St John Fisher RC Primary School, Denton

Inspection of St John Fisher RC Primary School, Denton Manor Road, Haughton Green, Denton, Manchester M34 7SW

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 2 and 3 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending St John Fisher RC Primary School. They told inspectors that they feel happy and safe when they are in school. Pupils said that their teachers look after them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations of pupils academically, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In return, pupils concentrate on their learning and achieve well. Equally, pupils know that teachers expect them to behave appropriately. Pupils try hard to follow the three school rules. They can articulate what it means to be safe, to be ready and to be respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between pupils and staff are strong. Pupils are confident that leaders will deal with any occasional bullying, or rare use of inappropriate language, quickly and effectively so that these incidents are not repeated. Pupils explained that adults listen to their concerns and help them resolve their worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils, including children in the early years, enjoy a wide range of activities that develop their personal skills. For example, older pupils take on the role of buddies to support children in the early years at playtimes. Pupils in key stage 1 enjoy looking after Michelle, the giant African tortoise. Pupils relish taking part in the many sporting activities on offer each day at lunchtime.

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better?

Leaders have planned a broad and ambitious curriculum for all pupils. This includes children in the early years and those pupils in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision). Leaders have continued to develop and refine the curriculum so that it closely aligns with the needs of the pupils at the school. Subject leaders have identified the important knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn. They ensure that new learning builds on what pupils know and can already do. The well-designed curriculum supports pupils to know and remember more important subject content. Pupils who leave St John Fisher RC Primary School have the skills and knowledge that they need to access the next stages of their education.

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better?

Governors are very supportive of leaders. They challenge leaders appropriately to ensure that the quality of education continues to improve for pupils. They have worked alongside leaders to ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND receive appropriate support from staff, to help them to access the curriculum and achieve well. Staff have suitable systems in place to ensure that they identify any additional needs that pupils may have. This means that all pupils, including those with SEND, receive a wide range of effective additional support.

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better?

Many subject leaders have benefited from training to deepen their expertise in curriculum development. Most subject leaders successfully work alongside teachers 2 and 3 March 2022

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to support them to deliver the curriculum as intended. Overall, subject leaders assist staff in developing their skills and confidence in the range of subjects that they teach. That said, in a very small number of subjects, teachers have not had enough training and support from subject leaders to deliver the curriculum as effectively as they could.

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Leaders understand the importance of reading. They have made the teaching of early reading and phonics central to the school’s curriculum. All staff have benefited from high-quality training to deliver phonics knowledge in a consistent way. This training enables pupils, including children in the early years, and those in the specially resourced provision, to learn new sounds in a logical order. Teachers make sure that the books that pupils take home build on the sounds they have learned in class. Pupils are well supported to develop accuracy and fluency in reading. Pupils who fall behind with their reading receive timely support to help them to catch up quickly.

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Pupils, including those in the specially resourced provision, and children in the early years, behave well in lessons. They move around the school sensibly and diligently and they follow instructions. Classrooms are typically calm environments. Pupils can get on with learning without the worry of interruption.

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Pupils enjoy many opportunities to extend their learning beyond the taught curriculum. They engage in a wide range of charity events for local and international charities. Recently, pupils have supported an orphanage in Uganda. As well as this, pupils have collected food parcels and worked for the local food bank.

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Through the wider personal development curriculum, pupils learn much about other faiths and cultures. Pupils in key stage 2 apply their language skills to write to their pen pals in their partner school in France.

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Staff said that they enjoy their jobs. They explained to inspectors that leaders and governors have taken positive steps to improve their work–life balance and their well-being. For example, staff appreciate the steps senior leaders have taken to review policies relating to marking, assessment and feedback.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are determined to keep pupils safe. They have ensured that all staff have received appropriate training so that they can safeguard the pupils in their care. Staff are aware of their responsibilities to keep pupils safe. They know how to record and report safeguarding concerns. Leaders keep detailed records of their work to safeguard pupils.

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Safeguarding

The headteacher and the other members of the safeguarding team proactively engage with families to ensure that they receive suitable and timely support. The 2 and 3 March 2022

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positive relationships that are forged between families and adults at the school ensure that staff know each pupil very well.

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Through the curriculum, pupils learn about the dangers of speaking to strangers. They learn about how to keep themselves safe when playing games online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not ensured that teachers are trained as effectively as they could be to deliver those subject curriculums. This means, in one or two subjects, some teachers lack the skills and confidence that they need to deliver the curriculums as intended. Leaders should ensure that teachers receive further training in these remaining subjects to improve how they deliver these curriculums.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 2 and 3 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10200799 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Donal Townson and Nicola Duffy

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School details

Website www.st-johnfisher.tameside.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 24 and 25 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Catholic primary school. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in 2019.  The school provides specially resourced provision for up to 12 pupils, most of whom are supported for autism spectrum disorder.  A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  With the exception of three, all members of the governing body have been newly appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not use alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school. 2 and 3 March 2022

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 During the inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other senior members of staff.  The lead inspector met with five governors, including the two co-chairs of the governing body.  The lead inspector held telephone conversations with a representative of the local authority and a representative of the Diocese of Salford.  Inspectors spoke with parents and carers to gather their views on the school.  Inspectors checked a range of safeguarding documentation. They spoke with staff to see how well they understood their responsibilities to safeguard children. Inspectors also spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors spoke with pupils to gather their views about behaviour and safeguarding. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school and at playtimes.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, physical

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education and geography. They met with subject leaders, visited lessons and spoke with teachers. Inspectors spoke with pupils about their work.  Inspectors observed children in the early years and pupils in key stages 1 and 2 read to trusted adults.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

John Donald, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Adam Sproston Her Majesty’s Inspector 2 and 3 March 2022

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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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