Webster Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Webster Primary School Denmark Road, Greenheys, Manchester M15 6JU

p.1

Outcome

Webster Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They benefit from a well-planned curriculum which helps to foster their creativity and love of learning. Pupils have many opportunities to develop their talents in music. They play a wide range of instruments including keyboards, the guitar and steel pans.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils regularly visit art galleries and museums. They participate in many after-school clubs and like sports. Pupils are hardworking. They enjoy art, mathematics, science and history. Pupils are keen to share their ideas with their peers.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told me that they always feel safe at school. They know that they can go to any member of staff with a concern, secure in the knowledge that they will be listened to. Pupils’ behaviour in class is usually exemplary. Parents and carers appreciate the warm and welcoming atmosphere of the school. They told me that pupils are well behaved and that the school is calm and purposeful.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are respectful. They say that discrimination never happens in school because ‘people here are judged for their personality, not for what they look like’. Pupils are adamant that bullying never happens. They empathise deeply with those less fortunate than themselves and raise funds for many worthy causes.

p.1

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Webster Primary School is a culturally diverse and welcoming school. Senior leaders and staff celebrate pupils’ different religions and traditions. Leaders have developed a curriculum which has the creative arts, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, at its centre.

p.1

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school’s well-planned curriculum helps to ensure that pupils make strong progress in a wide range of subjects. Pupils achieve particularly well in mathematics in key stage 2 and do very well compared to other pupils nationally in this subject. By the time pupils 23–24 October 2019

p.1

2

leave school at the end of Year 6, their grammar, punctuation and spelling skills are also very strong.

p.2

2

Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading. Daily phonics lessons in the Reception and key stage 1 classes help pupils to read unfamiliar words with increasing accuracy. Across the school, pupils read daily. However, pupils’ reading skills are not as strong as they should be, and pupils do not make the same impressive progress with their reading as they do in mathematics. Leaders have recently taken action to strengthen the teaching of reading. However, it is too early to judge the impact of these actions.

p.2

2

Teachers plan activities which help pupils to develop their knowledge in a wide range of subjects, including mathematics and science. The history curriculum is well planned and helps pupils to remember important facts and events. For example, Year 2 pupils have a good knowledge of the Great Fire of London. Those I spoke with told me that the fire started in a bakery in 1666 and that it burned for four days, destroying 70,000 houses.

p.2

2

Senior leaders provide teachers with the training that they need to teach all subjects well. However, the science curriculum is still being developed to provide pupils with more opportunities to develop their scientific skills. During the inspection I saw pupils carrying out various investigations. For example, in Year 3, pupils were finding out about saturated fats in various food products. However, pupils rarely plan their own experiments and are not given many opportunities to form their own hypotheses to test.

p.2

2

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics because specialist staff make sure that the curriculum meets their needs. Pupils in the Rainbow Rooms, the school’s specialist area for pupils with SEND, receive good support from knowledgeable staff. The school works closely with parents and other partners to ensure that pupils with SEND have their needs met and achieve well.

p.2

2

Children in the early years are well provided for. By the end of the Reception Year, most are equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in Year 1. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes settle into school life quickly. They form strong bonds with staff and make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Children are well behaved and confident learners. They are curious to explore the world around them.

p.2

2

The school’s curriculum extends beyond developing pupils academically. The school helps pupils to become responsible citizens. Pupils enjoy undertaking roles that develop their leadership skills and enable them to make a valuable contribution to the school community. For example, pupils are eco team members, arts ambassadors, library champions and junior police community support officers. Pupils regularly take part in various extra-curricular activities, including gardening, photography and comedy clubs.

p.2

2

Staff told me that leaders always consider their welfare and that they are trusted to try out new ways of working. They routinely share and learn from each other. Teachers new to the profession said that the support they get from mentors and senior leaders is valuable and helps them to improve their teaching. 23–24 October 2019

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders and governors responsible for safeguarding leave nothing to chance when it comes to pupils’ welfare. They are vigilant and well trained. The school has effective systems in place for passing on and recording safeguarding concerns.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils say that they always feel safe in school. Staff are alert to any possible signs of neglect or abuse and know exactly what to do if they are worried about a pupil. Leaders make careful checks on all adults who work in the school to make sure that none pose a threat to pupils. Teachers make sure that pupils understand how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The principal and governors have ensured that, in almost all subjects, the curriculum carefully maps out what pupils need to learn and when. Leaders know where the curriculum is strongest and have a clear understanding of which subjects require more work. For example, they know that the science curriculum is still being developed and that pupils’ learning in this subject is not where it should be. Leaders should ensure that their plans to improve the delivery of this subject are implemented quickly and effectively.  Typically, teaching helps pupils to know more and remember more. However, the aspects of the curriculum which aim to develop pupils’ reading skills have not been as effective as they should. Leaders place a high priority on reading. For example, a new, well-stocked library opened this term and teachers now encourage pupils to read books that are more challenging and thought-provoking. However, these initiatives are new.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders must therefore continue with their efforts to improve pupils’ reading.

p.3

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged Webster Primary School to be good in March 2011. 23–24 October 2019

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

Further information

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. 23–24 October 2019

p.4

School details

Unique reference number 139445 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 10111031 Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed

p.5

roll

Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair of governing body Nisadha Bandara Principal Jeremy Jackson Website www.webster.manchester.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 19 January 2016

p.5

Information about this school

 The school manages a resource base which caters for seven SEND pupils from Years 1 to 6 from across the local authority. Pupils have a range of needs, including autism spectrum disorder and speech, language and communication difficulties.  Since the previous inspection a new chair of the governing body has been appointed and most governors are new. In addition, there have been many staffing changes. In the last two years, several new teachers have joined the school, including three newly qualified teachers. In September 2019, seven new teaching assistants and two new teachers joined the school.  Since the previous inspection the school number of pupils on roll has increased and the school has expanded. A new classroom block and hall opened in September 2018. More recently, in September 2019, a new library, music room, administration block and offices were opened.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 I met with four governors, including the chair of the governing body. A telephone discussion was held with the school’s improvement partner. 23–24 October 2019

p.5

6

 I met with the principal and senior leaders as well as the teachers who lead reading, writing, mathematics, history and science. I held meetings with leaders who oversee the provision in the early years and that for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. I also met with the leader of the Rainbow Rooms.  I took account of nine text messages submitted during the inspection. There were too few responses to Parent view, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, to be considered. I considered responses to the inspection questionnaires completed by 38 members of staff and 52 pupils.  I focused deeply on reading, science and history during the inspection. In each subject, I met with the subject leader and teachers. I visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and talked with pupils about their learning.  I met with pupils, teachers and other staff. We talked about safety, personal development and behaviour. I checked the school’s records of

p.6

6

the suitability of staff to work with children. I also talked with parents about matters relating to safety. I scrutinised the school’s safeguarding policy and related policies and documentation.

p.6

Inspection team

Lenford White, lead inspector Ofsted inspector 23–24 October 2019

p.6

7

regulates and inspects to 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.

p.7

7

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 .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7