Mauldeth Road Primary School

Mauldeth Road Primary School Mauldeth Road, Withington, Manchester, M14 6GS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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.  All pupils achieve well. They make good progress in reading and writing and outstanding progress in mathematics.  Teaching is typically good and there is some which is outstanding. Teachers plan interesting lessons which are set at the right level of difficulty for pupils of different abilities.  The school provides extensive and effective support for pupils who are at risk of falling behind. This enables them to keep up with others in their class and achieve well.  Leaders strongly promote pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development. All pupils work well together and show high levels of respect to all adults and other pupils.  Relationships between pupils and adults are very good. As a result, pupils have excellent attitudes to learning. They feel safe and behave well around the school.  Parents have very positive views of the school and feel their children are happy, safe and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

cared for well.  The headteacher has created a united and committed team of staff. Actions taken have led to improvements in the Early Years Foundation Stage and pupils’ attendance since the previous inspection.  Governors provide a good balance of challenge and support. They understand how well the school is doing and where further improvements can be made.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always allow pupils to move on quickly with their work, when they understand it, especially those who are most able. This slows their progress down.  The quality of marking varies across the school. It does not always show pupils how to improve their work.  Leaders collect information about pupils’ progress but do not analyse it fully to obtain a clear overview of how well all different groups and different classes are doing in reading, writing and mathematics.  Leaders do not make full use of information about pupils’ progress to improve teaching further.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in all classes. They saw 19 part-lessons, four of which were jointly observed with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  Discussions were held with groups of pupils, members of the leadership team, the headteacher and the Chair of the Governing Body. The inspection team also spoke to a representative from the local authority by telephone.  Inspectors took account of the 32 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). They also spoke informally to parents as they brought their children to school.  Responses to the inspection questionnaire were received from 29 staff and their views were taken into account.  Inspectors listened to pupils read, spoke with them about their learning and reviewed the work in their books.  A number of documents were reviewed, including the school’s checks on how well it is doing, the school improvement plan, data on pupils’ current progress, leaders’ reports following lesson

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Information about this inspection

observations, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Heather Simpson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Anthony Buckley Additional Inspector Pamela Hemphill Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is larger than most primary schools.  A breakfast club operates on the school site but is not managed by the governing body so was not visited during this inspection.  The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises of a Nursery and two Reception classes.  The large majority of pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic backgrounds. Over a third of pupils is of Pakistani heritage and make up the largest pupil group.  The proportion of pupils learning English as an additional language is well above average.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is above the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, those children looked after by the local authority, or from families with a parent in the armed forces.  An above average proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is

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Information about this school

supported through school action. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The numbers of pupils leaving or joining the school other than at the normal time is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Since the previous inspection, some members of staff have been promoted to new roles, including the deputy headteacher and numeracy leader. The numbers on roll have also increased as the school is moving towards becoming a two-form entry primary school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure teaching is at least good and increase the proportion of outstanding teaching to accelerate pupils’ progress, by making sure that:  the most able pupils are quickly moved on to harder work in lessons, where appropriate  teachers consistently provide helpful guidance which tells pupils how to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management, including governance, by:  regularly tracking and analysing the progress of all classes and different groups of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics  developing the role of all leaders, especially those new to their leadership posts, in using all of the information about pupils’ progress to improve teaching further.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage either in Nursery or the Reception year. Their skills and knowledge are below those typical for their age. They make good progress because adults plan a wide range of exciting and worthwhile activities both indoors and outdoors which develop their early skills. Standards at the end of the Early Year Foundation Stage are variable but children make good progress from their starting points and a higher proportion are working at the levels expected by the time they enter Year 1.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 are below average but this is affected by significant mobility of pupils leaving and joining the school at times others than the normal transition points. School information and work in pupils’ books shows that pupils make good progress and standards are rising. Attainment in writing is average and reading and mathematics are improving.  Standards at the end of Key Stage 2 are now average overall. However, pupils make good

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The achievement of pupils is good

progress in English and outstanding progress in mathematics from their starting points. This is because lessons are well planned and high levels of challenge are presented. As a result, the proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels is slightly above the national average.  Pupils get off to a good start in reading and make good progress because letters and sounds are taught well from the outset. For example, in 2012, half of the pupils reached the expected standard in the Year 1 reading check but by the time they reached Year 2 in 2013, three quarters were reading at the expected level. Progress in reading in Key Stage 2 is also good and pupils enjoy reading a wide range of texts.  Although attainment in writing dipped in 2013, pupils’ progress in writing is good across the school. Teachers have very high expectations and insist on, and receive, high quality work which is extremely well presented. The proportion of pupils who reached the level required in the new

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The achievement of pupils is good

spelling, punctuation and grammar test in 2013 was above average and significantly above average at the higher level.  Higher ability pupils, those learning English as an additional language and Pakistani pupils make the same rates of progress as others in their class. This is because their love of learning is fostered well in all classes.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. The school successfully helps pupils to develop positive attitudes to learning and as a result, they achieve or get close to the standards expected by the time they leave the school. Additional teaching is very effective in helping pupils keep up with their classmates.  The school uses its pupil premium funding well to provide additional support in literacy and numeracy, to improve attendance and to subsidise trips and clubs for those who are known to be eligible. They make good progress overall along with others in the school. Year 6 pupils in

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The achievement of pupils is good

2013 were less than one term behind in reading and writing and less than two terms behind in mathematics.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good and there are some examples where it is outstanding. Pupils are given interesting and appropriate activities which help them to make good progress.  There are many strengths in teaching and where this is consistently good, teachers build on pupils’ prior learning and extend their current skills and knowledge. Work is set at different levels so that the difficulty is right for pupils of varying abilities. Teachers also check on progress throughout the lesson and provide additional support as needed.  Some teaching is outstanding. This is where teachers have excellent subject knowledge and set very demanding and challenging work which makes pupils think really hard. For example, in a mathematics lesson for Year 5 and 6 pupils, the teacher set very taxing problems for all groups. Pupils could not wait to get started and their concentration levels were exceptionally high. As a

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The quality of teaching is good

result, their mathematical development was excellent.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress because teachers plan activities which are exciting and develop their early skills. They ask questions skilfully to check children’s understanding and extend their thinking. Adults guide and skilfully interact with children and expertly build on their interests. As a result, children are well engaged in activities and develop the ability to work on their own and make choices for themselves.  Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning and work effectively with class teachers. They provide good support for individuals or small groups both within the classroom and run additional sessions outside the classroom for those who are in danger of falling behind.  In some lessons, the most able pupils are not given hard enough work. Sometimes they have to listen to teachers’ explanations when they already understand; they are kept waiting too long

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The quality of teaching is good

before being able to tackle more challenging work. This reduces the amount of work they produce and progress they make.  Teachers mark pupils’ books regularly but the guidance and advice provided to help pupils improve their work further is inconsistent.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils have highly positive attitudes to their learning and want to do well. They work hard during lessons and are keen to discuss their work. Where teaching is outstanding, their love of learning increases and this has a strong impact on their progress.  Classrooms and areas around school are tidy and well maintained and pupils wear their school uniform with pride.  Pupils are well behaved at all times during the day, including break times and lunchtimes. Pupils from a wide range of backgrounds play well together and are polite and well mannered to each other and to adults. Behaviour is consistently well managed throughout the school and pupils say that behaviour is good. A scrutiny of behavioural records shows that behaviour is also good over time. Those who are new to the school say that behaviour is much better than in previous schools they have attended.  Pupils have a good level of understanding about the different types of bullying, including verbal,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

physical and cyber-bullying. They do not feel that bullying is an issue in their school but say they know who to talk to if they feel upset and that any such issues are dealt with swiftly. Parents also feel that behaviour is good and that the school deals appropriately with any incidents that happen.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils feel safe at school and parents who expressed their views support this. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and are aware of potential dangers, including using the internet.  Leaders strongly promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils have time to reflect, know the difference between right and wrong, and have a very high level of understanding and appreciation about other cultures and beliefs as these are taught well. They treat each other and all adults with respect and work well together in lessons.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy coming to school and this is shown in their improving attendance, which is now slightly above average. This is as a result of successful actions taken by leaders and the effective use of the pupil premium to employ an attendance officer.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, ably supported by his leadership team, has created a calm, welcoming and purposeful climate for learning. Staff morale is high and pupils enjoy lessons and have positive attitudes to school. As one pupil said, ‘learning will help us get further in life’.  Senior leaders know their school well and their evaluations are mostly accurate. Attainment dipped after the previous inspection but it is now recovering well. Areas for development are identified and actions taken have led to measurable improvement, for example improved attendance and different, effective approaches to teaching reading and writing. Good support is also provided for those who are newly qualified teachers in order to ensure that they quickly become as skilled and experienced as their colleagues.  Leaders track the progress that pupils are making by collecting information, but they do not analyse this information regularly or look at the progress made by all groups in different

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The leadership and management are good

subjects. As a result, they cannot be sure of quickly providing additional support for those who most need it.  Senior leaders carry out checks on teaching, but these are not always regular enough and some leaders are new to their roles so have limited experience to date. Information collected is also not always focused sharply enough on the progress pupils are making or used to improve the quality of teaching.  Annual targets are set for all teachers and these are linked to whole-school priorities and teachers’ own personal development.  Literacy, numeracy and computing skills are well developed in other subject areas. A wide variety of clubs, visits and visitors also provide memorable experiences for pupils, including a residential visit to an outdoor centre in upper Key Stage 2.  Leaders are using the new primary school sport funding to pay for specialist sports coaches to promote different sports and participation in competitive sport. Already, pupils are showing

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The leadership and management are good

greater skills in sports such as basketball and increased numbers are participating. Staff members also observe or teach these sessions so that they will continue in the future.  The local authority provides light touch support, such as checking that teachers’ assessments of pupils’ work are accurate. It also keeps a watchful eye on the school data and is keen to provide support to leaders if requested.  The governance of the school:  Governors provide a good balance of challenge and support to senior leaders. They have a broad view of the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement as they meet regularly and visit classrooms. They know how well the school is doing in comparison with other similar schools including how the pupil premium is used and its impact. Governors set targets for the headteacher and are aware of how teachers’ performance is managed. Governors take part in regular training and their range of skills and expertise mean that they fulfil their statutory

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The leadership and management are good

duties, for example in relation to finance and safeguarding. As a result, current safeguarding arrangements meet requirements.

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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 105426 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 440349

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 395 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Janice Orchard Headteacher Andrew Kilcoyne Date of previous school inspection 6 April 2011 Telephone number 0161 224 3588 Fax number 0161 248 4462 Email address admin@mauldethroad.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 .

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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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