Heald Place Primary School

Heald Place Primary School Heald Place, Rusholme, Manchester M14 7PN

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher and the governing body have successfully addressed previous leadership issues that contributed to a decline in standards. They have ensured that the school now provides a good quality of education.  Leaders have taken effective action to ensure that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved and is now good.  Leaders provide an interesting and broad curriculum that contributes effectively to pupils’ development.  Governors have an accurate view of standards in the school. They challenge leaders strongly and are ambitious for further improvement.  There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Pupils feel safe and know how to stay safe.  Across a wide range of subjects, including English and mathematics, pupils make good progress.  Leaders give pupils opportunities to develop a sense of responsibility through specific roles in school.  Pupils typically behave well in class and around

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the school. They show respect to adults and are polite.  Children in the early years make good progress. The majority are ready for Year 1 by the time they leave Reception.  Leaders have not fully embedded their strategies to strengthen progress further in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers now provide challenging work for the most able in reading, writing and mathematics, but not enough pupils attain the higher standard.  Pupils sometimes show that they do not take pride in their work.  Leaders have not fully embedded strategies to close the gap in achievement between boys and girls in the early years.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further strengthen the effectiveness of leadership and management by strengthening recent actions to enhance pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Further improve the quality of teaching and learning and pupils’ outcomes by: – more closely matching pupils’ work to their abilities and needs, so that pupils consistently maintain concentration on their learning – embedding leaders’ strategies to challenge the most able pupils in reading, writing and mathematics, so that more pupils attain the higher standard by the end of Year 6.  Enhance pupils’ personal development by ensuring that they improve the presentation of their work to show that they take pride in it.  Further reduce the difference between the performance of boys and girls in the early years by embedding leaders’ strategies to engage boys more in their learning.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher and the governing body have been successful in improving the quality of education in this school since a sharp dip in achievement, particularly in Year 6, in 2017. They liaised effectively with the local authority to manage specific issues concerned with senior leadership at that time. These issues contributed substantially to the drop in pupils’ performance.  Leaders have taken effective action to improve standards in the school. They analysed the available assessment information and recognised the need to strengthen progress in reading in particular, but also in writing and mathematics, by the end of Year 6. They have ensured that current pupils are now making good progress in these subjects.  Leaders have an accurate understanding of the quality of education that the school provides. Their action plans for improvement are thorough and make an effective contribution to the good progress that most current pupils make across a range of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

subjects, particularly reading, writing and mathematics. For example, there is now a more focused approach to the teaching of reading. This ensures that pupils develop essential reading skills, such as demonstrating a secure understanding of the text that they have read. However, leaders have not fully embedded their most recent actions to ensure even stronger progress.  Leaders ensure that they make effective use of resources for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Though relatively new to the post, the special educational needs coordinator is well trained and manages the provision of support effectively. Leaders identify pupils’ needs well and put appropriate strategies in place. For example, they have provided training for staff to support pupils’ speech and language development. Because of leaders’ work, pupils with SEND make good progress.  Leaders make effective use of the primary school physical education (PE) and sports

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

premium. Leaders have employed a sports specialist who provides pupils with organised activities every lunchtime. This contributes well to pupils’ physical health. Pupils have opportunities to take part in competitive team sports, such as football and hockey. The sports specialist also helps staff to improve their own teaching skills in PE.  Leaders make effective use of pupil premium funding. They provide pupils with support that balances consideration of their academic needs with developing their confidence and self-esteem. Strategies include extra teaching to improve pupils’ reading skills and activities, such as yoga, to support their emotional needs. These strategies make a helpful contribution to the good progress that these pupils make.  Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. They achieve this through a range of experiences, including educational visits to places

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

such as London and Manchester Museum. Pupils also enjoy a variety of clubs, such as lacrosse and choir. The school also promotes fundamental British values well. For example, pupils learn tolerance and respect by finding out about other faiths in religious education (RE) lessons.  Leaders provide a curriculum that contains a wide range of learning experiences and makes a positive contribution to pupils’ development. Leaders enhance pupils’ learning through, for example, trips to study rivers as part of their work in geography in key stage 2. There is a clear focus on pupils’ acquisition of relevant knowledge and skills across a range of subjects. Leaders of subjects other than English and mathematics have a secure overview of the quality of teaching and learning in their subject. Subject leaders’ actions contribute effectively to the good progress most current pupils now make.  Subject leaders in English and mathematics also have an accurate view of standards in

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

their subject. They regularly evaluate the quality of teaching and provide suggestions for further improvement for staff. They have put effective actions in place to strengthen pupils’ progress. For example, in mathematics there is now a greater emphasis on developing mastery and in reading there is a focus on enhancing pupils’ vocabulary.  Staff are very positive about their work at the school. They appreciate the wide variety of training that they receive and said it improves their skills effectively. This training includes weekly staff development sessions and regular feedback from leaders, following checks that they have made on the quality of teaching and learning.  The local authority and the external support commissioned by senior leaders have contributed effectively to the work the school has done to ensure that the quality of education has improved since 2017 and is now good.  Although a few parents had some reservations about their child’s experience at the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

school, the majority of parents who expressed opinions are positive about the quality of education and care that leaders provide.

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Governance of the school

 Governors have an accurate overview of standards in the school. They recognised the decline in 2017 related to concerns with aspects of senior leadership and took effective action to address the matter. They understand that the quality of education is now improved and are ambitious to continue to strengthen pupils’ progress. They provide effective challenge to school leaders, asking a range of probing questions about matters such as academic standards and the effective use of funds. They hold the headteacher to account well, checking regularly on the effectiveness of strategies that leaders have introduced to secure improvement. Governors have contributed effectively to the good progress that the majority of pupils are now making.  Governors are knowledgeable about safeguarding matters. They ensure the effectiveness of safeguarding in school through regular meetings between the designated lead and the link governor. There are also termly reports from the

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Governance of the school

headteacher to the governing body that enable them to have a clear overview of relevant issues.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school’s record of required checks on members of staff is comprehensive and complies with the government’s guidance. There is an up-to-date safeguarding policy, with which all staff are familiar.  There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Staff are knowledgeable and receive training at least annually. They know the signs of various types of abuse, including child sexual exploitation and the dangers of pupils being drawn into illegal activity related to drugs. They receive specific training related to issues that may be more prevalent in the local area, such as female genital mutilation. The safety of children is a high priority.  As the overall designated safeguarding lead, the headteacher has ensured that there are suitable systems in place to ensure the safeguarding of pupils. There is an electronic recording system, on which staff log all concerns. Leaders take prompt

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Safeguarding

action and make referrals to external agencies, such as social services, when necessary. All records are detailed and of high quality.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Leaders have improved the quality of teaching, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics, since the decline in progress in Year 6 in 2017. They have introduced several strategies to achieve this improvement. These include: a new approach to teaching that ensures that teachers address any pupils’ misconceptions as soon as they occur; the use of high-quality class texts to develop reading and to stimulate writing; and providing staff with extra training to enhance their mathematical knowledge. As a result, the large majority of pupils are making good progress across a range of subjects.  Teachers mostly plan lessons that keep pupils interested and engage them well. They make effective use of their secure subject knowledge to do this. For example, in mathematics in key stage 2, teachers give opportunities for pupils to use their knowledge of measurement and geometry to find areas of irregular shapes. However,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

there are some occasions when tasks do not match pupils’ abilities and needs as well as usual. At these times, a few pupils become distracted and lose concentration.  Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and positive. Teachers have effective methods for managing pupils’ behaviour. Their expectations of pupils’ conduct are high and pupils are very familiar with established routines. In the main, pupils show positive attitudes to their work.  Staff, including teaching assistants, mainly use questioning effectively to enable pupils to consolidate their learning. Teachers make effective use of assessment to address misconceptions as soon as possible. They typically reshape tasks and provide support where needed to enable pupils to understand their work.  Teachers ensure that pupils have a wide range of opportunities to apply the skills they learn in English and mathematics in other subjects across the curriculum. For example,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

in geography in key stage 1, pupils write reports about features of the local area. In science in key stage 2, pupils draw graphs to represent findings in an investigation about healthy lifestyles.  Teachers usually provide work that challenges the most able pupils. However, in science, pupils sometimes do not have enough opportunities to apply their knowledge in more challenging ways.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are mainly confident. They show positive attitudes to their learning and are caring in their relationships with each other. However, pupils’ presentation of their work is sometimes untidy, indicating an occasional lack of pride.  Pupils feel safe in school and know that staff will help them if they have any worries. Pupils also know about how to stay safe on the internet because leaders provide sessions to give them the information they need. Pupils also spoke about other ways that adults help them to stay safe. For example, older pupils attend workshops to train them in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and in the use of a defibrillator.  Pupils reported that leaders take steps to manage bullying effectively. Leaders also appoint pupils in key stage 2 as ‘anti-bullying ambassadors’, which helps to develop a stronger awareness and sense of responsibility about bullying. Pupils can talk to these

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Personal development and welfare

ambassadors if they have any issues in the playground. If the ambassadors cannot resolve the problem immediately, they report it to a member of staff for further attention.  Pupils benefit from a range of activities that contribute effectively to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, such as clubs and educational trips. They also enjoy daily sports activities, organised by adults with the help of pupils who act as ‘sports leaders’. These activities support pupils’ physical well-being effectively. Pupils who need support with mental health and emotional issues receive it through the school’s ‘therapeutic’ work. This includes providing opportunities for children to practise yoga or receive support from a designated member of staff.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  The school is an orderly environment. Pupils’ behaviour in class is mainly good, although there are times when pupils show a lack of self-discipline, disengaging from their task and talking about unrelated matters to classmates. Pupils show respect to adults by, for example, holding doors open for them.  Pupils play together in the playground well. They make good use of the variety of facilities that leaders have provided for them and particularly enjoy the organised sports activities.  The attendance of current pupils is above the national average and there have been no exclusions of any kind.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Because of leaders’ actions to improve the quality of teaching, the progress of the majority of current pupils in reading, writing and mathematics is now good. This represents considerable improvement since the sudden decline in standards in 2017, especially in reading progress and attainment in Year 6 in that year. Published assessment information for key stage 2 in 2018 showed improvement in progress and attainment in reading, writing and mathematics by comparison with 2017. There was also improvement in these subjects in key stage 1. However, progress in reading in Year 6 was still below the national average.  Teachers ensure that most current pupils are ready for the next stage of their education. Evidence from pupils’ work and from the school’s assessment information shows that pupils are now making good progress and acquiring knowledge, understanding and skills well. In writing in Year 2, for example, most-able pupils

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Outcomes for pupils Good

attempt complex sentence structures and advanced vocabulary, such as, ‘The colossal, obnoxious dragon likes to hibernate through winter.’ In mathematics in Year 6, teachers challenge pupils’ thinking by asking them to use their reasoning skills to consider all possible solutions to problems in geometry. Teachers have recently had a sharper focus on developing strategies to stretch the most able in reading, writing and mathematics. However, they have not fully embedded these to ensure that more pupils reach the higher standard by the end of Year 6.  In a wide range of other subjects, the majority of pupils make good progress. There is a clear focus on pupils developing the knowledge and skills relevant to the subject. For example, in geography, pupils gain detailed knowledge of the features of rivers. In RE, pupils find out about a wide range of faiths and consider deep questions about the existence of God.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Most pupils with SEND or who are disadvantaged make good progress from their various starting points. As well as benefiting from the improved quality of teaching now evident, they also receive effective support. This includes work with teaching assistants to strengthen pupils’ confidence and extra sessions to improve their understanding of mathematics and English.  Pupils read widely and show a good degree of fluency and comprehension for their age and ability. The strategies that leaders have introduced have had a positive impact on pupils’ progress and development of skills in reading. For example, the most able pupils read with good understanding of the author’s writing techniques, such as the use of metaphor. Pupils also have opportunities to apply their reading skills in written exercises, such as predicting the next part of a story. They are enthusiastic and understand the need to ‘think about what you’re reading’. Pupils in Year 1 benefit from

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Outcomes for pupils Good

the effective teaching of phonics, using their knowledge well to read unfamiliar words, such as ‘flowerpots’. Typically, the proportion of pupils who reach the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check is close to the national average.

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Early years provision Good

 Children enter the early years with skills and knowledge that are below those that are typical for their age. Almost all speak English as an additional language. The proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year has improved over time. In 2018, it was close to the national average. This represents good progress and most children are well prepared for Year 1.  The leader of the early years is knowledgeable, enthusiastic and experienced. She has an accurate overview of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. She has thorough systems for checking on children’s progress. She is effective in using information from these to plan for children’s needs, including those with SEND or who are disadvantaged. The early years leader has identified, for example, that boys’ achievement is weaker than girls’. She has devised strategies to address this, such as

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Early years provision Good

choosing work topics to engage boys more readily. There is evidence that these strategies are starting to diminish the difference in performance between boys and girls. However, there is scope to diminish it even further.  Children’s work shows that they make good progress. For example, the most able children in the Nursery develop their writing skills well. They progress from very early mark-making to using their knowledge of phonics to attempt unfamiliar words, such as ‘dinosaur’. In Reception, children develop their skills even further to write simple sentences.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. The broad and balanced curriculum stimulates children’s interest and contributes effectively to their development. Staff work well as a team. They use their strong subject knowledge to plan topics that typically hold children’s attention. For example, they plan work about dinosaurs and include exciting activities, such as being archaeologists and digging for

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Early years provision Good

real fossils. There is also a wide range of opportunities to enrich children’s learning, such as educational trips and visitors to school. Teachers provide work that challenges children well. For instance, in mathematics, most-able pupils in Reception learn about doubling numbers such as 18. Teachers make good use of questioning to encourage children to think for themselves. However, teaching assistants occasionally interact with children less effectively than they could.  Children show that they feel safe through their good behaviour and their motivation to engage with tasks. They show that they can maintain their concentration on their work. They take turns and share. Staff have established clear routines, which children know well. Leaders have ensured that all welfare requirements are met and safeguarding procedures are effective.  Leaders make sure that parents and carers have an important role in their child’s

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Early years provision Good

development. There are effective links through a range of activities. These include workshops to familiarise parents with the early years provision and ‘stay and play’ sessions to enable them to share in their child’s work. Leaders have effective transition arrangements before children start in the early years, such as welcome meetings for parents and home visits.

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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

Website www.healdplace.manchester.sch.uk

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School details

Email address admin@healdplace.manchester.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 July 2007

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Information about this school

 Heald Place Primary School is much larger than the average-sized primary school.  Leaders run a breakfast club at the school.  Almost all pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds.  A high proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding is nearly twice the national average.  The proportion of pupils who receive support for their special educational needs and/or disabilities is slightly lower than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is slightly below the national average.  There has been a change in senior leadership since 2016, when two assistant headteachers left the school. There are currently six newly qualified teachers.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team carried out observations of learning in all classes. Some of these were joint observations with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. The headteacher and the deputy headteacher were present at inspectors’ team meetings.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including: the school’s self-evaluation summary; action plans for school improvement; assessment information; minutes of meetings of the governing body; and records connected with the safeguarding of children.  The inspection team had discussions with: the headteacher; senior leaders; subject leaders; other members of staff; the chair and other members of the governing body; a representative of the local authority; an external consultant commissioned by the school parents and pupils.  The inspectors listened to pupils read and analysed pupils’ work in a range of subjects.  The lead inspector evaluated 14 responses received through Parent View, Ofsted’s

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Inspection team

Mark Quinn, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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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 .

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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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