St Gilbert's Roman Catholic Primary School, Eccles

St Gilbert's RC Primary School Cambell Road, Winton, Eccles, Manchester, M30 8LZ

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, many children make outstanding progress from their starting points.  By the end of Year 6, nearly all pupils reach the levels of attainment expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion attaining the higher Level 5 in reading and mathematics is significantly higher than that seen nationally.  High proportions of pupils, from all groups, make better progress than expected because they learn well.  Teaching is consistently good and much is outstanding. Work set is based upon careful analysis of what children know and results in outstanding progress, particularly in mathematics.  Governors know their school well and hold leaders at all levels to account. They ensure prudent spending of the budget and that all statutory requirements are met.  Pupils’ impeccable behaviour reflects the pride they have in the school. They are polite,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

welcoming to visitors and share a mutual respect with each other and staff.  The school is led extremely well by the headteacher and senior leaders who are held in high regard by staff. All share the headteacher’s high expectations and commitment to do the best for pupils. Subject leaders are experts in their fields and use their knowledge to support colleagues and improvement in other schools.  Parents are unreservedly supportive of the school and would recommend it to others. They are well informed about how their children are developing.  The school’s broad curriculum sparks pupils’ interests and prepares them well for their next stages of education. Leaders recognise that the new curriculum will offer pupils further opportunities to enhance their writing skills.  Leaders ensure that the school is a clean and safe place in which to learn. Policies are applied with consistency and rigour to ensure that pupils’ safety is at the forefront of all

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons, looked at work on display and listened to pupils reading.  Inspectors looked in detail at pupils’ work in exercise books, information about pupils’ achievement, school development planning and the school’s view of its own performance. They also considered minutes of governing body meetings and a range of documentation in relation to child protection, safeguarding, behaviour, attendance and the way in which the school allocates the pupil premium funding.  There was insufficient response to the online questionnaire (Parent View) to allow any analysis, but inspectors took account of 86 responses to the school’s own most recent questionnaire and spoke with parents arriving at the school at the start of the day.  Inspectors considered the 17 responses to a recent staff questionnaire.  There was a meeting with the school’s full governing body, a telephone call with a

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Information about this inspection

representative of the local authority and a short meeting with the Deputy Director of Education for the Diocese of Salford.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior staff, and had discussions with pupils. Inspectors also met with middle leaders and other staff who are not teachers.  During this inspection, inspectors asked additional questions designed to ascertain the school’s view of the impact and effectiveness of local authority services to support school improvement. This information will contribute to work being carried out by Ofsted to assess the use, quality and impact of those services.

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Inspection team

John Nixon, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Frances Farnorth Additional Inspector James Kidd Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average primary school.  Most pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is below the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and for children that are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is well below the national average, as is the proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Pupils are taught in nine classes; most contain single year groups, with one mixed-age class of Key Stage 1 and Early Years Foundation Stage pupils.

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Information about this school

 Half of the pupils joining the school’s Reception class do not attend the school’s Nursery and, for many, it is their first experience of formal education.  Increasing numbers of pupils for whom English is spoken as an additional language are entering the school in lower year groups.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Implement the new curriculum to provide opportunities that deepen and extend pupils’ ever- increasing skills in writing.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 The majority of children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and knowledge below, and well below, those that are typical for their age. Skills in communication, language and literacy and those related to personal, social and mathematical understanding are weak. By the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage, all groups of children, including those who are most able and those with disabilities and special educational needs, make good progress, and many make outstanding progress from their low starting points. Even so, a third of children generally enter Key Stage 1 with a level of development below that which is typically expected for their age.  By the end of Key Stage 1, nearly all pupils make progress that is at least typical of what is expected, with over two thirds of them making better than average progress in reading. Attainment in reading and writing in Key Stage 1 is now well above the national average for all

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

groups of pupils, except for mathematics which is in line with national averages.  The proportion of all groups of pupils meeting the national expectations for the Year 1 screening check in phonics (letters and their sounds) is well above the national average. This reflects the outstanding progress due to teachers regularly checking pupils’ understanding during lessons, and then using this and their expertise to build pupils’ skills systematically.  By the time most pupils leave Year 6, they are ready for their next phase of education. Overall, attainment in mathematics, reading, writing and English grammar, punctuation and spelling is well above that found nationally; in mathematics, pupils are generally one year ahead of their peers nationally.  In Key Stage 2, the progress of all pupils, including those who are most able, is outstanding. The dip in the progress pupils made in writing at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2013 has been tackled

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

through the sharpening of assessments and the step-by-step teaching of writing skills, so pupils are now making rapid progress in this subject too.  The proportions of pupils making expected and better than expected progress in reading and mathematics are very high and well above those seen nationally in 2013.  Pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, generally do at least as well as other pupils at the end of Key Stage 2. The proportion of them attaining the expected levels for their age in 2013 was well above that seen nationally for mathematics and reading and close to national averages for writing. The school’s information on pupils’ progress shows that these proportions have been further improved, particularly in writing.  Few pupils in each year group are identified as being disabled or having special educational needs. Strong leadership and effective support are ensuring they are accelerating their rates of

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

progress and are closing the attainment gap between them and their peers.  Pupils for whom English is spoken as an additional language make similar progress to their peers due to the quality of teaching and support they receive. This reflects the school’s commitment to ensuring every pupil has an equal opportunity to succeed.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Typically high-quality teaching in all year groups results in pupils developing high levels of skill, knowledge and understanding across a range of subjects.  Reading, writing and mathematics are taught systematically and with skill, resulting in nearly all pupils reaching the levels of attainment expected for their age and high proportions of pupils exceeding them.  Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge in a wide variety of subjects. They are confident and authoritative in presenting this knowledge to pupils while also being approachable and receptive to pupils’ challenges and questions. The work set for different groups of pupils is planned carefully to make sure it is hard enough for all groups. Consequently, pupils are engaged in their learning and loss of concentration is extremely rare.  All staff consistently demonstrate high expectation of pupils, requiring them to use Standard

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

English and correcting deviations from this immediately. This is developing pupils’ use of a deep and rich vocabulary.  Lessons start promptly. Teachers use assessment information very effectively to move learning on. They hold individual learning conversations with pupils at which any issues are identified, then prompt and coach pupils to improve. Rewards such as ‘badges’, ‘licences’ and presentations in assembly are used effectively to acknowledge and encourage success and hard work.  Teachers and teaching assistants use questioning well in all lessons to probe and develop pupils’ understanding. In one lesson, the effective questioning by a teacher resulted in pupils being able to identify and talk about how metaphors are used to make descriptions more interesting and emotional in the poem ’The Highwayman’. Questioning is not limited to lessons, but also an intrinsic part of marking.  Teachers consistently mark work to a high standard in all subjects and regularly use questions to

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

promote and challenge pupils to apply their understanding, for example, asking pupils to explain why they chose particular words and if they can think of alternatives to improve their writing. Their feedback to pupils is of high quality and nearly always gives pupils details of how to improve their work. Pupils use this to make the best progress. Homework is given regularly and marked to a similar standard as other work. It is used effectively to complement work completed in school, particularly in mathematics and spelling, grammar and punctuation.  Teachers and other staff work well together as a learning community. This means expertise and innovation are shared and result in continued improvements in the quality of teaching, particularly in writing, in all year groups. One teacher stated, ‘No one in this school is afraid of observations, quite the opposite, we welcome them.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  The school has comprehensive safeguarding and safety policies that are applied rigorously by all staff, resulting in a safe and secure environment which supports excellent attitudes to learning and behaviour. Teachers are trained in child protection appropriate to their levels of responsibility and take their roles seriously. Consequently, pupils say they feel safe and trust teachers and other adults to help them if they have a problem.  Sensible movement and behaviour around the school reflect pupils’ understanding of the staff’s high expectations. Pupils get on well together and show staff, including those responsible for lunchtime supervision, high levels of respect. This is because, in turn, staff show equal respect to pupils, resulting in a harmonious learning community.  Pupils are encouraged to take on responsibilities. The school’s ‘Mini Vinnies’ act as monitors

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

about the school and much more. They are leaders in the physical embodiment of the school’s faith-based ethos and initiate and organise many charitable activities, such as raising funds for CAFOD.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including online, because of regular and effective teaching in lessons and at other times, as well as regular visits from the police, fire officers and other experts from the community.  Pupils spoken with around the school have a good understanding of what bullying is and the different forms it can take, including cyber-bullying and that related to gender, and how it differs from falling out with friends. They say that bullying is extremely rare and any ‘fall-outs’ are dealt with quickly and effectively by teachers and other staff.  Pupils say they like coming to school, which is reflected in their consistently better than average attendance levels. They enjoy the range of activities available to them and appreciate how the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

school helps them to learn. Pupils have a thirst for knowledge and an eagerness to learn because of high-quality teaching. There is good attendance at after-school clubs, such as animation, cheerleading, rugby (league) and rounders.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher provides the school with strong but calm leadership and is held in high regard by her staff who see her as ‘frank but fair’. She has successfully created an orderly and hardworking community where pupils and teachers can flourish. She has high expectations that staff and pupils do their very best at all times.  Senior leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school because of the highly effective monitoring of teaching and the detailed analysis of pupils’ progress information. Checks on pupils’ achievement, particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage, are extremely detailed and accurate and are based upon a wide range of evidence.  Middle leaders are a strength of this school. They exhibit strong subject knowledge and take their responsibilities very seriously. They are proactive in leading developments and evaluating strengths and areas for improvement because they are given opportunities to observe and work

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The leadership and management are outstanding

with other staff. Middle leaders are rigorously held to account by senior leaders and regularly report to the governing body.  Performance management is used robustly to hold all staff to account. Teachers’ targets are clearly linked to the school’s overall priorities for improvement and rooted in teachers’ national standards. They demonstrate high expectations of staff to ensure pupils make the best possible progress. These targets are reviewed regularly and outcomes used to inform professional development and links to pay awards. Consequently, much teaching is outstanding and never less than consistently good.  The pupil premium funding is monitored carefully and spent well. The outcome of this can be seen from the outstanding rates of progress made by pupils who are in receipt of support through this funding. In some subjects, such as mathematics, they do better than their classmates.  The school’s curriculum is broad and gives many opportunities for pupils of all abilities to

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The leadership and management are outstanding

develop a range of skills. Senior leaders recognise the new national curriculum will give additional opportunities to extend and deepen learning, particularly in writing.  Cultural events such as working with professional artists, participation in school film festivals and multi-cultural and faith study weeks develop pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding well.  Effective use of the primary school sport funding is raising pupils’ participation in many sporting activities and developing their personal and physical skills, so much so that some pupils have been offered ‘academy places’ by local professional football clubs.  The school engages well with parents. Regular newsletters and events ensure parents are well informed about the work of the school. Written reports and parents’ evenings specifically aimed at giving information about pupils’ progress and next steps for development happen regularly.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

Parents appreciate the comments and feedback given to them, including feedback regarding homework, and say that teachers ‘really know [their] children’. Open days allow parents to see for themselves the quality of teaching afforded to their children by encouraging visits to classes. The school welcomes the support of parents with additional language skills, who help teachers by translating in classes. Parents spoken with were overwhelmingly supportive of the school and would recommend it to others.  Leaders contribute well to improving practice in other local schools, for example, in improving the teaching of mathematics and Year 6.  The local authority has a light-touch approach to this outstanding school. However, it has a good understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for further development and provides appropriate levels of challenge and support. A school improvement officer provides an external

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The leadership and management are outstanding

view of performance aiding governors undertaking the performance management of the headteacher. The local authority provides good support for governors through its regular briefings.  The governance of the school:  Governors have high expectations of senior leaders and hold them to account through robust questioning and analysis of reports. Governors have a secure awareness of trends in pupils’ achievement and of how the prudent use of the pupil premium funding and the primary school sport funding are having positive impact in school.  Governors have clear commitment to the school and its continued enhancement, demonstrated by the full governing body attending the meeting with the lead inspector. They visit school regularly and are involved in the running of some after-school clubs.  Governors hold themselves to account by self-evaluating their own performance and impact. This results in carefully focused training and the recruitment of appropriately skilled associate

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The leadership and management are outstanding

governors to address any needs that they identify.  Governors have a good understanding of performance management and its links to pay progression, and use the local authority’s support well to ensure this is kept up to date.

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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 105954 Local authority Salford Inspection number 444346

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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 aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 267 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anne Marie Horrocks Headteacher Cheryl Fox Date of previous school inspection 31 January 2007 Telephone number 0161 789 5035 Fax number 0161 921 1671 Email address cheryl.fox@salford.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 and 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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