Crosslee Community Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Andrea Wadsworth Headteacher Crosslee Community Primary School Crosslee Road Blackley Manchester M9 6TG

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Short inspection of Crosslee Community Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 15 February 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in October 2012.

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Short inspection of Crosslee Community Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education since the last inspection. The proportion of children gaining a good level of development by the end of Reception has increased in each of the last three years and their progress is built on in Years 1 and 2.

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Short inspection of Crosslee Community Primary School

At the last inspection, leaders were asked to increase opportunities for older pupils to practise and develop their reading and writing skills across different subjects. They were also asked to improve pupils’ presentation of work and for teachers to provide greater challenge for the most able pupils. Pupils’ presentation of work is neat and tidy and they show good handwriting styles and skills. There is now a wide range of opportunities to read and write across the range of subjects. In particular, in geography and history, pupils are able to develop their ideas, think and use subject-specific vocabulary accurately. In science however, pupils’ writing is restricted because of the lack of challenge provided by low-quality worksheets. Pupils’ written work in religious education lacks quality. There is some coverage of British values but the curriculum does not fully reflect the full range of diversity that

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Short inspection of Crosslee Community Primary School

You, governors and staff have established a very positive culture in which pupils are challenged to achieve their best. Pupils are well cared for and nurtured. The school is an inclusive school in which pupils get on harmoniously with each other regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion or background. Safeguarding is effective.

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Short inspection of Crosslee Community Primary School

Safeguarding pupils is a high priority and a strength of the school. Staff go the extra mile to make sure that pupils are protected and safe. You and the staff have a detailed knowledge of pupils and their families which helps you to provide the support and guidance that they need. This includes providing help for those living in poverty or in danger of being absent from school. There is an efficient and effective referral system. Staff work well with other services such as social care or the police. The referral system has been effective in identifying concerns about possible extremism or safety from online exploitation or bullying. The school’s documentation is very thorough, detailed and effective in linking different pieces of information together. The school’s work is hampered, however, because health professionals do not attend some meetings and do not readily share important information with staff.

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Inspection findings

 During this inspection, I initially looked at the school’s teaching of science to find out why the published assessment information in 2016 indicated that pupils do not make good progress, particularly boys, in key stage 1. Similarly, I wanted to find out why attainment at the end of Year 6 was slightly below average and why some girls did not attain the expected standard for their age.  It is clear from talking to pupils, looking at their work and from observing teaching, that a large majority of pupils make good progress in science. Assessment information in the past has not always been as reliable as it has been in English and mathematics. The new science leader has already recognised this and has realistic and well-designed plans to rectify weaknesses in assessment. Pupils develop a good understanding of science investigation. They could tell me, for example, about how to control variables in experiments and how to construct

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Inspection findings

an investigation. Their work, and in particular girls’ work, shows there are plenty of opportunities for them to ask their own questions and create their own investigations. The most able pupils, particularly in Years 1 to 4, are restricted in writing their observations and conclusions and in using accurate and sophisticated scientific vocabulary because of poorly designed worksheets. These worksheets restrict the space in which pupils can write. They include questions that are too easy and require pupils only to use a simple word or phrase despite having more sophisticated scientific knowledge.  My second focus for the inspection was to find out why in 2016 the most able disadvantaged pupils made progress that was much lower than average in reading compared with other pupils nationally. You, governors and senior leaders were surprised at the results because your own assessment information identified

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Inspection findings

that this group of pupils could attain a much higher standard than they did in the national tests. One of the reasons for the lower than expected results was that too many of the pupils failed to complete the test in time. Another reason was that teachers had not fully taught pupils more complex skills of reading comprehension.  Following the 2016 results you and the staff have set about a well-designed set of actions to make sure that future year groups are more prepared for the national test. Pupils’ work, and the pupils I spoke with, told me they complete more reading comprehensions than previously. The questions are more challenging and require them to work quickly, explain their answers and their thinking in greater depth, and delve much deeper into analysing characters’ motives and the author’s style of writing. There are more opportunities for pupils to consider abstract concepts relating to what they are reading. Current

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Inspection findings

assessment information identifies that a higher proportion are on track to make at least good progress.  For my third focus, I looked at the area for improvement from the last inspection regarding how well teachers provide chances for pupils to write across the range of other subjects. There are certainly many more opportunities for pupils to use and extend their writing skills in history, geography and design and technology, particularly in Years 5 and 6. In these subjects pupils make good use of subject- specific vocabulary and ideas to construct well-crafted, accurate and informative pieces of writing. The curriculum is having a positive impact on improving pupils’ writing.  Pupils’ written work in religious education requires improvement. Their explanations are too simple and sometimes contain errors, overgeneralised statements or misunderstandings about the religion they are studying.  Finally, I investigated how the school’s curriculum and teachers’ planning covered

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Inspection findings

the full range of diversity in modern Britain. British values on the school’s website were shown as a celebration of the Queen and the English football team but did not seem to cover democracy, all of the countries in Britain, the rule of law or respect for people from the full range of different backgrounds.  I looked through curriculum plans, pupils’ work and class displays, and spoke with you and the curriculum leader. We agreed that the curriculum needs to be adapted to make sure that teachers plan lessons to reflect the full range of diversity in Britain. The website does not fully reflect the good work that the school does to ensure pupils respect each other and to follow the rule of law.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 the most able pupils have greater challenge and the space to write their thoughts, observations and conclusions in their science work using high-quality scientific vocabulary  pupils’ work and quality of writing in religious education improves  the curriculum, and the school’s teaching of British values, covers the full range of diversity existing in modern Britain. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Manchester. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you and senior leaders to discuss safeguarding, improvements since the last inspection and the impact of the curriculum on the most able pupils’ progress.

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Information about the inspection

I observed teaching in English and science, with senior leaders, in four classes and looked at the impact of teaching by checking through pupils’ work from Years 1 to 6. I met with a group of pupils from Years 5 and 6.

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Information about the inspection

Only 10 parents completed Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, so I also considered the responses to the school’s own survey of parents. I considered the 16 responses from staff to Ofsted’s online survey.

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Information about the inspection

I met with three members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.

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