Glodwick Infant and Nursery School

Glodwick Infant and Nursery School Glodwick Road, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL4 1AJ

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils flourish in the school because there is a strong focus on developing and nurturing pupils’ skills and abilities.  The excellent headteacher has a relentless focus on successfully driving continued improvement in pupils’ learning. She is very ably supported by the deputy headteacher, staff and governors. Together they form a highly dedicated and professional school community who have continued to make improvements in pupils’ outcomes and the quality of teaching.  Children get off to an excellent start in the early years and make rapid progress from their overall starting points, which are significantly below those typical for their age.  Pupils continue to make outstanding progress and by the time they leave the school in Year 2, the majority of pupils have reached standards which are average in reading, writing and mathematics.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is excellent and the proportion of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 check has improved since 2012.  Teaching is never less than good and often outstanding. Staff work very well together to develop pupils’ skills. Teachers benefit strongly from high-quality professional development and share excellent practice with one another.  Pupils behave outstandingly well in lessons and around the school. Their attitudes to learning are excellent and pupils show high levels of concentration and interest in their learning.  Relationships between pupils and staff are highly positive and pupils are very well supported by well- qualified teachers and teaching assistants.  Pupils get on very well with one another. They take their responsibilities seriously and show an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe. Pupils feel very safe in school.  Leaders regularly check on the quality of the school’s work and use the information gained to

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

identify areas for improvement. However, this is not always used to set targets which are easily measured.  Pupils have a very good understanding both of their own and other cultures and are very well prepared for life in modern Britain. The curriculum is very well planned to engage pupils in their learning.  Parents are highly supportive of the school and are very positive about all aspects of it. They have a wide range of opportunities to work with the school for the benefit of their children.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed the learning of all pupils in all classes across the school. They also looked at pupils’ work.  The inspectors listened to pupils from two different year groups reading, and talked with them and other groups of pupils about their lessons and school life.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders, representatives of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and the school improvement consultant.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised documentation relating to pupils’ progress and to school management, including the arrangements to ensure safeguarding.  The inspectors spoke to a group of parents and took account of the school’s own consultations with parents. An insufficient number of parents responded to the online questionnaire (Parent View) for a review of results to be provided. Inspectors also took account of the 22 staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Vanessa MacDonald, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Glodwick Infant and Nursery School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The majority of pupils are of Pakistani heritage and almost all pupils speak English as an additional language, the vast majority of whom are at an early stage of learning English. A very small number of pupils are from White British heritage backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils or those with special educational needs is above the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those supported by the pupil premium, is in line with 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 early years provision comprises of a Nursery, where children attend part-time for either a morning or an afternoon and three Reception classes, which children attend on a full-time basis.

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Information about this school

 Two of the assistant headteachers have taken up their posts in the last 12 months.  The school is split between two sites. The Nursery is a short distance from the main school.  The school provides a breakfast club on two mornings a week.  The headteacher is a National Leader of Education. She provides support for other schools in the local authority.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure the targets set for further improving the school’s work are always easily measurable.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher provides strong and effective leadership and has a dedicated team of staff who share fully in her relentless determination to ensure the highest levels of achievement for the pupils. She is very ably supported by the deputy headteacher, other senior leaders, staff and governors, which is why there have been improvements in achievement, the quality of teaching and a reduction in the proportion of pupils who are frequently absent.  The school has an accurate view of its strengths and areas for development. The school development plan identifies where the school could do even better, even though it is performing very strongly. Each middle and senior leader is responsible for compiling the development plan for their area of the school’s work. They report termly to governors on what progress has been made on achieving the targets in the plan. However, this information is not always used as well as it might to set targets which are able to be

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The leadership and management are outstanding

measured easily.  There are rigorous checks on the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. As a result any pupils who are in danger of underachieving are quickly identified and extra support is provided for these pupils. The school also provides parents with additional support so they are able to support their children with their learning in reading, writing and mathematics. This shows the school’s successful commitment to promoting equal opportunities for all pupils, tackling any discrimination and fostering good relations.  There is a strong focus on ongoing improvement to teaching. Teachers have targets closely linked to the main priorities for the school and pupils’ achievement and progress. These are carefully considered when making recommendations about teachers’ pay. The high-quality training and professional development, including for those new to the profession, have led to a continued strengthening in the quality of teaching.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

Teachers spoke very positively about the support they receive from both senior leaders and colleagues, who very effectively share their expertise and skills.  The curriculum has been designed so that there are interesting topics which link subjects together. A rich programme of visits and visitors provides pupils with a wide range of opportunities to write from first-hand experiences and to develop their vocabulary, use of imagination and understanding of the wider world. Pupils have weekly swimming and music lessons, have enjoyed working with a visiting artist and attend the choral speaking competition to develop their speaking skills. This exemplifies the school’s excellent promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Through assemblies and the teaching of different religions pupils have an excellent understanding of religions and cultures other than their own. The visits to and links between the local mosque and church

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The leadership and management are outstanding

and its respective leaders strongly support this. The school is linked to another school where most pupils have a different ethnic background; pupils go on visits together and have joint sports days. This ensures that pupils are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.  The school has used the sports funding to provide pupils with structured sports sessions for each year group at lunchtime, led by specialist coaches and assisted by support staff. This has increased pupils’ participation in sports, with pupils suggesting the sports they would like to learn. Very good use is made of the outside areas, which has led to an even more positive lunchtime experience for all pupils.  Parents are very positive about school and the parent consultation group provides a good forum for parents to express their views. Parents have a wide range of opportunities to work with the school to benefit their children’s learning.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The local authority provides governor training and helps to check the accuracy of the school’s judgments. It uses the headteacher to provide support and challenge for other schools in the local authority.  The governance of the school:  Governors have an excellent understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They share the headteacher’s determined drive for continued improvement and use their different skills very well to support the school. They receive a wide range of information from leaders about the school’s performance, including data on pupils’ performance. As a result governors are able to effectively support and challenge leaders about this. They visit the school regularly and consequently have a very good understanding about the quality of teaching and pupils’ attitudes to learning. When making decisions about pay awards the governing body ensures any progression is closely linked to pupils’

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The leadership and management are outstanding

achievement and high-quality teaching. Governors manage the finances of the school very well and ensure the pupil premium funding is used effectively to provide additional staff. Together with senior leaders, governors ensure that this funding helps disadvantaged pupils to progress as well as others in the school. Governors are well trained and make sure that safeguarding arrangements meet all requirements and that policies and training are up to date. Governors are astutely aware of the need to ensure pupils’ wider understanding of cultures and make very effective use of their role in the local community to promote this and to foster good relations.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils’ behaviour around school and in lessons is exemplary. They move around the different areas very sensibly, showing high levels of consideration and respect for one another. They are keenly aware of how pupils feel when they start in their school without an understanding of English and are highly supportive of one another.  In lessons, pupils work diligently and show high levels of concentration. They have extremely positive attitudes to learning and enjoy sharing their work with one another and adults. They settle quickly and enthusiastically to the work they are set and their work shows high standards of presentation.  Pupils are very respectful of their environment and even the youngest children are taught about recycling and the cost of resources. Older pupils are involved in making decisions about how to improve lunchtimes and also how to make their school and environment even better. They have a range of responsibilities,

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Behaviour

such as classroom monitors, school councillors and eco-councillors, and take each of these seriously.  Pupils say that poor behaviour is extremely rare and school records confirm this. There have been no exclusions and no racist or discriminatory incidents in recent years. Pupils show an appreciation of their own Pakistani and British culture, and also a growing awareness of other cultures. Their close links with another school enable pupils to successfully mix and share experiences with pupils from different ethnic backgrounds.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils have a very good knowledge of the different forms of bullying and how this is different from falling out. They also understand the importance of keeping safe on the computer and how being safe in school is different to keeping safe outside the school environment.  Pupils enjoy school and parents are very happy with how well looked after their children are and that they are kept safe. Pupils are confident that any problems will be sorted out quickly by the adults who look after them. Pupils enjoy the breakfast club and are able to mix and play with friends, as well as having a healthy breakfast.  Attendance for the majority of pupils is similar to the national average and the proportion who are persistently absent has decreased significantly. The school has a wide range of strategies to encourage and promote attendance, with some success. However, childhood illness and extended holidays to home

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Safety

countries has a detrimental effect on overall attendance.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Pupils make rapid progress from their different starting points because teaching is always at least good and is outstanding overall throughout the school. All staff have high expectations of pupils’ work and behaviour to which pupils respond very well. Every possible opportunity is taken to improve pupils’ learning and no time is wasted.  Teaching assistants are very well deployed to support pupils in small groups both in class and in additional support sessions. In the early years in particular, bilingual staff very effectively support children who are at the early stages of English language acquisition so they develop their understanding quickly.  Work is very well matched to pupils’ different needs and activities are carefully planned to build well on what pupils already know. In one Reception class, a group of children were rapidly learning how to record how to share out 12 snakes into four cauldrons in a mathematics session. This was because the

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

explanation and demonstration by the teacher was excellent and children confidently learnt from this. Another group were working with a teaching assistant to share out the dinosaurs’ food, showing keen attention and explaining why it has to be equally shared.  Staff make strong links between the topics pupils are learning and the development of their reading, writing and mathematical skills. Year 1 pupils were using their own model of a lunar landscape to write a description of the setting. The very effective questioning by the teacher combined with the teacher’s clear and correct use of phonics ensured all the pupils were independently able to write simple sentences.  Work in pupils’ books shows that pupils’ writing skills develop very strongly. By the time they are in Year 2 pupils write confidently, using an increasingly wide range of vocabulary and punctuation. Visits are regularly planned to extend pupils’ experiences in order to extend their vocabulary and develop their

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

writing skills further.  Pupils enjoy reading and read a range of books, showing good use of their phonic knowledge to breakdown words successfully. Questioning is used very well by teachers and teaching assistants and this, combined with their clear explanations, ensures that pupils’ understanding of what they are reading improves rapidly.  The school has introduced daily ‘number facts’ sessions, which ensure pupils have increasingly strong calculation skills, which they can use well in practical tasks. In a Year 2 class pupils were using their understanding of number to count in fives the number of buildings which had caught fire in the Great Fire of London. They then successfully transferred this to a bar chart.  Marking is of a consistently high quality across the school. Pupils clearly understand the marking system and it provides them with clear guidance on how to improve their work or poses additional challenges for

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

them. Pupils regularly respond to this guidance and, as a result, it has a very positive impact on their learning.  Homework is of a very high standard and the same high quality of marking is evident in homework books. Homework supports pupils’ learning very well across a range of subjects, whilst also promoting the development of pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils’ achievement across the school is outstanding. From their exceptionally low starting points, pupils make rapid and sustained progress year on year. Over time, pupils’ skills in understanding English develop well and although attainment is below average by the end of Key Stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics, the majority of pupils reach the expected level for their age by the end of Year 2. Inspection evidence shows the number of pupils currently working at expected levels for their age is continuing to improve rapidly and an increasing proportion of pupils are exceeding this level.  The proportion of pupils who achieve the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check is close to average. Some pupils start school in Year 1 speaking little or no English and are not able to complete the test, which affects the published results. Phonics is taught highly effectively across the school because

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

teaching is systematic and well organised.  The number of most able pupils is small and they make similar rates of progress to their peers. The school looks for every opportunity to support the most able pupils to achieve the higher levels. The most able pupils in Year 2, for example, used their phonic knowledge to read and answer questions about their reading book, showing excellent reading skills and understanding of the story. Pupils confidently told the inspector what a simile was and how the author had described the character of the giant.  Pupils enjoy reading, whether it is listening to a story read to them during snack time or reading their class book. Pupils in Year 2 were particularly enjoying the story of ‘Whiffy Wilson’ explaining confidently to the inspector why he was so ‘whiffy’ and who had helped him to improve.  In mathematics, pupils achieve exceptionally well because their early skills are assessed in their home

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

language so that work can be closely matched to their mathematical understanding. Regular sessions with parents to show them how to teach mathematical skills is having a positive impact on pupils’ learning.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make excellent progress from their starting points. This is because they receive well-targeted and very well-matched support from teachers and teaching assistants. The very small number who speak English as their first language achieve as well as their peers.  Disadvantaged pupils receive very effective support either in small groups or individually, from both teachers and teaching assistants. As a result they make rapid progress in line with their peers in school. By the end of Year 2 in 2014, the standards reached by disadvantaged pupils were a term ahead of their peers in reading and writing and the same as their peers in mathematics. Their attainment was below that

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

of non-disadvantaged pupils nationally by two terms in reading, one term in writing and two terms in mathematics but the gap has closed significantly since 2012.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 The vast majority of children start in Nursery with knowledge and skills significantly lower than those typical for their age. This is because all the children do not speak English at home and are in the very early stages of learning the language. Their personal, social and self-help skills and their understanding of the wider world are also significantly lower than those typical because very few children have experiences outside their home environment.  The school provides highly effective support for all children by providing additional staff and additional support both in their home language and in English, making sure activities are particularly carefully thought out to support their learning. Both this and the effective links with external agencies ensure children settle quickly in to school life in the Nursery and Reception classes.  From their exceptionally low starting points, children make rapid progress across both Nursery and

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The early years provision is outstanding

Reception classes and their achievement is outstanding. Their understanding of spoken and written English improves quickly as does their personal and social development because all staff plan activities carefully to enhance these skills. As a result the gap between their skills and those typical for their age is narrowed considerably.  Although few children reach a good level of development by the time they start Year 1, this has improved over the last two years and increasing proportions of children are reaching levels which are typical and close to typical for their age. Despite the fact they make outstanding progress, children are not as well prepared for Year 1 as most children nationally. This is because of the ground they have to make up from their very low starting points.  There is smooth transition between the Nursery and Reception classes. Nursery children spend sessions in their Reception classes and Reception children spend a week in their Year 1 classes in the summer term.

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The early years provision is outstanding

This and the close liaison between staff ensure that all children’s individual needs are well known and learning continues to be built on swiftly.  Teaching in the early years is of a high quality. In both Nursery and Reception classes all staff work closely to make sure that learning is interesting and motivating. Relationships are highly positive and children feel safe and secure in the different settings so that they become keen and curious learners. For example, children were enthusiastically involved in going on a ‘dragon hunt’, collecting their equipment to track and catch it, while others were acting out a scene from ‘Room on the Broom’ creating spells using their broom.  Leadership across the early years is outstanding. The two leaders of the Nursery and Reception classes have high expectations and in a short time have gained an excellent understanding of the strengths and further areas for development needed for continued improvement in both the settings. They work very

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The early years provision is outstanding

effectively in collaboration with one another and respective staff, and improving children’s learning is central to what they do.  From the outset, the youngest children are involved in talking about and agreeing the targets for both their class and themselves. They have an excellent understanding of the importance of being a friend and looking after their environment by recycling. They play and work harmoniously with one another and, as a result, their behaviour is outstanding.  Partnerships with parents are excellent. They are encouraged to be involved in their child’s learning. Sessions are held regularly informing parents how they can support their children with their phonics and skills in literacy and mathematics.

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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 105645 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 449276

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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 Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 364 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lynn Moran Headteacher Jane Brierley Date of previous school inspection 30 September 2009 Telephone number 0161 770 8585 Fax number 0161 626 0698 Email address info@glodwick.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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