St Anne's RC Primary School

St Anne's RC Primary School Greenacres Road, Oldham, Lancashire, OL4 1HP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Since the last inspection, the school leaders at all levels have worked successfully to improve the quality of teaching and the outcomes for pupils. Consequently, this school is improving rapidly.  From below typical starting points pupils make good progress throughout the school to reach average standards at the end of Year 6.  The gap in achievement between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils is narrowing rapidly.  Teaching is good overall and outstanding in some aspects.  Children make a good start in the early years.  Staff, governors, parents and pupils share a strong belief in the values of their school. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding, as is their behaviour in and out of class.  Pupils are very happy at school. Warm and trusting relationships underpin the enjoyment of learning and pupils’ sense of being safe and valued.  Pupils are provided with many memorable learning

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

experiences through a rich and inclusive curriculum. Everyone is included and respected.  Governors know the strengths and weaknesses of the school and hold leaders to account for the school’s performance.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not always ensure pupils use punctuation and spelling accurately in their writing.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise and improve their handwriting.  Just occasionally the pace of learning slows when teachers do not move on quickly enough once pupils have grasped the key points of learning.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in all classes, sometimes jointly with the headteacher. They heard pupils read, visited guided reading sessions and small group work focusing on letters and sounds and attended two school assemblies.  Inspectors looked at the work in pupils’ books, especially in their writing, mathematics and topic books.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, the Chair of the Governing body and several other governors, groups of pupils and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors gained the views of parents from the 12 responses to Parent View, the online questionnaire, from the responses to the school’s most recent internal questionnaire and from meeting parents who attended a school assembly.  The views of staff were gained from the 13 responses to the staff questionnaire.  Inspectors looked at a range of school documents. This included information relating to safeguarding and

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Information about this inspection

child protection, development planning, subject planning, tracking information on pupils’ progress, the minutes of meetings of the governing body and the recent review of governance, performance management systems and procedures for checking on the quality of teaching and learning.

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Inspection team

Judith Straw, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 St Anne’s is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Children attend the Nursery from Monday to Wednesday.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is just over 20% which is above the national average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is well above average and includes nearly half of all pupils. (The pupil premium provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children that are looked after by the local authority.)  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school holds Activemark and Healthy School Awards.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of outstanding teaching so that more pupils make excellent progress by ensuring that:  the basic skills of spelling and punctuation are reinforced in all subjects  teachers model good handwriting and make sure there are opportunities for pupils to practise and improve their handwriting  teachers always insist on the highest standards of presentation  learning moves quickly on once key learning points have been reached.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and her deputy make a strong and effective team, bringing different skills and expertise to the school. Under their leadership the school has improved rapidly since the last inspection. Teaching is consistently good, attendance is rising and excellent standards of behaviour and safety have been maintained.  Leaders know exactly what they need to do and how to go about it. For example, the deputy headteacher provides support in reading and writing in every class so that standards are rising and progress is accelerating. She has led very effective training for all staff in guided reading sessions.  Detailed systems to check on pupils’ progress ensure that all staff are aware of which pupils need extra help. Subject leaders are involved in action plans for improvement and are now making a much stronger contribution to school improvement than at the last inspection. They manage progress data, check on the

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The leadership and management are good

quality of teaching and marking and share the responsibility of ensuring the school improves further. Their current focus is to remove remaining inconsistencies in teaching practice, implement new assessment systems and embed the new curriculum.  A new special educational needs coordinator is reviewing the school’s practice and bringing greater clarity to the school’s systems so that provision which is already good will improve further.  The early years provision is effectively led and managed by a skilled practitioner.  Teachers’ performance is well managed. All staff are proud to be part of a learning community and know that senior leaders are well placed to provide support or coaching if it is required.  Pupil premium funding is used mainly to provide more staff in school so that there are numerous opportunities for targeted group work and individual attention for individuals. It is also used to ensure all

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The leadership and management are good

children can benefit from clubs, outings and other educational enrichment experiences.  Sports funding has been used to employ a subject expert as sports coordinator. He trains staff as well as pupils and has introduced pupils to many new sports. As a result, participation rates in after-school clubs have risen significantly and many more pupils are taking part in sporting competitions with other schools.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development underpins the entire curriculum and prepares pupils very well for life in modern Britain. The spiritual dimension is enhanced by pupils themselves in their role as School Chaplains. Pupils are well aware of other faiths. The school works with Asian parents to celebrate Eid and other festivals. Pupils have family fast days where they have no refreshments at break and eat lunch in silence, in order to reflect just a little on what it means to be hungry.

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The leadership and management are good

 All pupils have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument from specialist teachers and their singing in assembly is a wonderful reflection of their enjoyment of music.  British values of tolerance and respect are promoted through the ethos of the school and the wider curriculum. Pupils have an active school council and know their voice is heard and that they have a say in school development.  The schools arrangements for safeguarding children are exemplary.  The local authority has provided high quality support which has enabled the school to rapidly improve all aspects of its work. The school now requires only light touch support. It is regarded by the local authority as a school well able to share expertise with other schools.  The governance of the school:  The effectiveness of the governing body has increased significantly since the last inspection. Governors have undertaken an external review of their work, completed a detailed self-assessment and, from this,

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The leadership and management are good

identified training needs which have been addressed. As a result, they now fully understand progress data, they are able to check the school’s performance with that of others, and ensure that salary progression and school performance are linked. They know about the quality of teaching and the progress of individual pupils as well as that of groups. In response to their request, the headteacher has changed the way her reports are presented, so that the focus is always on the impact of actions taken. They oversee the spending of pupil premium and sports funding to make sure the funds bring about improvements. They are fully committed to knowing what the pupils think and review the minutes of all school council meetings and regularly report back to pupils on their deliberations. Governors stringently review child protection and safeguarding arrangements. They are proactive in school and each governor

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The leadership and management are good

is linked with a particular class. They are totally committed to ensuring that every child has an equal opportunity to be successful. Discrimination is not tolerated in any form.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils really enjoy school and are very enthusiastic about their lessons and what they are learning. In class they concentrate and work hard and listen with all their attention to what teachers are saying.  The working relationship between pupils and adults is outstanding. Pupils say lessons are not disrupted by any bad behaviour. They respect their teachers and appreciate all the many interesting activities, trips and outings that are planned for them, such as the recent activity holiday for Year 6.  Pupils are extremely polite, considerate and well-mannered across the school, including the children in the early years.  There are very few incidents of bullying and usually this is only friends falling out. ‘We have our moments but when teachers find out they make sure it stops.’ Pupils know that unkind comments about people who are different or who come from different countries or have different faiths are totally unacceptable.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  The focus is on creating a very positive climate for learning where children feel valued and secure. Pupils are regularly consulted on when and where they feel safe and any insecurity is dealt with immediately, for example, changes were made to the access to toilets.  The school has a safeguarding team which includes the headteacher, pastoral worker and a governor. They ensure that all necessary information is shared with other agencies such as social services and Barnados, and that no child slips through the net.  Because relationships are so strong, all pupils trust the adults around them and know that they will be listened to and helped with any problem.  Children settle quickly in the early years because they feel safe and secure and become confident in their learning.  Pupils are well aware of rules for safety on the internet. They learn about the hazards of different types of

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Safety

drug and alcohol abuse and how to keep safe walking to and from school.  Attendance is a little above average and improved since the previous inspection.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching and learning is consistently good and in some areas it is outstanding. It has improved significantly since the previous inspection.  Teachers plan work for every ability level so that pupils are making good progress, whatever their starting points. There is a good focus on pupils explaining their answers to deepen understanding.  Teachers use questioning to good effect. This is particularly evident in the early years where children are encouraged to use as wide a vocabulary as possible from the day they start in school.  Across the school teachers plan imaginative activities that excite and motivate pupils to succeed. In mathematics lessons new challenges are constantly set which inspire pupils to even greater success. The school is taking part in a trial to use electronic hand held devices on which pupils complete different tasks. Answers are sent instantly to the class teacher who can then display good work on the interactive

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The quality of teaching is good

whiteboard, or offer immediate support if mistakes are being made.  The teaching of letters and sounds to support early reading is highly effective. As a result, more pupils meet the expected standards at the end of Year 1 than is found nationally.  In response to the last report teachers have put a big emphasis on broadening the vocabulary used by pupils. Displays across the school and effective use of dictionaries is widening pupils’ awareness of the importance of having a rich and varied vocabulary and resulting in some imaginative and interesting writing.  The focus on individual needs ensures that disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, those who are gifted and talented and those who speak English as an additional language are supported effectively and progress well.  Guided reading sessions are very effective in helping pupils to look deeper into the text they are studying.

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The quality of teaching is good

For example, a group of Year 5 pupils made very good progress in analysing a piece of text and finding extra hidden meaning in the way the story was told. Libraries in Key Stage 1 and 2 are stocked with an enticing supply of books which pupils are encouraged to borrow and read regularly.  Teaching assistants and extra teachers working with individuals or targeted groups make a strong contribution to the learning and progress of these pupils.  Teachers have improved the quality of their marking significantly so that mistakes are identified and good advice is given as to how pupils can improve their work. There are many examples in workbooks of pupils responding to comments and adding to, or improving, their answers.  Where teaching is occasionally not quite as good as this positive picture, it is because the teachers have not recognised that pupils are already secure in their learning and are ready to move on.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ work in writing is very good in terms of the style and content of their work but spelling is a weakness and teachers are not setting high enough expectations for the presentation of work and the quality of handwriting. Good handwriting is rarely modelled.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, pupils made good progress in Year 6 to reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics from below average starting points at the end of Key Stage 1. A higher proportion of pupils than is found nationally made good progress in writing and mathematics. Progress in reading matched national figures.  The proportion of pupils reaching the nationally expected standard in the checks made on their knowledge of letters and the sounds they make at the end of Year 1 rose from well below average in 2013 to well above average in 2014. This is as a result of expert teaching and staff training.  Because provision has improved in the early years, pupils are now reaching national standards at the end of Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics.  The gap in the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils is narrowing rapidly. In 2014, disadvantaged pupils in Key Stage 2 lagged behind other pupils in the school by two months in reading,

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The achievement of pupils is good

four months in writing and 16 months in mathematics. Compared to other pupils nationally, they were behind by seven months in reading, five months in writing and 10 months in mathematics. The gap narrowed since the last inspection particularly in reading and writing. Teachers and governors are putting high quality resources and extra staffing into narrowing this gap as quickly as possible. Disadvantaged pupils’ progress is tracked in every year group and the school carefully checks their progress every half term.  The most able pupils thrive because of the extra challenges provided by teachers and teaching assistants. The work in their books shows that they write confidently in different genres including fiction and non- fiction. They respond well to regular ‘learning challenges’ which encourage investigation and individual research. All pupils in 2014 who achieved the higher levels at the end of Key Stage 1 achieved the higher

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The achievement of pupils is good

levels at the end of Key stage 2, including the disadvantaged pupils.  Work in mathematics is secure. Pupils understand and use the language for mathematics well and have good mental arithmetic skills.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make the same good progress as other pupils because they receive good support according to their individual needs. Some of these pupils achieve well above similar pupils nationally.

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The early years provision is good

 Most children start in the Nursery with skills which are below those that are typical for three-year-olds. This is particularly the case with personal and emotional development, communication and language, numeracy and literacy. They settle quickly into the stimulating and enticing environment and make good progress in all areas of learning.  Children’s attitudes to learning and to each other are very positive. They work and play well together and maintain concentration on their tasks for a sustained period of time. They respect each other, adults and their learning environment.  Teaching is good because adults move learning along by asking probing questions, setting new challenges and building children’s confidence in their own ability to be successful. By the end of the Reception Year nearly all children are able to make a good start in Year 1.  Working patterns vary. Sometimes children are working together in large groups, for example making

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The early years provision is good

collages of autumn leaves in the outdoor area, sometimes two or three do focused work with an adult and, often, children choose to work individually practising writing alphabet letters and enjoying the many books available in the Nursery and Reception classes.  Children learn in a calm, purposeful atmosphere indoors and out. The school is developing a ‘forest school’ area where pupils can develop skills in movement such as running and navigating bridges and enlarge their understanding of the natural world.  Children are very safe and well-looked after in the early years classes.  The leader is committed to making the setting the best it can be and the impact of her actions is seen in the improving outcomes for children.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 105725 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 452008

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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 228 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Patrick Scrivens Headteacher Anne Ostmeier Date of previous school inspection 3 October 2013 Telephone number 0161 770 5401 Fax number 0161 624 3757 Email address info@stannesrc.oldham.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 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

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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