Urmston Primary School

Inspection of Urmston Primary School Wycliffe Road, Urmston, Manchester M41 5AH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 25 and 26 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are fond of their school. Right from the youngest age, they strive to uphold the school’s values of happiness, respect, kindness, responsibility, pride and resilience. Leaders and staff have successfully forged strong, trusting relationships with pupils and their families. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have successfully designed an ambitious curriculum that is grounded in the school’s values and supports pupils to ‘be more’. Pupils respond positively to the high expectations that leaders have for their learning and in their wider development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that pupils, including those facing complex challenges and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are supported well by staff. Added to this, leaders have ensured that children in the early years have an exceptionally strong start to their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high standards for pupils’ behaviour. For the most part, pupils respond positively to the encouraging approach adopted by leaders. The atmosphere around school and in lessons is calm and orderly. Leaders deal with any of the very rare incidents of bulling effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are resoundingly supportive of the school, both in terms of the education that leaders provide for their children and the support from staff. For example, a typical view of parents is that Urmston Primary is ‘a wonderful community school’.

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better?

Leaders have acted successfully to make considerable improvements to the curriculum in a relatively short space of time. As a result, they have ensured that subject curriculums are suitably ambitious for pupils.

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better?

Subject leaders have ensured that the knowledge they want pupils to learn is clearly identified and ordered logically so that pupils’ learning builds on what has gone before. This is especially the case in the early years, where children in the Nursery and Reception classes get the best possible start. For example, leaders in the early years have worked extensively with subject leaders to identify the important knowledge that will best prepare children for Year 1.

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better?

Leaders have ensured that staff are equipped well to deliver the phonics and early reading curriculums with confidence. Staff ensure that children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 practise reading the sounds they have learned using well- matched books. As a result, pupils have a secure knowledge of their earlier learning in phonics. Leaders make sure that any pupils who do not keep up with the phonics programme receive appropriate support from staff. This helps these pupils to catch 25 and 26 May 2023

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up quickly in reading. This strong base enables them to develop quickly into fluent, confident readers.

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In the main, teachers use assessment strategies skilfully to check on pupils’ learning as they progress through each topic. This is particularly the case in the early years, where staff quickly reshape provision to help children make up gaps in their understanding. However, in a small number of subjects, some staff do not address pupils’ misconceptions and gaps in prior learning swiftly enough. On occasion, this hinders some pupils from connecting new learning with what they know already.

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Leaders ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified by staff early. Leaders work closely with parents and, where appropriate, outside agencies, to provide appropriate support for this group of pupils. This means that pupils with SEND can learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

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Leaders’ approach to managing pupils’ conduct secures high standards of behaviour around school and during lessons. There is very little low-level disruption to pupils’ learning. Staff are fair and positive in their approach to managing behaviour. Pupils attend school regularly.

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Leaders have ensured that pupils benefit from a rich, well-structured approach to promoting pupils’ personal development. Pupils are taught about healthy relationships. They are also supported to look after their own mental health, for example, through access to a mental health support worker.

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Pupils have access to a wide range of extra-curricular activities to support their wider development. There are numerous examples of how pupils can contribute to the life of the school. For example, pupils are keen to act as well-being ambassadors or become members of the eco-council.

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Leaders have made sure that staff benefit from high-quality professional development. Leaders are mindful of staff’s well-being and they have maintained constructive and helpful relationships with staff through a period of considerable positive change.

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Governors are supportive of leaders. They have an accurate view of the quality of education. They offer appropriate levels of challenge and ensure that leaders put pupils’ best interests at the heart of their decisions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff and governors are well trained and that they receive regular updates on current safeguarding issues. Staff are vigilant for the signs that may indicate a pupil is at risk of harm. They are diligent in reporting concerns to leaders. 25 and 26 May 2023

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Strong relationships built on trust mean that pupils are confident that they can turn to adults in school if they are worried. Leaders work closely with families to ensure that pupils receive appropriate support. When necessary, leaders work effectively with outside agencies to provide help for vulnerable pupils and their families.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, both physically and online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies sufficiently well to identify pupils’ misconceptions quickly enough. When this occurs, it prevents some pupils from making links with new learning and building securely on what they know already. Leaders should ensure that the gaps in pupils’ learning are addressed swiftly by staff so that pupils can build securely on earlier learning.

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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. 25 and 26 May 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not use alternative provision.

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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.  During this inspection, inspectors met with the headteacher and a wide range of other staff.  The inspectors met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors and the vice-chair of governors.  The inspectors spoke with pupils about their work and their wider school life.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documents relating to safeguarding. They examined leaders’ approach to safer recruitment. The inspectors also spoke to 25 and 26 May 2023

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staff about their safeguarding knowledge and checked how well they understood their safeguarding responsibilities.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during playtimes and while in lessons.  The inspectors spoke with parents to gather views about the school. They considered the views of parents submitted through Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.  The inspectors carried out deep dives into early reading, mathematics, history, science, and art and design. They spoke with the staff who lead these subjects, visited lessons and spoke with teachers. They also spoke with pupils about their learning and viewed examples of their work. The inspectors considered how leaders organise curriculums in a range of other subjects.  The inspectors observed children in the Nursery and Reception classes and listened to pupils read to a trusted adult.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and

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Inspection team

Liz Davidson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

John Hanley Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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