Ashton West End Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Ashton West End Primary Academy William Street, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire OL7 0BJ

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Outcome

Ashton West End Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend this warm and welcoming school. Leaders take extra care to support those pupils who join the school with English as an additional language. For example, skilled staff ensure that these pupils are well supported while their use of English is still developing.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have increased their ambition for pupils’ achievement. Improvements to the curriculum have ensured that pupils learn and remember more than they have in the past. Parents and carers told inspectors that they value the opportunity to attend rewards assemblies, where a variety of pupils’ achievements are celebrated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know that staff will listen to their concerns. Leaders deal with incidents of bullying quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Staff expect pupils to behave well in lessons and during social times. Pupils easily live up to these expectations. This helps to create a calm and purposeful atmosphere throughout the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders offer a range of extra-curricular clubs that enable pupils to try a new hobby, including samba and gardening club. French club is popular with Year 1 pupils wanting to make an early start on learning an additional language. Pupils also enjoy a variety of sports activities.

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

Leaders have recently overhauled the curriculum, including in the early years. This has resulted in an ambitious curriculum, which has been carefully designed to meet the needs of the pupils at the school. For example, in art and design, leaders have thought deeply about the significant artists that pupils will study to ensure that the diversity of the school community is reflected. Nonetheless, some subject curriculums are in the early stages of 18 and 19 July 2023

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being rolled out. Some older pupils have not benefitted from these strengthened curriculums and, over time, have developed gaps in their learning.

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Teachers have been trained to deliver the new curriculum well. They design learning that helps pupils to successfully develop their knowledge. Teachers check carefully on pupils’ learning and ensure that they use and understand correct subject-specific vocabulary. In the early years, leaders work collaboratively with staff to design meaningful opportunities to enhance children’s learning in readiness for the demands of Year 1.

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Leaders have prioritised the teaching of reading throughout the school. A revised, more ambitious reading curriculum is equipping pupils with the skills that they need to read confidently and fluently. Staff in the early years regularly share carefully chosen stories with children. This helps children to develop their communication and language skills.

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Leaders have developed an effective phonics programme to teach pupils to read. They have ensured that staff have the expertise that they need to deliver the phonics programme consistently well. A rigorous system is in place to ensure that every child is supported to practise their reading regularly, using books that match the sounds that they know. This helps pupils to quickly develop their reading knowledge. Skilled staff support pupils who find reading more difficult to keep up with their peers.

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Leaders identify the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly and accurately. Teachers are adept at using the rich information shared by leaders, together with the specialist training that they have received, to support these pupils well. This ensures that pupils with SEND successfully access the same ambitious curriculum as their classmates.

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Pupils typically behave well in lessons and do not disturb the learning of others. Teachers are well supported by leaders to tackle any incidents of poor behaviour. Pupils enjoy gaining points in recognition of their behaviour and achievements, which they can spend in the rewards shop.

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While leaders have taken effective action to improve the overall rates of attendance for pupils, a few pupils do not attend school regularly enough. These pupils do not learn as well as they should across the curriculum.

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Leaders provide a comprehensive programme that prepares pupils well for life beyond primary school. For example, pupils are taught about the features of positive relationships. They learn about strategies to promote their physical and mental health. Pupils study the differences between religions and cultures, and they understand the importance of tolerance and respect.

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Governors know the school well. They support and challenge leaders in equal measure to bring about improvements to the quality of education that pupils receive. Staff, including teachers in the early stages of their careers, feel well supported by leaders. They appreciate leaders’ consideration of their workload and well-being. 18 and 19 July 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive suitable and timely safeguarding training. This equips them with the necessary knowledge to identify and report concerns about a pupil’s welfare. Leaders act swiftly to secure help for vulnerable pupils who are at risk of harm. They work effectively with external partners, seeking advice and support when needed. Leaders prioritise safeguarding when recruiting staff.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding messages are woven through the curriculum. For example, visits from the police and fire service help to emphasise important messages about staying safe in the local community. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe online, including learning about the dangers of sharing personal information.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the implementation of the revised curriculum is in its early stages. Over time, some older pupils have not learned all that they should in these subjects and, consequently, they have gaps in their knowledge. As leaders roll out their improved subject curriculums, they should ensure that staff are suitably equipped to identify and remedy pupils’ gaps in knowledge.  A few pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This has hindered these pupils’ learning. Leaders should take further action to improve the rates of attendance of these pupils to ensure that they benefit from the same learning opportunities as their peers.

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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 predecessor school, Ashton West End Primary School, to be good in November 2013. 18 and 19 July 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. 18 and 19 July 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection February 2018 under section 8 of The Education Act 2008

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  Leaders do not use alternative provision for any pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that 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 met with senior leaders, including the headteacher, and a range of staff. She also met with representatives from the board of trustees.  The inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of evidence, including leaders’ self-evaluation documents, improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation about safeguarding. She met with leaders, staff and pupils to understand how pupils are kept safe. 18 and 19 July 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, history and mathematics. For each deep dive, she discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some teachers and pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed children reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke to pupils about their experiences of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. She observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and social times.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. She also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Charlotte Oles, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 18 and 19 July 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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