St Edward's Church of England Primary School

St Edward’s Church of England Primary School Hanover Street, Castleton, Rochdale, Lancashire, OL11 3AR

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

p.1

This is a good school

 Pupils’ attainment over the last three years has risen so that in 2014, the standards reached in reading, writing and mathematics assessments were in line with national averages.  Progress has improved over time. In 2014, all pupils in Year 6 made expected progress and proportions making more than expected progress were higher than national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teaching is good overall and there are instances of outstanding practice. Teachers create a positive, safe climate for learning to ensure that pupils achieve well.  Behaviour is good. Pupils work and play well together. They are respectful of each other and the staff. They know how to keep safe in school and are well informed about risks in the wider world.  Children in the early years make a good start. Staff ensure children settle in quickly and provide them with a rich learning environment in which they thrive. As a result they make rapid progress.

p.1

This is a good school

 The headteacher, in post since September, along with her new deputy, has made a strong start, which is having an impact on the quality of teaching and learning. They have high expectations of all staff and are effectively communicating their vision in this improving school.  The senior leaders and governors give strong and effective leadership. Governors know the school’s strengths and its areas in need of development. They hold senior leaders to account effectively.  The spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding of the pupils is a particular strength of the school.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A small proportion of teaching requires improvement. Marking and feedback to pupils does not always help them to make effective next steps in their learning and sometimes work is too easy, particularly for the most able pupils.  Middle leaders are not yet involved enough in checking the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 21 lessons, one of which took place jointly with the headteacher. An inspector also observed an assembly.  They had meetings with senior leaders, middle leaders and groups of pupils. The lead inspector also met with a large number of school governors and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors met with a number of parents at the beginning of the school day and after they had attended a school assembly.  A range of documentation was examined including records relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance, along with school information about pupils’ progress and the checks the school makes on teaching.  The 28 responses to the online Ofsted questionnaire (Parent View), responses from 45 staff questionnaires and responses to the school’s own survey of parents were taken into account.

p.2

Inspection team

Bernard Dorgan, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is a larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who are supported at school action is higher than the national average. The proportion for those pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is just above the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are supported through the pupil premium grant is just above the national average. (The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those children who are looked after by the local authority).  The school meets the current government floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.  The school operates a breakfast club, which is run by school support staff.  The school currently holds the following accreditations: Primary Science Quality Mark – silver award;

p.3

Information about this school

Ambassador status for Eco Schools; International Eco School award; Effective School Council status; Healthy School Award; North West in Bloom award; Let’s Get Cooking; and Food for Life Partnership – bronze.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching, by  providing effective guidance to pupils so that they know clearly what next steps to take to improve their work  making sure that work always provides appropriate challenge for all pupils, especially the most able.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by continuing to develop the role of the middle leaders so that they play a full part in evaluating the school’s work.

p.3

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher provides strong, clear leadership. She has high ambitions for the school and equally high expectations of all staff. Even though she has been in post for a very short time, she has undertaken a thorough, realistic evaluation of the school’s systems. As a result the senior leaders, including governors, have a clear understanding of what the school does well and what needs to be improved.  With the strong support of her deputy headteacher, the headteacher has acted quickly to improve the quality of teaching and learning. Systems for the safeguarding of pupils have been strengthened and all staff have clear procedures to follow.  Teamwork is strong across the school . Middle leaders are becoming increasingly involved and accountable. The senior leaders are aware of the need to improve the middle leaders’ contribution to raising standards by developing their role in checking pupils’ progress and improving the quality of teaching in their subject

p.4

The leadership and management are good

area responsibilities.  There is a strong moral purpose in the school. This is evident in the respectful relationships that exist and in the extensive displays that promote and celebrate pupils’ achievement and which provide a focus for pupils to reflect upon life’s big questions. This is a school that endeavours to make real its Christian mission each day.  Pupil’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. These values are woven throughout the curriculum to prepare pupils well for living in a modern British society.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and prepares pupils well for living in modern Britain. It gives them opportunities to practise their skills of reading and writing in a range of different contexts, for example researching and writing accounts when being historians. The school successfully promotes equality of opportunity.  The curriculum is enriched by a range of educational visits, including residentials and visitors. These

p.4

The leadership and management are good

enhance the experiences of pupils beyond the classroom. Further enrichment is provided by the school’s work on sustaining the environment, which is integrated into the life of the school. They are especially proud of their Green Flag award.  The school uses its pupil premium funding well to support its disadvantaged pupils. This contributes well to their attainment and progress and, as a result, attainment gaps between these and other pupils are closing.  In the same way, the sports funding premium is used well and has led to an increase in the number of pupils taking part in sporting activities. The range of activities has been increased and all after-school sporting activities are oversubscribed. Healthy lifestyles are promoted.  The local authority provides bespoke effective support to the school because of the recent appointment of the headteacher. There are no local authority concerns.  The governance of the school:

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Governors have a considerable range of experience and skills, which they use effectively in their role, and have a strong professional relationship with the school and its senior leaders. They have a clear understanding of the quality of teaching and also have a sound knowledge of the information about how well pupils are progressing in their learning. They know the strengths of the school. Governors know what needs to be improved and are informed about actions being taken by the senior leaders to improve the achievement of pupils. The members of the governing body are actively linked with the school and make many formal and informal visits. They are highly visible in the school community and, because of this, are well informed about what is happening in school, by parents and pupils alike. The governors are knowledgeable about the effectiveness of both the pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils and the sports premium. They have effective systems in place to ensure that pay

p.4

The leadership and management are good

increases for staff are related to pupils’ progress and attainment and they ensure that statutory arrangements for child protection and safeguarding are met. They provide a good balance of rigorous challenge and support to senior leaders. The governors speak passionately about their school.

p.4

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Parents overwhelmingly agree that pupils are well behaved.  They are respectful of each other and of the adults in school. They display care and consideration when dealing with each other and are proud of their school.  In lessons they collaborate well, are eager to learn and know that staff have high expectations of them. They work hard and listen well. There are times when lack of concentration leads to some instances of low-level restlessness, but this is usually managed well by staff.  Pupils take their responsibilities seriously, for example when looking after younger pupils at lunchtimes and acting as members of their school council.  Attendance is in line with national figures. This is the result of a range of strategies put into place by the school, for example, the breakfast club and care for the on-site animals in the morning.  Sometimes the most able pupils are not challenged enough in their work resulting in some restlessness,

p.5

Behaviour

which means that they do not achieve their best.

p.5

Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and parents and carers overwhelmingly agree. They also say that there is no bullying and have confidence that it would be dealt with effectively if it were to happen. Records indicate that rare incidents are dealt with properly.  Pupils are taught well about how to keep safe and are well informed about the dangers of the internet and cyber bullying.  Keeping safe is promoted through regular assemblies and anti-bullying weeks so that pupils are clear about effective strategies and support they can use to keep safe. Some pupils have access to worry boxes.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils learn well, work happily together and make good progress over time. They have mature attitudes, are interested and eager to learn, and rise to challenges set for them. For example, when pupils were involved in a role play that involved ‘hot-seating’, the depth of understanding and response from the pupils about the poem being discussed was impressive. Their use and knowledge of vocabulary was also worthy of note.  Reading is taught well and, as a result, pupils enjoy using their skill with a variety of reading material. This helps them to become confident, fluent readers.  The school has worked successfully to improve the teaching of writing. Whilst writing was the most improved subject in 2014, it was weaker compared with reading and mathematics. Teaching is currently focusing on improving writing through the introduction of new resources for writing across the school. It is beginning to have a positive impact.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations of their pupils’ work and diligently work to provide a rich learning environment that supports their learning needs.  Opportunities are provided for pupils to work in a variety of different groupings, in either pairs or small groups, to discuss their work. This leads to confident learners who are able to articulate their ideas when discussing with others.  Teachers are increasingly using information about pupils’ learning effectively in order to plan suitable work for pupils. However, there are times when the most able pupils are insufficiently challenged. For example, in mathematics pupils are expected to complete many repetitive questions even though they have answered them correctly; they are therefore not always engaged in activities that extend and deepen their understanding further.  In lessons, teachers check pupils’ understanding and use questions effectively to assess the understanding

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

of pupils. Careful questioning is used to extend and challenge pupils’ knowledge and understanding; for example, in Year 5 when pupils were looking for deeper meaning in the poem, ‘Harribo’s Granddad’. The pupils’ responses were profoundly thoughtful.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly but do not always provide them with the clear guidance about how to improve their learning. A new marking policy has been introduced recently and inspectors observed the impact that this is beginning to have in a number of classes.  In the majority of lessons, teaching assistants support all pupils’ learning effectively. However, sometimes the use of teaching assistants is not as effective as it could be.

p.5

The achievement of pupils is good

 Most children start school having skills below those typical for their age.  Pupils in Year 1 make rapid progress in reading because phonics (the sounds that letters make) is taught effectively. For the last two years, the percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard on the national phonics screening check has been above the national standard.  The school rightly places a high importance on the teaching of reading which translates into a love of books. Pupils read with expression and show a good level of comprehension. They enjoy a wide range of reading material and speak proudly of their new library. Several pupils spoke enthusiastically about their enjoyment of reading. ‘I love reading’ and ‘reading is my hobby’ are typical comments made by Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 pupils.  The most able pupils in 2014 made at least good progress and attained high standards in reading, writing and mathematics. However, in some classes they are not set tasks that are stimulating enough to enable

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

them to attain higher levels.  Pupils who are disabled and those who have special educational needs performed better than those nationally in 2014.  Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Attainment over time has improved in Key Stage 1 and, in 2014, it was broadly in line with national standards with writing being the most improved subject.  The 2014 Year 6 results rose slightly for all subjects, being slightly above national standards. This represents a slow improvement over time. Writing was the subject most improved, reflecting the emphasis the school has placed on raising standards in this subject.  The Year 6 assessments showed that in reading and mathematics, the proportions of pupils making the progress expected of them was higher than the national figures in reading and mathematics. In writing, all pupils made the expected progress. The proportions making more than expected progress were higher

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

than national for all of reading, writing and mathematics.  The well-targeted pupil premium supports disadvantaged pupils and helps to close the gaps in attainment and progress compared with disadvantaged pupils nationally.  In 2014, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils was approximately one term behind that of their classmates in reading but less than half a term in mathematics and writing. The difference between disadvantaged pupils in school and other pupils nationally was the equivalent of a half term in mathematics, less than a term in reading and one term in writing. The attainment gaps for these pupils have closed steadily over time, demonstrating the school’s strong and effective focus on providing equality of opportunity.

p.6

The early years provision is good

 Children generally begin school with skills that are lower than those typical for their age. Some children have particularly weak skills in literacy and mathematics and need much support to enable them to catch up. In the Reception class, they make good progress because of the well-chosen activities and good teaching.  From their starting points, all children make good progress across the areas of learning so that by the end of Reception they are well prepared to enter Year 1 for the next stage of their education.  The teachers make timely, accurate assessments of the children and use the information to plan a range of interesting and exciting activities which engage them and help them to become confident learners. Teachers skilfully build upon the children’s interests in order to develop children’s language and mathematical ability.  Strong phonics teaching is a feature of the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.6

The early years provision is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants provide a rich, stimulating climate for learning, which was described by one parent as being, ‘a wonderful place to be’.  Children confidently choose activities, working and playing happily in pairs and small groups, taking turns and behaving fairly. They understand how to use equipment safely, for example when using scissors to cut out the shape of a snowman.  The well-established routines in the classrooms develop an independence of learning and help the children feel safe and secure.  There are close links with parents who are encouraged to support their children at home. The use of the children’s learning journey profiles help in the promotion of strong communication between the home and school.  Arrangements for the move into Year 1 are planned well so that there is no break in the continuity of learning.  The early years are well led and managed with staff working effectively as a team. Children’s attainment

p.6

The early years provision is good

and progress is monitored carefully. Tracking of progress is detailed and allows staff to identify children in need of further support so that they can quickly address any concerns.

p.7

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

p.8

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 105802 Local authority Rochdale Inspection number 448312

p.9

School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.9

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 339 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Philip Lord Headteacher Paula Mann Date of previous school inspection 9 November 2009 Telephone number 01706 631 755 Fax number 01706 346 276 Email address head@stewardsce.rochdale.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.10