaching was seen in all of these key stages.  There are strong relationships between adults and pupils, and lesson planning is founded on an accurate assessment of how well pupils are doing and leads to activities which are exactly what each individual needs to make the maximum progress.  Teachers monitor pupils’ learning closely during lessons and they are never afraid to modify their approach if they believe that it is not meeting pupils’ learning needs closely enough. As a result, the pace of learning is rapid and pupils are sometimes quite surprised at what they are able to achieve.  Pupils benefit from teachers’ high expectations of what they can do. In a Year 5 literacy lesson, for example, pupils were challenged orally to use a range of words and phrases to connect

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

different aspects of a story. They rose to the challenge with gusto and used complex language such as ‘furthermore’, ‘as a result of’, ‘consequently’ and ‘due to the fact that’ quite naturally and in context. Pupils enjoy finding things out for themselves and they willingly take responsibility for their own learning and progress.  The teaching of reading is a major strength. Phonics (letters and sounds) lessons teach pupils how to split more complex words up and then how to join them back together, in order to help them pronounce them accurately. These sessions are often on a one-to-one basis for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. As a consequence, almost all pupils reached the expected standard in reading in the Year 1 phonics check and all pupils reached National Curriculum Level 4 or above by the end of Year 6, with a high proportion reaching Level 5.  The school places an equal emphasis on teaching pupils to write effectively and in detail and

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

pupils write letters to Church officials, politicians and airmen from 617 Squadron. These letters are a byword in grammatical accuracy.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly, celebrate their effort and attainment and give them accurate advice on their next steps in learning.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils represent their school and their families outstandingly well. They are welcoming and courteous to visitors, display excellent manners and behave impeccably in lessons and around the school site. They feel valued and talk with immense pride about how their teachers and teaching assistants support them and challenge them to succeed in everything they do. They feel utterly safe in school because, in their words, ‘The grown-ups and our friends are always there to help us.’  Parents are of the same opinion and all those who completed the online questionnaire believe their children are safe and happy in school. As one said at the beginning of the inspection, ‘This is such a caring school and our children look forward to coming every day!’ It is hardly surprising that attendance is consistently high.  Pupils speak with one voice about the lack of bullying in school. They say that the school teaches

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

them about the many different forms of bullying, including racism and bullying based on prejudice. Their view is that such behaviour is very rare indeed and is addressed immediately whenever it occurs. Indeed, inspectors found that the school is not only a haven of calm, it is also racially harmonious. Pupils celebrate cultures and religions which are different to their own.  Pupils enjoy taking responsibility. Members of the school council, for example, express the views of their constituents with confidence and are never afraid to make suggestions about how the school can be further improved.  The school’s promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. The vibrant displays of pupils’ art work adorn the entrance hall and corridors as do the models made by pupils as part of the National Gallery Take One Picture Scheme. The choir is an important part of school life and even sings songs in Latin. Year 6 Resurrection dancers fascinate

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

pupils in assembly and Year 5 perform their play about the origins of the First World War to the local community and beyond.  Pupils display an enviable social conscience and continue to raise large sums of money for a variety of charities. They have a keen sense of right of wrong and are always sensitive to the feelings of others.  One comment sums up just how much pupils value what the school does for them: ‘Our school gives us real confidence and we feel proud that we are able to reach such high goals.’

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

 Parents pay tribute to the leadership of the school by saying, ‘Our school is the focal point of the community and has the highest expectations of our children and ourselves. The headteacher should never retire!’  Staff feel privileged to work in the school and believe they are both supported and challenged by the exceptional headteacher and by the skilful and committed senior leadership team. In their words, ‘Senior staff lead by example and demand the best from everyone.’  The leadership is ever concerned to raise the aspirations of pupils and their families and it engenders a ‘can do’ approach in all its activities. Pupils are encouraged to ‘reach for the stars’ and not just to meet their challenging targets, but to exceed them. The impact of this approach is there for all to see: pupils across the school reach high standards in everything they undertake.  Performance appraisal arrangements are secure and very often lead to focused in-service

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

training, the impact of which is fully evaluated and which has one overriding aim, the continued acceleration of pupils’ progress.  The curriculum is complemented by a wide range of cultural experiences and by a variety of extra-curricular clubs, visits and visitors. The school is currently considering how it can ensure that the outdoor area in the Early Years Foundation Stage provides the same high quality of learning experiences for children that it does indoors.  The school promotes equality of opportunity outstandingly well and it rejects discrimination in all its forms. Child protection and safeguarding policies and practice fully meet current requirements.  The school ‘buys in’ local authority support for particular projects. Of late, the local authority has provided strong support for developments in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The governance of the school:  Governors are very well informed about school performance in all areas of its life. They are

p.6

The leadership and management are outstanding

fully aware of the progress pupils are making and also of how the leadership is attempting to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Indeed, they work alongside subject leaders to scrutinise pupils’ work and sometimes visit lessons to watch teaching at first hand. They oversee the spending of pupil premium funding and monitor closely the impact of this spending on the attainment and progress of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The governing body supports the school to the full but is always ready to ask searching questions of the leadership if its feels necessary to do so. Governors are actively involved in performance appraisal arrangements and ensure that staff only receive financial reward if they meet their classroom targets for pupil progress.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 105547 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 412333

p.8

School details

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

p.8

School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 257 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andy Harland Headteacher Maureen Hogarth Date of previous school inspection 5 May 2009 Telephone number 0161 2233163 Fax number 0161 2238281 Email address admin@resurrection.manchester.sch.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9