Barton Moss Community Primary School

Barton Moss Community Primary School Trippier Road, Peel Green, Eccles, Manchester M30 7PT

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have not sustained all of the strengths seen at the last inspection. Some of their improvement plans are insufficiently ambitious.  Leaders have not done enough to ensure that pupils make consistently good progress. Pupils make good progress in key stage 1, but have not made good progress in reading or mathematics in key stage 2.  Leaders have not ensured that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have been well enough supported to make good progress, although this is an area that is now improving.  Disadvantaged pupils have not made quick progress in reading and mathematics. The impact of pupil premium spending has not been carefully checked by leaders and governors until recently.  Teachers and other adults do not consistently use questioning to extend pupils’ thinking and assess their understanding.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not consistently high. Some

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

teaching lacks challenge, particularly for the most able pupils. Some pupils’ work is poorly presented.  Pupils’ attendance has declined in recent years. It is now improving but remains low for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.  The proportion of children achieving a good level of development in the early years dipped last year. Leaders have now improved the ways in which children are assessed in the early years.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.  The personal development and welfare of pupils are good. Pupils are encouraged to be healthy and they are well supported to develop their spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding.  Pupils behave very well. They are considerate, respectful and polite. They feel safe in school.  Leaders ensure that pupils who have fallen behind in their learning receive extra support to help them catch up.  Leaders have transformed the way English is taught. Consequently, pupils are making faster progress now with their reading and writing.  Pupils are routinely expected to reflect on their learning. They try hard and most are committed to doing their best.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment in mathematics and reading by ensuring that: – the new approach to teaching literacy across the school enables pupils to make quick progress – reducing, in all classes, the difference between the attainment and progress of disadvantaged pupils and those of others nationally who are not disadvantaged.  Further strengthen leadership and management by: – ensuring that plans to improve the school are ambitious and fully address areas of weakness – ensuring that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities receive support that enables them to make faster progress – embedding recent improvements to assessment practice throughout the early years – ensuring that leaders, including governors, act upon the guidance from the recent pupil premium review to carefully measure the effectiveness of actions taken by the school to improve the progress made by disadvantaged pupils.  Improve the quality of teaching by ensuring that:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– teachers raise further their expectations of what pupils can do, including in the presentation of their work – teachers throughout the school provide the most able pupils with the challenge they need to make consistently good progress – teachers use information about what pupils know and can do to plan learning that consistently meets their needs – teachers and other adults use questioning carefully to develop pupils’ thinking and check their understanding.  Ensure that the recent improvements to pupils’ attendance are maintained and extended, particularly for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2014. In the first two years of her tenure, the school experienced considerable change in staffing. During this period of turbulence, a new leadership team was created and leaders secured improvements to pupils’ behaviour and the ethos of the school. However, leaders were unable to arrest the decline in key stage 2 outcomes in reading and mathematics, and in pupils’ attendance.  Leaders have not ensured that disadvantaged pupils make good progress throughout the school. Until recently, leaders and governors were not carefully checking the impact of the school’s use of the pupil premium. The school commissioned an external review of pupil premium spending. Following the findings of this review, plans to speed up the progress of disadvantaged pupils have become much more focused. Consequently, disadvantaged pupils are making faster progress this year.  Leaders have not ensured that pupils who have special educational needs and/or

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

disabilities receive the support they need to make progress that is as rapid as that of other pupils. Personalised plans to support these pupils have not set targets that effectively remove barriers to learning. Parents have not played a big enough role in the process of reviewing progress and setting targets. A new and experienced special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) started working at the school in January 2017 and she has a clear view of strengths and weakness in the area and how support for these pupils needs to develop. The additional funding provided for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is now being used effectively.  Leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching have supported improvement in this area. However, there is still too much variability in the quality of teaching. Leaders do not ensure that teachers use information from assessment to match work to pupils’ needs.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders’ actions have only recently begun to improve rates of attendance. Overall absence has reduced, but attendance remains below the national average. The attendance of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities shows little sign of improvement. However, the work of the pastoral team has secured significant improvement in the attendance of boys and disadvantaged pupils.  Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The school’s improvement plan provides a clear steer for the school to move forward. However, some plans lack ambition and indicate that leaders’ expectations are not always sufficiently high.  Leaders provide teachers with a range of training opportunities to develop their teaching. Leaders have implemented a range of strategies to share good practice and they often demonstrate new teaching strategies for others to observe. This is leading

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

to pupils making faster progress, particularly in phonics.  The curriculum has been overhauled by leaders and is well thought out. Leaders have introduced a new English curriculum that is securing faster rates of progress. The curriculum for mathematics has also been modified and this is also facilitating higher levels of engagement and faster progress than previously. The curriculum for other subjects has also been revamped with a focus on topic work that will fire pupils’ curiosity. Leaders recognise the need to monitor pupils’ progress more closely in subjects other than English and mathematics.  The curriculum is enhanced by many extra-curricular activities. The majority of pupils who completed the online survey indicated that they regularly take part in extra- curricular activities. Pupils benefit from the opportunity to attend a range of clubs from dance to sewing groups. The school’s ‘family club’ also involves children and their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

relatives in a range of activities such as cookery.  The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is given a high priority by leaders and is woven into the daily life of the school. Leaders attach great importance to the promotion of British values. Pupils spoke confidently about different British values and demonstrated a sound age-related understanding of democracy. The school’s work to promote equality is helping pupils to be tolerant of others and accepting of people’s differences.  Leaders have implemented careful plans to promote healthy lifestyles. Initiatives such as ‘beat the streets’ promote the health benefits of regular exercise and secure high rates of participation. The benefits of healthy eating are also promoted. Leaders use the physical education (PE) and sport premium to good effect to enhance the quality of PE lessons with specialist sports coaches. The additional funds are also used to provide

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

training to teachers that develops their ability to teach PE.

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Governance of the school

 Governors recognise that they could have held leaders to account more robustly during the period of transition between headteachers. They have used this disappointment as a springboard for evaluating their own effectiveness and increasing their skills and capacity. The chair of the governing body is a national leader of governance and the governing body regularly audits the skills and experience of its members. As a result, the governing body contains members with the relevant skills and expertise to hold leaders to account for developments in different areas of school life.  Governors regularly undertake training to ensure that they can discharge their safeguarding functions effectively and challenge leaders authoritatively in areas such as pupils’ outcomes.  Governors no longer rely too heavily on information provided to them by leaders. Their improved understanding of the data presented to them ensures that they probe deeply

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Governance of the school

the validity of information.  The governing body has been proactive in seeking support from the local authority and local outstanding schools. The school has therefore become more outward facing and there is evidence to indicate that this partnership work is beginning to improve the school’s work, particularly in relation to early years provision and the school’s use of pupil premium spending.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders work in tandem with the local authority to ensure that staff are well trained in the area of safeguarding. Staff are vigilant to signs of abuse or neglect and follow clear procedures for passing on concerns to the designated leader of safeguarding. Leaders keep detailed records of any incidents and liaise effectively with external agencies to ensure that pupils are safe and receive the support they need. The designated safeguarding leader is tenacious and ensures that there is no drift or delay when referrals are made.  The chair of the governing body works closely with the school and makes visits to check on different safeguarding procedures. Several leaders have also received training that ensures that they are qualified to oversee the recruitment of new members of staff.  Pupils are kept safe and feel safe in school. They benefit from extensive guidance on

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Safeguarding

how to reduce risk. There is a thorough programme for supporting pupils to keep safe online. Pupils in Year 6 take part in ‘crucial crew’ workshops, which are run by the combined emergency services to enhance pupils’ understanding of risk. Teachers also deliver the Real Love Rocks course to help pupils to develop an age-appropriate understanding of relationships.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is not consistently good. Teaching does not consistently meet the needs of pupils. Some find the work too easy and others too hard. Teachers’ planning does not consistently build upon what pupils of different abilities know and can do.  Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are not always high enough. They do not consistently plan work that challenges all pupils from their starting points. However, leaders have ensured that pupils are challenged through an extensive range of additional sessions that are targeted at pupils of different abilities and this is supporting pupils to make faster progress.  Teachers do not routinely provide the most able pupils with the consistent challenge they need to make rapid progress.  Expectations of how pupils present their work is variable. Pupils do not always present their work neatly, particularly in mathematics.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 The deployment of teaching assistants is inconsistent. Some teaching assistants use skilful questioning to support the progress of targeted pupils, whereas others do not consistently focus on challenging pupils to deepen their understanding.  Teachers and teaching assistants do not routinely ask pupils probing questions that deepen their knowledge and extend skills.  The introduction of a new approach to teaching English is helping to improve the consistency of teaching in this area. Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy their English lessons and inspectors found the teaching of writing to be a strength.  Teachers have high expectations of pupils’ writing and the teaching of writing is a strength throughout the school. Pupils are adept at editing and developing their own work and they are regularly required to write at length for a variety of audiences and purposes.  The teaching of spelling, punctuation and grammar has been less effective in the past.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

However, teaching in this area is now much more methodical and systematic.  The teaching of reading is improving. Leaders have created a tangible reading culture throughout the school and pupils are enthusiastic readers. Teachers are now supporting pupils much more closely to develop their comprehension skills.  The quality of mathematics teaching is variable. Teachers’ planning in mathematics does not effectively cater consistently for pupils’ different starting points. Not all teachers are confident in challenging pupils’ mathematical misconceptions.  Teachers expect pupils to routinely reflect on their progress. Teachers consistently use strategies to build resilience and to encourage pupils to assess their own understanding. Pupils respond positively to these strategies and are becoming mature and reflective learners.  Teachers regularly provide pupils with opportunities to develop their speaking and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

listening skills. Pupils work cooperatively to discuss their ideas and learn from each other.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils who talked to the inspector were very positive about the school. They said that bullying is rare and, on the few occasions it does occur, it is dealt with effectively by members of staff. They spoke enthusiastically about their learning, particularly in English.  Pupils receive regular messages about the importance of healthy living. The school works closely with parents to encourage healthy eating and to encourage participation in a wide range activities to promote the benefits of exercise. For example, pupils are building up to being able to run continuously for a full mile and progress towards this goal is closely tracked and celebrated by leaders.  Teachers and other adults consistently employ strategies to help pupils become more resilient and reflective learners. Leaders are aware that some pupils lack confidence

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Personal development and welfare

and self-belief and have made work in this area a priority. Inspectors were impressed by the commitment that pupils demonstrated towards improving their work and learning from mistakes. However, not all pupils take pride in the way they present their work, particularly in mathematics.  Leaders have also identified that some pupils in the school find it difficult to maintain their emotional well-being. As a result, staffing in this area has been increased to ensure that identified pupils receive good support to manage their feelings.  The school uses alternative provision very rarely. When it does, leaders ensure that there is close liaison with the provider so they are confident that pupils are well cared for.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Leaders have prioritised improvements in this area to establish a secure basis for learning and they are rightly proud of the orderly and focused environment they have created.  Staff have very high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Leaders showed inspectors behavioural logs that show a sharp and sustained decline in the number of incidents of poor behaviour. Members of staff employ a range of strategies to support pupils with behavioural difficulties and they maintain daily contact with parents. Consequently, the school has been successful in improving the behaviour of pupils whose behaviour has been poor in the past.  Low-level disruption is very rare in classrooms. Pupils demonstrate high levels of self- discipline and they respond quickly to instructions from members of staff.  Members of staff apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently, so pupils are aware

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Behaviour

of rewards and sanctions.  Pupils’ behaviour around the site is impeccable. Pupils are cooperative, polite and helpful. Behaviour at break- and lunchtime is exemplary. Pupils play in mixed-gender groups and are happy enjoying each other’s company or taking part in a range of games and activities.  Absence has been too high in recent years and the number of pupils who have regularly been absent from school has been particularly high. Leaders have broadened the range of strategies to improve attendance. Attendance is now improving quickly. However, the attendance of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is not improving as fast as that of other groups within school.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Although improving, pupils in some year groups are not making consistently good progress over time.  The outcomes of national tests at the end of 2016 for pupils in key stage 2 were disappointing. This was because of a legacy of poor teaching that was exacerbated by high levels of staff absence. Attainment was particularly low in reading and mathematics. Consequently, some pupils did not leave Year 6 adequately prepared for secondary school.  Outcomes were more positive for younger year groups. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 1 was close to national averages.  Disadvantaged pupils have made slower progress than other pupils, although the difference is less pronounced in the younger year groups. Leaders and governors are now using the school’s pupil premium funding more sharply and this is accelerating the rate of progress made by disadvantaged pupils across the curriculum and throughout

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

the school.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities have not made progress that is as strong as that of other pupils. This is because personalised plans for these pupils have not focused sharply on removing barriers to learning. The new SENCo has prioritised developments in this area. Leaders have also increased the quality of additional support sessions for these pupils. As a result, pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are now making faster progress that is similar to that of other pupils.  The most able pupils are not achieving their full potential. This includes the most able disadvantaged pupils. Too few are reaching the higher standards at the end of key stages 1 and 2. This is because teachers’ expectations of what these pupils can achieve have not been high enough in the past.  Pupils make good progress with their writing throughout the school.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Information provided by leaders indicates that current pupils are making much faster progress than in recent years. Progress in reading has quickened the most, but improvements in mathematics have also been rapid. Differences in the progress and attainment of different groups are diminishing. A far higher proportion of pupils is in line to meet age-related expectations in all classes by the end of the academic year.  Current pupils are making faster progress because leaders have ensured that pupils benefit from a range of interventions to accelerate their progress. Pupils who are working below age-related expectations are given support to catch up with their peers. Pupils who are working above age-related expectations take part in additional booster sessions to challenge and extend them further. Leaders have recruited additional teachers to work alongside teaching assistants to deliver these additional interventions.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Leaders have successfully engendered a love of reading among pupils. Pupils talk enthusiastically about completing their ‘eight book challenge’ and the introduction of a new reading scheme ensures that pupils regularly read texts that are appropriate for their reading ages. The very large majority of pupils achieve the expected standard in the national phonics check.  Owing to this rising trend in achievement, pupils currently in Year 6 are better prepared for secondary education.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 The provision in early years is not yet good because adults do not have high enough expectations of what children can achieve. Children are therefore not sufficiently challenged, particularly in their writing.  The proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of Reception has been in line with national averages in recent years. However, the proportion dropped in 2016 due to staff disturbances. Children are generally well prepared for Year 1, although too few are in a position where accelerated progress is likely to be made through key stage 1. This is because too few children are challenged to reach levels that are above age-related expectations by the start of Year 1.  Leadership is improving and the early years leader has a clear understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in provision. Plans are in place to work proactively and develop the areas needing improvement. For example, early years staff have recently

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Early years provision Requires improvement

worked closely with a local outstanding school to develop the accuracy and rigour of assessment across the phase. As a result, children’s progress is more carefully tracked across the early years.  Teaching is variable but improving as challenge is being introduced with more time given to teaching precise skills in Reception Year. Children respond well to this new approach and make strong progress in their learning.  Adults understand the needs of children and have created a safe and stimulating environment. Children interact positively with adults and are keen to discuss their learning and play. During lesson observation, however, some children were less willing to learn cooperatively with other children. Some children were also slow to follow class routines, such as those for tidying away.  The school works closely with parents to induct children into early years. However, leaders recognise the need to strengthen partnership work with parents.

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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 bartonmoss.primaryschool@salford.gov.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19–20 February 2013

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school is an average-sized primary school.  There are more boys than girls.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is well above average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well above the national average.  The proportion that join the school other than at the usual times is above average.  The school meets the current floor standards, which set minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  There have been many changes in teaching staff over the past three years.  One pupil is educated through off-site provision at Alder Brook Primary Partnership Centre.

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Information about this inspection

 Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders and members of the governing body. Inspectors also met with the school improvement partner.  Meetings were held with teachers, including teachers who are newly qualified, and teaching assistants.  Inspectors formally interviewed a group of pupils from different year groups and spoke to a range of pupils informally at break- and lunchtime. Inspectors also observed pupils’ conduct and behaviour throughout the school day.  Inspectors observed lessons across the school. Some observations were undertaken jointly with senior leaders. Inspectors also undertook a number of shorter visits to lessons to gauge the climate for learning and pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors looked closely at samples of pupils’ written work across a range of subjects and year groups.  Inspectors listened to pupils read.  A wide range of documents was scrutinised, including the school’s policies, records

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Information about this inspection

relating to behaviour and attendance, safeguarding records and performance information. Development planning, self-evaluation documents, minutes of meetings, and records relating to teaching and learning were also considered. During the inspection, detailed consideration was given to policies and practices relating to safeguarding and also to how the school prepares its pupils for life in modern Britain.  Inspectors considered 40 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, as well as eight responses on Ofsted’s free-text service. They considered the responses to the staff and pupil online questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Will Smith, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

John Shutt 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

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 .

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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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