Boothstown Methodist Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Boothstown Methodist Primary School 6 Chapel Street, Boothstown, Worsley, Manchester M28 1DG

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Outcome

Boothstown Methodist Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, parents, carers and staff, and governors, are proud of the school. Those who expressed a view agree that everyone is valued and welcomed. Pupils value and respect other people’s views and their differences. They told inspectors that ‘it is good to be different; we are all unique and special’. Within this family-like environment, pupils grow in confidence and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many friends. They said that it is easy to make friends because everyone is so happy and friendly. Pupils work hard in lessons and try their best to live up to the high expectations that staff set. Pupils are polite. For example, they hold doors open for others and welcome each other with a smile. They behave well in lessons and around the school. Bullying rarely happens. Pupils feel assured that if it did, staff would sort it out straight away.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff and pupils are caring and supportive. This helps pupils to feel safe. Parents agree that their children are safe and happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many roles and responsibilities that they hold in the school. The sports leaders particularly enjoy organising sports tournaments and competitions.

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

Leaders provide a curriculum that allows pupils to access all subjects in the national curriculum. This includes all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Governors provide strong challenge to leaders to ensure that the curriculum is broad and balanced. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is enhanced through trips, visits and events. This helps to deepen pupils’ learning and make their time at primary school memorable. Pupils achieve well. They are ready for their secondary education by the time they leave Year 6.

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

In most subjects, leaders have decided the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn and remember. They have also considered the order in which content is taught. For 14 and 15 July 2021

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example, in mathematics, teachers plan activities that build on what pupils already know and can do. This deepens pupils’ learning over time. Leaders have made some adjustments to curriculum plans. This is to help pupils catch up on learning that was missed because of the disruption caused by the pandemic. However, in some subjects, curriculum plans do not clearly identify the important skills and knowledge that leaders want pupils to acquire in each year group. This hinders teachers from knowing exactly what knowledge pupils need to gain in order to be successful in future learning. Moreover, in some subjects, the systems to check on what pupils are learning are in the early stages of development. This hampers teachers from checking more closely on what pupils have remembered and using this information to plan future learning. Discussions with some pupils showed that they could not always remember important content from their

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Leaders have put reading at the heart of the curriculum. In the early years, books play a key part in children’s learning. Across the school, staff read to pupils and share their own love of reading. Some pupils told inspectors that staff have ‘kindled their love of reading’. Phonics teaching starts as soon as children begin the Nursery Year. Staff provide activities which help children to practise their phonics when reading and writing. Teachers select books that are well matched to the phonics that pupils learn in class. This enables pupils to practise their reading skills well. Teachers also provide extra support for pupils who need to catch up.

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Leaders ensure that there are clear systems and processes in place to identify any pupils with SEND. Support for these pupils is a high priority, especially in the early years. Staff make sure that the individual needs of pupils with SEND are met effectively.

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Pupils, including children in the early years, behave well. At playtimes, pupils share resources and play happily. In lessons, they listen to staff, share ideas and cooperate well with each other. As a result, pupils’ learning is rarely disrupted by the behaviour of others.

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The curriculum teaches pupils about their local area and wider community. Pupils experience a range of trips linked to the curriculum. Pupils care for each other and for their environment. For example, they can back up their passion for recycling with appropriate reasons.

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Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel valued and respected by leaders. Staff who spoke with the inspector said that they appreciate the steps that leaders and governors take to check on their well-being and workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Strong systems are in place to keep pupils safe. Leaders make sure that appropriate checks are undertaken on staff to ensure that they are suitable to work with children and pupils. Staff receive regular training. As a result, they can identify possible signs of abuse and neglect. They act quickly to protect pupils from harm. Leaders work well with 14 and 15 July 2021

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external agencies and make sure that pupils and their families get the support that they need.

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Leaders have provided a curriculum that ensures pupils learn how to stay safe online and in their community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not identified the important content that they want pupils to learn from the early years to Year 6. As a result, pupils’ learning does not always build on what they already know and can do. Leaders should refine these curriculum plans to ensure that teachers know exactly what knowledge should be emphasised when delivering the curriculum. This will help pupils be successful in future learning.  In some subjects, assessment systems to check how well pupils are learning are at an early stage of development. As a result, teachers do not always check what pupils remember from what they have previously been taught. Leaders should ensure that assessment systems in these subjects are improved so that teachers plan future learning that builds on what pupils already know.

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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, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. 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 first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 16 and 17 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. 14 and 15 July 2021

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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.

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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 and 15 July 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10194741 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.boothstownmethodistschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 16 and 17 June 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Methodist school. The most recent section 48 inspection took place in May 2017. The next section 48 inspection is expected to be in May 2022.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. The impact of the pandemic was discussed with the principal and executive principal. This was considered by inspectors in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders and the business manager.  Inspectors also spoke with a group of governors.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation for safeguarding, including the school central record of staff and visitors, records of safeguarding and samples of the records kept on individual pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and science. They talked with the leaders of these subject areas. They also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils. 14 and 15 July 2021

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They watched pupils as they moved around the school.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  Inspectors looked at the 79 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and the 76 free-text responses from parents, to find out their views of the school. They also considered the 18 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff and the 84 responses to the pupils’ questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Julie Barlow, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Morley Ofsted Inspector 14 and 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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