Coppice Primary Academy

Coppice Primary Academy Kennedy Street, Oldham, Greater Manchester, OL8 1BD

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy 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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The executive Principal and head of academy have a clear and determined ambition for continued improvement. They have worked relentlessly since the school became an academy to secure continued improvement in the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes.  Staff morale is high and there is a shared commitment and drive.  Leaders at all levels, including governors, have an accurate view of the academy’s strengths and of what needs to be done to improve it further. They share good practice across the two schools effectively.  Governors provide a good level of challenge and support. They are highly committed to improve the academy’s provision and outcomes further.  Achievement is good. Pupils make good progress from starting points which are often significantly below those typical for their age when they enter the early years provision.  Children get off to a good start in the early years and make good progress.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 In 2014, Year 6 pupils reached standards which were average in reading and writing and above average in mathematics.  Teaching is typically good. Pupils are keen to learn and work well cooperatively. Teachers question pupils well and build on previous learning.  Pupils feel safe in school and they have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe.  Pupils have good attitudes to learning and they behave well in school, which creates a warm and purposeful environment.  The curriculum is interesting and is well supported by a range of visits and visitors. Pupils attend a good range of extra-curricular activities to support their learning.  Pupils show a respect for each other and an understanding of different beliefs, which prepares them well for life in modern Britain.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Work set is not always challenging enough to ensure that pupils, including the most able, can reach the highest possible standards.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to use their mathematical skills to solve problems in real- life situations.  Teaching assistants are not always deployed as effectively as they could be, especially when teachers are introducing the lesson.  Attendance is below average because a small proportion of pupils are absent from school too often.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a range of lessons or parts of lessons and also looked at pupils’ work.  The inspectors listened to pupils from three different year groups reading, and talked with them and other groups of pupils about their lessons and school life.  Meetings were held with the executive Principal and head of academy, senior and middle leaders, representatives of the governing body and a representative of the multi-academy trust.  The inspectors observed the academy’s work and scrutinised documentation relating to pupils’ progress and to school management, including the arrangements to ensure pupils are kept safe.  The inspectors spoke to parents and took account of the 17 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire (Parent View). They also took account of the 61 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Vanessa MacDonald, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Coppice Primary Academy is larger than the average-sized primary school. The vast majority of pupils are of Pakistani and Bangladeshi heritage and almost all pupils speak English as an additional language. The overwhelming majority of pupils start school at the early stages of speaking English. A very small number of pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is above the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standard, which is the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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Information about this school

 The early years is comprised of a morning and afternoon Nursery and full-time Reception classes.  A breakfast club is provided.  Coppice Primary Academy became an academy on 1 September 2013 and is sponsored by Focus Trust. The school has an executive Principal who is also executive Principal for Roundthorn Primary Academy. There is a head of academy for Coppice Primary Academy. Other senior and middle leaders have leadership roles which are shared across both schools.  There are two aspects to the governance of Coppice Primary Academy. There is a strategic and operations aspect of governance which has members from the governing bodies of Coppice and Roundthorn and a distinct Chair of Governors. In addition, there is an aspect which relates predominately to teaching and learning with a separate governing body and Chair of the Governing Body for Coppice Primary Academy.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching further and improve pupils’ achievement, including of the most able, by ensuring that:  work set is challenging enough to extend their capabilities so they reach the highest possible standards  improving opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical knowledge to help solve practical problems in real-life situations  teaching assistants are consistently deployed so that their skills are used effectively throughout the lesson.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attendance further by continuing to work with parents to find additional ways to promote the importance of regular attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The executive Principal and head of academy provide clear leadership and direction. They have high expectations of continued improvement which are shared by all staff and governors. Staff morale is high, and there is a strong team spirit which is shared within Coppice Primary and across the partner school. The sharing of practice and expertise is an integral feature of the leadership of the academy, which has led to continued improvement in the quality of teaching and outcomes for pupils.  Pupils’ progress is tracked regularly and carefully. Information gathered from regular and thorough pupil progress meetings is used to identify the needs of different pupils and to intervene when pupils are at risk of falling behind. As a result, the progress of the vast majority of pupils is good.  The use of pupil premium funding is well planned and effective. The funding provides additional teaching support and increased opportunities to develop provision to support pupils’ needs across the academy.

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The leadership and management are good

Inspection evidence shows that this is closing the attainment gaps between disadvantaged pupils and others in the school. This shows the academy’s commitment to tackling discrimination and supporting the promotion of equality of opportunity for all.  Performance management is robust and rigorous and any underperformance is appropriately tackled. Teachers have clear targets which are related to pupils’ achievement and linked closely to pay progression. Checks on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress by senior and middle leaders are well planned and regular. Information is used to help teachers identify their strengths and areas for development. A programme of training is well planned and involves staff from both schools as well as across the wider family of schools within the trust.  Middle leaders work effectively as a team. They are fully involved in checking on the quality of teaching in

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The leadership and management are good

their areas of responsibility. The effective communication between leaders ensures that this information is fully shared and appropriate training and support are put into place to continue to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils are taught about different cultures and beliefs and visit different places of worship. Pupils have opportunities to play a musical instrument, learn a new language and try out new sports such as water polo. The good range of extra-curricular clubs contributes well to their wider knowledge. Pupils enjoy activities linked to learning outdoors. A group of pupils were excitedly planting seeds in the science club, talking about how the different planting materials might affect growth.  Prominent displays in the academy halls and around the school promote different values, particularly

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The leadership and management are good

British values, and how these relate to the academy and wider community. Year 5 pupils were learning about democracy and the importance of elections, creating their own election manifestoes using computer software, which prepares them well for life in modern Britain. The range of visits, including to the ‘Mayor’s Parlour’ and visitors to school, including during diversity and anti-bullying weeks, contributes to the academy’s focus on fostering good relationships in school and in the local and wider communities.  The academy makes good use of the primary school sport funding. Sports coaches are employed to teach pupils new skills and to also train staff. As a result, there has been an increase in the range of sports pupils have been involved in, including dance and multi-skills, and also in the amount of competitive sports in which pupils are engaged. Careful checking on pupils’ engagement shows that pupils are

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The leadership and management are good

benefiting from improvements in their physical skills and knowledge of healthy lifestyles.  Strong links exist with parents, who are highly supportive of the academy. Nevertheless, leaders and governors acknowledge the need to find additional ways of working with families to promote the importance of regular attendance, particularly for the small proportion of pupils who are absent too often.  Leaders and governors ensure that statutory safeguarding arrangements fully meet requirements and are effective. The recent safeguarding review identified the very few areas for improvement, to which governors responded swiftly.  Focus Trust provides the academy with regular ongoing support and challenge to check on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress, as well as additional training to secure continued improvement.  The governance of the school:  Governance is effective. Governors have a good understanding and thorough knowledge of the different

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The leadership and management are good

aspects of the academy’s performance through detailed reports from leaders and first-hand checking on its effectiveness. Governors who are involved in the joint operational aspect of the two partner schools are well informed about the quality of teaching, the effectiveness of the different types of funding and aspects of health and safety and safeguarding arrangements.  The other aspect of governance is more local to Coppice Primary. Similarly, governors are also given detailed information on the quality of teaching, including what is being done to tackle underperformance, on pupils’ achievement and the effectiveness of funding. Governors are thus able to challenge academy leaders effectively on the current performance of the school because they have a good knowledge of the data on the performance of different groups of pupils. The two aspects work successfully, in tandem, to ensure that leaders are held to account for continued improvements and for

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The leadership and management are good

the effectiveness of identified actions. Governors are able to access a range of training through the trust to ensure that they are up to date with all their statutory responsibilities, including safeguarding.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are friendly, courteous and polite to visitors and to each other. Pupils behave well around the academy and are clear about the expectations for their behaviour, including in the dining halls and breakfast club.  Recent changes to the behaviour management system have been positive and pupils understand and like the ‘behaviour ladders’. They say that pupils are friendly and that there are very few instances where behaviour is not good. Any such instances are swiftly dealt with by staff and pupils are confident that they can speak to any adult.  Pupils take their different roles and responsibilities seriously. Older pupils understand democracy and how positions are selected through elections. They have a clear understanding of how to be part of their school and local community. The school council regularly asks pupils for ideas on how to improve different aspects of the academy and pupils raise money for different charities.

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Behaviour

 Most pupils work hard and enjoy working in pairs and small groups. This contributes well to the good progress they make in lessons. Occasionally, pupils do not concentrate fully in lessons and this slows their learning. This is often when learning is not challenging enough.  Despite the efforts of leaders, attendance remains below average. The introduction of the breakfast club and an ‘early readers’ club has resulted in some improvement in attendance and punctuality. However, some parents do not always ensure that their children attend regularly.

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Safety

 The academy’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils say they feel safe and that teachers and other adults look after them well. All the parents who responded to the online questionnaire Parent View agree that their children feel safe and are cared for well.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves and others safe, including on the internet. Visits from the local police and fire service and e-safety sessions contribute to their increased awareness of potential dangers.  Pupils are aware of the different forms that bullying can take, including cyber bullying, neglect and use of inappropriate and derogatory language. Pupils of different ages say that bullying is very rare in the school. They commented that there are no aggressive or racial incidents and that, in their words, ‘No one hurts anyone.’  School records are well kept and thorough and show that the few recorded incidents of bullying are

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good. Pupils achieve well and are keen to learn. Observations of learning and evidence in books show that pupils make good progress and that teaching is continuing to improve rapidly since the school became an academy.  Teachers provide pupils with tasks that interest and engage them and which build on what they already know. Effective questioning by teachers and teaching assistants ensures that pupils understand what to do to achieve well and that they develop their skills in reading, writing and mathematics effectively. Nevertheless, there are occasions when the work set is not sufficiently challenging, including for the most able pupils.  The teaching of guided reading sessions has been a recent area of training and development. This has improved the way in which reading is taught. As a result, pupils’ understanding of what they are reading is improving across the school. In Year 2, for example, pupils were sensitively questioned about their

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The quality of teaching is good

understanding of what they were reading. The teacher developed pupils’ phonics knowledge of letters and the sounds they make well, and also picked up on any grammatical errors.  The teaching of phonics is good and pupils are able to break down unfamiliar words successfully. Opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills have been developed and this is having a positive impact on their writing skills. Pupils build successfully on prior work and there are good opportunities for pupils to write across the curriculum. In several year groups, pupils were observed orally rehearsing what they wanted to write, working cooperatively in pairs and small groups to do this.  The majority of marking of pupils’ work gives them clear guidance on how to improve and picks up on pupils’ errors and misconceptions. There are also examples of exemplary practice which results in pupils making rapid progress. Older pupils say that they know how to improve because marking helps them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 A focus on developing teachers’ and teaching assistants’ knowledge of how to teach mathematics and how pupils learn best has led to improvements in pupils’ mathematical achievement.  For example, pupils in Year 6 were using their knowledge of the mathematical concepts of range, mean, mode and median to solve practical problems. They were confidently questioning and reasoning with one another, their teacher and teaching assistant. This rapidly built on their understanding and ability to apply their knowledge. However, pupils do not always have enough opportunities to practise their mathematical skills to solve practical problems in real-life situations.  Teaching assistants provide a good level of support for pupils when they are working in small groups or individually with them. However, teaching assistants are not always as effective when teachers are introducing the lesson to the whole class. Opportunities are missed to challenge the most able and start

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The quality of teaching is good

them off on the task or to explain what is needed in greater detail to the least able pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of pupils is good. Pupils’ progress is improving; the vast majority of pupils make good progress from starting points that are often below and significantly below those which are typical for their age.  In 2014, attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 was significantly below that seen nationally, particularly in mathematics. Almost a third of the cohort had special educational needs, which had a negative impact on the proportions reaching average and higher levels of attainment. However, from their low starting points, the majority of pupils made good progress. Inspection evidence based on observations and school records show that in the current Year 2, increasing numbers of pupils are on track to reach average levels in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils develop their reading skills well as they move through the school. As a result of good teaching of phonics, pupils learn the letters and sounds they make quickly and are able to read confidently and

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The achievement of pupils is good

accurately. This was evident in the Year 1 phonics check in 2014, when an above-average proportion of pupils reached the expected level. As pupils move through the school, their comprehension and inference skills develop. Leaders have recently introduced a new programme to focus specifically on these skills so that pupils make more rapid progress.  Pupils continue to make good progress as they move through the school and by the end of Year 6 in 2014, the majority of pupils reached average levels in reading and writing. The proportions making expected and more-than-expected progress in reading and writing were similar to those seen nationally. Attainment and progress in mathematics were above national comparisons. Inspection evidence shows that the current Year 6 are on course to make good rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics, similar to the national picture.  The emphasis given to opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills is improving

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils’ achievement in writing. They also have good opportunities to produce extended pieces of writing for different purposes and in different subjects.  Pupils’ mathematical skills are developing well across the academy because there have been a focus on addressing the requirements of the new curriculum and an emphasis on developing pupils’ understanding of number concepts, particularly in the younger years. Leaders recognise that there are not enough opportunities for pupils to apply these skills consistently in other situations.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. Their needs are well met through careful checking of their progress and well-matched and appropriate support from teachers and teaching assistants.  The overwhelming majority of pupils speak English as an additional language and make good progress because they are supported to develop their language skills from an early age. The very small number of

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils from White British heritage backgrounds make similar rates of progress.  In 2014, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils was behind that of other pupils in school in reading and mathematics by a term and in writing by a term and a half. In relation to non-disadvantaged pupils nationally, they were a term behind in reading and mathematics and a term and a half in writing. They made similar good rates of progress to their peers in 2014. School evidence shows that attainment gaps for pupils in the academy are closing and disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their different starting points.  The most able pupils are making good progress overall in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave Year 6. However, the proportions reaching the higher levels are not as good as those found nationally. The work in some classes is not always challenging enough to ensure that pupils make the

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The achievement of pupils is good

progress of which they are capable to reach the highest possible standards.

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The early years provision is good

 The overwhelming majority of children start school with skills and knowledge which are below and, for a large proportion, significantly below those expected for their age, particularly in speaking, reading, writing, mathematics and their knowledge of the wider world. This is because they are almost all in the very early stages of English language acquisition.  As a result of teaching which is consistently good and well planned, as well as activities which support their development in a range of skills, children make good progress across the early years. Nevertheless, although the situation is improving, by the end of Reception, an above-average proportion of pupils are not at typical expectations by the time they start Year 1 and are therefore not fully ready for the rigours of the new key stage.  The learning environments are welcoming and provide children with good opportunities to develop their

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The early years provision is good

spoken language and mathematical skills. In Nursery, children are encouraged to count the number of children present or identify different shapes and the number of sides. Similarly, children are given lots of visual prompts to enable them to begin to develop and understand the English language.  Phonics is taught well with teachers using actions and pictures to reinforce the learning. For example, Reception children were using the vocabulary they had learned the previous day to practise saying the sentence they wanted to write. Children confidently used the words nurse, doctor and paramedic when speaking their sentence. The teacher used children’s knowledge of letters and the sounds they make to support them in sounding out the different letters to write their sentence down. This also built on children’s wider understanding of jobs and their future aspirations. Some children now want to be paramedics and doctors as a result.

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The early years provision is good

 Staff provide children with interesting activities through which they effectively model language. The outdoor learning focus on developing skills using the school environment enables children to learn practically. Good links with the literacy focus, such as building a house for the gingerbread man or learning about the different birds and their habitats, support their good development.  Children’s behaviour is good and they cooperate well with one another. They are taught how to manage a range of risks when using different equipment, such as natural materials to create nests and bird feeders.  Information about children and their learning is used well to ensure that the arrangements for children’s transition into school are well planned and fully involve parents. There is careful and regular checking on how well children are doing and where additional support is needed, including for those with special

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The early years provision is good

educational needs. For the very small number of children that are the most able, there are occasions when they could be given harder work to make even better progress.  The leadership and management of the early years is good. The early years leader has identified accurately where improvements can be made. Her leadership role across both schools is effective. The sharing of good practice, joint staff development and shared checking on the accuracy of judgments are having a positive impact on early years provision and outcomes.

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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 139704 Local authority Oldham Inspection number 450037

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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 Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 547 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr Jitendra Kara

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Headteacher

Lisa Needham (Executive Principal), John Taylor (Head of Academy) Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0161 7703543 Fax number 0161 6210586 Email address coppice@focus-trust.co.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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Headteacher

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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Headteacher

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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Headteacher

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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Headteacher

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Headteacher

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

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