Monton Green Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Monton Green Primary School Pine Grove, Eccles, Manchester M30 9JP

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 February 2023

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Outcome

Monton Green Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this school. They trust the staff to take good care of them. Pupils said that their teachers listen to any worries that they may have and give them any support needed. If bullying happens, leaders deal with it quickly and effectively. This helps pupils to feel safe and happy at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are expected to follow the school’s ‘golden rules’. These rules encourage pupils to be kind and gentle, as well as to work hard. Leaders focus on rewarding pupils’ positive behaviour. For example, pupils who have consistently followed the ‘golden rules’ during the week enjoy reward time on a Friday. Pupils spoke positively about how these rewards encourage them to behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are determined that all pupils will succeed, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders provide a wealth of opportunities to enrich the curriculum. For example, Year 2 pupils recently took part in a drumming workshop. Pupils also enjoy visits to local landmarks and residential trips.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that pupils learn to be responsible citizens. Pupils participate in events to raise money for charity. These include sponsored runs and cake sales. Older pupils take on positions of responsibility within the school, such as computing monitors and reading ambassadors.

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

Leaders ensure that all pupils, including those in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND, study a broad range of subjects. Subject leaders have organised their curriculums in a logical way from the early years to Year 6. Leaders have thought carefully about how they can make the curriculum relevant to both the local context and the lives of their pupils. This helps pupils to achieve well. 15 and 16 February 2023

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Leaders are in the process of refining some aspects of the school’s curriculum. In English, mathematics and science, leaders have identified the specific knowledge that pupils should learn in each topic. Pupils’ learning builds through the curriculum and they achieve well in these subjects. However, leaders of some of the wider curriculum subjects are still in the process of finalising the important knowledge that pupils should learn. In a few of these subjects, some pupils can remember their current learning but they are less able to link it to what they have learned previously. As a result, some pupils do not build their knowledge over time as securely in these subjects as in the rest of the curriculum.

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Teachers deliver the curriculum effectively. They focus on developing pupils’ subject- specific vocabulary. Teachers use effective strategies to check pupils’ learning in lessons. Where teachers identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge, they draw on a range of interventions to address those gaps.

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Leaders have processes for accurately identifying pupils with SEND. They ensure that these pupils access an ambitious curriculum. Staff are trained to effectively support pupils with SEND to access that curriculum. Pupils in the specially resourced provision receive expert support. They access learning alongside their peers whenever possible. These pupils are fully included in the wider life of the school, for example they enjoy breaktimes with their friends.

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Leaders promote a love of reading across the school. They ensure that teachers read to their classes every day. Older pupils told the inspector that they enjoy going to the library to choose new books. Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics programme which children begin from the start of the Reception Year. Staff ensure that pupils read books which match the sounds that they know. This helps pupils to become confident readers. However, staff are still familiarising themselves with the new phonics programme. At times, they do not deliver this programme precisely as intended. This slows the progress of some pupils towards becoming fluent and accurate readers.

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Pupils behave well in lessons, around school and at breaktimes. They are attentive to their teachers and follow the ‘golden rules’. Learning is rarely disrupted. Pupils play well together at breaktimes.

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Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. For example, they are knowledgeable about the fundamental British values. Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. Pupils told the inspector that they are encouraged to look after their physical and mental health. Pupils learn the importance of treating everybody equally. Leaders provide a range of clubs for pupils to engage in, such as chess and sports. Pupils value these opportunities.

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Governors are knowledgeable about both the strengths of the school’s provision and leaders’ priorities moving forwards. They are committed to working with leaders to continually improve the education that the school offers.

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Leaders focus on improving staff’s well-being. Staff appreciate leaders’ measures. The majority of staff feel well supported by leaders. 15 and 16 February 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that staff are trained well to identify and report any signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. Leaders work closely with external agencies so that vulnerable pupils and their families get the support that they need.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise teaching pupils how to keep themselves safe. In computing lessons, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online. Leaders also ensure that pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in the community. For example, Year 6 recently took part in a workshop about the risks of knife crime.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects in the wider curriculum, leaders have not identified the precise knowledge that pupils need to know. This means that some pupils are unable to build on their prior learning as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that all subject leaders provide clarity around the exact knowledge that pupils should learn in each topic. This will ensure that pupils’ learning builds securely over time.  Staff do not deliver some aspects of the phonics programme as leaders intend. This means that some pupils do not develop their phonics knowledge as quickly as they should. Leaders should ensure that staff receive the support that they need to deliver the phonics programme consistently well.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2013. 15 and 16 February 2023

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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.

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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. 15 and 16 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256157 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 7 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school operates a specially resourced provision for pupils with moderate learning difficulties. This provision caters for pupils in key stages 1 and 2. There are currently nine pupils in this provision. All these pupils have an education, health and care plan. Places are commissioned through the local authority.  School leaders do not make use of any 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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, other leaders and staff.  The inspector spoke with representatives of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about 15 and 16 February 2023

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their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in other subjects. The inspector listened to some pupils reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke to pupils about their experience of school. The inspector also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around school and at breaktimes.  The inspector visited the school’s specially resourced provision.  The inspector visited the school’s after-school club.  The inspector checked the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures, including the school’s single central record. The inspector met with leaders, staff and pupils to check how effective safeguarding is in the school.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of evidence, including the school’s self-evaluation documents and records of governing body minutes.  The inspector considered the responses shared through Ofsted Parent View, including

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the free-text comments. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Sally Rix, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 15 and 16 February 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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