Aldwyn Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Aldwyn Primary School Lumb Lane, Audenshaw, Manchester M34 5SF

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Outcome

Aldwyn Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils live out the values of the school. Leaders help pupils to achieve well academically. Pupils also develop a strong moral, social and cultural awareness. Pupils are happy and feel safe. They trust the adults in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers expect pupils to behave well. Pupils respond positively to these high expectations. They work hard in lessons because they love learning. They want to achieve well for themselves and their teachers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in and out of lessons is impeccable. Pupils, and children in early years, are kind, respectful and cooperative. No child or pupil is left out. Disagreements, including rare bullying incidents, are dealt with promptly by teachers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in the wide range of extra-curricular clubs such as basketball, netball, coding and knitting. Pupils benefit from trips to the theatre and other local places of interest. Pupils love using the school grounds, including the school’s allotment for their outdoor learning. Older pupils thrive when they take on positions of responsibility. For example, sports leaders coach younger pupils at lunchtime. The recent ‘star gazing’ evening was led very well by knowledgeable Year 6 pupils. Such activities promote pupils’ confidence and their desire to make a contribution to their school community.

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

Leaders have designed a well-thought-out curriculum for most subjects. They have made sure that the knowledge that pupils will learn from the early years to Year 6 is carefully ordered. This enables pupils to build on their learning over time. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They select interesting resources to engage pupils. Children in early years develop their communication and language skills well. 7 and 8 March 2023

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Leaders have placed a high priority on reading. Reading is a strong feature of the school. Teachers deliver the phonics programme consistently well. Children in the Reception class and pupils in key stage 1 use their phonics knowledge well to read unfamiliar words. Teachers check if pupils are struggling to keep up with the phonics programme. These pupils receive effective support to help them catch up. Consequently, the vast majority of pupils read with fluency and accuracy by the end of Year 2.

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Older pupils develop a love for reading. The library is well stocked with interesting fiction and non-fiction books. The class novels often link with their learning in different subjects. For example, in Year 6, their reading of Great Expectations helps them with their studies of crime and punishment in Victorian England.

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Leaders identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly. In most subjects, teachers understand their needs and adapt the delivery of the curriculum effectively. However, in a few subjects, teachers do not help pupils with SEND to learn as well as they should. This slows their progress through the curriculum.

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Most teaching helps pupils to remember what they have learned using a range of effective strategies. However, in a few subjects, teaching does not ensure pupils retain the important knowledge they need for future learning. This slows pupils’ progress.

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Pupils, including children in early years, learn to regulate their behaviour, consider one another and be kind. Teachers are caring and sensitive to pupils’ needs. Pupils’ behaviour around school is calm and purposeful. The personal, social, health and economic education curriculum supports pupils to be in touch with their feelings and to seek help when it is needed. Teachers help pupils to consider others, be safe and to look after the environment. Leaders support pupils’ mental health with professional counselling. The Year 6 mental health champions receive formal training to help them support their peers in school. Pupils are also community minded. The school council has recently planned a litter picking project in the local area. Pupils also help out at the local elderly care centre. Pupils with SEND participate fully.

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Leaders, including governors, listen to staff’s views and make adjustments to their workload and working conditions accordingly. Staff feel supported as professionals and as colleagues. Leaders support the staff’s training needs well. Staff feel proud to be a member of what they call the ‘Aldwyn family’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have effective systems in place to report and record safeguarding concerns. All staff are well trained and vigilant. Leaders know the pupils and their families well. They maintain a close working partnership with safeguarding agencies. As a result, pupils at risk of harm are provided with the right support in a timely way. 7 and 8 March 2023

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Pupils receive age-appropriate guidance to help them keep safe online. Regular workshops from safeguarding organisations help pupils to keep themselves safe offline. Leaders have made sure pupils have a wide range of ways to report their concerns, including worry boxes in classrooms.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, teachers do not adapt their delivery of the curriculum well enough to help pupils with SEND learn all that they should. This slows their progress through the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that teachers are equipped with the knowledge that they need to meet the needs of pupils with SEND and help them to achieve well.  In a few subjects, teachers do not ensure that pupils remember the important knowledge they have been taught. This means that pupils cannot build on their previous knowledge confidently and fluently. Leaders should ensure that teachers receive the support they need to help pupils know more and remember more.

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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 January 2013.

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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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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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 10256140 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 17 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up post in April 2022.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.  The chair of the governing body has been in post since 2021.  The governing body manages a before- and after-school club.

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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 her evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders. She also spoke with the chair and vice-chair of the governing body. The inspector spoke with representatives from the local authority.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documents, including the single central record and leaders’ safeguarding, behaviour records and governing body minutes. 7 and 8 March 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and computing. She talked with curriculum leaders of these subject areas. The inspector also visited lessons, reviewed pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils. She also observed pupils reading.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms and as they moved around school. She also observed the pupils’ behaviour at lunchtime. The inspector spoke with pupils about their experiences at the school.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. She also spoke with some parents and carers to find out their views of the school. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Zarina Connolly, 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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