The Olive Tree Primary School Bolton

The Olive Tree Primary School Bolton St Helens Road, Bolton, BL3 3NL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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

 School leaders have quickly developed an unyielding culture of high expectations for pupils and all staff share this ambition. They work tirelessly to remove any barriers to pupils’ academic success and personal development. Consequently, they have achieved a great deal since the school opened in September 2013.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Pupils have extremely positive attitudes to learning and live according to the values of the school – trust, peace, fairness, respect, equality and compassion. They feel safe and play and work very well together.  The quality of teaching is outstanding. Teachers and support staff work extremely closely together to ensure that pupils’ skills are developed exceptionally well. Teachers are skilled at providing real purpose for learning. They provide a curriculum that is fun, exciting and inspires all pupils to achieve exceptionally well.  The training and development of all staff is a real

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

strength. Leaders and staff work closely together in weekly training sessions to secure outstanding teaching and achievement.  The curriculum enriches pupils’ learning extremely well and helps them to learn rapidly. It provides pupils with memorable experiences; there are many interesting trips and visitors to school. Consequently, pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted exceptionally well.  All groups of pupils achieve well across the school. Disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and the most able make rapid progress.  Early years provision is outstanding. From starting points that are generally below those typical for their age, children make exceptional progress and leave the early years ready for the challenges of Year 1.  By the end of Year 1, the phonic skills (understanding sounds that letters represent) of pupils are extremely high compared to other pupils

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

nationally.  Governors are closely involved in the life of the school and have been instrumental in setting high expectations from the start. They have a broad range of skills and are extremely supportive of school leaders, but also challenge them rigorously.  School leaders complete rigorous checks on the quality of teaching and the progress that pupils are making. This has ensured that any weaknesses have been addressed and that pupils’ achievement has strengthened.  Middle leaders are well supported; their professional development is well-organised and they are starting to take a more active role in checking the quality of teaching. There is more work to do and senior leaders and governors understand that this will be an increasingly important area for improvement as the school grows.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in all classes, including a joint observation with the headteacher. He looked at pupils’ work in books in class, on display and as a separate activity.  The inspector took account of 19 responses to the online Parent View questionnaire as well as parents’ responses to the school’s own questionnaire. He also held a meeting with seven parents and considered the views of staff from 21 completed responses to the Ofsted questionnaire.  The inspector held informal discussions with pupils during lessons, at playtime and in a more formal meeting. He also heard pupils reading.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the inclusion coordinator, the Chair of the Governing Body and two other governors and subject leaders. He also had a telephone conversation with a representative from the Department for Education and an experienced headteacher who have both worked closely with the

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Information about this inspection

school.  The inspector looked at a wide range of documentation. This included information on pupils’ progress, the school’s own self evaluation and development planning, the minutes of governing body meetings, records of the management of staff performance, information about checks on teaching, the school website and safeguarding information. He also scrutinised external evaluations of the school’s performance from a representative of the Department for Education and an educational consultant.

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Information about this school

 The Olive Tree primary school opened in September 2013 as a free school and currently has three year groups: Reception, Year 1 and Year 2. It is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The school is currently located in a temporary building. A larger building adjacent to the current site is being developed as the new school.  The vast majority of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and speak English as an additional language. This is well above the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is above the national average. The pupil premium is additional government funding given to schools for disadvantaged pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or children who are looked after by the local authority.  All of the teaching staff are qualified teachers.

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Information about this school

 The timings of the school day enable an early finish on Fridays to allow for prayers.  This was the first full inspection of the school by Ofsted.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 As the school grows, further develop the role of middle leaders.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher has an unshakable desire to ensure that every pupil achieves to their full potential, both academically and personally, and benefits from a broad and balanced range of life experiences. Her vision for the highest standards is communicated and shared by governors, staff and pupils alike.  In the relatively short time the school has been open, so much has been achieved. Challenges faced by leaders by the existing building are managed exceptionally well, in particular the use of the limited outdoor space. The building has been transformed into a bright and welcoming school which helps to promote exceptional learning and outstanding behaviour.  Children in the Reception class last year left the early years with broadly average standards. When these children entered the Reception class, their skills were generally below those typical for their age, especially in speech and language development. These children made exceptional progress because leaders ensured

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The leadership and management are outstanding

that all pupils received the individual support they needed to be successful. The achievement of the current Reception class is set to be even higher.  Leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching and learning are rigorous. Where areas for improvement are identified, leaders quickly put support and training in place to ensure that pupils’ achievement is not affected. Leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance is accurate and has been validated by a number of external agencies.  Leaders ensure that equal opportunities are promoted extremely well and that there is no discrimination. They look very closely at the performance of different groups of pupils. As a result, pupils who are disadvantaged, those who speak English as an additional language and the most able make excellent progress over time. Pupil premium funding is used effectively to provide tailored support to individual pupils to ensure they achieve well. Disadvantaged pupils in the early years performed almost as well as

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The leadership and management are outstanding

their non-disadvantaged classmates in 2014 and well above disadvantaged pupils nationally. The progress of disadvantaged pupils in other classes is also consistently strong.  The curriculum is dynamic, exciting and provides pupils with many opportunities for purposeful learning; pupils enjoy their learning in philosophy and leaders have ensured that modern technology is used very effectively to support learning in school and at home. There is a wide range of after-school and lunchtime activities which broaden pupils’ experiences.  Pupils’ learning is directly linked to the British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, mutual respect and the tolerance of different faiths and beliefs, and these values are taught well across the school, both in and out of the classroom. Displays around the school exemplify the link between Muslim and British values, and also celebrate life and culture in different parts of the world such as Africa,

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The leadership and management are outstanding

Australia and America. Pupils speak confidently about the school’s values and understand them. School councillors were elected by their classmates through a secret ballot in a democratic election. Pupils also have a say on what is taught and help to shape the curriculum on offer. Experiences such as these ensure that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Middle leaders are developing their skills in leading subject areas and are well supported by senior leaders. They are starting to become more involved in monitoring the quality of teaching in their subjects, for example by looking at the work in pupils’ books and analysing the progress of pupils in subjects. Leaders and governors understand that this is an area for improvement for the school and will need further development as the school continues to grow.  Safeguarding arrangements meet current statutory requirements to ensure that pupils are safe. Record

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The leadership and management are outstanding

keeping is meticulous and thorough, for example when visitors come to the school or when new staff are appointed. There is a well-communicated system for releasing pupils at the end of the day through the use of passwords. This system is rigorously applied by all staff and parents value the security this brings. All staff have received regular training in child protection and safeguarding.  The school makes good use of the primary sport funding to ensure that pupils have access to a wider range of sporting clubs, such as football, swimming, dodgeball and martial arts. Participation in sport has increased since the school opened. The funding has also been used to provide resources and coaching for staff, for example in gymnastics, to boost staff confidence in teaching sport so that they can develop pupils’ skills.  Leaders work very effectively with a range of external agencies, parents and the community it serves.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

Parents are regular visitors to the school and many spend time volunteering in school to the benefit of all pupils. Parents are celebrated as partners in their children’s education by attending regular parent meetings and workshops. The parents spoken to during the inspection said that their concerns were quickly dealt with and that communication with the school is a consistent strength.  The governance of the school:  Governors share the passion and commitment of school leaders to ensure that all pupils reach their potential and have the most positive experience of education. They have shared the burden of opening a new school, to ensure that the headteacher could maintain a focus on teaching and learning.  Governors have a wide range of skills which help to ensure that school leaders are well supported and challenged in all aspects of school life. Some governors work in education and provide expertise in

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The leadership and management are outstanding

curriculum matters and pupil performance, while the Chair of the Governing Body has been a key player for safeguarding in the local authority, including the prevention of extremism. The governing body is currently seeking additional governors who will broaden the range of skills to help develop the school even further.  Governors are regular visitors to the school and provide exceptional support and challenge to school leaders. Records of meetings show that governors ask very searching questions and check reports from leaders to ensure that all pupils are achieving well. They have also conducted ‘learning walks’ with leaders to check on the quality of teaching and speak to pupils about their learning. They have commissioned external agencies to provide validation of the school’s performance so they are not purely reliant on the headteacher.  Governors ensure that there are robust procedures in place to hold staff to account for their

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The leadership and management are outstanding

performance. Teachers must demonstrate the impact of their work in establishing high standards before pay increases are agreed. Any underperformance is tackled.  Governors know how the pupil premium funding has been spent and how successful the school has been in ensuring that disadvantaged pupils make good progress. They have also ensured that finances are managed well and that the school is secure financially.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning; they focus very well and listen attentively. They are quickly called to attention by adults and work hard to achieve the targets set for them in class. As one pupil said, ‘There is no bullying here. We have to behave: we are not a naughty school!’  Pupils understand the ‘traffic light’ behaviour management system very well and work hard to stay in the ‘green’ – which means they have behaved well. They are very keen to gain the many rewards on offer for positive behaviour, such as ‘golden time’, ‘pebble points’, stickers, ‘golden tickets’ and a chance to win the ‘lucky dip’ prize at the end of each day. Positive behaviour is also celebrated in the Friday assembly.  Pupils are very polite, cooperative and respectful. Behaviour is impeccable, whether pupils are in or out of the classroom.  Pupils say that they are listened to and have their voices heard through the school council. The ‘Cool

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Behaviour

Councillors’ meet regularly with their classmates to discuss how the school can be made even better and then meet with senior leaders to discuss ideas. They have been fundamental in raising funds for charities in the local area, regionally, nationally and internationally.  There have been no exclusions from the school, nor have there been any homophobic or racist incidents. Minor incidents of behaviour are recorded in class logs and are quickly resolved.  Pupils’ attendance is improving and is now in line with the national average, despite the relentless drive from leaders to secure higher attendance. Where a pupil’s attendance is faltering, the school has robust systems in place to ensure that a pattern of low attendance does not develop.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding.  Pupils feel very safe in school and know how to keep themselves safe, for example when using the internet. Displays around the school exemplify how pupils should stay safe when using the internet, when crossing roads and about strangers.  Pupils and the vast majority of parents stated that bullying in the school is extremely rare and that, when it happens, it is quickly dealt with. The school holds an anti-bullying day annually. There are mood walls and worry boxes in all classrooms for pupils to use if they are affected by other pupils’ behaviour which helps to ensure that any issues are quickly resolved.  Safeguarding procedures reflect the latest statutory guidance. Checks completed on all adults who have contact with children, are robust and are adhered to at all times.  All staff and governors receive up-to-date training in child protection and are retrained annually.

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Safety

 The school site is kept secure and all pupils are very well supervised throughout the day.  Governors and staff have recently received training in protecting pupils from the risk of extremism.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching in all year groups is outstanding. This, together with daily interventions and specialist speech and language sessions taught by skilled support staff, contributes significantly to pupil’s outstanding achievement.  Teachers have high expectations for all pupils. Energised by an exciting curriculum, teachers plan activities which engage and challenge all pupils to achieve as highly as they can. Pupils have had the joys of seeing chicks hatch in class and watching butterflies emerge from pupae as part of their learning topics. In a mathematics lesson, the teacher had created a film clip of a talking ‘Paddington Bear’ which introduced the lesson and told the pupils what they would be learning. They listened with rapt attention and were totally engrossed in their learning to complete the challenge that ‘Paddington’ had set for them. Activities such as this ignite pupils’ imaginations and give them a real purpose to learn.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The work of support assistants is exemplary throughout the school. They work very closely with teaching staff and are very well informed about the content of lessons. Along with teaching staff, they skilfully question pupils, probing to see what they already know and then help pupils to develop their understanding further.  There is a great emphasis on developing speaking and listening skills throughout the curriculum. Pupils are taught to say their sentences before they write them to ensure that they make sense. Children in the early years filmed each other confidently, using electronic devices, when they were acting as weather forecasters. Pupils are confident and are taught to take risks, which helps them to speak in front of others and reason about their thinking. Dynamic group interventions such as ‘time to talk club’ help children with a limited grasp of the English language to quickly catch up and develop as confident learners.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers mark pupils’ work thoroughly and feedback helps pupils to make even better progress. In the early years teachers complete marking with the children, so that they can see where they have made mistakes and are able to rectify them instantly. In Years 1 and 2, pupils are given time to look at and understand their marking comments and act upon them, for example by rewriting sentences using more challenging vocabulary.  Phonics is taught rigorously and this ensures that pupils develop into confident readers and writers. Pupils enjoy reading and spoke confidently to the inspector about their favourite authors. In Year 2, pupils spoke with great excitement about Roald Dahl’s books and enjoyed a visit to a chocolate factory to coincide with one of their topics.  The school employs a support assistant who works intensively and creatively with pupils whose first language is not believed to be English. Evidence gathered during the inspection demonstrated that these

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

children made rapid progress in learning to speak English because the support given to them is tailored to their individual needs and is able to continue at home through the creative use of electronic devices.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Pupils’ achievement is outstanding because, from starting points that are generally below those typical for their age, pupils make exceptional progress.  In Reception classes in 2014, the percentage of pupils achieving a good level of development was the same as the national figure. School evidence, which has been checked and validated by the local authority, shows that children are doing even better this year: they are making exceptional progress.  In 2014, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check was well above the national average. School evidence shows that this trend is expected to continue this year.  Pupils’ achievement in Key Stage 1 is at least in line with other pupils nationally in mathematics and writing and is well above the national average in reading.  The most able pupils make rapid progress from their different starting points. They are almost reaching

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

the expected levels for the most able pupils in mathematics and writing but are less successful in reading. Nevertheless, for these pupils, who only started in this school in Year 1, this shows rapid progress. School data show that, in the current Year 1 class, the most able pupils are on track to achieve the higher levels at the end of Year 2. The gap in attainment between them and pupils nationally is closing rapidly.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make at least good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. They are very well supported by teaching assistants and by the inclusion leader, who checks their progress regularly and ensures that extra work is completed if they start to fall behind.  Disadvantaged pupils make the same rapid progress as other pupils in the school. At the end of Year 2, there is a minimal gap in the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils in school in reading,

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

writing and mathematics. In all three subjects, disadvantaged pupils are approximately one term behind other pupils.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Children in the early years achieve exceptionally well. From starting points that are generally below those typically expected for their age, children make exceptional progress. Leaders have ensured that teachers’ assessments are accurate; the assessments have been checked by other schools and by the local authority. The assessments show that there is limited variation in the achievement of disadvantaged children, girls or boys.  Children’s behaviour is excellent. They listen well and take turns. They feel safe in a well-ordered environment because they are supervised well and are provided with high quality equipment, furniture and games. They enjoy working in the outdoor area which, although at times is restricted due to the limited outdoor space, is used effectively. Children are looking forward to having more space to work and play in when the school moves to a new site next year.  Adults continually assess children and the recording of assessment information is of high quality. Where

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The early years provision is outstanding

children’s understanding is more limited, the curriculum is adapted to ensure that any areas of weakness are addressed. For example, there is a real focus on developing children’s speaking and listening skills and their knowledge of the world. When assessments suggested that children’s understanding of shape, space and measures was weaker than other areas, leaders organised a ‘themed day’ where the whole school completed extra work in this area of mathematics to help children catch up.  Children’s writing skills are developing very well. Children have opportunities to write in all areas, including outside. They work independently with much perseverance to complete different types of writing, such as prayers and shopping lists. In focused writing groups, teachers reinforce the importance of basic skills, such as the use of punctuation and correct letter formation. Children’s independent spelling is developing

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The early years provision is outstanding

very well as a result of the exceptional teaching of phonics.  Leadership of the early years is outstanding. Children make exceptional progress in all areas and are well prepared for Year 1.

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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 139776 Local authority Bolton Inspection number 450047

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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 free school Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 139 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mr M Mangera Headteacher Farhat Choudry Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01204 322370 Fax number Not applicable Email address admin@theolivetreeprimary.com 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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