St Andrew's CofE Primary School, Over Hulton

Inspection of a good school: St Andrew’s CofE Primary School, Over Hulton Crescent Avenue, Over Hulton, Bolton, Lancashire BL5 1EN

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and safe in this welcoming school. They are enthusiastic about learning and know that adults in school have high expectations of what they can achieve. This encourages them to try their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that adults in school are kind and caring. Pupils know that they can approach staff with any worries, including concerns about bullying, and they will be dealt with quickly. Pupils feel that staff know them well. They appreciate that adults notice and check up on them if they do not seem themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school, so their learning is rarely disrupted. Pupils get on well together. They enjoy playtimes and make friends easily.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils proudly explained to inspectors that they would help anyone who arrived at the school. Pupils have learned the importance of treating others with respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many enrichment opportunities at school, including a range of after- school clubs. For example, they recounted, with excitement, a recent performance of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ from a visiting theatre company.

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

Leaders have planned a broad and balanced curriculum which is ambitious for all pupils, including those pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). At the end of Year 6, pupils achieve well. They are well placed to make a strong start at secondary school.

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

Older pupils are enthusiastic and knowledgeable when describing the types of books that they enjoy reading. Children in the early years learn sounds as soon as they begin in the Reception class. Leaders have made sure that the plans for the early reading curriculum set out clearly what they want pupils to learn each half term. This supports teachers to 14–15 July 2021

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keep a check on how well pupils are doing and put appropriate support in place for those pupils who fall behind. Adults select books that are well matched to the sounds that pupils know. Staff make sure that pupils have plenty of opportunities to practise reading to develop their fluency and comprehension.

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Leaders have reviewed and improved the mathematics curriculum. They have selected the important content that they want children to know and ordered it well so that pupils can build on earlier learning. Pupils apply their knowledge confidently to reasoning and problem-solving activities. Pupils take pride in their work and value the support that they receive from staff to help them improve. Teachers are well trained and use assessment information effectively to adapt and plan future learning, including for those pupils with SEND.

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Leaders’ plans to develop and improve the curriculum in other subjects have been hampered by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic. As a result, subjects are at different stages of development with some improved curriculums having been introduced recently. These curriculum plans outline the topics that teachers must deliver during each half term. However, in some subjects, leaders have not identified the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember to deepen their understanding. Also, some subject leaders are not well equipped to check that the plans they have introduced are being delivered well by teachers. This prevents these subject leaders from providing subject- specific guidance for teachers on how to deliver some content effectively.

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The emphasis that leaders place on the school’s values, such as respect and resilience, can be seen in the strong relationships between staff and pupils and pupils’ positive attitudes to learning. Pupils develop their understanding of how they can make a positive contribution to their school and the wider community through a range of activities. These include elections for school councillors and friendship leaders, as well as the school’s ongoing support of an educational charity in South Africa.

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The recently appointed special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) has developed the systems in place to support those pupils with SEND. This has ensured that this group of pupils benefit from appropriate support, for example staff provide extra help for pupils with SEND to enable these pupils to catch up with their phonics knowledge.

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Governors have made sure that leaders’ arrangements to provide an education during the pandemic were appropriate. For example, members of the governing body have ensured that leaders paid due regard to staff workload and well-being during this time. As a result, governors have spent less time than they normally would maintaining their oversight of leaders’ actions to improve the school. This means they are less well informed about leaders’ work to review and develop the curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 14–15 July 2021

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Leaders have clear and robust systems in place to check that adults in the school are suitable to work with pupils. The designated safeguarding leader has a thorough knowledge of any safeguarding issues and ensures that these pupils and their families benefit from timely and appropriate support.

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Regular training ensures that staff understand their responsibilities to safeguard pupils. They know how to spot signs that pupils may be suffering from harm. Staff are clear on the procedures to follow if they have concerns about a pupil.

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Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. For instance, they learn about online safety, road safety and appropriate relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not made sure that the curriculum plans set out the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn. This prevents teachers from easily identifying when pupils may need extra support or practice to help them know and remember more. Leaders and governors should refine the curriculum plans in these subjects so that teachers are clear about the important knowledge that pupils need to learn and when.  Senior leaders and governors have not ensured that some subject leaders are well equipped to check that teachers are delivering the curriculum as intended. This means that teachers are unable to benefit from appropriate support to deliver some aspects of subject curriculums effectively. Leaders and governors should ensure that subject leaders have the necessary expertise to provide guidance for teachers to deliver these curriculums well from the early years through to Year 6.

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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 or outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good 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 23 and 24 November 2010. 14–15 July 2021

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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 here .

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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. 14–15 July 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10193963 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 23 February 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Diocese of Manchester. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school was in July 2016. The school’s next section 48 inspection is due to take place within the next academic year.  The deputy headteacher has recently taken on the role of SENDCo.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  During the inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other staff.  The lead inspector met virtually with four members of the governing body. The lead inspector also spoke on the telephone with representatives of the local authority and the diocese and an independent consultant who currently provides support for senior leaders. 14–15 July 2021

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 Inspectors visited lessons, spoke with pupils and listened to pupils read from Years 1, 2 and 3.  Inspectors observed behaviour around the school, on the playground and in lessons.  Inspectors held discussions with staff and examined a range of documentation relating to safeguarding.  Inspectors reviewed other documentation provided by leaders including attendance information, the single central record, minutes of governing body meetings, leaders’ improvement plan and self-evaluation document.  Inspectors carried out deep dives into reading, mathematics and geography. These included discussions with subject leaders, visits to lessons, reviewing examples of pupils’ work, discussions with teachers and discussions with pupils about their learning. Inspectors also reviewed pupils’ work in art and design and science and spoke to the leaders of these subjects.  Inspectors considered the 54 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire,

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and reviewed the free-text comments from parents. Inspectors also considered the 13 responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire and the 24 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for pupils.

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Inspection team

Janette Walker, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Simon Hunter Her Majesty’s Inspector 14–15 July 2021

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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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