Marton and District CofE Aided Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Marton and District CofE Aided Primary School School Lane, Marton, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK11 9HD

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 September 2022

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Outcome

Marton and District CofE Aided Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in this vibrant and happy school get on well with one another. They enjoy school life. Pupils, and children in the early years, told the inspector that the school is like a big happy family.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school. They said that they forge positive relationships with staff. Any incidents of bullying are dealt with swiftly by adults.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders expect pupils to achieve well. Pupils apply themselves diligently to their work. They develop positive attitudes to learning. Pupils, and children in the early years, progress well through the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well around the school site. They live up to leaders’ high expectations of their behaviour. During breaktimes, they make sure that nobody is left to play alone in the school’s extensive grounds.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the wide selection of clubs that staff provide. These range from cross- country running to mindfulness and cookery. Pupils also enjoy regular educational trips and visits from external speakers. Older pupils spoke enthusiastically about the residential visits that are planned each year.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils play a positive role in the wider school community. They said that they enjoy taking on responsibilities such as being a play leader or a member of the school council.

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

Reading is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Children learn to read accurately during their time in the Reception Year. Teachers are highly skilled in providing carefully delivered lessons that help children and pupils to develop their phonics knowledge. Any children or 28 and 29 September 2022

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pupils who struggle to read are given the help they need to keep up with their peers. As they move through the school, pupils develop a love of reading. Teachers introduce pupils to a wide range of books and authors. These are carefully chosen to inspire pupils to read more widely and often. As a result, many older pupils become avid readers. They talked confidently with the inspector about their favourite authors and the different types of books that they liked to read.

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Leaders have worked with staff to develop a broad, balanced and challenging curriculum. In many subjects, leaders have defined the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn and in what order. As a result, teachers know exactly what to teach to pupils in these subjects. They also know how to design learning so that pupils successfully build up their knowledge in a logical order. However, in a small number of subjects, leaders have not set out the key knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember. In these subjects, teachers are sometimes unsure of what essential information to teach to pupils and in what order. This hinders some pupils from building a deep body of knowledge in these areas of the curriculum.

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Children in the Reception class love playing and exploring together. The early years curriculum helps children to gain confidence and to develop into happy competent learners. It is well delivered. Children in the early years are well prepared for the demands of key stage 1.

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Across the early years and key stage 1, most teachers make appropriate checks on pupils’ learning to address misconceptions and misunderstandings. In most subjects, they also use leaders’ assessment systems well to check how securely pupils are learning the content of the curriculum.

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Leaders have ensured that staff are able to identify pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) at an early stage. Staff provide effective support for pupils with SEND. This means that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as their peers and take part in all aspects of school life. As a result, these pupils enjoy their learning and achieve well.

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Pupils of all ages are highly respectful towards each other and the adults who teach them. Low-level disruption is highly unusual and does not disturb learning. The school provides well for pupils’ broader development. For example, pupils learn about a wide range of religions, beliefs and cultures. They develop a good understanding of issues relating to equality. Pupils understand that no one is the same but that everyone is equal.

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Staff enjoy working at this school and feel extremely well supported. They appreciate the consideration that leaders and governors give to their workload and welfare. Staff are fully committed to the pupils at the school. They share the headteacher’s dedication to supporting pupils and their families.

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Governors know the school well. They provide strong support and appropriate challenge to the leadership team. Governors play an active role in school life and are diligent in carrying out their statutory responsibilities. 28 and 29 September 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Leaders ensure that all members of staff receive regular and appropriate safeguarding training. Staff are vigilant and understand how to identify and respond to potential safeguarding incidents. They are quick to report any concerns that they may have about a pupil’s welfare or well-being. Leaders work closely with parents and external agencies where necessary to keep pupils safe.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to look after themselves and how to stay healthy. They learn about road safety and how to stay safe when working or playing online. Pupils know who to speak with if they have any concerns or worries.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not set out the key knowledge that pupils must learn. Nor have they specified the sequence in which this knowledge should be taught. As a result, some pupils do not develop the secure understanding that they need in these subjects to build a strong foundation for future learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers know exactly what to teach and when to teach it.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2017.

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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. 28 and 29 September 2022

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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. 28 and 29 September 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10240666 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 20 – 21 June 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The governing body runs before- and after-school provision on the school site.  The school is a Church of England school and is part of the Diocese of Chester. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in November 2016.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that 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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the principal and other members of the leadership team.  The inspector held a meeting with governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. As part of this process, he met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with pupils, listened to pupils reading and looked at their work in books. The inspector also scrutinised the curriculum in other subject areas. 28 and 29 September 2022

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 The inspector met with the special educational needs coordinators to evaluate the provision and practice for pupils with SEND.  The inspector examined safeguarding records. He also spoke with staff about safeguarding arrangements.  The inspector spoke to pupils about their experience of school. He also observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during lunchtime.  The inspector considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey, including the free-text responses. He also took account of the responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Paul Tomkow, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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