St Mary's Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw

School report St Mary’s Church of England Primary School, Hawkshaw Bolton Road, Hawkshaw, Bury, Lancashire, BL8 4JL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 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

 From their various starting points, pupils make outstanding progress and reach above average standards by the end of each key stage. In 2014, all Year 6 pupils attained the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics combined and almost half reached above average standards.  Disadvantaged pupils are exceptionally well supported and achieve at least as well as other pupils in school. Some attain higher standards than their peers.  The quality of teaching is outstanding, as shown by the progress pupils make. Teaching focuses on pupils’ individual learning needs and work is set at just the correct level of difficulty to ensure that all pupils make excellent progress.  Children in the early years settle in well and make excellent progress as the result of interesting and exciting activities which capture their interest and help them to learn.  Teachers mark pupils’ work carefully and some pupils make regular responses to improve their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

work, but this is not the case consistently in all classes.  High teacher expectations ensure that pupils’ work is of high quality, but there are some slight variations in presentation across classes and subjects.  The school’s rich curriculum, which includes opportunities for all pupils to learn how to play a musical instrument if they wish, makes an excellent contribution to pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development.  The headteacher is quietly determined and uncompromising in her ambition to ensure that all pupils have the best possible education and attain the highest standards. Since the previous inspection, she has continued to improve the quality of teaching and standards have risen.  The headteacher is very well supported by an equally determined deputy headteacher, a committed staff team and a highly effective governing body.  Governance is excellent. Governors know the school extremely well. They provide just the right level of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

support and challenge to ensure that the school continues to improve.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding because they try their best, work hard and care for each other very well. Pupils say the school is ‘like a family’ because they all know each other’s names and get on well together.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe is outstanding because pupils are so well supported and cared for. All parents who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View, agreed that their children feel safe at this school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector gathered a range of evidence to judge the quality of teaching over time, including looking at the school’s own progress data, pupils’ work in books and observing lessons.  The inspector observed teaching and learning in 10 part-lessons taught by five different teachers. Of these, four lessons were observed jointly by the inspector and the headteacher. In addition, the inspector observed the headteacher giving feedback to staff.  The inspector met with a group of pupils, talked to pupils informally at break and lunchtime, and listened to Year 2 pupils reading. The inspector observed the teaching of reading through phonics (the sounds that letters make) and talked to Key Stage 2 pupils about how the school helps them to read.  Meetings were held with members of the governing body, including the Chair of the Governing Body. Meetings were also held with senior leaders and teachers.  The inspector took account of parents’ views from the 48 responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent

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Information about this inspection

View) and the school’s own questionnaire for parents. In addition, the inspector talked to several parents prior to the start of each school day.  The inspector also took account of the 13 responses to the staff questionnaire completed during the inspection.  The school’s work was observed and the inspector looked at a number of documents, including safeguarding records, the improvement plan, the school’s data for tracking pupils’ progress, reports on the quality of teaching and teachers’ planning.

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Inspection team

Andrée Coleman, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  A large majority of pupils are of White British heritage and very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below average. These are pupils supported through pupil premium funding, which 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.  Children in the early years attend full time in the Reception class.  In 2014, the school met the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6 .  The headteacher is a local leader of education (LLE) and until May 2014 was seconded to Woodbank

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Information about this school

Primary School, Bury to provide support.  Before- and after-school care, called the ‘Helping Hands Club’, is provided in the school building. This is inspected separately and its inspection report is available on the Ofsted website.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve the quality of teaching by:  ensuring that all pupils have regular opportunities to respond to teachers’ marking and guidance so that they know how to improve their own work further  developing the school’s handwriting and presentation policy so that presentation in pupils’ work is of the same high quality in all classes and all subjects.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher provides strong, outstanding leadership, and work to improve the quality of teaching further since the previous inspection has been most effective. Staff benefit from excellent training and development opportunities and are committed to achieving the headteacher’s high expectations. The recently reviewed mission statement, using the pupils’ own words and illustrations, is displayed around school. It is an example of the strong, positive culture in which all pupils are encouraged to do their best and behave extremely well.  Parents who spoke to the inspector all commented on how well the headteacher and all staff know each individual pupil and ensure that they achieve exceptionally well. Parents speak highly of the care provided by all staff and the excellent progress their children make. One parent describes the school as a ‘hidden gem’.  Careful tracking of the progress of each individual pupil’s progress ensures that all have equal

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The leadership and management are outstanding

opportunities to succeed. The school’s excellent ethos and policies ensure that good relations are fostered and discrimination is tackled effectively.  Pupil premium funding is used most effectively to ensure that disadvantaged pupils achieve as well as, or better than, other pupils. As well as receiving academic support, all disadvantaged pupils take part in free educational visits, are funded to attend any after-school clubs where there is a charge and have free instrumental music lessons.  Leaders at all levels are highly effective in ensuring that pupils make excellent progress in their subject area or department. For example, the special educational needs coordinator ensures that disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported very well and make excellent progress.  The curriculum is rich and exciting. There is a range of extra-curricular clubs for pupils to attend and

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The leadership and management are outstanding

pupils enjoy educational visits out of school. In November 2014, pupils were joined by members of the local community in commemorating those who lost their lives in the First World War in the ‘Hawkshaw at War’ project. Examples of pupils’ art work as part of the project are proudly displayed on the school’s website.  The school’s work to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain is most effective; pupils have learnt about democracy through electing members of the school council. In addition, pupils show great respect for others and have learnt about different countries, cultures and religions through the curriculum and international theme days.  The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements and are most effective. Leaders and staff are well trained in safeguarding and records are comprehensive and up to date. Governors take their responsibilities for safeguarding pupils very seriously. The named governor for child

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The leadership and management are outstanding

protection is proactive and well qualified.  The primary physical education (PE) and sport premium funding has been used wisely. As a result, there is a greater range of sports clubs on offer and more pupils are achieving the level of skill of which they are capable. School teams have been successful recently in a number of local sports tournaments, including cross country, football, rounders and tennis. Pupils speak enthusiastically of the sporting opportunities provided by the school.  The local authority knows the school well and has provided effective support since the previous inspection.  The governance of the school:  Outstanding governance has supported the headteacher and staff in bringing about improvement since the last inspection. Governors know the school extremely well. As well as being highly supportive and proud of the school, they give the right amount of challenge to school leaders to ensure that the school

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The leadership and management are outstanding

continues to improve. The governing body has a clear understanding of the quality of teaching and there are targets in place for all staff to work towards. These targets are specific and measurable, and used to reward performance which is good or better. There is no underperformance as the result of highly effective training and regular checks on teachers’ performance.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher provide governors with clear data on pupils’ attainment and progress, which governors interpret accurately. Checks on individuals and groups of pupils are regular and ensure that all achieve exceptionally well. Governors are committed to ensuring that pupils achieve well academically, but also develop their personal skills and confidence as members of the school community.  The governing body has evaluated its own effectiveness. It has a plan of actions to follow to continue to improve governors’ skills and knowledge and extend the impact of governance on the school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils show respect to each other and to staff, and say that they all get on well. Several pupils who have joined the school from other schools were keen to tell the inspector about how they have been made to feel welcome and have quickly made lots of friends. Indeed, the inspector was made to feel very welcome by the number of pupils who wanted to check that she was enjoying her visit to the school and having ‘a nice day’.  Pupils show exemplary attitudes to learning. In lessons they listen well, try hard and do their best. Around school and in the playground, they are sensible and play well together. Pupils were seen lining up very sensibly and politely purchasing healthy snacks from the tuck shop run by Year 5 pupils at break time.  Pupils show high levels of motivation and are enthusiastic about school. This is demonstrated in their above average attendance rates.

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Behaviour

 Pupils take great pride in their school and speak enthusiastically about being members of sports teams, the school council and the faith team. They take their responsibilities very seriously and often have to write letters to apply for jobs in school.  Pupils understand about different types of bullying, such as cyber-bullying. They say that bullying of any kind is extremely rare, but that they would feel confident to tell an adult if there was any. They say that adults are kind and that they feel able to talk to them.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils say that they feel safe and all parents who completed the online questionnaire, Parent View, agreed that their children feel safe at this school.  Pupils are cheerful and confident because staff care for them so well. Even the youngest pupils in the Reception class were confident to talk to the inspector about how much they enjoy school and what they are learning.  Pupils show an excellent understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet. They understand about fire safety and, for example, taking care of themselves when it is Bonfire Night.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The quality of teaching is outstanding and, as a result, pupils make outstanding progress in reading, writing, mathematics and across a range of subjects.  The most-able pupils are very well supported by teaching which meets their needs and helps them to make rapid progress. Pupils’ high attainment in mathematics, for example, can be seen in the way they are able to explain their reasoning to solve calculations. This is exemplified by the greater than average proportion reaching the highest level in the national test in Year 6.  As well as very effective teaching and support in class teaching sessions, special programmes of work are planned for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs; these ensure that they make excellent progress.  The teaching of reading is particularly effective and pupils say they enjoy reading. Pupils in Year 2 who read to the inspector did so with confidence and enthusiasm. The teaching of phonics is excellent; almost

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

all pupils are on track to attain the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check this year. During the inspection, Key Stage 1 pupils were observed reading words containing the letters ‘gn’, such as ‘design’ and ‘campaign’, and successfully unscrambling anagrams containing ‘gn’.  In writing lessons, pupils have lots of opportunities to improve their own work. An increased proportion of pupils is working at above average standards, especially in Key Stage 1. Pupils have excellent opportunities to write in a range of subjects across the curriculum.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and makes an excellent contribution to pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development. Pupils say how much they enjoy learning about other countries and cultures. In an assembly, Key Stage 1 pupils were observed telling everyone what they had learnt about Chinese New Year celebrations. All pupils in Key Stage 2 have the opportunity to learn to speak French; work in their

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

books shows that they make good progress.  Checks of what pupils know and can do are regular and used very effectively to plan teaching and activities which help pupils to make rapid progress. School leaders and staff have worked together to create new ways of assessing pupils’ skills and knowledge to meet the demands of the new national curriculum. Individual progress records for pupils in the early years are meticulous and pinpoint clearly what children need to learn next in each area.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and in detail. The school has recently changed its marking policy to encourage pupils to make responses to the guidance given by teachers. This strategy is in the early stages, with some groups of pupils making more effective responses and improving their own work better than others.  High teacher expectations ensure that pupils’ work is of high quality and pupils take great pride in their

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

work. There are some slight variations in the quality of pupils’ presentation and handwriting in different classes and subjects.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils’ achievement is outstanding. Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics has risen steadily since the last inspection. Standards are significantly above average at the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 as a result of pupils’ excellent progress.  In 2014, all Year 6 pupils attained the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics combined, compared with four out of five pupils nationally. In addition, almost half of these pupils reached above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics, compared with about a quarter of pupils nationally.  All Year 6 pupils in 2014 made the progress expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics from Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2, with an above-average proportion making greater progress in writing and mathematics. A broadly average proportion made more than the progress expected of them in reading.  School data show that disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make excellent

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

progress as the result of outstanding teaching and specific programmes which help them to overcome their difficulties.  The school has very small numbers of disadvantaged pupils, but school data from all year groups show that these pupils are making excellent progress. Most attain standards at least in line with other pupils and many achieve better than this, with attainment that is as much as a term greater in reading, writing and mathematics than that of other pupils.  Small classes sometimes contain very small numbers of most-able pupils, but school data show that these pupils receive work at the correct level of difficulty to challenge them further and to help them to make excellent progress.  As pupils progress through the school into Key Stage 2, the proportions achieving above average standards typically increase. In 2014, an above average proportion of most-able Year 6 pupils exceeded nationally expected standards in reading, writing, mathematics and English grammar, punctuation and

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

spelling. In addition, 43% of pupils attained the highest level in the mathematics national tests (Level 6), compared with 9% of pupils nationally.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Highly effective leadership and management of the early years ensure that all pupils achieve extremely well. By the end of the Reception class almost all children typically achieve a good level of development, which is the level of skills and knowledge required to ensure that they are ready to begin Key Stage 1. Nationally, only 60% of children reached this level in 2014.  From starting points which vary from year to year, children settle in quickly and make excellent progress. Most children currently in Reception have a level of skills and knowledge which is a little above that typical for their age. They are building on these skills well as the result of activities which are just at the right level to enable them to make rapid progress.  Teaching is highly effective and activities provided are interesting and motivate children to learn. For example, children were observed talking enthusiastically about parts of a story which interested them.

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The early years provision is outstanding

Later they were seen creating pictures on the laptops to accompany the story.  Children behave very well and respond promptly to instructions from adults. The smiles on their faces show their enthusiasm for learning. In addition, the school ensures that children are safe and well cared for.

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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 105340 Local authority Bury Inspection number 448278

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 107 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Margaret Wilcock Headteacher Geraldine Woodward Date of previous school inspection 7 October 2009 Telephone number 01204 886167 Fax number N/A Email address stmaryshawkshaw@bury.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

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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