St Luke's CofE (C) Primary School

Inspection of St Luke’s CofE (C) Primary School Pepper Street, Silverdale, Newcastle, Staffordshire ST5 6QJ

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 2022

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 22 and 23 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Luke’s CofE Primary is a close-knit and caring community. Pupils’ well-being has a high priority. Pupils enjoy coming to school. The school is full of happy and smiling faces. The school is a welcoming place.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Music, art and sports opportunities enrich the curriculum. For example, theatrical performances, professional musicians and extra swimming lessons bring learning to life. Pupils enjoy learning and teachers help them with their work. Leaders have high aspirations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils work hard and rise to this challenge.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare at school. Pupils are confident that teachers will deal with bullying quickly. Leaders support pupils to reflect on their behaviours, actions and relationships with others. Pupils are well behaved, polite and respectful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of the school motto, ‘Growing in strength, love and wisdom we shine’. This reminds pupils to be kind to others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and governors have created an environment where safeguarding pupils’ welfare is everyone’s business. As a result, pupils are safe. However, staff do not always comprehensively record safeguarding concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly positive about school. They value the level of care given to their children by staff.

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better?

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including pupils with SEND. Leaders have set out the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary they want pupils to learn in most subjects from the early years to Year 6. The development of language underpins the curriculum across the school, including in the early years. Leaders have successfully maintained a sharp focus on improving mathematics and English. Pupils remember and know more of the planned curriculum in these subjects. In other subjects, the key knowledge and skills that leaders want pupils to learn over time are not clearly established. How pupils’ knowledge builds over time in these subjects is less clear. Gaps remain in pupils’ knowledge as a result. Leaders are aware of this and are improving the curriculum. However, they do not consistently evaluate how well their subject is being delivered.

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better?

The curriculum is taught well. Teachers explain new learning in a clear and consistent way. Misconceptions are addressed quickly, most of the time. Pupils with SEND experience the same learning opportunities as other pupils. Teachers and teaching assistants support pupils’ wide range of learning needs effectively. When required, teachers break down tasks and provide extra resources to support learning. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure. They consistently model subject- 22 and 23 November 2022

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specific language in their lessons. This starts from the very beginning in the early years. As a result, pupils use subject-specific vocabulary when explaining their understanding.

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Reading is a high priority in school. All staff are trained to teach phonics. Their subject knowledge is secure. Children begin learning phonics from the very start in Reception class. Staff carry out regular checks to identify pupils who are falling behind with their reading. Some older pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders are successfully addressing this. Reading books are well matched to pupils’ phonic ability. Pupils across school enjoy reading. There are lots of opportunities for pupils to develop a love of reading.

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Staff manage behaviour well. They support pupils to reflect on their behaviours. This is done with care and compassion. There is a calm and orderly atmosphere across school. This helps pupils to focus on their learning. Pupils want to do their best. They are eager to earn daily positive behaviour points.

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There are a range of enrichment opportunities for pupils to experience. These include whole school projects, such as working with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Some pupils are now ‘Shakespeare ambassadors’ and promote the work of the playwright across school. Pupils also visit the local university. Lecturers visit the school and work with pupils on projects, such as in science. More pupils aspire to go to university as a result. Pupils are respectful and welcoming of people who are different to them. Pupils would appreciate more equipment and games at playtime.

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Governors are supporting leaders with curriculum development. This is having a positive impact on pupils’ achievement. However, governors do not monitor safeguarding systems with the same rigour as they do the curriculum.

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Staff work closely together and help each other. They value the training they are given, especially in phonics and mathematics. Early career teachers are well supported by their mentor. Most staff say that workload is manageable. They add that leaders are considerate of their well-being. Parents are positive about communication from leaders and how their children are supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders take action to follow up any safeguarding concerns raised by pupils and staff. Matters are dealt with quickly to ensure pupils are safe. Leaders work with outside agencies to support pupils and their families well. Leaders organise regular training for staff. As a result, staff can identify potential risks of abuse and neglect. Although staff report and pass on safeguarding concerns, leaders do not ensure that these are always recorded. Systems for storing and reporting safeguarding concerns are not sharp enough. 22 and 23 November 2022

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Teachers make sure that pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Current safeguarding reporting and recording systems are not robust. Safeguarding concerns are not always recorded and records cannot be easily accessed. Leaders should take urgent action to improve the systems and procedures for reporting and recording safeguarding concerns.  Some subject leaders do not know how effectively the curriculum is being delivered and the impact it has in some curriculum areas. This means they do not know how well pupils are achieving in these subjects. Leaders should develop their approach to measuring the impact and delivery of the curriculum.

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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. 22 and 23 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227987 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Sam Ray (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Website www.st-lukes-silverdale.staffs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.  A Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of St Luke’s CofE Primary School as a Church of England school took place on 19 May 2016.  The school has a breakfast club and an after-school club operating on the site. This provision is operated by an external provider.

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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 the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector met with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. She met with three members of the governing body, including the chair. The lead 22 and 23 November 2022

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inspector also held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors held meetings with a range of leaders to discuss safeguarding, early years, provision for pupils with SEND, pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. An inspector also looked at a selection of English books from a range of year groups.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils formally and informally about their learning and experiences at school. Two separate groups of pupils accompanied inspectors on learning walks around the school.  Safeguarding documents were reviewed, including the checks that leaders make

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on staff’s suitability to work with children. The inspectors examined how staff implement safeguarding policies and procedures effectively across the school.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and the free-text responses received during the inspection.  Inspectors reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation provided by the school. This included the school’s self-evaluation, school improvement priorities, school policies, curriculum documents, SEND records, behaviour records, attendance records and minutes of meetings held by the governing body.

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Inspection team

Anna Vrahimi, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Wayne Simner His Majesty’s Inspector 22 and 23 November 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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