St Wilfrid's CofE Junior and Infant School

St Wilfrid's CofE Junior and Infant School Mabel Street, Newton Heath, Manchester, Greater Manchester , M40 1GB

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement.  Standards in English and mathematics are too variable and have not risen quickly enough over the past three years.  Progress from year to year for most pupils is not as good as it could be and the most able pupils do not make the progress they should.  Teaching is not consistently good or better throughout the school. Teachers do not use assessment as effectively as they should and the most able pupils are not challenged enough. The pace of learning is too slow in some lessons.  Leaders do not check the quality of teaching rigorously enough because their lesson observations do not focus sufficiently on how much pupils learn.  Leaders have yet to secure good achievement for all pupils throughout the school.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 The new headteacher has made a very positive start to bringing about school improvement.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage get off to a good start.  Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are beginning to improve.  Pupils behave well, attend school regularly and feel safe.  Good systems to improve teaching are in place and have begun to show positive results. There is some outstanding teaching in the school.  Governance is strong. It has steered the school through an uncertain period of leadership. As a result, there is greater stability and an increased capacity to continue improvement.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 16 lessons or part lessons  Meeting were held with senior leaders, subject leaders, members of the governing body, pupils and a representative from the local authority.  There were too few responses via the online questionnaire Parent View to gain a reliable picture of parents’ views of the school. However, inspectors took account of the most recent school survey of parents’ views as well as comments made during some informal discussions with parents.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and examined a wide range of documentation including: national assessment data and the school’s own assessments; local authority reports; the school’s own view of its work; minutes from governing body meetings; safeguarding information and samples of pupils’ work.

p.2

Inspection team

Kevin Johnson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jeremy Barnes Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 This is an average sized primary school. A few pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds but almost none speak English as an additional language.  A broadly average proportion of pupils are supported by school action.  A similar proportion are supported by school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is more than double the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government’s floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress at the end of Year 6.  The school provides a breakfast club for pupils during term time.  Privately run pre-school provision is available on the school site. This was not part of the school’s

p.3

Information about this school

inspection. A separate report is available on the Ofsted website.  The headteacher took up her appointment in September 2013.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better by:  making sure that there is a good pace of learning for all pupils in all lessons by matching work closely to their abilities, especially for the most able  checking during lessons to make sure that pupils are on track to achieve what they should and encouraging them to measure their own progress  marking all of pupils’ work rigorously, indicating where targets have been reached and what next steps are to be taken to improve further.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards in writing and mathematics by:  setting more aspirational targets for pupils, especially the most able, and checking progress constantly to make sure that they are reached  planning more opportunities for pupils to use mathematics knowledge and develop their skills in different ways across different subjects.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by:  checking the quality of teaching more rigorously with a much stronger focus during lesson observations on how much pupils learn.

p.3

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 When children enter Nursery their abilities are lower than expected for their age in the main areas of development. They are well cared for and their social and emotional development blossoms so that they become confident and eager to learn.  There are good opportunities for them to explore ideas, play and talk to each other. When they leave Reception most have reached the expected level for their age and are showing their readiness to move into Year 1.  Standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 show recent improvement, but over time improvement has been too slow. Most pupils reach broadly average standards but the proportion doing better than expected is too low. Although the results of the phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) screening check for pupils in Year 1 improved in 2013, the impact of the current good phonics teaching is not yet seen at the end of the key stage. Pupils’

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

work and school assessments show steady, rather than good progress, because of some lack of challenge especially for most able pupils.  The picture is similar in Years 3to6, with variable standards over time. Although an improving trend is evident it is not consistent. Standards in mathematics are below average at level 5 and broadly in line with the national proportion reaching the expected level 4, while English overall is also broadly average and showing room for improvement. Again, the proportion of pupils that reached better than average levels is lower than expected nationally.  Most pupils make expected progress from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2. Progress in general is improving, but too slowly. School assessments and target setting show that the school is not setting challenging enough targets, especially for the most able.  Pupils make steady progress in reading and more pupils in the current Year 2 are on track to

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

achieve well. They enjoy stories and use their knowledge of phonics well to tackle new words. They know the different features of fiction and non-fiction writing and read regularly at home. By the end of Year 6 pupils have positive attitudes to reading. They read fluently and with good expression to show that they understand the text.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are well supported. School assessments show that progress from their different starting points is at least in line with that of others and in some cases considerably better.  Over time the most able pupils have not achieved as well as expected and their progress is too slow. The school acknowledges this and is currently reviewing its targets for those pupils. Improvement in mathematics is helpfully promoted by links with a secondary school.  Pupils supported by the pupil premium make similar progress to others. Attainment gaps at the

p.4

The achievement of pupils requires improvement

end of Year 2 are generally narrower by the end of Year 6 and at least in line with the national picture for that group. In some cases pupils known to be eligible for free school meals make better progress than others in the school. Leaders recognise, nevertheless, that there is still scope for further narrowing of the gap.

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching over time has not been consistently good and has not promoted good progress. Teaching is improving, but weaknesses remain, especially in Key Stage 2. Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good.  Where teaching and learning are most effective there is urgency about getting pupils down to work. Teaching assistants play an important part by taking small groups who do not need to sit through the opening part of the lesson.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is good and they often use this to plan challenging and interesting work.  The outstanding lessons are full of pace, variety and interesting challenges. Teachers make clear what pupils are expected to learn and set their sights very high. Pupils know when they have succeeded and this motivates them to go for the next challenge.  Teachers promote pupils’ personal development well. They expect good behaviour and strong commitment. Pupils in Year 6, for example, worked very well together when re-writing

p.4

The quality of teaching requires improvement

‘Cinderella’ stories using different characters and situations from the original tale.  A good feature of the best lessons is the way that teachers plan carefully for all abilities. A Year 1 class was divided into 6 groups for literacy work, making sure that all pupils from the most to the least able were properly involved. All made good progress as a result.  Handwriting is taught well and teachers maintain high expectations about the way work is presented. There is also a good range of writing to be seen in pupils’ books and in displays of work.  In mathematics, pupils sometimes investigate numbers by using the knowledge they already have to solve problems. However, overall, there are too few opportunities for pupils to develop mathematics skills and knowledge in practical ways across different subjects.  The most able pupils are not always well provided for. Too often their learning is not taken that

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

step further because teachers’ expectations are too low or, at times, too high. Either way, this limits the pace of learning and the progress pupils make in lessons.  A further aspect that requires improvement is teachers’ use of assessment. They do not check as thoroughly as they could during lessons whether pupils are making good progress either by questioning or involving pupils in their own progress checks.  The guidance given to pupils through marking is weak. The quality of marking varies from good in some literacy books to pieces of work not marked in other subjects. Generally, pupils are not informed clearly enough when they have reached a target or how to improve with the next piece of work.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school and contribute well to its everyday life. The active school council gives every pupil a say in school affairs. Pupils are conscientious and reliable in carrying out their various duties as lunchtime helpers, infant carers or managing the audio equipment during assemblies.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development is good. They invariably behave well in lessons and around the school. A hallmark of their behaviour and the school’s Christian values is the way they respect others’ views, whatever their backgrounds and circumstances. Pupils are very polite and well mannered. They have good awareness of cultural lifestyles other than their own, not least though their impressive art work linked to different countries and religious beliefs.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school. They understand clearly the different forms that bullying can take, including misuse of the internet, and are alert to potential risks outside the school.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

They state strongly that there is no bullying or offensive name-calling and relationships are good. Pupils are confident that help is always at hand when needed and that they are well cared for in school. Parents support that view and raise no concerns about the care provided by staff or their children’s safety.  Pupils’ attendance is above average and there are no issues with punctuality, which is helped by the breakfast club.  Pupils are keen to learn in and out of school. They enjoy after-school sports but would like a wider choice of clubs. Their good attitudes are a strong contribution to their progress and they are generally well prepared socially and emotionally for secondary education.

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

 In the short time since her appointment the headteacher’s leadership has had considerable impact. She has established a cohesive working team, supported by effective senior leaders whose classroom skills provide strong role models for colleagues.  New systems for management are in place and teachers agree that their performance and opportunities for development are more focused than previously.  The headteacher has responded well to the support offered by the local authority who recognise her potential, along with that of senior leaders and governors, to lead the school successfully to ‘good’.  Nevertheless, leaders recognise that there is still work to be done to make up for slow progress in the past and that central to this is improving teaching. Leaders’ incisive checking of the school’s work has accurately indentified priorities for improvement.  School records show that there has already been improvement in some teaching with a few

p.5

The leadership and management requires improvement

individual inconsistencies ironed out. However, important aspects, such the setting of more challenging targets, providing for the most able pupils and leaders’ checking on progress require more work.  The curriculum is improving. There have been recent changes to subject leadership and staff are preparing enthusiastically for the new primary curriculum in 2014. Specific training for leadership in physical education is underway to make sure that the quality of provision through the primary schools sports funding is maintained in the longer-term.  The governance of the school:  Governance is a strength of the school’s leadership. The governing body has worked very hard since the last inspection to steer the school successfully through a time of difficult issues surrounding the school’s leadership. There is a good range of knowledge and expertise among governors. They have a clear action plan and a comprehensive training programme. The

p.6

The leadership and management requires improvement

governing body is well equipped to hold the school to account, particularly with regard to standards. They have reviewed the way the pupil premium funding is used in order to be sure that the impact is properly measured and that eligible pupils benefit fully in the future. Sports funding is also planned well and specialist coaches are providing skills sessions for pupils and supporting staff in their teaching. Governors have a good overview of teaching quality in the school and how it is linked to the salaries structure. General duties surrounding management of finances and policy reviews are carried out efficiently and safeguarding procedures meet all government requirements.

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 105496 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 429639

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 controlled Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 241 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Robin Pinner Headteacher Anne Fox Date of previous school inspection 14 June 2012 Telephone number 0161 6811385 Fax number 0161 6811318 Email address admin@st-wilfrids.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