Sharples Primary School

Sharples Primary School Hugh Lupus Street, Bolton BL1 8RU

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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 Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have successfully maintained the good standard of teaching and learning since the last inspection. They have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.  Leaders have created an inclusive environment. The provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is good, particularly for visually impaired pupils.  Governors’ good levels of knowledge and experience enable them to hold school leaders to account effectively.  Middle leaders contribute well in leading improvements within the school.  Teaching across the school is of a good standard. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and typically use assessment well to plan next steps in pupils’ learning.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They are keen to learn and have positive attitudes to learning.  Pupils are well cared for. They are respectful of one another. Pupils work well together in their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

classes.  Leaders promote and celebrate diversity. Consequently, pupils have a strong appreciation of different faiths and cultures.  The positive and inclusive ethos within the school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.  Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, make strong progress across a range of subjects.  Children get off to a good start in the early years. They become confident and independent learners.  The level of persistent absence has reduced recently and is now lower than that in most primary schools.  The curriculum provides interesting and relevant opportunities for pupils to develop knowledge and skills in a wide range of subjects.  At times, there is a lack of challenge for the most able pupils. As a result, some of these pupils do not make as much progress as they could.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress by raising teachers’ expectations of what the most able pupils will achieve.  Improve outcomes for pupils by making sure that the proportions of the most able pupils who achieve the higher standards by the end of key stages 1 and 2 increase so that they are more in line with national averages.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher have taken effective action to resolve the most important priorities. As a result, teaching is typically strong and current pupils are making good progress.  Leaders use information about pupils’ attainment and progress to ensure that teachers receive the training they need to be able to improve the quality of learning. They analyse assessment information to ensure that teaching supports pupils to make good progress.  Senior leaders check the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress. They provide feedback to teachers about how to improve. Leaders follow up the actions taken to ensure that teachers act on the advice. As a result, teaching is securely good.  The curriculum reflects pupils’ needs and interests well. Carefully chosen topics offer pupils interesting opportunities to develop their skills and knowledge. Pupils enjoy their learning and make good progress across a range of subjects. For example, a recent

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

Year 4 topic on the importance of rivers in the development of ancient civilisations resulted in high-quality history work.  Work to support pupils with SEND is a key strength of the school. Leaders successfully incorporate the provision for pupils who have a visual impairment within mainstream classes. Staff demonstrate high expectations and use questions skilfully to develop pupils’ learning and deepen their thinking skills.  Leaders use the primary physical education (PE) and sport premium to increase the opportunities pupils have to enjoy physical activity and participate in competitive sports. This provides pupils with access to a wide range of sports, including rugby, football, dodgeball and additional clubs for pupils with SEND.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. Leaders have created a culture of inclusion which ensures that pupils learn to value the school’s community.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

As a result, they acknowledge, respect and celebrate each other’s cultures and faiths.  Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. British values are an integral part of all that the school does. Older pupils commented in detail on how values such as freedom of speech and rule of law had been discussed as part of their learning.  Leaders make effective use of pupil premium funding to diminish the differences in outcomes between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally. In all year groups, disadvantaged pupils are overcoming the barriers to their learning well.  The effectiveness of middle leadership is strong. The SEND leader has a clear understanding of individual pupils’ needs. Leadership in English, mathematics and some subjects in the wider curriculum, such as art, design and DT, is particularly strong and contributes well to school improvement.

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Governance of the school

 Governors receive regular reports about the quality of teaching, learning and assessment and about pupils’ outcomes. They also make visits to see the school in action. Overall, governors have a secure understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.  Governors are reflective about their own effectiveness. Support from the local authority ensures that they have the knowledge and skills to hold leaders to account effectively.  Governors have an accurate understanding of pupils’ attainment and progress. They use this information to hold leaders to account for any weaknesses in pupils’ outcomes, particularly the most able.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff receive regular training and updates in safeguarding. As a result, they know how to recognise signs of abuse and neglect. Staff are clear about how to report concerns using the school’s agreed procedures.  Records show that leaders take appropriate action in response to concerns about pupils’ safety and welfare. Leaders work closely with external agencies to provide effective support for vulnerable pupils and their families.  Governors ensure that the school fulfils its statutory safeguarding duties. For example, they regularly meet leaders to discuss aspects of safeguarding, such as the safety of school premises.  Pupils said that they feel safe in school and that adults will help them if they have any concerns.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teaching, learning and assessment are good. Teachers plan interesting work that motivates pupils to work hard and make good progress.  Relationships in lessons are strong and supportive. Pupils collaborate well and listen carefully to each other’s ideas.  Teachers have good subject knowledge which they use well to plan a range of interesting activities. They model new concepts effectively and provide clear explanations. As a result, pupils settle quickly to tasks and understand what they are learning.  The teaching of mathematics is good. Teachers use questioning effectively to check and develop pupils’ understanding and to address misconceptions. Teachers ensure that pupils are fluent in number and have regular opportunities to develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills.  Reading sessions focus on developing pupils’ understanding of vocabulary and their ability to comprehend what they read. Pupils are making strong progress in reading.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

Pupils who read to inspectors did so with fluency and understanding. Older pupils demonstrated higher-order reading skills linked to interpreting and making deductions from texts.  The teaching of phonics is effective. Pupils use their phonics skills to decode words and spell with increasing accuracy. Year 1 pupils are well prepared for the phonics screening.  Teachers provide pupils with purposeful opportunities to write at length in a range of subjects. This means that pupils gain a strong understanding of how to write in different styles and for different purposes and audiences. Pupils also learn how to vary the vocabulary they chose in their writing.  Teaching assistants provide very effective support to pupils who have SEND across the school. Evidence seen during the inspection shows that pupils make strong progress from their individual starting points.  Teachers use assessment information effectively to plan learning that matches the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

needs of most pupils. Learning builds progressively on pupils’ existing knowledge and skills in most subjects.  Teachers sometimes do not have high enough expectations of what the most able pupils can achieve. They do not ensure that teaching consistently deepens learning and provides sufficient challenge for this group of pupils.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Leaders have created a caring and supportive environment. This ensures that pupils feel safe and helps them to develop into happy and confident learners.  Pupils have a well-developed understanding of different faiths, cultures and religions because leaders promote this well. As a result, pupils from different backgrounds are tolerant and respectful. They work and play happily together.  Pupils are kind and thoughtful. They enjoy opportunities to take on responsibility, for example as members of the school council. One pupil, reflecting the views of many others, explained, ‘We are diverse but all show respect for each other.’  Pupils understand the difference between bullying and ‘falling out’. They say that these issues rarely happen and adults quickly deal with any incidents.  Staff teach pupils to keep safe in different situations, for example those associated with

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Personal development and welfare

crossing the road. Pupils understand how to stay safe online. They also told inspectors that, as a result of work on wellbeing and mental health, they are confident in discussing with adults any worries they have.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. This is because staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour, which they reinforce effectively across the school.  Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. They concentrate well in lessons and apply themselves productively to tasks. Pupils are independent and resilient learners. They work well on their own and with their peers, sharing ideas and taking turns. For example, in a Year 6 lesson, pupils collaborated very well on solving problems using coding to create shapes. They listened carefully to adults and to one another.  Pupils are polite, confident and well mannered. They respond quickly to adults’ instructions and move around the school sensibly and quietly. Conduct at breaktimes and lunchtimes is typically positive.  Leaders have taken effective action to improve pupils’ attendance. They monitor the attendance of individuals closely and put appropriate support in place to ensure that

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Behaviour

pupils attend regularly. As a result, pupils’ attendance rates are broadly in line with national averages. The proportion of pupils who are frequently absent from school has reduced considerably.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 In 2018, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 in reading and mathematics was in line with the national average, while attainment in writing was above. Progress at key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics was in line with the national average.  At the end of Year 2 in 2018, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was in line with national averages.  The proportions of pupils achieving the higher standards at the end of each key stage have been variable for the past two years. This is because work does not consistently challenge the most able pupils to achieve the high standards of which they are capable.  Since the last inspection, the progress by pupils overall in a wide range of subjects has strengthened. Current pupils make similarly strong progress in both key stages. Pupils’ workbooks and the school’s assessment information demonstrate that pupils’ progress has improved in reading, writing and mathematics overall.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Work shows that pupils make secure progress in phonics in the early years and key stage 1. As a result, the proportion of pupils who meet the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has been in line with national averages for the past three years.  A high proportion of pupils with SEND make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because staff make effective provision for the individual needs of these pupils.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language also make strong progress across a range of subjects, including English and mathematics.  Pupils make good progress in developing their knowledge and understanding in a wide range of subjects. This is because the curriculum builds progressively on what pupils know, understand and can do. This contributes to pupils being well prepared for the next stage of their education.  The school’s assessment information shows that disadvantaged pupils currently in

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Outcomes for pupils Good

school are making progress that is at least in line with, and sometimes better than, other pupils in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Early years provision Good

 Children make strong progress in Nursery and Reception because of the good teaching they receive. As a result, the proportions of children who reach a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year have been in line with national averages for the past two years.  Leadership of the early years is effective. Leaders have a good understanding of the strengths and weaknesses in the provision and in children’s outcomes. This is because they make regular checks on the quality of teaching and children’s progress.  Adults plan tasks to match children’s needs. As a result, children sustain concentration well and persevere. For example, in Reception, children maintained concentration while working on improving sentences together, while in Nursery, children were absorbed in an activity on number recognition.  Adults focus on developing children’s language and communication skills. Children who

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Early years provision Good

speak English as an additional language make strong progress in their spoken English. This is because adults model language effectively.  Adults are aware that, in the past, boys have not achieved as well as girls. They have adapted the curriculum to provide more practical and engaging activities to encourage boys to read and write. This has contributed to the gap between the attainment of boys and girls closing.  Strong relationships are fostered well by adults. As a result, children are happy and enjoy coming to school. Clear routines and high expectations support children to behave well. They work and play harmoniously together, sharing and taking turns.  Parents are well informed about their children’s learning. They appreciate the care and support their children receive. They value the information that teachers share with them, including useful workshops on how to help their children with their learning at

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Early years provision Good

home. This effective working partnership greatly supports children’s progress.  Safeguarding procedures are effective. Adults give close attention to children’s well- being. Children’s settled start enables them to be well prepared for Year 1.

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address office@sharples-pri.bolton.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 June 2018

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller-than-average sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is in line with the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is also in line with the national average.  The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is higher than the national average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is also higher than the national average.  The school has a resource base provision for pupils with visual impairment. Currently 12 pupils access the provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors examined a range of documents, including: information about pupils’ attendance; pupils’ assessment information; leaders’ self-evaluation; school improvement information; and safeguarding records.  Inspectors conducted meetings with leaders to review the impact of their work on pupils’ learning and outcomes. Inspectors conducted an in-depth analysis of pupils’ work across a range of subjects.  Inspectors visited classes in every year group. Some of these visits were conducted jointly with leaders.  Records of behaviour logs and leaders’ checks on the suitability of staff to work in the school were considered. Inspectors also met with leaders to review the impact of their work to safeguard pupils’ welfare and promote good behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors held a meeting with members of the governing body. A discussion was also held with representatives of Bolton local authority.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils to discuss their views on the school. Inspectors

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Information about this inspection

observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and at playtime.  A group of pupils read to the inspectors. Inspectors also heard pupils read during visits to classrooms and talked with them about their attitudes to reading.  Inspectors gathered the views of parents through informal discussions in the playground before school. Inspectors also considered 14 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, including eight free-text responses, 19 responses to the online staff survey and 11 responses to the online pupils’ survey.

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Inspection team

Simon Hunter, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Fann 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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