St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Ramsbottom

St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Ramsbottom Nuttall Lane, Ramsbottom, Bury, Lancashire, BL0 9JD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 The proportion of pupils making or exceeding the progress expected of them is not sustained over time. By the end of Year 6 the proportion of pupils making more than the expected progress is below average in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers do not always set work that helps pupils develop their writing skills quickly enough.  The marking of pupils’ work is not consistently good. Teachers’ comments do not always clearly inform pupils of what they need to do to improve. Teachers do not always ensure that their comments are followed up.  Teaching assistants are not always used well enough to support learning in Key Stage 1.  Senior leaders and the governing body do not rigorously check and evaluate pupils’ progress to ensure that all groups of pupils learn quickly.  Targets set for teachers are not always focused on the quality of teaching and its impact on pupils' progress so as to bring about the

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

required improvements.  Senior leaders, governors and subject leaders do not always ensure that improvement plans set out clear actions to improve the quality of teaching and pupil progress.

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The school has the following strengths

 Children’s learning gets off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The behaviour of pupils and their attitude to learning is good.  Pupils are well cared for and say that they feel safe in school. The vast majority of parents support this view.  Pupils’ attendance is above the national average and they arrive at school on time.  The curriculum provides pupils with an interesting range of subjects and topics that ensures that they enjoy school.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development is a strength of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in 11 part-lessons. Two lessons were observed jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors looked closely at the work in pupils’ books and reviewed a wide range of documentation including minutes of meetings of the governing body, the school’s analysis of how well it is doing and its improvement plan, documents relating to attendance, behaviour and safeguarding and the school’s data on pupils’ progress.  Inspectors talked with pupils and listened to some pupils reading.  Meetings were held with staff, four members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors took account of the 64 responses from parents recorded in the online questionnaire (Parent View), together with the 85 responses to a parental survey carried out by the school in the summer term 2013. Inspectors also had informal conversations with some parents at the start of the school day.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors took account of the 14 responses to the staff questionnaire provided by Ofsted.

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Inspection team

Alan Parkinson, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sheila Iwaskow Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Andrew’s is similar in size to the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is well below the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children of service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The very large majority of pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below the national average. The proportion of those supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school is part of a local partnership of schools.  The school operates before-school and after-school clubs for pupils from the school.

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection the school has achieved the International Schools award, the Eco- Schools Bronze award and the Youth Sports Trust Quality Mark.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better in order to accelerate the progress of all groups of pupils and raise levels of attainment further by:  ensuring that the marking of pupils' work gives clear and specific guidance on what they need to do to improve and that teachers' comments are followed up  using teaching assistants more effectively in Key Stage 1, particularly when pupils are learning as a whole class  ensuring there are appropriate activities to develop pupils' writing skills  making sure the range of resources available in the Reception class are sufficient to fully promote children’s learning and development.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management at all levels by:  making sure leaders make more rigorous checks on the progress of all groups of pupils, from their starting points, across all subjects and areas  increasing the rigour and precision of the targets set for teachers to improve the quality of teaching and raise pupils' rate of progress  ensuring that the plans for improvement set out clear actions for quickly improving teaching and achievement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because some pupils are not making good enough progress across the school, in reading but particularly in writing, from their starting points.  In 2013, at the end of Year 6, the proportion of pupils that reached expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics were above the national average. However, the proportion of pupils exceeding the progress expected of them from their starting points, is below average in reading, writing and mathematics.  The majority of children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and abilities that are broadly as expected for their age. Some children’s personal, social and emotional development and skills in speaking and listening are below those expected. The mainly good teaching in Reception enables children to progress well. By the end of the Reception Year children have acquired skills that are above those typically expected for their age and above national

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

expectations.  At Key Stage 1, although attainment fell in 2012, there is an improving trend in pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics. In 2013 attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was above average by the end of Year 2.  Between Years 3 and 6 the proportions of pupils making at least the expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics has varied from year to year and across year groups. Over time, progress in reading and writing is greater in Years 3 and 4 but slows across Years 5 and 6 although it accelerates in mathematics. This is because teaching has not been good enough in all classes to ensure that pupils make consistently good progress.  Systems to check pupils’ progress are not being used well enough to check the progress of different groups of pupils from their starting points. Pupil progress data shows that the progress of boys and girls varies from year-to-year. In 2013, at the end of Year 6 the progress made by

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

the most-able pupils was below the national average, particularly in mathematics and writing.  Pupils say they enjoy reading and read regularly at home and school. This is helping to support pupils’ learning across a range of subjects and topics. The whole-school reading programme is very effective and is helping to develop pupils’ literacy skills well, particularly at Key Stage 1. Pupils make good use of their skills in phonics (linking letters to the sounds that they make) to help them read difficult words.  Pupils at risk of falling behind in their learning are quickly identified and additional support is provided, for example, with one-to-one or small-group work for pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding.  Overall, there is no significant difference in the achievement between different groups of pupils over time. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs receive effective support to

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

improve their speaking, reading, writing and numeracy skills. Pupils who receive additional support, including those supported through pupil premium, make similar progress and sometimes better progress than their classmates. As a result, by the end of Year 6, the attainment of pupils eligible for free school meals is less than one term behind all other pupils in English and in mathematics. This supports the school’s aims of providing equal opportunities for learning and success for all pupils.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because the quality of learning, including the marking of pupils’ work, is not consistently good or better in all classes.  Activities set do not develop pupils’ writing skills well enough or quickly enough, for example when worksheets are much in use, which limits opportunities for pupils to write more creatively.  Although teachers regularly mark pupils’ work and praise is used to encourage pupils, marking does not always provide pupils with clear and specific written comments on what they need to do to improve. When comments do tell pupils what they need to do, teachers do not always ensure that advice is quickly followed up by pupils which means that pupils' chances to quickly take learning further forward are missed.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage children have many opportunities to develop their learning through play. However, the range of resources available in the Reception class is not always

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

sufficient to fully help children learn well.  Pupils’ learning is most effective when teachers' questioning challenges them and checks their understanding of the work they are doing. They make very good progress when given opportunities to work together to share and develop ideas. In a Year 3 English lesson , for example, pupils worked in small groups to prepare to recite a poem to the rest of the class using actions, sounds and different tones to emphasise the different parts of the poem. They were fully focused on their work and made good progress.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs learn well, for example, when teaching assistants provide effective support that is well matched to their needs. However, teaching assistants, particularly at Key Stage 1, are not always well deployed to support learning, for example when pupils are learning as a whole class.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are polite and well-mannered and they wear their uniform with pride. The relationships amongst pupils and between pupils and adults are very good. In the vast majority of lessons pupils’ attitudes to learning are good. They are keen to participate in lessons and help each other to learn.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils say they feel safe because they are well cared for by teachers and other adults. Pupils are fully aware of the different forms of bullying. They report that bullying is rare and any instances are quickly resolved. Pupils feel confident to talk to an adult if they have any concerns.  Pupils behave sensibly and safely in the playground at breaks and are well supervised by staff. As the climbing equipment is much used, some pupils said they would like more play equipment at playtime. Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe and learn about road safety, how to

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

use the internet safely and about how far they can trust people. Year 4 pupils also learn how to swim in a four-week intensive swimming course.  The school’s before-school and after-school care in the ‘SOCKS’ club is good. These sessions, in a lively, caring and secure setting, are clearly enjoyed. Pupils are offered a range of activities including completing jigsaws, painting, writing and sewing. In the before-school session pupils choose from a healthy selection of breakfast foods.  The responses to Parent View and to the school's parental survey are very positive. The vast majority of parents agree that pupils behave well in school, that they are not bullied, that they are well cared for and that they feel safe at school. The large majority of parents would recommend this school to other parents.  The school provides opportunities for pupils to develop responsible attitudes, for example, by being members of the school council, as a Year 6 monitor or as a ‘Buddy’ helping children in the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

Reception class. The school council organised a ‘Switch-Off Fortnight’ to raise awareness of energy use and sustainable lifestyles. Pupils work hard to help others by raising money for charities, such as Children in Need. At Harvest time they collected food and essential items for ‘Porch Boxes’, a local charity supporting vulnerable people.  Attendance is consistently above the national average and pupils arrive at school on time. This supports the view that pupils’ enjoy coming to school.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement as targets in the school improvement plan are not specifically focused on improving the quality of teaching to raise rates of progress more rapidly. Over recent years there has been too great a focus on the Year 6 test results rather than on checking the progress made by different groups of pupils across the school, from their starting points. As a result the school has had too little information to be able to compare the progress made by groups in the school against national figures.  The school is now developing its use of pupil progress meetings to identify how well different pupils are doing. The headteacher, senior leaders and the governing body have accurately identified the school’s strengths and have identified improving pupil progress as a main priority for further development.  Senior and middle leaders make regular checks on the quality of teaching and provide teachers

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The leadership and management requires improvement

with accurate feedback on their performance. This information is used well by the headteacher in order to provide training and to advise the governing body about teachers’ pay awards. All staff work together well and share the best practice. However, targets set for teachers to improve their performance are not always rigorous and precise enough to improve the quality of their work and to rapidly raise pupils’ achievement.  The curriculum is well planned so that it meets pupils’ interests well. The school provides a variety of activities to enrich pupils’ experience and develop a greater understanding of the world around them. For example, a trip for Year 1 and 2 pupils to Bolton museum helped them with their work on Ancient Egypt. Year 4 pupils enjoyed learning about the Tudors and created an exhibition of their work for their parents and other visitors.  The school has made good use of the new primary sport funding to provide additional sporting

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The leadership and management requires improvement

activities. More pupils now take part in physical activities and are developing new skills, for example, in gymnastics, street dance and fencing which is helping to develop healthy lifestyles and physical well-being.  The school offers pupils a wide range of extra-curricular activities. These include football, netball, choir and art. These activities, together with school assemblies, contribute well to pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and enhances their academic and social skills.  Safeguarding procedures and policies meet statutory requirements. The school has effective procedures in place to protect pupils, especially those pupils whose circumstances make them most vulnerable. This is strengthened by the effective partnership with parents and support from the local authority.  The school has benefited from the local authority’s advice, support and challenge to improve the

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The leadership and management requires improvement

quality of teaching and learning.  The governance of the school:  The governing body know the strengths of the school and has identified areas for further development because of the information they receive and from regular visits to the school. It enables governors to support and challenge school leaders. However, the information about how well pupils are doing, has focused more on the standards reached rather than on rates of pupils’ progress from their starting points. As a result, the governors do not rigorously check the progress made by different groups of pupils and targets in the school improvement plan are not sufficiently focused on improving pupils’ progress. Governors check on the quality of teaching and give appropriate attention to the connection between the quality of the work of staff and the arrangements for pay progression. However, they do not use performance management systems well enough to ensure that appropriate and challenging targets are set

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The leadership and management requires improvement

to further improve the quality of teacher’s work and raise pupils’ achievement. The governing body has a good understanding of the school’s finances and the allocation of additional funding, such as that received through the pupil premium. This includes the allocation of funding to provide additional individual or small group support for pupils who are at risk of underachieving in their reading and numeracy development.

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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 105326 Local authority Bury Inspection number 439535

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 245 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andy Lindop Headteacher Damian Marsh Date of previous school inspection 26 February 2009 Telephone number 01706 822649 Fax number 01706 829949 Email address standrewsramsbottam@bury.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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