Poplar Street Primary School

Inspection of Poplar Street Primary School Ravenwood Drive, Audenshaw, Manchester M34 5EF

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2022

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 21 and 22 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming, nurturing and caring school. Staff and leaders greet pupils with a smile each morning. This helps to forge the positive relationships that exist between pupils and staff. There is a strong sense of community at the school. Pupils, including children in the early years, feel happy and safe. They said that their friends, and the staff, look after them well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff are highly ambitious for the achievement of all pupils, including children in the early years. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. Overall, pupils learn well. This is because of the high-quality academic, social and emotional support that leaders provide.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers’ high expectations for behaviour are clear. Pupils behave well. Classrooms are calm. Orderly classrooms allow pupils to learn. Pupils try their best in lessons. Pupils said that their teachers act quickly and successfully to resolve any bullying.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a well-developed understanding of diversity. They know that everyone is different and that pupils from all backgrounds will be included in their school. Pupils revel in their responsibilities, for example as librarians or members of the eco- council. Pupils enjoy the varied range of sports and games that are provided for them at lunchtime.

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better?

Leaders, governors and trustees have built an ambitious curriculum, including in the early years. It is broad and balanced and is commensurate with the national curriculum. The curriculum is successfully designed to help pupils to extend their subject-specific vocabulary in each area.

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better?

In the main, leaders have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to learn and remember, including in the early years. In those subjects where the next steps in learning are clear, pupils deepen their knowledge and understanding of key topics and concepts. For example, in mathematics, teachers give pupils time to learn important number facts and to practise written calculations. However, in one or two subjects, leaders have not identified all the steps in learning that pupils must take from the early years through to key stage 2. On occasions, this prevents some pupils from knowing and remembering all that they could. This is because, at times, pupils do not have enough opportunity to revisit their previous learning so that new knowledge is fully secure.

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better?

Children in the early years get off to a flying start with learning to read. Teachers successfully develop children’s early reading knowledge in the Reception class. They expose children to an appropriate range of activities, including a variety of songs and rhymes. Leaders make sure that phonics is delivered in a logical way. Leaders 21 and 22 September 2022

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identify any pupils who need help to keep up with their phonics knowledge quickly and effectively. By the end of key stage 1, most pupils can read confidently. Throughout the school, teachers provide lots of opportunities for pupils to read or to listen to stories. This successfully improves their knowledge and understanding of vocabulary. In key stage 2, the reading curriculum helps pupils to develop their understanding of a wide range of texts. Older pupils read fluently. They talk with enthusiasm about the books that they have read.

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Teachers, including those in the early years, make suitable checks on pupils’ learning. These checks help them to identify which pupils need more help, support and guidance. In most subjects, leaders gather an appropriate range of information about pupils’ learning. This provides leaders with a clear understanding of how effectively the curriculum is helping pupils to build up their knowledge of subjects.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are identified accurately. Leaders give detailed information to teachers which sets out precisely the help that these pupils should receive. These strategies enable pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as other pupils. Staff work closely with outside agencies and specialist providers to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the support that they need. Pupils with SEND acquire a secure body of subject knowledge, which is similar to other pupils in school.

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Pupils conduct themselves well in lessons and around the school. They listen carefully to their teachers and concentrate well on their learning. Pupils attend school regularly. Children in the early years learn to take turns and share.

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Pupils enjoy the many extra-curricular and enrichment opportunities available to them. These activities include swimming and a range of after-school clubs. Pupils said that they enjoy the variety of activities available at lunchtimes. Pupils are taught to keep themselves safe and healthy. They understand fairness, and they know that everyone is equal, regardless of any differences.

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Staff appreciate the trust that the leadership team places in them. They recognise leaders’ efforts to consider their workload when new initiatives are being introduced. The support given to families highlights the care and consideration that leaders give to members of the school community.

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Governors and trustees successfully hold leaders to account for the quality of education that the school provides.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders, governors and trustees take their safeguarding responsibilities seriously. They have ensured that staff are well trained to protect pupils from harm. Leaders have developed an effective safeguarding team in the school, which includes pastoral workers, counsellors and therapists. 21 and 22 September 2022

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Leaders keep meticulous records and diligently follow up on any concerns that they may have about a pupil’s safety or welfare. They work in partnership with outside agencies to ensure that pupils and their families receive the support that they need.

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The curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe, for example when learning online or when using the local roads.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In one or two subjects, pupils’ learning does not build in the most logical order from the early years through to Year 6. This hinders some pupils from learning and remembering as much knowledge as they could. Leaders should review and improve the sequencing of the curriculum in these subjects. This is so that pupils build securely on earlier learning to embed and deepen their knowledge before they tackle new concepts.

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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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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. 21 and 22 September 2022

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Poplar Street Primary Academy converted to become an academy school in April 2018. When its predecessor school, Poplar Street Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers and other leaders and members of staff. They also spoke with members of the governing body. Inspectors spoke with a member of the board of trustees. 21 and 22 September 2022

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 Inspectors looked at a range of documents and spoke with leaders about the school’s safeguarding procedures.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science, geography and physical education. They talked with curriculum leaders of these subject areas. Inspectors also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils.  Inspectors also considered other subjects. They discussed the curriculums with leaders and looked at pupils’ work. Inspectors observed some pupils reading to staff.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in class and as they moved around school. They also observed pupils in the dining hall and playing outside at lunchtime.  Inspectors spoke with a group of pupils about their experiences at school.  Inspectors looked at the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. They also met with parents and carers before school to find out their

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views of the school.  Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils and Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Ian Shackleton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Brown Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 September 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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