St Augustine's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Augustine’s C of E Primary School St Augustine Street, Monsall, Manchester M40 8PL

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Outcome

St Augustine’s C of E Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

When pupils arrive through the school’s blue, pearly gates they are welcomed into a safe haven. Within this family-like environment, they grow in confidence and make strong gains academically and emotionally. Pupils feel safe because staff care about them and respect them. Pupils say that staff go above and beyond to help make their time at school special, fun and interesting. Pupils value their education. They told me that they ‘are lucky to come to this school’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and governors have high expectations for pupils. Pupils appreciate the way that leaders believe in them. They are determined to succeed and try their best in all aspects of school life. Pupils have excellent relationships with staff and each other. They say that bullying does not happen, and they rarely fall out. Pupils know the importance of the school’s rules and say that bullying would be dealt with quickly by leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many roles of responsibility which help prepare them well for the future. They enjoy raising money for different charities and making food parcels for the local food bank. Pupils at this school care about the world and everyone in it.

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

St Augustine’s is well led and managed. Staff enjoy working at the school. They say that leaders consider their workload and always have time to listen to them. Leaders have made sure that the curriculum is well designed and covers all of the national curriculum subjects. It has been well planned so that it is clear what pupils should learn in each year group. Teachers use this information well to plan activities that build on what pupils already know. This helps pupils to achieve well. By the end of Year 6, the majority of pupils reach the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

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

Pupils use their knowledge from previous years to help them with new learning. For example, pupils understand how to make sure that science investigations are fair and accurate. This allowed them to talk confidently about which rocks are the strongest and 10–11 December 2019

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Most children enter the school with knowledge and skills that are below those typical for their age. They settle quickly into routines and make strong relationships with adults. In the early years, teachers ensure that there is an emphasis on developing children’s speaking and listening skills. The learning environment both inside and outside is well resourced and organised. Children have many opportunities to explore and investigate. They are excited to learn, and they join in eagerly.

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Leaders have placed reading at the heart of the curriculum. Across the school, books are plentiful. Teachers read to pupils daily. Pupils say that this is a time when they can ‘disappear into another world’. Older pupils love reading. They have a deep understanding of how different authors write and which kinds of books are their favourites.

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Leaders want children to learn to read as soon as they start at the school. Reading books now match well to the sounds that pupils know and are learning. However, too many pupils are still struggling to read in Reception and Year 1. The teaching of phonics is not strong. Some staff have limited subject knowledge. They sometimes choose activities that pupils find too difficult. For example, some pupils found it hard to blend sounds into words.

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Work on pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. There are many opportunities for pupils to consider the wider world beyond Monsall and to find out about how they can make the world better. Pupils were keen to tell me how palm oil is devasting the world’s wildlife. Pupils are confident and keen debaters. They enjoy discussing real life and current events, for example ‘Brexit’. There are many trips for pupils to experience across the school. Pupils value these experiences and talked with happiness about them.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Parents of pupils with SEND talk with pride about the way that teachers have helped them to flourish. They learn alongside their classmates and have full access to the curriculum. Teachers set the same high expectations for pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged as they do for all pupils.

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Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils respond well to these. They show respect and listen well to each other’s ideas. They are keen to participate in lessons and give their contributions. There is little disruption to pupils’ learning in class.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that keeping children safe is a key priority in the school. They know the local community and the risks that their pupils may face. They use this information to plan targeted training so that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Staff know pupils well. They act quickly if they think a pupil is at risk. Arrangements for safeguarding are checked regularly by the school’s safeguarding governor. 10–11 December 2019

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Leaders work well with external agencies to make sure that pupils are kept safe. They do everything that they can to support their pupils and families.

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Parents say they know that their children are safe, happy and well cared for. Pupils say that they feel safe when they are at school. The curriculum provides many opportunities for pupils to learn how to recognise and manage risks in age-appropriate ways.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Children’s early reading is not developed well enough. As a result, too many pupils do not achieve the Year 1 phonics screening check and the reading early learning goal in Reception. Leaders need to provide effective training for staff in delivering phonics. Leaders should also check the impact of this training on how well all pupils are learning to read with accuracy, fluency and understanding. This will ensure that children master the skills for early reading, that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education, and that this will give them the best chance of achieving well.

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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.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged St Augustine’s C of E Primary School to be good on the 10–11 June 2015.

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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.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 10–11 December 2019

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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. 10–11 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10087737 Type of school Primary

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provision

Website www.st-augustines.manchester.sch.uk

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provision

Date of previous inspection 10–11 June 2015

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England primary school.  The school has a breakfast club.  The school had its most recent section 48 inspection, undertaken by the Diocese of Manchester, in November 2016.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, I spoke with pupils, both formally and informally, about their work and school life. I spoke with members of the local governing body, a representative from the local authority, the headteacher, senior leaders and members of staff.  I reviewed a range of documentation, including documentation about attendance, safeguarding and checks undertaken on newly appointed staff.  I considered the 13 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, the 22 responses from the online staff survey and 106 responses to the pupils’ survey. 10–11 December 2019

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 I looked in depth at reading, science and physical education. This entailed discussions with subject leaders, visits to lessons, looking at examples of children’s work, discussions with teachers, discussions with children and listening to children read.

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Inspection team

Julie Barlow, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 10–11 December 2019

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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.

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