Arlies Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Arlies Primary School Broadhill Road, Stalybridge, Cheshire SK15 1HQ

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Outcome

Arlies Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend this welcoming and caring school. Leaders are building relationships with families effectively, especially through events such as the family breakfasts. Leaders and staff are ambitious for the achievement of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils achieve well in the majority of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand fairness, equality and diversity. This is an inclusive school where pupils recognise that ‘everyone is different in a unique way’. Pupils flourish in leadership roles such as prefects or members of the various school councils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe; they appreciate the support that they receive from staff. Leaders deal with bullying effectively. They have high expectations for behaviour. Classrooms are calm. This allows pupils to do their best in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, benefit from an extensive programme of high- quality opportunities that enhance their learning and support their personal development. Leaders are effective in removing barriers that might prevent pupils from attending these activities. Pupils participate in interesting trips and visits, including visits from inspirational athletes and authors. They take part in exciting residential visits and cultural visits to the theatre. They also learn to play a musical instrument and enjoy live musical performances.

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

Leaders have created a broad and aspirational curriculum based around the school’s values and their vision to ‘Build Opportunities, Unlock Talents’. Pupils across the school learn well from this curriculum, including those with SEND. Leaders have considered carefully how to make the curriculum relevant to pupils. For example, they provide pupils with experiences to work alongside members of the local community in music, art and 17 and 18 May 2023

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drama activities. Leaders ensure that pupils learn a wide range of new vocabulary in each subject. Most pupils, including children in the early years, achieve well and are ready for the next stage of their education.

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The curriculums in most subjects are organised well. This helps teachers to build pupils’ knowledge in a logical order, so that pupils can connect and remember their learning well over time. However, in a small number of subjects, the curriculums are less well developed. In a few of these subjects, teachers’ knowledge and confidence in the subject matter also needs further development. The curriculums in these subjects do not set out clearly for teachers the order of new learning as pupils move through the school. This prevents some pupils from building securely on what they already know and from deepening their knowledge over time.

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Teachers check how well pupils are learning. This helps them to identify which pupils need more help or guidance. Staff deliver additional teaching to support these pupils to catch up and keep up with their classmates.

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Leaders have introduced a well-ordered phonics curriculum. Children learn phonics from the early years. Teachers in the early years and in key stage 1 build pupils’ phonics knowledge skilfully. They make sure that pupils read books that are well matched to their phonics knowledge. Teachers are swift to spot any pupils who may be falling behind in their reading. Staff help these pupils to catch up quickly.

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Leaders prioritise reading. Teachers provide lots of opportunities for pupils to read or to listen to stories throughout the school day. Older pupils are developing effective reading habits. They speak enthusiastically about books they have read.

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Leaders and teachers identify pupils with SEND at the earliest possible opportunity. They check carefully that the right support is in place for these pupils as they move through the school. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are able to take part in all aspects of school life.

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Children in the early years settle into school life quickly. They have a well-developed understanding of the classroom routines. This helps them to work and play safely and purposefully. Leaders provide ample opportunities to explore the outdoors. They develop children’s language and number skills well. Children in the early years are well prepared for the continuation of their learning in Year 1.

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Pupils’ positive behaviour supports their learning. Pupils are attentive in class. When there is any low-level disruption, this is well-managed by staff and little learning time is lost. Pupils enjoy the many wider opportunities available, including day visits and a residential experience. They participate in an extensive range of after-school clubs and lunchtime activities.

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Staff speak positively about the strong and supportive teamwork in the school. Relationships across the school are warm and supportive. Staff know that leaders consider their workload when they introduce new initiatives. They say they are proud to work at the school. 17 and 18 May 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

School leaders understand their safeguarding responsibilities. Staff know the school’s safeguarding procedures well. Leaders ensure that staff complete appropriate training and keep staff’s knowledge of safeguarding up to date. Staff knowledge of families and effective liaison with other agencies ensure that pupils and families who may be at risk from harm are identified swiftly and access the support they need. Pupils are taught about how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn about online safety and the impact of cyber-bullying through the curriculum and hear important advice and guidance from community police officers and other external organisations.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, leaders’ curriculum development is not as far forward as in others. In these subjects, teaching does not build pupils’ knowledge in a well-considered and logical way. This affects how well pupils develop and deepen their knowledge over time. Leaders should give more thought to the order of learning and make associated improvements to staff subject knowledge to help pupils know more and remember more in these subjects.

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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 March 2014.

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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. 17 and 18 May 2023

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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. 17 and 18 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10283631 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 27 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Several new teachers have been appointed since the last inspection.  The school does 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 school leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and with other leaders and members of staff. He also spoke with members of the governing body. The inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector looked at a range of documents and spoke with leaders about the school’s safeguarding procedures.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and art. He talked with curriculum leaders of these subject areas. The inspector also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils. The inspector also observed some pupils reading to staff. 17 and 18 May 2023

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 The inspector also considered other subjects. He spoke with leaders about the curriculums in these subjects and their implementation.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in class and as they moved around school. He also observed pupils in the dining hall and playing outside at lunchtime.  The inspector spoke with a group of pupils about their experiences at school.  The inspector looked at the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. He also met with parents before school to find out their views of the school.  The inspector consider the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Ian Shackleton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 May 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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