St Paul's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Paul’s CofE Primary School Heathside Grove, Walkden, Worsley, Manchester M28 3NZ

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Outcome

St Paul’s CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Paul’s is at the heart of its community. Pupils, parents and staff are rightly proud of the school. They say it is like being part of a large family. Relationships between staff and pupils are caring and supportive. Leaders have created an environment where pupils thrive. Pupils say that the staff ‘make the school a great place to be’. Pupils are happy. They enjoy their education. Pupils told me that they always feel safe at school. If they have any worries or concerns, they turn to staff for support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for their pupils. They are determined that all pupils achieve to the best of their abilities. Pupils appreciate this and try their best. They behave well in lessons and around the school. Pupils say that bullying rarely happens. If it ever did, staff would ‘fix it straight away’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the roles and responsibilities that they have in the school. They also value the wide range of clubs after school. Leaders make sure that there are many opportunities for pupils to experience new things. Pupils told me how they had enjoyed roasting marshmallows, cooking on campfires and sleeping in tents on a recent residential trip.

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

Leaders, governors and staff have created a curriculum which has pupils at its heart. Leaders have thought carefully about what pupils need to know. They have established high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils respect this. They respond well to the systems in place. Disruption to learning is rare. Pupils achieve well by the time they leave Year 6. They are ready for their secondary education.

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

Most children enter the school with knowledge and skills that are below those typical for their age. Children get off to a strong start in the early years. Staff in the early years have created an environment both inside and outside that is well organised and resourced. They plan activities that are interesting and exciting. Staff make sure that there are many opportunities for children to develop their early reading, writing and mathematics skills. 14–15 January 2020

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Most children reach a good level of development by the end of the early years. They are well prepared for Year 1.

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Leaders have placed a high priority on pupils learning to read. In classrooms and around the school, books and print are everywhere. Teachers have made their reading areas creative and inviting. For example, in one classroom the book area had been turned into ‘Bookingham Palace’. Pupils enjoyed becoming ‘royal readers’.

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Pupils told me that they love reading. They know many authors and can explain why particular authors are their favourite. Staff are confident in teaching children to read. They match books well to pupils’ abilities. Effective support is given quickly if any pupils fall behind.

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In mathematics, teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use this to plan activities which develop pupils’ understanding in mathematics. Pupils get many opportunities to build on what they already know. For example, pupils across the school solved problems, so that they had the right codes to help rescue ‘Paul Bear’. Pupils enjoy mathematics. They say that teachers give them time to repeat things that they may find difficult. Pupils that leave Year 6 achieve above the national average at the expected and higher standard.

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The changes that leaders have made to subjects other than English and mathematics are still quite new. In some of these subjects, leaders do not yet know how well pupils are doing. Discussions with some pupils showed that they could not always remember important work that had been taught in the past. Plans show how leaders are making sure that these issues are being addressed.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. Leaders have made sure that their needs are met well. They learn alongside their classmates and have full access to the curriculum.

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Pupils’ learning goes beyond the academic curriculum. Teachers plan trips and visitors come to the school to bring learning to life. Pupils take part in a wide range of clubs and activities outside school, often run by staff. Pupils enjoy representing the school in competitions and events.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that keeping children safe is a priority. Staff receive regular training and information. They know what signs to look for if they have concerns about a child. Systems within the school are thorough and well known to all staff. They make sure that children and families get the support that they need quickly. Pupils spoken with during the inspection could explain how to keep themselves safe when they are online or when they are in their local community. 14–15 January 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, other than English and mathematics, leaders do not yet evaluate the quality of the curriculum in their subject. This means that they do not know how well pupils are achieving. Plans are in place to address this. Leaders need to ensure that subject leaders have a greater influence over the quality of education in their area of responsibility.  Changes made to the curriculum in some foundation subjects are quite recent. As a result, there are gaps in pupils’ learning. Leaders need to make sure that pupils remember the content they have been taught so they can use it in their future learning.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on the 12– 13 July 2011.

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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.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 14–15 January 2020

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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. 14–15 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10122061 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 March 2016

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Information about this school

 The school has a Church of England religious character.  The school has a before- and after-school 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 20 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. I also considered and the nine responses from the online staff survey. 14–15 January 2020

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 I looked in depth at reading, mathematics and music. This entailed: discussions with subject leaders; visits to lessons; looking at examples of pupils’ work; discussions with teachers; discussions with pupils and listening to pupils read.

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Inspection team

Julie Barlow, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 14–15 January 2020

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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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