Yew Tree Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Yew Tree Primary School Yew Tree Lane, Dukinfield, Cheshire SK16 5BJ

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 January 2023

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Outcome

Yew Tree Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in school. They enjoy their lessons. Pupils said that they feel safe. They gain a thorough understanding of personal safety. For example, they learn how to take precautions when playing and socialising online. Pupils spoke positively about having an adult whom they can talk to. Leaders deal with incidents of bullying effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff expect pupils to behave and achieve well. They are determined that every pupil should read fluently and confidently. Pupils try hard in lessons. Equality and diversity are strong at Yew Tree. Pupils learn to cherish the strengths of people who are different from themselves. Pupils are respectful. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the opportunities to work and play in the extensive school grounds. They benefit from the strong links with a nearby secondary and special school that helps them to access specialist resources and develop friendships beyond their own school. They have many chances to take up responsibilities. Many pupils take up the offer to join a range of clubs during and after the school day.

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

The curriculum is well designed. Across the school, pupils, including those with SEND, learn the full range of national curriculum subjects. The curriculum covers the themes of equality and diversity well. This builds pupils’ tolerance of, and respect for others. The focus on personal and health education ensures that pupils become resilient and are well prepared for later life. The curriculum in early years forms the basis for later learning. By the end of Reception Year, children are ready for the key stage 1 curriculum.

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

Over the last year, leaders have reshaped and improved the curriculum further. In most curriculum areas, subject content is ordered logically so that pupils build their knowledge over time. Leaders have made it clear what they want pupils to know and do. However, in 11 and 12 January 2023

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a few subjects, some aspects of the national curriculum are not covered in sufficient depth. This sometimes leads to pupils’ learning being flimsy.

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In most subjects, teachers break down the content of the curriculum into smaller chunks of knowledge and skills. This helps pupils to learn all that they should. Leaders are quick to identify pupils with SEND. They then make sure that these pupils get the right support. Most pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well. Their understanding of what they have been taught is secure.

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Teachers use assessment information well to adapt their teaching. They check on pupils’ learning to gauge what pupils know and can do. Teachers pick up on misconceptions to stop gaps emerging in pupils’ learning.

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Teachers use resources well to explain new content. They explain learning carefully. In the Nursery and Reception classes, resources are well maintained, and children know how to use these. Adults design learning that helps children in early years to repeat and revisit what they know. This typically continues to happen as pupils move into key stages 1 and 2. As a result, pupils remember what they have learned. However, in a couple of subjects, pupils do not get the chance to revisit their previous learning. Their recall of what they have been taught is not as strong as it is in other subjects.

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In phonics, teachers quickly identify whether a pupil’s reading is improving or if they need more help. There is a sharp focus on keeping pupils on track to read well. The books that the youngest children read match the sounds that they have learned in phonics lessons. Across the school, pupils read widely and often, but their knowledge of playscripts and poems is limited. Almost every pupil can read fluently and with confidence by the end of Year 2.

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Pupils said that they can concentrate on their work in class. In most classes, there is little disruption to learning. In early years and across the school, children and pupils respond quickly to adults’ requests. Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly. Teachers adapt their delivery of the curriculum well so that pupils with SEND access the same learning as others. Leaders have noticed that some pupils with SEND need extra help to control their behaviour. Leaders ensure that pupils receive specialist support to aid them in managing their emotions.

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The trust works effectively with school leaders to ensure that the curriculum helps pupils to achieve well. Leaders and members of the local governing body take staff’s workload and well-being into account when making decisions about changes at the school. Leaders have also taken action to reduce some unnecessary workload for teachers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff are well trained. They identify when a family or pupil needs help to keep them safe. Leaders manage incidents by using specialist help. Staff work well with 11 and 12 January 2023

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other agencies, such as drug and alcohol professionals and with social care. Staff teach pupils how to be safe when using technology and how to be safe in their daily lives.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils do not remember some of the key information that they have been taught. This is because they do not have the chance to revisit subject content. Leaders should ensure that teachers enable pupils to recap on what they have learned so that their knowledge is secure.  In a few subjects, the curriculum does not help pupils to learn all that they should in sufficient depth. This leads to pupils having a flimsy or superficial understanding of parts of the national curriculum. Leaders should make sure that the reshaped curriculum fully matches the depth and the breadth of the national curriculum.

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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 predecessor school, Yew Tree Primary School, to be good in July 2016.

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 11 and 12 January 2023

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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. 11 and 12 January 2023

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School details

Headteachers Janet Postlethwaite and Suzanne Lomax

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the leadership of the school has changed. The previous headteacher has left. There are now two co-headteachers who share responsibilities between them.  The school converted to become an academy on 1 November 2018. When its predecessor school, Yew Tree Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall. The new school is now part of the Victorious Academies Trust.  Leaders do not make use of 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 leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the chief executive officer of the academy trust. He spoke with two members of the local governing body. 11 and 12 January 2023

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 The inspector conducted deep dives in geography, mathematics and early reading. For each deep dive, he discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector heard pupils reading. He also spoke to leaders and pupils about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector checked how well the school made sure that adults were successfully cleared to work with children. He talked to leaders about attendance, pupils’ behaviour, and bullying, and about how they keep pupils safe.  The inspector reviewed the online questionnaires completed by staff and pupils. He also took account of the response to Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Allan Torr, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 January 2023

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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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