Peel Hall Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Peel Hall Primary School Ashurst Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester M22 5AU

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils are happy at the school. Pupils arriving for breakfast club do so with enthusiasm. Those who learn to play a musical instrument, such as the trombone, are excited about their special learning. Most pupils feel safe at the school. Pupils who met the inspector said that staff regard bullying seriously, act quickly and resolve problems.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Some pupils do not behave as well as they should. They can be restless and sometimes behave too casually in classes, yet pupils in other classes show effective self-control and self-discipline. Although improving, some pupils do not attend school regularly enough.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils enjoy their learning. Leaders and staff plan and teach the curriculum to help pupils to remember important information. Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ achievement. That said, pupils do not learn all the information that they need. Some of pupils’ learning does not build fully on their learning in the early years. Some pupils’ reading books do not match their phonic knowledge. This means that their books are too complex and they struggle to read, yet most other pupils have reading books precisely matched to their needs and they read well. Pupils enjoy reading. Even so, some of the school’s library areas are unattractive and provide pupils with a narrow range of books.

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

Leaders and staff have successfully organised the school’s curriculum into a logical order. They ensure that units of work cover the subjects in the national curriculum. Teachers plan topics and activities for pupils that are worthwhile. Leaders work with staff to identify gaps in pupils’ understanding. They use this information to refine the planned curriculum for pupils. For instance, in mathematics staff repeat the teaching of work that pupils cannot recall quickly and accurately. This approach deepens pupils’ existing knowledge and enthuses pupils about their learning. 5 and 6 October 2021

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Training from leaders and from experts outside of the school is helping staff to become more knowledgeable about curriculum subjects and teaching. Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are beginning to remember and understand more of the school’s curriculum, yet the curriculum sometimes focuses too much on skills, activities or large bits of knowledge. Staff do not always teach pupils the essential, small bits of knowledge that they need. Leaders do not plan the curriculum in key stages 1 and 2 well enough to build on the knowledge that pupils gained in the Nursery and Reception classes. These curriculum weaknesses mean that not all pupils achieve as well as they should.

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Staff teaching early reading understand and carefully follow the school’s chosen phonics programme. They give regular, extra support to pupils who find reading difficult or need extra practice. This help ensures that pupils are starting to catch up with their peers in learning to read. Pupils read with increased understanding and fluency. Nevertheless, teachers do not ensure that all pupils’ reading books match the phonics that they already know. This means that some pupils are not reading accurately. Several library areas for pupils lack enough quality, range and thoughtful presentation of books.

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Most pupils behave calmly and sensibly, including at breakfast club and at lunchtime. Pupils who met with the inspector were polite and well behaved. However, in some classrooms a few pupils rock on their chairs. They fidget and start talking, instead of paying full attention to staff. Some teachers do not manage this low-level disruption well. These behaviours distract other pupils from their learning and sometimes interrupt teaching. In other classes, such disruption is minimal, and staff resolve problems promptly and successfully. Some pupils do not attend school as much as they should. Leaders are taking determined action to resolve this matter.

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Teaching staff assess the needs of children and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly and accurately, including in the early years. Leaders make sure that these pupils follow the same curriculum as other pupils. Teachers plan activities in smaller chunks where needed. Staff provide extra help in classrooms for pupils with SEND. Leaders work well with other agencies to ensure that all pupils with SEND get the help that they need.

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Staff teach pupils to respect diversity, for instance through celebrating International Women’s Day. Pupils meet with people such as a Paralympian, including learning why some use a wheelchair. More recently, pupils have learned about key minority ethnic figures, such as the England football player Marcus Rashford. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, pupils enjoyed activities including judo, reading club and art club. Staff plan to relaunch their programme of extra-curricular activities for pupils this month.

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Leaders and governors know the key issues in the work of the school. They act to improve the quality of education and pupils’ behaviour and attendance. Leaders effectively support the well-being of staff and ensure that all staff have a reasonable workload.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspector agreed that science, music and history, alongside reading and mathematics, may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection. 5 and 6 October 2021

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff notice and act when pupils may need extra help and protection. They treat all safeguarding issues, including pupils’ absences from school, with appropriate seriousness. Pupils feel confident to tell staff their worries. Leaders make sure that staff give pupils any initial support that they need. They quickly refer more serious concerns to other professionals such as those in social care, health workers and the police. Leaders and staff make sure that all pupils know how to stay safe, such as when meeting strangers online. They teach older pupils of the dangers of knife crime and gangs. They teach all boys and girls how to respect one another.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders do not identify all the knowledge that staff will teach children and pupils. Teaching in key stages 1 and 2 does not link well with pupils’ previous learning in the early years. This means that some children and pupils do not learn as well as they should. Leaders should make sure that teachers plan all the component knowledge that staff will teach. Leaders should double-check that the curriculum in key stages 1 and 2 builds on children’s learning in the early years.  For pupils at the early stages of learning to read, staff do not provide all pupils with reading books that closely match their knowledge of letter sounds and words. This issue is likely to hold some pupils back from developing enough confidence and fluency in reading. Leaders should ensure that all reading books for pupils match their phonic knowledge.  Some children’s and pupils’ access to high-quality fiction and non-fiction books is

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

limited, including in the Nursery class. Some books are worn, sometimes the book choices are too narrow for the age of the pupils and some books are not presented well. This is likely to spoil some children’s and pupils’ enjoyment of books. Leaders should make certain that staff provide all children and pupils with a wide range of high- quality books in ways that inspire their love of reading.  Some pupils do not behave properly in classrooms. Some staff do not successfully resolve low-level behaviour issues. This affects some pupils’ concentration and learning. Leaders should ensure that all staff manage pupils’ behaviour well. They should make sure that all pupils learn to conduct themselves with self-control.  Some pupils do not attend school as often as they should. They are not likely to learn all the curriculum knowledge that they need. Leaders should make certain that all pupils attend the school regularly.

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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 evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as 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 in July 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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.

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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. 5 and 6 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199577 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 December 2015, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection there have been several changes of staff, including the appointment of a new headteacher and deputy headteacher. The chair of governors is also new to their role.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspector met with the headteacher and deputy headteacher, an officer of Manchester local authority and the chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector looked at additional information about the curriculum in all subjects in the early years. 5 and 6 October 2021

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 The inspector listened to some pupils from Year 1, Year 2 and Year 3 reading to staff.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils in key stages 1 and 2 about their learning and about behaviour and bullying. The inspector spoke with children in the Nursery as they played.  The inspector met with two designated safeguarding leaders and checked how leaders record and respond to safeguarding concerns. He spoke with pupils, parents and staff about safeguarding. He checked a sample of school safeguarding policies and leaders’ record of checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils.  The inspector considered 45 responses from pupils and 17 responses from staff to surveys by Ofsted. There were too few responses from parents to the online Ofsted Parent View survey to analyse. The inspector reviewed the five free-text comments from parents. The inspector spoke with some parents as they brought their children to

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Inspection team

Tim Vaughan, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 October 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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