St John's Church of England Primary School, Radcliffe

St John’s Church of England Primary School, Radcliffe Johnson Street, Radcliffe, Manchester, Lancashire M26 1AW

p.1

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

p.1

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

p.1

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

p.1

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders and governors have not brought about the necessary improvements identified at the last inspection. The school’s performance in all key areas has declined.  Until very recently, leaders’ and governors’ expectations for the quality of education provided by the school have been too low.  By the end of Year 6, pupils are not well prepared for the next stage of their education. Less than half of the Year 6 pupils left the school in 2015 with the skills and knowledge appropriate for their age. This is a much lower proportion than in schools nationally.  The governing body does not hold school leaders to account for improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. Governors do not challenge leaders and are not rigorous in ensuring that pupils receive a good education.  Teaching, learning and assessment are inadequate. Consequently, all groups of pupils make very slow progress. As a result, standards in reading, writing and mathematics

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

are too low. Additional adults employed by the school are not used effectively to improve standards.  The curriculum is weak and does not engage pupils sufficiently.  Children make slow progress in the early years. Not enough children leave the Reception Year with the skills and knowledge that they need to be ready for Year 1.  The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare requires improvement. In some classes, pupils lose interest in their work and lack concentration when listening to adults. Pupils’ attendance is below average. The school has the following strengths

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The new head of school and interim leadership team have accurately pinpointed what needs to be done to ensure that the school improves.  The whole-school focus on mathematics is beginning to improve teaching. Standards in this subject are starting to rise.

p.1

Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching at all stages to raise standards across the curriculum, and in reading, writing and mathematics particularly, by: – ensuring that the basic skills in reading, writing and mathematics are taught consistently well in all classes – raising teachers’ expectations regarding the progress that pupils at all levels of attainment should make – ensuring that work is set at the correct level of difficulty for different pupil groups, so pupils are well supported or have a higher level of challenge to enable good progress for all – ensuring that additional adults are used effectively to help pupils make greater progress.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management, including governance, by: – ensuring that leaders rigorously hold teachers to account for the progress that all groups of pupils make – making regular checks on the quality of teaching to ensure that all staff are

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

meeting agreed expectations and effectively implementing school policies – ensuring that school leaders evaluate the attainment and progress of groups of pupils and share this information with staff to ascertain which strategies are effective in helping pupils make best progress – putting into place a broad and balanced curriculum.  Improve pupils’ personal development, behaviour and welfare, by: – ensuring that teaching is effective in holding pupils’ attention and interest – more rigorously reinforcing new higher expectations of behaviour to ensure that pupils behave well in lessons and around school – working more effectively with parents and the parent support adviser to raise pupils’ attendance rates and reduce the number of pupils who are regularly absent. An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in

p.2

What does the school need to do to improve further?

order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

p.2

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders and governors have failed to halt the decline in the quality of education provided at St John’s and, overall, standards have fallen since the last inspection. They have not been ambitious enough for the school and have failed to ensure that pupils make enough progress. As a result, the outcomes for all groups of pupils are inadequate.  Leaders have not successfully dealt with poor teaching. Staff training has been ineffective and the arrangements to check on teachers’ performance have been inadequate. Leaders do not hold teachers to account for pupils’ poor progress. Records show that leaders’ views of teaching have been inaccurate.  The curriculum is inadequate. Pupils’ books show that they make little progress in developing the basic skills, knowledge and understanding across a range of subjects. There are too few enrichments to the curriculum through extra-curricular activities and educational visits. Pupils say that they enjoy the art club but would like more clubs and

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

activities and would value the opportunity to go out of school on educational visits.  The physical education (PE) and sport premium funding has not been spent well enough and there is little impact evident on outcomes for pupils. Although pupils participate in sport and say that they enjoy PE lessons, there is no evidence that the funding has improved their physical skills and well-being or is helping them to achieve better outcomes in sport. There are no extra-curricular sports clubs or school teams.  The use of the pupil premium funding has been ineffective in raising standards for disadvantaged pupils, including most-able disadvantaged pupils. The school’s data for 2015 shows that at the end of both key stages 1 and 2, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils in reading, writing and mathematics was much lower than for other pupils nationally. Leaders have not evaluated the spending of the funding or

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

analysed the impact on the attainment and progress of this group.  The new head of school and the interim leadership team have accurately identified the school’s weaknesses and have begun to make improvements. For example, there has been an improvement in pupils’ behaviour around school. Leaders have recently focused on improving the presentation of pupils’ work. Pupils say that they take much more care with their work now; they present it neatly and complete it.  The head of school and interim leadership team have shared their evaluation of the school’s performance with the governing body. Governors are now better informed about the school’s areas of weakness and the urgent need to raise standards. A rigorous programme to check on the quality of teaching in each class has begun, but this is at its early stages of implementation and the impact so far is limited.  Leaders set clear performance targets for all teachers now, but it is too early to assess

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

the impact on the quality of teaching. Teachers’ targets are based on ensuring that all pupils make at least good progress and standards rise. Information about leaders’ expectations for different groups of pupils is being collected and is about to be shared with staff in order to raise their awareness. Staff training relating to key areas for improvement is being provided by the head of school and the interim leadership team.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development adequately. Pupils learn about different religions and cultures and are developing their understanding of fundamental British values. The recent ‘pupil promises’, introduced by the head of school, are already effective in ensuring that pupils reflect upon their own behaviour and the importance of treating others with respect. Pupils agree that these promises are important, saying, ‘Well you have to keep a promise, don’t you?’

p.3

Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 The local authority supported the school both before and after it was inspected in 2014. Detailed local authority records show numerous visits to the school. This support has not been effective in bringing about the improvement needed to ensure that pupils receive at least an acceptable standard of education. The local authority issued the school with a warning notice in November 2015. The governing body failed to remedy concerns within the specified time. More recent actions by the local authority, to broker support to the school from a national leader of education and to put into place an interim leadership team, have been more successful; there are now signs that improvements are taking place.  The school should not appoint newly qualified teachers.

p.4

Governance of the school

 The governance of the school is inadequate.  The governing body does not offer sufficient challenge to school leadership to ensure school improvement. Governors accept information on school performance as it is given to them, without questioning its validity. They do not hold leaders to account. As a result, weaknesses identified at the last inspection were not remedied and the school’s effectiveness declined.  The governing body is not ambitious enough for pupils’ progress and development as effective learners. Although supportive of the school, governors do not have a clear understanding of the amount of progress pupils should make.  Until very recently, the governing body had an overgenerous view of the school’s performance. After frank discussions with the interim leadership team, governors are now more aware of the school’s poor performance.

p.4

Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The head of school and interim leadership team have ensured that safeguarding has a high priority. All necessary checks on staff are in place and the school’s safeguarding policy has been updated recently. All staff have had appropriate training and demonstrate an awareness of what they should do if they have any concerns. The head of school maintains a strong safeguarding culture where pupils are safe and feel safe. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and are able to talk to adults about any worries they have. A newly appointed parent support adviser has joined the school to strengthen links between the school and pupils’ families.

p.4

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 The quality of teaching in a wide range of subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics, is inadequate. Consequently, pupils do not gain the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding to make them effective learners.  Weaknesses in the quality of teaching identified at the last inspection have not been dealt with effectively. For example, assessment information about what pupils know and can do is not used well enough to set work at the correct level of difficulty. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are too low. In particular, most-able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are not sufficiently challenged to ensure that they make the progress of which they are capable.  Pupils who need to catch up and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are not supported well enough and the work is often too difficult for them. Additional adults provide in-class support for pupils who are having difficulties. In

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

most, but not all classes, these adults do not interact well enough with pupils and the result is that they have little impact on progress.  Disadvantaged pupils, including those who are most-able, do not receive effective support or challenge and their progress is poor as a result. There are no clear plans to support this group. Prior attainment and previous teaching have not been evaluated to ascertain which strategies are effective in improving their progress.  The teaching of phonics is weak. Teachers’ expectations of the standards pupils should reach in phonics are too low. In particular, they give most-able pupils work that is too easy. Pupils’ reading and writing skills do not develop quickly because they have not got a good understanding of how sounds are represented by letters.  Senior leaders have correctly identified that phonics is an important area for development, as is reading. A list of immediate priorities has been drawn up and staff

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

have had recent training in the teaching of phonics. Early indications show that staff are now using the training by teaching pupils the alphabet and giving them opportunities to apply their phonics skills in reading and writing. These improvements are at a very early stage of development.  The teaching of reading is weak and pupils in key stage 1, in particular, struggle to read fluently. Pupils find it difficult to build words using their knowledge of letter sounds. They have difficulty reading even the most common words such as ‘is’.  Improvements in the teaching of mathematics are at an early stage from a very low baseline. There is a whole-school focus on improving pupils’ reasoning and problem- solving in mathematics. Pupils’ work in mathematics across the school shows improvement. In Year 6, pupils were observed working on a range of problems using subtraction skills with confidence. In addition, they were able to move on to more

p.5

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

challenging questions quickly as soon as they felt able to progress.  The head of school has introduced a new marking and feedback policy and there are good examples of teachers using this well. Pupils in Year 6 enjoy following the challenges that they are given if their mathematics work, for example, is correct. The new policy sets higher expectations for pupils’ presentation of work and it is clear from pupils’ books that presentation of work has vastly improved on that seen in last year’s books.

p.5

Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement. Not all pupils understand how to be a successful learner; they lack the level of concentration and application required to make good progress. This is because teachers’ expectations are too low and the work often lacks stimulation.  Pupils understand the elements of a healthy lifestyle but there are limited opportunities for them to practise their knowledge. For example, there are very few opportunities to participate in sporting activities. Leaders are aware of this and work has begun to improve pupils’ physical health. Pupils were keen to tell inspectors that they had been encouraged to bring healthy packed lunches to school.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school and they understand the different forms of bullying, such as cyber bullying. They told inspectors that since the start of this term, teachers have taken rapid and effective action to resolve any issues. Pupils know how

p.6

Personal development and welfare

to keep themselves safe when using the internet. They are very clear that they should not visit websites designed for older children or adults.

p.6

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils too often lose interest and cease to pay attention, including when adults are talking to them. This is because the pace of learning is slow and teachers have low expectations of pupils’ attitudes to learning. Year 6 pupils show very positive attitudes to learning and concentrate well on their studies.  The new ‘pupil promises’ are valued by pupils. Pupils told inspectors that that the way promises are phrased is better than having rules. Pupils are able to state the four ‘promises’ and know what they have to do to keep them. The implementation of the new promises is at an early stage so the impact on pupils’ behaviour is not fully evident.  Pupils’ behaviour around the school requires improvement. For example, they do not hold doors open for others and do not wait to allow adults to come through a doorway.  School attendance rates are below average and the percentage of pupils that are

p.6

Behaviour

persistently absent is above average. However, current school leaders have put into place measures to improve attendance. All of the 10 pupils who were persistently absent last year have made considerable improvements to their attendance this term so far.  Pupils help to keep the school environment tidy. For example, pupils were seen tidying the cloakroom area without having been asked to do so. Pupils’ books seen by inspectors from last academic year were untidy, poorly presented and contained unfinished pieces of work. Pupils’ now take pride in their work and complete the tasks set.

p.6

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 From low starting points on entry to Year 1, pupils make little progress and in 2015, achieved significantly below average standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2. The school’s own assessment of pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 in 2016 is that it is ‘extremely low’. Inspectors agree with this evaluation.  Pupils’ progress through key stage 1 is too slow. The achievement of all groups of pupils is inadequate. The school’s own assessment information for 2016 shows that none of the most able pupils achieved above-average standards in writing or mathematics.  The percentage of pupils meeting the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening test improved in 2015, but was still below the national figure. The school’s own results for 2016 show a similar picture. However, pupils are unable to apply their knowledge and understanding of phonics and these have made little or no impact on

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

pupils’ reading and writing skills.  In 2015, pupils’ progress from key stage 1 to key stage 2 was significantly below average in reading, writing and mathematics combined. Attainment was below average. Less than half of the pupils in Year 6 left the school equipped with the skills and knowledge to ensure that they were well prepared for entry to secondary school. This proportion was much lower than that seen nationally. In addition, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils, including most-able disadvantaged pupils, was much lower than that of other pupils nationally.  The most able pupils make insufficient progress. This is because these pupils are rarely given work that is hard enough to help them reach their full potential.  The school’s attainment at the end of Year 6 in 2016 was much lower than that seen in the provisional national test and assessment information. Changes to national tests in 2016 make comparison of results with previous years inappropriate.

p.7

Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 The school’s provisional test and assessment information for 2016 shows that none of the most able pupils achieved above-average standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6, indicating that these pupils made poor progress.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who need to catch up make slow progress. Disadvantaged pupils, including most-able disadvantaged pupils, make slow progress because the pupil premium funding is not spent adequately to ensure that they achieve well.  Across the curriculum, pupils’ books show that they make slow progress and attainment is low in most subjects. Although the range of subjects in the national curriculum is covered, pupils do not develop a thorough understanding of the skills and knowledge required for each subject. For example, there is little evidence of work to develop pupils’ scientific knowledge and understanding of scientific concepts.

p.7

Early years provision Inadequate

 Children enter the school in the Nursery or Reception classes with a level of skills and knowledge which is below that typical for their age. In particular, children have underdeveloped speech and language skills.  The leadership and management of the early years are inadequate because there has been a significant decrease in the quality of the early years provision since the previous inspection. Expectations are too low and children do not make enough progress. In 2015, a below average percentage of children achieved a good level of development to prepare them for entry into Year 1. The school’s own figures for 2016 show that this percentage has fallen.  Teachers’ expectations for what children can do are too low. Not enough is done to help children improve the poor language skills that they have on entry to the school. Aspirations for the most able children, including most-able disadvantaged children, in

p.7

Early years provision Inadequate

particular, are too low. The school’s provisional figures for 2016 show that no pupils achieved above-average standards in the early years foundation stage profile assessment at the end of Reception.  The teaching of phonics is poor. Few children develop the skills needed to cope with the work in Year 1. Although some children have been identified as being most-able in phonics, the level of challenge given to them in their activities remains too low.  Assessment information is collected but is not shared sufficiently with all staff. This means that adults are ill-prepared to challenge and help children make adequate progress from their different starting points. Activities are aimed at all children without creating opportunities to extend the skills and knowledge of the most able children, who could work at a higher level.  The use of additional funding to improve progress and attainment for disadvantaged

p.8

Early years provision Inadequate

children, including for the most able disadvantaged children, is inadequate. Leaders and staff in the early years are unaware of this funding.  Children are happy, settled and enjoy their activities. All staff speak kindly to children and encourage them to get involved with activities. Children play well together and are learning how to share. A good example of social skills development was seen by an inspector when two children who had both wanted the same toy resolved the problem by choosing another toy and then swapping over after a few minutes. The children were praised by the adult present for being sensible and taking turns.  Early years staff work closely with parents to help them to support their children’s learning. Workshop sessions and ‘stay and play’ sessions take place regularly and parents appreciate these as they help them to understand what their children are learning in school.  Safeguarding in the early years is effective. Staff ensure that children are well-

p.8

School details

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

p.9

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.9

School details

Email address StJohnsRadcliffe@bury.gov.uk

p.9

School details

Date of previous inspection 26–27 February 2014

p.9

Information about this school

 The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information on its website. It has not published information about the reading schemes used in key stage 1, the pupil premium strategy and the physical education and sport premium for primary schools.  The headteacher has been absent since April 2016. At present, there is an interim leadership team in place. This consists of an executive headteacher, an associate headteacher and a head of school, supported by a national leader of education. The local authority commissioned the Bury Teaching Schools Alliance to put the part-time executive headteacher and the part-time associate headteacher from Higher Lane Primary School into this school to provide interim leadership until December 2016.  The school is receiving support from the headteacher of Christ Church CE Primary School, Walshaw who is a national leader of education.  The head of school, who took up her post on 1 September 2016, has been seconded

p.9

Information about this school

from another school and works full time at St John’s. Her secondment is for this academic year and she is responsible for the day-to-day leadership of the school.  At the end of last term, three teachers and the deputy headteacher left the school. At the time of this inspection, two classes were being covered by temporary teachers and one class has an experienced teacher seconded into the school for one year from the Bury Teaching Schools Alliance. In total, four teachers were new to the school at the start of this term.  The school does not meet the current government floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is more than double the national average.

p.10

Information about this school

 The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.  Most pupils are of White British heritage and only a few pupils speak English as an additional language.

p.10

Information about this inspection

 The inspectors gathered a range of evidence from the school’s documentation, assessment information relating to pupils’ progress and attainment, work in pupils’ books and observations of lessons. Documents examined included safeguarding records, the school’s self-evaluation, improvement plans and school policies.  Inspectors observed teaching and learning across a range of lessons, year groups and subjects. Seven of these observations were made jointly by inspectors and members of the interim leadership team. In addition, the inspectors observed the leaders giving feedback on observations to staff.  The teaching of phonics and reading was observed and one inspector heard some key stage 1 pupils read.  Inspectors talked to pupils informally at break and lunchtime while observing their activities. In addition, inspectors talked to two groups of key stage 2 pupils to ascertain their views about the school. No online questionnaires were completed by

p.11

Information about this inspection

pupils.  Meetings were held with two representatives from the local authority and with three members of the governing body including the chair of the governing body. Meetings were also held with the head of school, the interim leadership team, some subject/department leaders and teachers.  Inspectors took account of the 11 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and one inspector talked to 17 parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors took account of eight questionnaires completed by school staff.

p.11

Inspection team

Andrée Coleman, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.11

Inspection team

David Woodhouse Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted's website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.11

Inspection team

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

p.12

Inspection team

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

p.12

Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted .

p.12

Inspection team

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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

p.12

Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspection team

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.12

Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.12

Inspection team

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

p.12