Crossacres Primary Academy

Inspection of Crossacres Primary Academy Crossacres Road, Wythenshawe, Manchester M22 5AD

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 January 2023

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 24 and 25 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils strive to meet leaders’ high expectations of their achievement and behaviour. Pupils aspire to become the ‘best people that they can be’. They glow with pride when they receive badges in recognition of their efforts.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and at social times. Their conduct helps to create a calm and purposeful atmosphere throughout the school. Pupils trust staff to deal sensitively with any worries that they may have. If bullying is reported, leaders act quickly and effectively. Pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils achieve highly and make remarkable progress from their starting points. Children in the early years are exceptionally well prepared for key stage 1, while pupils in Year 6 are more than ready for the challenges of the key stage 3 curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish their various roles of responsibility. These include being a school councillor, prefect or anti-bullying ambassador. Pupils make a highly tangible contribution to school life through these roles.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in school. They spoke enthusiastically about the vast array of clubs and opportunities available to them. These help pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to discover and nurture unexplored talents and interests. This contributes strongly to pupils’ personal development.

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better?

Leaders have designed a rich and engaging curriculum for all pupils, including pupils with SEND. The curriculum matches the ambition of the national curriculum. In some subjects, it goes beyond this. Leaders are clear about what pupils will learn, from the moment they start in the Nursery Year through to the end of Year 6. They have meticulously identified the key knowledge that they want pupils to know, and by when, in each subject. Pupils are supported to achieve highly as a result.

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better?

Subject leaders have considerable subject expertise. They use their know-how to provide staff with curriculum materials of an exceptional quality. In this way, leaders ensure that ‘nothing is left to chance’. Consequently, teachers gain an in-depth knowledge of their class curriculums. They are well equipped to help pupils to develop a rich body of knowledge.

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better?

Leaders check that staff deliver the curriculum to a high standard. They make sure that teachers introduce new learning at exactly the right time. Teachers do this skilfully. They regularly check that pupils remember what they have learned. In this way, teachers ensure that pupils build on their knowledge successfully. Pupils talk with assurance about what they know already and about their new learning. 24 and 25 January 2023

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Leaders have identified that some children in the early years had fewer opportunities to mix with other children and adults during the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. This hampered some children’s early vocabulary development. Leaders make sure that adults working in the early years engage in high-quality conversation with children as they learn and play. Children’s vocabulary quickly expands as a result. They are ready to learn to read as soon as they enter the Reception Year.

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Leaders place teaching pupils to read at the heart of the curriculum. Leaders ensure that all staff know how to deliver the phonics curriculum to a high standard. Staff make sure that the books that pupils read are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. This helps pupils to gain the phonic knowledge that they need to be successful readers. Pupils who fall behind are identified swiftly. They are given prompt help by highly trained staff and catch up quickly.

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Teachers across the school readily promote a love of reading. Pupils enjoy opportunities to attend ‘secret’ book clubs. They make full use of class libraries crammed with inspiring books. Older pupils discuss their reading preferences with zeal. They are confident and competent readers. This helps pupils to access the full curriculum and contributes to their strong achievement across all subjects.

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Leaders ensure that staff know how to identify pupils with SEND. This starts in the early years, where children with SEND are quickly identified. Pupils with SEND learn alongside their classmates. Pupils who need extra help benefit from well-tailored support programmes. This includes therapeutic support to improve their emotional well-being. This helps pupils with SEND to achieve as well as they should.

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Leaders and staff support children in the early years to quickly develop strong learning behaviours. Pupils across the school build on this positive start. They behave exceptionally well, so that everyone can learn without disruption.

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Leaders have made pupils’ wider personal development a strength of this school. They make sure that all pupils have as broad and rich an experience as possible. Pupils learn about diversity among people and families. They understand the changes that will happen to them as they grow up. Pupils know what makes a healthy relationship. They are well prepared for their future lives.

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Staff, including those who are new to teaching, are overwhelmingly positive about the support and consideration that they receive from school leaders. This includes how well leaders manage their workload and well-being. Governors, who report to trustees, are knowledgeable about the school. They are committed to the success of every pupil, and check on leaders’ work robustly to achieve this. 24 and 25 January 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that staff know how to keep pupils safe. Staff are vigilant. They pass on any concerns that they may have about a pupil’s welfare quickly. Leaders follow up any concerns diligently. They ensure that pupils and their families receive appropriate support. This includes highly personalised support for pupils’ emotional health and well-being.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about the risks that they may face as they grow up, including when they are online. They are clear about how to keep safe and about how to react if they ever feel vulnerable. Pupils are confident to speak to trusted adults if they have any worries or concerns.

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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. 24 and 25 January 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Crossacres Primary Academy converted to become an academy school on 1 April 2014. When its predecessor school, Crossacres Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  This school forms a single-academy trust.  The headteacher is the chief executive officer of the board of trustees.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision for pupils.

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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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and the head of school. Inspectors met with other school leaders and members of staff. 24 and 25 January 2023

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 An inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  An inspector met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors checked the arrangements for keeping pupils safe. They looked at a range of documentation and spoke to leaders and staff. Inspectors also spoke with pupils about whether they feel safe in school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science, geography, history and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at samples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils.  Inspectors also spoke with leaders, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about the curriculum in other subjects.  An inspector listened to pupils read with a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at social times. They spoke

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with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. Inspectors also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. Inspectors also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors spoke with parents and carers as they dropped their children off at school. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation shared by school leaders, including the school development plan, leaders’ self-evaluation document and records of meetings of the governing body.

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Inspection team

Jackie Stillings, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Moxham Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 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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