St George’s CofE Primary School

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

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Mrs P Walker Headteacher St George’s CofE Primary School Church Street Hyde Cheshire SK14 1JL

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Short inspection of St George’s CofE Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 23 May 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 St George’s CofE Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You and other leaders have created a positive culture of high expectations where everyone is learning well. You think carefully before making changes in school, ensuring that research supports the decisions that you make. You then carefully evaluate the impact of these changes to ensure that they have a positive impact on pupils’ learning. Your staff have bought into the vision and all staff who responded to the survey said that they are proud to work at your school.

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Short inspection of St George’s CofE Primary School

Your pupils embody the school’s ethos of ‘Love to learn and learn to love’. They are polite and well behaved. In the classroom, they listen to their teacher and work well with their peers, supporting each other to learn. They are keen to talk to visitors and eagerly share what they are learning. One pupil told me, ‘The work is challenging but fun.’ The changes you have made to lunchtimes have enabled your pupils to take advantage of the wide variety of activities you provide and to play together harmoniously.

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Short inspection of St George’s CofE Primary School

At the previous inspection, leaders were asked to improve teaching at key stage 1. You have set about this task well. For example, you have provided training to ensure that staff have strong subject knowledge and are confident in teaching the new national curriculum. You have developed the curriculum well to follow the needs and interests of the pupils, which is evident in pupils’ engagement and motivation to write. You have also developed teachers’ questioning skills so they can challenge and deepen pupils’ thinking. Although current school information shows that some pupils are working well to secure greater depth in their learning, this remains an area for further improvement.

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Short inspection of St George’s CofE Primary School

Inspectors also asked you to improve the monitoring of teaching by involving middle leaders more and by providing sharper feedback so that teachers know how to improve. You have improved teaching through coaching, mentoring and sharing good practice across the school. This has developed the skills of all teachers, including those new to the school over the last few years. You have supported your English and mathematics leaders to monitor their subjects effectively. Their confidence has improved and the school is building leadership capacity as a result.

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Short inspection of St George’s CofE Primary School

We discussed how leaders do not collate information about key groups of children’s attendance clearly enough. As a result, leaders are unable to say whether the attendance of disadvantaged pupils has improved or whether the actions taken have had a positive impact on the attendance of these groups of pupils.

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Short inspection of St George’s CofE Primary School

Leaders and governors have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. You and your team are thorough and persistent in your endeavours to keep pupils safe. You provide training for staff to ensure that they are kept up to date with the latest guidance. You meet regularly with other leaders to discuss how you can best support pupils and their families. The pupils I spoke to all said that they felt safe; there was no name-calling or bullying.

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Short inspection of St George’s CofE Primary School

You work well to build positive relationships with families and other professionals to ensure that pupils’ safety is paramount. This does not deter you from challenging other agencies to ensure the best outcomes for pupils.

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Inspection findings

 Children enter Nursery with skills below those typically expected for their age. They make good progress in early years from their starting points. Last year, just over half the children leaving early years achieved a good level of development. The teacher and teaching assistants work closely to plan effective learning activities for children. One of the strengths of the senior leadership team is the ability to think creatively to overcome barriers to children’s learning. For example, you reorganised early years provision, meaning that Nursery children quickly settle into school. They have grown in confidence and have developed language skills at a more rapid pace. Children in Reception are also making good progress. Children are engaged in their learning, their stamina for learning has improved and they are developing independence. Year 1 pupils act as role models to help Reception children learn.

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Inspection findings

 Last year, no middle-ability pupils in Year 2 secured greater depth in their learning in reading, writing or mathematics. You are aware of this and have responded appropriately. Teachers from Year 1 and Reception now plan learning together which supports the effective transition for pupils. You have developed teachers’ questioning skills and unpicked barriers to learning in mathematics to help pupils to secure greater depth in their learning. Pupils are now making good progress in key stage 1. This is evident in the progress I saw in pupils’ books and the assessment information you shared with me. However, supporting pupils to achieve greater depth in their learning remains an area for improvement.  You and your team were delighted that pupils’ progress and outcomes met and exceeded the national standards in reading, writing and mathematics in 2016. Writing was a particular strength. You ensured that you implemented writing

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Inspection findings

initiatives, which showed clear impact, by delivering whole-school training. Pupils take pride in their workbooks and present their work to a high standard. Their books show that writing in other subjects is at a similar high standard to that in their English books. Pupils’ work in religious education and art books is particularly noteworthy.  Pupils’ attendance overall is in line with the national average. However, last year, disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities did not attend school as regularly as they should. Leaders do not collate information about some groups of pupils in school. This means that you are unable to comment upon whether the work that you do in building relationships with families to encourage good attendance is having an impact on particular groups of pupils.  You and your team provide an engaging and motivating curriculum that you

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Inspection findings

carefully plan and monitor. You provide opportunities and experiences that the pupils might not ordinarily access. For example, pupils enjoy learning how to play a musical instrument, learning how to play chess and going on a residential holiday. You value what pupils think and seek their opinions to improve your provision.

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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

 pupils in key stage 1 continue to develop skills and knowledge to enable them to secure greater depth in their learning  the attendance of groups of pupils, especially disadvantaged pupils, is monitored more effectively so that leaders know whether their actions are having a positive impact.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the diocese of Chester, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Tameside. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met with you, the deputy headteacher, the early years leader and the learning mentor. I met with the chair of the governing body and seven other governors. I had a discussion with a representative from the local authority. I considered the six written responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and spoke to parents at the start of the school day. I considered the feedback from pupil and staff questionnaires. I visited classrooms with you, observing teaching and learning, and scrutinised pupils’ work in books. I spoke to pupils informally, both in lessons and around school at lunchtime. I examined a wide range of school documentation relating to school improvement planning, self- evaluation, attendance, pupils’ outcomes and safeguarding.

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