Our Lady's RC Primary School Manchester

Our Lady's RC Primary School, Manchester Whalley Road, Whalley Range, Manchester, M16 8AW

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Inadequate 4 Leadership and management Inadequate 4

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires special measures.  Achievement is inadequate. Pupils’ progress in Key Stages 1 and 2 varies significantly between classes and subjects and overall it is inadequate.  Attainment at Key Stage 1 has declined steadily in all subjects since the last inspection and is now well-below average in reading and mathematics. Attainment in mathematics at Key Stage 2 is also well- below average.  The most able pupils do not achieve as well as they should in Key Stages 1 and 2, particularly in mathematics. Not enough pupils attain the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics.  Weak teaching over time in Key Stages 1 and 2 has resulted in a decline in attainment in all subjects at Key Stage 1 and in mathematics across both key stages.  Work is not challenging enough, especially for the most able, and expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough.  Strategies for monitoring pupils’ achievement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

are not used effectively by school leaders and have resulted in pupils’ underperformance going unnoticed.  Leaders and governors do not have an accurate view of the school’s performance and, as a result, have not planned carefully enough to improve teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Governors do not hold the school to account and have too readily accepted information that school leaders have presented.  The governing body is failing in their duty to ensure that procedures for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements. Consequently, behaviour and safety are inadequate.

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The school has the following strengths

 Because of good teaching, children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  Pupils behave well; they are polite, well- mannered and have positive attitudes to learning. They care for each other very well in and around the school.  Attendance is above average. Pupils say that they enjoy coming to school and feel well cared for by all adults.  Parents are very supportive of the school and say that it takes good care of their children.  Leadership in physical education is of high quality.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 11 lessons or part lessons and a range of small group sessions led by support staff.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the Diocese of Salford. The lead inspector spoke to a representative of the local authority by telephone.  Fifty five parents responded via the online questionnaire (Parent View) and inspectors also received a letter from one parent.  Inspectors reviewed 19 responses from staff to the inspection questionnaire they were given.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation including: assessment data; the school’s evaluation of its work; minutes from governing body meetings; safeguarding documentation; the latest available quality assurance report from the local authority; information about performance management; monitoring records; and the school’s improvement plan.

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Information about this inspection

 Pupils discussed their work with inspectors and read to them during their lessons.  Inspectors observed behaviour in lessons, around the school and on the playground.

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Inspection team

Clare Daniel, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Jennifer Lawrence Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with section 44 of the Education Act 2005 (as amended), Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  During a period of staffing instability the school has been temporarily led by the deputy headteacher in an interim acting headteacher role. The headteacher is currently undertaking a phased return to work.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is above 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 that are looked after by the local authority.  A well-above average proportion of pupils are supported through school action.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  Pupils attending the school are from a range of ethnic backgrounds, with the majority having Black Caribbean heritage.  The proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language is well-above average.

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Information about this school

 The school operates a breakfast club and after-school club during term time, which is managed by the governing body.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 6.  The school currently has the following awards: School Games Gold Kitemark, Association for Physical Education Quality Mark (with distinction) and the Manchester Healthy School Award.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Urgently improve the quality of teaching in Key Stages 1 and 2 so that it is at least good in order to raise standards so pupils achieve well by ensuring:  teachers have an accurate view of what pupils already know so that they can plan work which builds on pupils’ existing knowledge and skills and supports them in making rapid progress  that all staff in school have high expectations of what the pupils can achieve in their learning and that teachers plan activities that will challenge pupils, especially the most able  that feedback given to pupils in lessons and in their books evaluates their learning effectively and gives them clear guidance on how to improve  teachers are able to accurately identify the progress pupils make in their work and make accurate assessments about the standards they are achieving.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards, particularly in mathematics, by:  providing all staff with high-quality training so that they improve their subject knowledge and have a very good understanding of how pupils progress in developing their mathematics skills  ensuring that pupils have regular, well-planned opportunities to use and apply their mathematics skills in a range of subjects and that the most able pupils, in particular, are challenged in their thinking  monitoring the quality of teaching in mathematics and assessing pupils’ progress regularly so that any underperformance is quickly identified and improved upon.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Urgently improve the effectiveness of leadership and management including governance, by:  strengthening and stabilising the leadership team so that senior and middle leaders have a clear understanding of their individual roles and responsibilities  ensuring that the school’s evaluation of its own work is accurate and based on rigorous checking of pupils’ achievement, and that leaders use this information to direct their plans for improvement more effectively  making effective use of assessment systems and information to monitor pupils’ progress and the standards they achieve in all subjects and all classes  ensuring that teachers’ performance-management targets are closely linked to pupils’ achievement and that staff are robustly held accountable for the progress of the pupils in their classes  ensuring that governors are well informed about the school’s performance and have the skills necessary to hold the school to account effectively

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 maintaining detailed records of behaviour incidents and analysing the results so that school leaders can identify any patterns and support pupils effectively  making sure that the school’s website includes information about the pupil premium grant and the impact of how it is spent.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

Ensure the governing body meets statutory safeguarding requirements by making certain the designated child-protection leader attends the required training.

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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 governance may be improved.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Pupils do not make enough progress across Key Stages 1 and 2 from their starting points at the beginning of Year 1. Too few of the most able pupils attain the higher levels of which they are capable, particularly in mathematics.  Achievement in Key Stage 1 is inadequate. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics have declined steadily since the last inspection and are now well-below average overall. In Key Stage 2, attainment is well-below average in mathematics, and the proportions of pupils making expected progress and better than expected progress is too low.  Children join the Nursery with skills that are below and sometimes well below those expected for their age. By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, children have made good progress and a much higher than average proportion of pupils has achieved a good level of development. Most pupils are well prepared to move into Year 1.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Outcomes of the Year 1 check on early reading skills in 2012 and 2013 were very positive, with almost all pupils achieving the expected standard each year. However, these skills are not maintained to the end of Year 2. Pupils’ attainment in reading by the end of Key Stage 1 has declined since the last inspection and is now well-below average.  Not enough pupils in Key Stage 1 attain the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics because the school’s expectations of what the most able pupils can achieve are not high enough and teachers do not provide these pupils with enough challenge in their lessons.  Although attainment in writing at the end of Year 6 has improved in recent years and attainment in reading has been broadly average, attainment in mathematics has declined and is now well- below average. The school’s current assessment information indicates that the performance of pupils in Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics is likely to decline this year. Other

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

inspection evidence supports this view. Not enough pupils attain the higher levels in mathematics and in the test for English grammar, punctuation and spelling.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs do not perform as well as other pupils in the school in reading, writing and mathematics at Key Stage 1. By the time they leave the school in Year 6, their attainment in reading is similar to their peers. However, they are behind in writing and mathematics by approximately two terms.  Although pupils known to be eligible for free school meals make insufficient progress, the gap between their attainment and that of other pupils in the school in English and mathematics is starting to close. By the time pupils leave the school their attainment is similar to that of other pupils in reading, and approximately two terms behind their peers in writing and mathematics.  By the time they leave Year 6, pupils who speak English as an additional language achieve

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

standards that are lower than their peers in reading, writing and mathematics; however, the progress that they make is similar to this group nationally.  There are wide variations between the attainment of different ethnic groups in each class. By the time pupils leave Year 6, White British pupils and those from mixed backgrounds are the only ethnic groups who attain standards higher than pupils in these groups nationally in reading, writing and mathematics. There are very small numbers of pupils in these groups within the school.  The school’s assessment and tracking information indicates that there are very wide variations in the attainment and progress made in different subjects and in each class. There are some classes where standards are very low and where progress is inadequate in some or all subjects. The school does not ensure that all groups of pupils have equal opportunities to succeed.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Weaknesses in teaching have led to a decline in the standards achieved by pupils over time. The quality of teaching is too variable across the school and too much requires improvement or is inadequate. Pupils’ progress in different classes and in different subjects varies significantly.  Work is not challenging enough, especially for the most able, and expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough. This is particularly true in mathematics where the skills that pupils are being taught in different classes are not planned carefully enough to ensure that pupils achieve well or make good progress across the school. This is because teachers’ subject knowledge in mathematics is weak.  Expectations of what pupils can achieve in reading and writing are not high enough and teachers do not make best use of assessment information to set pupils targets that will challenge them and improve their skills. Teaching does not build sufficiently well enough on what pupils already

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

know.  Additional support is provided for the less able pupils and pupils for whom English is an additional language, and this ensures that these pupils make progress that is similar to and sometimes better than their peers nationally. Teaching assistants and other staff have a good understanding of specific pupils’ needs and so are able to deliver lessons which build on what pupils can already do and encourage them to practise new skills regularly.  Feedback in lessons and in marking does not ensure that pupils know what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils are not given opportunities to correct mistakes or to explore any misconceptions that they might have in their learning.  Pupils think that a ‘good’ piece of work means that it is lengthy and neat and do not understand that the quality of their work is most important. This is because teachers often give praise for tidy presentation and the volume of work that pupils have done and do not evaluate learning or

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

give clear, focused advice so that pupils know how to improve.  Where teaching is more effective, pupils are clear about what they are learning and activities have strong links to previous lessons. They have opportunities to assess how well they are doing and teachers’ feedback gives clear areas for improvement.  Physical education sessions are mainly taught by the school’s specialist teacher and pupils make good progress because lessons are well-planned, feedback to pupils during activities ensures that pupils are clear about what they have achieved and what they need to do to improve, and the teacher has excellent subject knowledge.  In a Year 3 dance lesson, taught by the school’s specialist teacher, pupils worked in pairs to respond to a piece of music. As this was not the first lesson in the sequence, pupils were reviewing the skills that they were developing and assessed their own and each other’s

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

performance against bronze, silver and gold success criteria. Highly effective use was made of support staff, who assisted children who spoke English as an additional language and also recorded the performance of the pupils so they could watch it at the start of the next lesson to identify strengths and areas for improvement.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, well-planned lessons ensure that children are making good progress in developing their skills. They are excited to learn because activities appeal to their interests and adults support and challenge them to succeed.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is inadequate. The school does not meet statutory safeguarding requirements because the designated lead member of staff for child protection has not undertaken the required training.  The behaviour of pupils is good. They are polite, considerate, and helpful. During the inspectors’ interviews with pupils, a younger child was struggling to express what she wanted to say and two older girls spontaneously went to sit with her and helped her to organise her thoughts so that she was included in the discussion. This demonstrates how well the children respect each other and care about each other’s feelings.  The breakfast club is well attended and ensures that pupils get off to a positive start every day.  Play leaders and sports ambassadors have a very positive impact on the playground and organise games and activities every break time. Pupils said that they enjoyed this aspect of their

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

role and welcomed the responsibility. Pupils’ behaviour at playtimes and lunchtime is very good and they respect the way that the leaders manage the different activities so successfully.  The school environment is tidy and pupils’ work is well presented when it is displayed in classrooms. Pupils are proud of belonging to the school community and look smart and neat in their uniform.  In lessons, pupils respond very well to adults and to each other. They work well together when given the opportunity although they are not always motivated to challenge themselves to make better than expected progress because teachers’ expectations of what they can achieve are too low and therefore they have low expectations of themselves.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They want to succeed and are particularly enthusiastic when lessons are engaging and fun. They respond well to questions and particularly enjoy

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

practical activities that encourage them to challenge their own ideas.  The school keeps records of behaviour incidents but there are inconsistencies across different classes in how these incidents are recorded and there is no analysis of patterns of behaviour in every class. Class behaviour logs record very few minor incidents but the school could not supply any records of how more-serious incidents were dealt with, despite having a number of pupils who are receiving support with their behaviour management.  Pupils are all aware of the procedures for managing poor behaviour in school. They say that there is no bullying and are very clear about what their response would be if they encountered any. They demonstrate a good awareness of what racism is and could talk about how racial background is only ever discussed appropriately in lessons. Some older pupils said that misbehaviour by one or two pupils in their class occasionally disturbs their learning but that this

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are inadequate

is managed well by teachers and other adults.  Parents and staff say that the school works well to keep pupils safe and pupils agree. They say that ‘teachers can sort it out’ if there is a problem and are confident that staff are always available to help if they are worried by anything. Pupils said that there was no area in school where they felt unsafe.  Inspectors looked at a range of case studies, which indicated a significant level of care for vulnerable pupils and work with other agencies to support pupils and their families.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, especially online, and experience visits from a range of professionals throughout the year which support their understanding of how to stay safe outside the school environment.  Attendance is above average and the persistent absentee rate is low.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Since the last inspection, school leaders have not maintained their focus on improving standards and, as a result, checks on how pupils are progressing and systems for monitoring the quality of teaching have not been in place. Leaders have not taken effective action to improve the quality of teaching, and pupils’ achievement is now inadequate.  The school’s evaluation of its own performance is inaccurate and is not based on a rigorous analysis of pupils’ achievement and, as a result, their plans for improvement are not sufficiently focused to bring about the rapid changes needed, especially in mathematics.  A period of instability in the school’s leadership has resulted in some senior and middle leaders taking on additional responsibilities without significant support from the local authority and the diocese, and this has impacted negatively on the school’s capacity to improve the quality of teaching and raise achievement.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 Since the last inspection, senior leaders have made improvements to pupils’ achievement in writing in Key Stage 2 but these improvements are not evident in Key Stage 1 as standards have declined and current Year 6 pupils are not on track to sustain the trend of improvement. During the period when these plans to improve writing were the main focus of the school’s work, pupils’ achievement in other subjects has steadily declined. This demonstrates that the school’s capacity to improve is not sufficient to sustain the improvements needed in all subjects.  School leaders do not analyse pupils’ performance regularly and so are unaware of the performance of groups of pupils in different subjects. They have not identified underperformance in other year groups, apart from Year 6 who are currently on track to fall well below the standards expected by the end of Key Stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 School leaders do not monitor the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement rigorously enough to identify weaknesses quickly or to offer staff effective support to help them improve their work.  Arrangements for managing the performance of teachers are in place and include targets linked to pupils’ achievement. However, school leaders do not review these effectively. This has contributed to the decline in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The school could not provide evidence of how teachers’ pay progression was linked to their performance management and particularly in terms of the progress their pupils make.  The curriculum offers pupils a wide range of learning opportunities and a significant number of enrichment opportunities through trips, visits and extra-curricular activities, particularly related to sporting activity. However, there are not enough opportunities for pupils to develop and

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The leadership and management are inadequate

practise their reading, writing and mathematics skills in other subjects to help their achievement improve.  Pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is well provided for and pupils have a strong sense of community responsibility within and beyond the school environment.  The specialist teacher in charge of physical education and school sports has had a very positive influence on the improvement in pupils’ performance, not just at Our Lady’s but across a wide range of schools. She has ensured that additional funding to support school sports has been spent very effectively and closely monitors the number of pupils attending extra-curricular activities. Standards in physical education are rising because of high-quality teaching and strong leadership.  As the school’s previous inspection outcome was outstanding, both the local authority and diocese have taken a ‘light touch’ approach to monitoring its recent performance. This approach

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The leadership and management are inadequate

has not been effective in identifying or helping to reverse the decline in achievement or in improving weak teaching.  The school could not provide any external review of performance since 2010, apart from the local authority’s annual data summary.  Newly-qualified teachers should not be appointed.  The school does not meet statutory safeguarding requirements because the member of staff in the designated child-protection role since the start of the autumn term 2013 has not had the training required to undertake the role.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is failing in its duty to ensure that procedures for safeguarding meet statutory requirements. In addition, governors have not ensured that the school’s website meets statutory requirements to provide all the required information, including detailing the impact of pupil premium spending.  Governors do not hold the school to account for its performance and, as a result, they have

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The leadership and management are inadequate

had little impact in bringing about school improvement. Information that the governors have received about the school’s performance has not been accurate because school leaders have not evaluated the school’s performance effectively.  Governors have not challenged the decline in performance because they have not been aware of it: they stated that they considered achievement to be ‘very good’. They are aware that arrangements are in place for the management of teachers’ performance but are not sure how they have impacted on improving the quality of teaching or raising standards.  Governors monitor the performance of pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium and regularly review how this funding is spent.

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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 105543 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 440725

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 244 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Brenda Johnson Headteacher Cas Page Date of previous school inspection 7 July 2010 Telephone number 0161 2262767 Fax number 0161 2264575 Email address admin@ourladys-pri.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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