Micklehurst All Saints CofE Primary School

Micklehurst All Saints CofE Primary School The Rowans, Micklehurst, Mossley, Lancashire, OL5 9DR

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils’ progress has improved rapidly, particularly over the last year, and achievement is now good across the school.  Major improvements to provision in the Nursery and Reception classes since the last inspection ensure children get a good start to their education.  Better teaching in younger classes has raised attainment at the end of Year 2.  Pupils in Key Stage 2 made good progress in reading, writing and mathematics last year from their individual starting points. Progress was exceptionally good in Years 5 and 6.  Much-improved leadership at all levels has strengthened the quality of teaching throughout the school. As a consequence, achievement has improved in all age groups.  Achievement in reading is particularly strong.  Better assessments of pupils’ progress have helped the school to ensure different groups of pupils all achieve equally well.  Pupils greatly enjoy school, behave well and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

are keen to learn. They feel safe and have great confidence that the adults and their friends will help to take care of them.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Previous underachievement in mathematics, and consequent gaps in pupils’ skills and knowledge, mean that the achievement of older pupils in mathematics lags behind that in English.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to use and apply their mathematics skills in other subjects.  A small proportion of teaching requires improvement because of inconsistencies in practice.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 17 lessons, two of these as joint observations with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with staff, representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. A telephone conversation was held with the school’s improvement partner.  Formal meetings were held with several groups of pupils from Years 2, 3, 5 and 6 and many others were spoken to informally. Pupils in Years 1 and 6 read to inspectors.  The views of 26 parents who responded to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were taken into account, as were those of 13 staff who returned questionnaires.  Examples of pupils’ work were analysed.  Pupils were observed in assemblies and at break times.  A variety of documentation was checked, with a particular emphasis on that related to safeguarding, data on pupils’ attainment and progress and paperwork about teachers’ performance and its management.

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Inspection team

Steven Hill, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Robert Birtwell Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average sized primary school. It has a Nursery class that operates in the mornings only.  Most pupils are White British, with an average proportion from a variety of different minority ethnic groups. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is a little greater than in most schools.  The proportion of pupils entitled to support from the pupil premium is double the national 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 children who are looked after.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported at school action is average. The proportion supported at school action plus or who have statements of special educational needs is also average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are minimum expectations set

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Information about this school

for pupils’ attainment and progress.  There have been major changes in teaching staff since the last inspection, including to the senior leadership team. After a period when an executive headteacher from another local school was in charge, a new headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed.  There is a children’s centre on the school site which is not managed by the school. This is inspected and reported upon separately.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that the many strengths in practice are consistent between lessons, particularly by:  ensuring that work is always set at the right level for pupils of different abilities, especially for the most able and particularly in mathematics lessons  making sure that the progress of different groups of pupils is checked frequently enough in all lessons  providing pupils with time to respond to their teachers’ comments on their written work  making increased use of challenging questions, so that pupils are always encouraged to think more deeply about their work.  Improve achievement in mathematics by:  systematically identifying the shortcomings in pupils’ skills and understanding in the subject and taking action to plug these gaps  providing pupils with more opportunities to use and apply their skills in mathematics in different subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children start in the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and understanding that, while varying between individuals and from year to year, are much lower than those seen typically for children of this age. Because provision is much better than at the previous inspection, children now make good progress. However, because of their low starting points, they still go into Year 1 with attainment lower than that expected nationally.  Progress across Key Stage 1 has improved in the last two years. As a result, the attainment of the pupils who finished Year 2 in 2013 was close to average. Standards had been significantly below average for several years previously.  Variable rates of progress across Key Stage 2 combined with very low starting points resulted in below average attainment at the end of Year 6 in past years.  Progress across Key Stage 2 is now much more consistent and is particularly strong in reading.

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The achievement of pupils is good

Consequently, standards of attainment are rapidly improving and current pupils in Year 6 are on track to reach average standards by the end of the year.  Although good overall, pupils’ progress in mathematics continues to be a relative weakness because many older pupils have some substantial gaps in their basic understanding due to previous weaknesses in the quality of teaching.  Pupils who are entitled to support from the pupil premium achieve similar standards to their classmates. In 2013, such pupils in Year 6 were about half a term behind other pupils in reading, marginally behind in writing and marginally ahead of their classmates in mathematics. The progress of these pupils across the school is not significantly different from that of others; sometimes they do a little better than their classmates and at other times lag a little behind.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress once they have settled

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The achievement of pupils is good

into school and their progress accelerates as they become more fluent. Like their classmates, they do particularly well in reading, with mathematics a relative weakness.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved since the last inspection and continues to do so. It is now good at each key stage. Some teaching is outstanding, but a small amount still requires improvement. For some aspects of teaching, elements which are strengths in most lessons are weaknesses in others. Examples of good teaching were observed in every class during the inspection. Work in pupils’ books and the good progress made in each class last year confirms that this is typical.  Teachers are very successful in engaging pupils’ interests and enthusiasm, so that they enjoy learning and concentrate well. Good relationships, clear expectations and well-established routines ensure that lessons are orderly, pupils are calm, know what they are doing and ready to learn. Pupils told inspectors that lessons are fun.  Improved assessment systems mean that teachers have a much clearer knowledge of each pupil’s attainment and progress and can plan work for them at the right level. This is often done

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The quality of teaching is good

well, with pupils of different abilities all making good progress as a result.  In a few lessons, the work planned for some pupils is too difficult and they struggle to cope, although, in most such cases, the intervention of skilled adults clarifies their understanding and helps them succeed. Sometimes, there is not enough challenge provided for the most able pupils. For example, when they have to do the same work as everyone else before moving to more challenging tasks, when they could have coped with the harder work from the start. This can be a particular issue in mathematics lessons.  Teachers are generally careful to check the ongoing progress of all pupils in the class, often using extra adults well to ensure that everyone is on track and challenging pupils to extend their thinking and refine their work. Occasionally, if the adults focus entirely on particular groups of pupils, misconceptions in other groups may not be addressed quickly enough.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Where learning is most successful, teachers ask searching questions to challenge pupils to extend and explain their ideas and to enhance their understanding. In a few lessons, questions do not challenge pupils enough but simply check that they have understood key points.  The marking of pupils’ written work is thorough. It clearly points out what has been done well, identifies mistakes, often gives pupils useful pointers for future success, asks them for more detail, or asks for clarification of pupils’ thinking. However, far too often, there is no evidence that teachers give pupils time or insist that they to respond to this marking and so pupils do not always make as much progress as they could.  Teaching is good in the Reception and Nursery classes. Good use is made of the outdoor area, a major improvement since the last inspection. Adults are skilled in intervening in children’s play to extend their vocabulary and understanding, ensuring they make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of pupils’ literacy and information and communication technology skills in a range of subjects. However, they do not give pupils enough chance to practise and apply what they learn in mathematics in other areas of learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. They have good relationships with each other and with staff. Boys and girls from different backgrounds play together happily and work together effectively in class. They enjoy the many opportunities they have to work in pairs or small groups and do so well. They listen to each other attentively and contribute their own ideas thoughtfully.  Pupils enjoy learning and are keen to succeed. They work hard in class and take a pride in their successes. When required, they work very well independently with only minimal adult support. Their positive attitudes are often reflected in a good standard of presentation in their written work.  Pupils themselves have positive but realistic views of behaviour, admitting that friends sometimes fall out (especially over football!), but say that they can usually sort out arguments themselves and have great confidence that adults will resolve any issues they cannot. Parents

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

are similarly positive about behaviour in the school.  Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying and understand the difference between this and other kinds of inadequate behaviour. They say that bullying is extremely rare and are confident that the adults would deal with any instances that did occur.  Pupils’ great enjoyment of school is only just starting to be reflected in their attendance. Substantial efforts by the school raised attendance to be broadly average last year and early indications since September are that it continues to improve.  Pupils say they feel very safe in school and parents confirm this view. They learn how to keep themselves safe in a variety of ways. The pupils in Year 6 particularly enjoyed their day working with the ‘Crucial Crew’ on keeping safe and could explain in detail much of what they learned.  The school is successful in helping to improve the behaviour of pupils with emotional and social

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

problems who initially struggle to conform to expectations. Over time, their behaviour improves and consequently, so does their achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Strong leadership from the headteacher and deputy, ably backed by an increasingly effective staff team, has driven significant improvements in teaching and consequent improvements in pupils’ progress.  The school is beginning to identify the remaining shortcomings in mathematics achievement and is taking a variety of effective steps to address them, such as specific extra teaching for pupils in Year 6. However, there has not yet been a systematic analysis of the gaps in pupils’ understanding.  Regular monitoring of lessons is now linked to frequent analysis of the progress of pupils. Teachers are held fully to account for the progress of their classes. Middle leaders play an increasingly effective part in driving improvements.  The systems outlined above mean that teachers’ performance is managed effectively, underperformance is being tackled and good performance suitably rewarded.  The improved assessment systems underpin the good provision to ensure equality of

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The leadership and management are good

opportunity, with effective interventions to address any shortcomings in progress, ensuring similar achievement for all pupils whatever their individual stating points. This is exemplified by the effective use of pupil premium funds to ensure that pupils are given the social and academic support relevant to their particular needs, so that they achieve as well as others.  Good management of the provision for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs ensures they get the support they need and make good progress.  The school provides a good curriculum which has particular strengths in supporting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. There are useful links made between biblical parables and pupils’ everyday lives that strongly support their understanding of moral issues. A range of interesting activities in lessons and opportunities for visits elsewhere all contribute to

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The leadership and management are good

pupils’ enthusiasm for learning and their progress.  The school is at an early stage in spending and analysing the effectiveness of the extra funding provided to support sports and physical education. Some useful initiatives are already underway, particularly the use of external expertise in dance which is enthusing pupils in lessons and in after-school clubs, as well as providing a model of good practice to staff for the future. This is adding to pupils’ existing enthusiasm for exercise and sport and their physical well-being.  The local authority has provided good support to the school, not least in brokering the appointment of an executive headteacher to help the school cope with major staffing changes, as well as specific help in improving the provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The governance of the school:  Governors are very supportive of the school. A suitable emphasis on safeguarding has ensured

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The leadership and management are good

that these systems meet statutory requirements. Better systems to keep governors informed about the school’s work, including the performance of teachers and data about pupils’ progress, place the governing body in a much stronger position to challenge the school. They have begun to do this much more effectively, although this is not as systematic as it might be. At times, governors are challenging practice after the event rather than at the planning stage. Not all governors have placed enough emphasis on the impact of initiatives, although better information is leading to improvements in this area. A number of new appointments to the governing body who have specific, relevant expertise, as well as a good uptake of relevant training for governors, have strengthened its capacity to hold the school to account.

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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 106235 Local authority Tameside Inspection number 427254

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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 189 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Les Meakin Headteacher Laura Trelfa Date of previous school inspection 14 September 2010 Telephone number 01457 832128 Fax number 01457 832121 Email address admin@micklehurstallsaints.tameside.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 .

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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

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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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