Barton Clough Primary School

Barton Clough Primary School Audley Avenue, Stretford, Manchester M32 9TG

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Inadequate

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school has declined significantly since the last inspection. Leaders, managers and governors are not demonstrating the capacity to improve. Their self-evaluation is inaccurate.  Safeguarding is ineffective. The school’s record of checks on adults working with children does not meet requirements. Mandatory checks on staff and governors are incomplete.  Policies and procedures to deal with child protection have not been updated. Some midday supervisors and cleaners have not received child protection training.  Policies and procedures to deal with bullying are not fit for purpose. Parents and pupils are concerned that bullying is not being dealt with effectively.  Behaviour in some classes is disruptive and prevents pupils from making progress. The behaviour management system does not prevent some pupils, particularly boys, from repeatedly misbehaving.  The outdoor provision for Reception children is sparse. Statutory safeguarding requirements in

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

early years are not met.  A few pupils do not feel safe on the school yard at social times. Safeguarding procedures for parents or visitors entering the school site are not effective enough.  Safeguarding procedures around the use of the internet are too lax. Leaders and managers are not able to monitor individual pupils’ activity online.  Attendance is below the national average and persistent absence is high.  The quality of teaching is too variable. Some teaching fails to engage pupils and leads to disengagement.  Teachers’ assessments do not consistently lead to good progress for pupils.  Standards in reading are improving. However, outcomes in writing are not good enough.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 There is effective leadership from the special educational needs coordinator. Pupils who have complex learning needs in the specialist resourced provision are well catered for in a bright, stimulating environment.  Pupils make good progress in mathematics due to additional teaching which has helped those with gaps in their understanding to catch up.

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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.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve outcomes, particularly in writing and for boys, by: – developing better writing skills – ensuring that the outdoor provision in Reception promotes early writing – adapting the curriculum so that boys are much better engaged in their learning.  Improve the quality of teaching by: – eradicating weak teaching – ensuring that expectations of pupils’ work are at least appropriate to their age – gaining consistency in the application of the assessment policy.  Improve behaviour and reduce bullying and persistent absence by: – ensuring that all staff and pupils know what bullying is – creating a clear procedure for pupils, parents and staff to report bullying – expecting all staff to insist on the highest standards of behaviour – supporting staff to manage behaviour consistently well.  Improve leadership and management by: – ensuring that governors meet their statutory duties to safeguard children

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– updating training for all staff in child protection and safeguarding – creating a robust system for self-evaluation.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 Leaders and managers have failed in their duty to keep children safe. Since the previous inspection, outcomes and provision have declined. This is because the most senior leader’s expectations are too low.  Pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural education is undermined by some staff failing to manage behaviour and bullying effectively. Some pupils are learning that if they break the rules they can get away with it, which directly contradicts the rule of law.  Leaders and managers are not demonstrating the capacity to improve. Self-evaluation is weak, standards have declined and leaders and governors were unaware of the catalogue of safeguarding failures.  There is evidence that leaders have tackled some poor performance in teaching to good effect but there remains a small body of teaching which is not good enough.  Middle leaders monitor standards in their key stages but they have not had appropriate

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

professional development to fulfil these roles well.  Pupil premium funding is having an impact, for example in funding the family support worker and free uniforms for children from families in need. Differences in achievement are diminishing in mathematics and in reading; disadvantaged pupils are doing better than previously. However, the overwhelming majority of pupil premium funding provides for staff salaries, with no evaluation of the funding’s overall impact on improving pupil outcomes.  Sports funding is spent on providing specialist coaching, for example in dance, swimming lessons, football and gymnastics coaching. Pupils say that they enjoy these sessions.  The curriculum is organised to allow pupils to study the full range of subjects. Pupils also learn outdoors through their ‘forest school’. They enjoy attending a range of school clubs.  Last year, a greater proportion of teaching time was given to mathematics. This led to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

much-improved mathematics results.  The recently appointed special educational needs coordinator (SENCO) is having a very positive impact on outcomes for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. The greatest impact can be seen in the specialist resourced provision for those with complex learning needs. This is due to her strong leadership, high expectations and excellent professional knowledge and experience.  Newly qualified teachers may not be appointed.

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Governance of the school

 Governors have failed in their statutory duty to keep children safe.  Many governors are new to their role and although they have proactively sought training, they do not have the requisite knowledge or skills to hold senior leaders to account.  Governors were unaware of the catalogue of safeguarding failures.  Members of the governing body have spent time in school to look at pupils’ work and to speak with them in their classes. However, this constitutes a breach of safeguarding as they have not been appropriately vetted.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. The single central record does not meet requirements. Leaders and managers have not carried out mandatory vetting checks, including the prohibition from teaching and disqualification by association.  Child protection policies are out of date and do not make reference to the 2016 Department for Education guidance. Some staff, including midday supervisors and cleaning staff, have not received the required child protection training.  Procedures for parents and visitors entering the school site are too lax. Leaders are unable to effectively monitor pupils’ activities online because arrangements for logging on to computers do not identify individuals.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is variable. Too often, pupils make little progress because learning is not engaging. There is insufficient account taken of pupils’ abilities and in some cases this leads to disruptive behaviour.  In Year 3, inspectors observed a number of pupils behaving badly. This was because expectations were too low and pupils were not interested in their work. As a result, some boys persistently distracted others from their learning. Behaviour was not well managed.  In Year 2, pupils were learning to ‘add twists in a fairy tale’. Behaviour was not good, but the teacher used the school’s behaviour management system effectively. The teacher asked pupils to highlight adjectives and powerful words in the text provided. While girls responded well, some of the boys were very silly and received sanctions for shouting out. Pupils applied their phonic knowledge well.  In Year 6 and Year 1, pupils were observed making strong progress due to high-quality

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

teaching. Year 1 pupils confidently recounted a story using connectives to enrich their vocabulary. Scrutiny of books shows that building pupils’ speaking skills has greatly enhanced the quality of their writing. In Year 6, pupils sat in silence completing an English test. Their behaviour was good as were their attitudes to learning due to the teacher’s high expectations.  Scrutiny of books shows that, when the school’s assessment system is applied consistently, there is a positive impact on learning. However, some pupils do not receive helpful feedback on their work and therefore continue to make the same mistakes.  The teaching of reading is improving. Scrutiny of reading journals shows that pupils are reading more regularly. However, the most able pupils are not always sufficiently challenged in their reading.  In the specialist resourced provision, pupils are engaged well in their learning and are

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

well supported by teachers and teaching assistants. A pupil confidently retold the nativity story and explained how it was reflected in the scene he had painted. Pupils develop independence due to well-tailored activities.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is inadequate.  Some parents spoken to by inspectors rightly expressed concerns over pupils’ safety and the school’s approach to dealing with bullying.  Policies and procedures to tackle bullying are not fit for purpose. There is no common understanding among the school community of what constitutes bullying. No clear procedures are in place for staff to follow if bullying is reported. This leaves pupils and staff vulnerable. Some pupils described prejudice-based bullying, including racist and homophobic bullying, occurring in school.  A few pupils do not feel safe on the school yard. Not enough attention has been paid to enhancing site security and risk assessing procedures for adults to leave and collect their children. This leaves pupils and staff at risk.  Although there is some effective multi-agency working for those pupils most at risk,

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Personal development and welfare

work to keep the rest of the pupils safe is ineffective. Basic safeguarding checks are incomplete.  In a bid to reduce persistent absence, leaders introduced a before-school ‘toast club’. The club is held in the hall and inspectors observed an adult in charge who was not employed by the school. Pupils readily opened the door to let children and adults into the building unchecked. A register was taken but it was inaccurate.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is inadequate. There are too many pupils for whom the behaviour management system is not an effective deterrent. They repeatedly disrupt the learning of others.  Pupils spoken to by inspectors described what behaviour was typically like in their classrooms. Some reported interruptions to learning which were quickly solved by teachers using the behaviour management system, while others reported fighting and a behaviour management system that does not work.  In the school dining hall at lunchtime, inspectors observed vulnerable Nursery children standing at tables struggling to eat their lunch among chaos and disorganisation. The room was far too noisy and some pupils played on the floor. There were plenty of adults to supervise the pupils but they were ineffective.  Pupils were observed lining up and coming back into the building after breaktime. Pupils were noisy and disrespectful. This did not set the right tone in readiness for learning.

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Behaviour

 Attendance is below the national average and persistent absence is high. A minority of children arrive late to school.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Achievement varies both in and between key stages and mirrors the variability in the quality of teaching. Progress in writing is below the national average, with boys’ writing falling further behind. Progress in reading is improving and is broadly in line with national averages for different groups of pupils from their starting points.  Pupils achieve well in mathematics due to some well-focused work, using pupil premium funding, to ‘plug gaps’ in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, many have acquired basic skills in times tables, allowing them to progress.  In 2015, the proportion of pupils in Year 1 who achieved the expected standard in the phonics screening check was in line with the national average, but pupils did less well in 2016.  There are significant differences between the progress made by disadvantaged pupils and that of their peers nationally in reading and writing, but the differences are much

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

diminished in mathematics.  Pupil premium funding has been used to strengthen the quality of teaching in key stage 1, resulting in a higher proportion of pupils achieving age-related expectations at the end of Year 2.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils with an education, health and care plan, in the specialist resourced provision, make at least expected progress from their starting points. This is due to high-quality, personalised provision in small classes. Each pupil has their own individual provision plan and their progress is carefully tracked.

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Early years provision Inadequate

 Safeguarding is inadequate. Statutory requirements are not met. Leaders and managers have not completed appropriate vetting checks of staff who work with the youngest children.  Children enter Reception Year with abilities typical for their age. They are slightly below average on entry in some areas, including mathematics and writing.  The proportion of children reaching a good level of development is improving but is still below the national average. This is principally because the teaching of writing and mathematics is not good enough in Reception Year.  The vast majority of children stay on from the school’s Nursery to Reception Year. The proportion of pupils who leave Reception Year achieving a good level of development is improving but remains slightly below the national average.  The quality of outdoor provision is poor. The environment is untidy and lacks stimulating and engaging resources. Opportunities are missed to promote mark-

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Early years provision Inadequate

making and early writing outdoors.  In Reception Year, children were learning to count numbers up to 20. They behaved well and were engaged in their learning because it was interesting. Praise and rewards were used well to motivate and build confidence. However, the most able children in the group were insufficiently challenged as they could already count beyond 20.  Children were observed making strong progress in the Nursery. The teacher used questions well to prompt learning and stimulate imagination. Children working in the construction area were asked to think about what they were learning and why. Praise was used well to reward effort and boost confidence and self-esteem. All children benefited from listening to a fun and engaging story read by the teacher.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address bartonclough.admin@trafford.gov.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 November 2007

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium is well above the national average.  The proportion of pupils that have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils that have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is high as the school has a specialist resourced provision for those with complex learning needs.  The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about attendance at governors’ meetings. Also, child-protection policies have not been updated in accordance with the latest government guidance of ‘Keeping children safe in education’ (2016).

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was carried out with no notice following a number of complaints made to Ofsted which raised serious concerns. Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector decided that an inspection of the school should take place to follow up the whole-school issues that were raised. Inspectors sought to establish whether there were appropriate policies and procedures in place to deal with bullying, what behaviour was typically like and how well it was managed, whether appropriate internet safety was in place and whether staff had up-to-date and appropriate training on safeguarding.  Inspectors observed children in the Nursery and Reception Year and pupils across the school. Inspectors spoke with over 30 pupils formally and many more at social times.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work, school policies and records relating to safeguarding, self-evaluation information and a range of other documentation.  There were insufficient responses to Parent View to be considered. Inspectors spoke

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Information about this inspection

with many parents on the school yard before school and considered a letter received from a parent.  Inspectors met with the members of the governing body. Meetings were also held with the headteacher, senior and middle leaders and a member of Trafford Local Authority.

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Inspection team

Sally Kenyon, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Doreen Davenport 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 .

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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 .

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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.

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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 .

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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.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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