Irlam Endowed Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Irlam Endowed Primary School Chapel Road, Irlam M44 6EE

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Outcome

Irlam Endowed Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils really enjoy attending this welcoming school. They respond well to leaders’ and staff’s high expectations of behaviour. They are polite and friendly and follow instructions quickly. They told the inspector that staff resolve the rare instances of bullying quickly. They said that they know who to go to if they are worried about themselves or their peers. They feel safe and well looked after.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respect those who are different from themselves, including those with different sexuality and beliefs. They benefit from a wide range of cultural, sporting and artistic activities after school and at lunchtime. They look after one another and are proud to take on responsibilities and leadership roles. For example, older pupils are trained as play buddies for younger ones. From Year 1 to Year 6, pupils elect school, sports and eco- councillors. Active participation in these groups gives them an understanding of democracy and citizenship, as well as a voice in the decisions which the school’s leaders make.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ achievement. Staff expect all pupils to do their very best in lessons. Pupils pay attention, take pride in their work and learn from their mistakes. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are successful learners and achieve well.

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

The curriculum is ambitious for all pupils, including those with SEND, both in the mainstream school and in the resource base for pupils with communication, speech and language needs. When designing the curriculum, leaders took into account pupils’ views and interests as well as the rich heritage of the local area. Teachers know what they should teach and when they should teach it. They build on what pupils have already learned and remembered. In some subjects, leaders have identified the vocabulary which pupils must remember and use. However, in those subjects for which this is not the case, 7 and 8 March 2023

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pupils struggle to talk and write about what they have learned. Lack of essential vocabulary makes it difficult for them to explain and reflect on their learning to deepen their knowledge.

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The phonics programme is well ordered with very clear expectations of what pupils, including the youngest children in the early years, should achieve. All staff who teach reading are well trained. Pupils benefit from a high level of consistency in the methods which staff use. Leaders have categorised reading books so that they match the letters and sounds which pupils know. Teachers check carefully what pupils have learned and remembered. However, the teaching of pupils who have fallen behind in reading is sometimes not sufficiently well targeted at specific gaps in their knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not catch up quickly enough.

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Leaders have prioritised reading. Teachers read to pupils frequently, sharing their own enthusiasm. Pupils participate in the school’s exciting reading activities, including ‘Blind Date with a Book’ and ‘The Masked Reader’. They enjoy reading for pleasure and most become fluent and accurate readers before they leave the school.

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Children get off to a good start in the early years. Skilled staff settle them in quickly. They learn to listen, follow instructions and take turns. By the end of the Reception Year, most are ready for the demands of Year 1.

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Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly and in detail. Pupils in the resource base successfully study a range of subjects alongside their mainstream peers. Using individual education plans and well-chosen resources, skilled teachers and teaching assistants give all pupils with SEND the help that they need to achieve well.

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Pupils behave very well at social times and in class. When some pupils who have specific behaviour needs struggle to concentrate in lessons, teachers and teaching assistants patiently help them to return to learning. As a result, lessons are calm, orderly and purposeful.

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Teachers carefully map and monitor the contribution of each subject to pupils’ wider development. They make sure that pupils experience a very wide range of special experiences beginning in the Nursery Year. For example, older pupils go on residential visits abroad and children in the Year 1 class use balance bikes at the prestigious National Cycling Centre. Pupils learn to play a musical instrument and participate in unusual sports such as water polo. They talked very respectfully and knowledgeably to the inspector about the traditions of religions and cultures represented in the Salford area. Opportunities for pupils to participate in disability sports contribute to their sense of empathy. Leaders ensure that all pupils with SEND have the same opportunities for personal development as their peers.

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Staff feel that leaders and governors appreciate their hard work. Leaders are approachable and encouraging. Staff value the consideration that leaders give to their workload and well-being when making decisions. Staff also welcome the opportunities which leaders have given them to undertake training. 7 and 8 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have made the school a very vigilant community in which everyone understands their role in safeguarding. Leaders and staff undertake regular training to ensure that they can recognise if pupils are at risk of physical or emotional harm. Staff give vulnerable pupils and their families the help that they need, using external specialists when necessary. Well-trained school staff work with pupils who have emotional needs. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, particularly in relation to local risks such as busy roads and deep canals. They know how to use the internet safely and are well aware of the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 For a small number of pupils, teachers do not focus some interventions on specific gaps in phonics knowledge. Where this is the case, they do not use their wealth of accurate assessment information effectively to inform teaching. Leaders should ensure that teachers target support for all pupils who are falling behind in early reading more precisely so that they rapidly catch up with their peers.  In a small number of subjects, pupils lack some essential subject-specific vocabulary. As a result, their ability to think, talk and write about their learning is limited. For each subject, leaders should make clear their expectations of the teaching of key vocabulary so that pupils can better reflect on, explain and deepen their learning.

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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 February 2014. 7 and 8 March 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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268986 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Shellie Gartside

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not use alternative provision.  The school has a SEND resource base for communication, speech and language needs. There are currently eight pupils on roll from Years 1 and 2.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection since COVID-19. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and took this into account in her evaluation of the school. The inspector:  had discussions with the headteacher, other leaders, a range of staff, governors and a representative of the local authority  considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments  considered responses to Ofsted surveys of staff and pupils  examined a range of safeguarding information and checked procedures for recruiting staff 7 and 8 March 2023

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 spoke to staff about how well they understood safeguarding arrangements  carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and physical education  as part of deep dives had discussions with subject leaders and teachers, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work  heard pupils read to trusted adults  observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at social times  spoke to groups of pupils about their experiences in the school.

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Inspection team

Liz Kelly, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 March 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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