Summerseat Methodist Primary School

Inspection of Summerseat Methodist Primary School Rowlands Road, Summerseat, Bury, Lancashire BL9 5NF

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Julie Whittaker. This school is part of Epworth Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Julie-Ann Hewitt, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Stuart Ellis. 7 and 8 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning at Summerseat Methodist Primary School. They become accomplished readers. This helps pupils to discover interesting and useful facts about where they live and the wider world. Older pupils are well prepared for the challenges of key stage 3.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and their parents and carers, were keen to tell inspectors about the support that each pupil receives to enable them to flourish in their personal endeavours. Pupils behave well. They develop curiosity, resilience and confidence. Pupils make the most of all that the school has to offer.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils explained to inspectors how everyone is welcome at their school. They enjoy supporting and taking care of each other. Pupils demonstrate exceptionally high levels of respect and sensitivity towards others who may be different to themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school and the trust have high expectations of all pupils. The school makes sure that pupils are equipped to learn successfully. This is especially true for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils achieve well as a result.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the support that staff provide when they feel worried or overwhelmed. Pupils told inspectors that staff quickly sort out any problems that may arise. This ensures that pupils feel safe and happy at school.

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better?

The school has thought carefully about what pupils should know as they progress from the early years to the end of key stage 2. The curriculum is ambitious and captures pupils’ interests. The school provides effective support and guidance for teachers so that they know what pupils should learn in each subject. By the time that pupils reach Year 6, they can recall and apply a wide range of useful knowledge that they have built up securely over time.

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better?

For the most part, teachers deliver the curriculum well. For example, teachers select appropriate activities to enable pupils to deepen their knowledge and understanding of key concepts successfully.

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better?

Teachers typically check that pupils have learned what they need before moving on to new learning. In the main, pupils benefit from additional support to address any gaps in their knowledge. However, at times, some teachers do not check pupils’ understanding carefully enough. In addition, teachers are more adept at checking what pupils are expected to know in some subjects than they are in others. As a result, some pupils’ learning is not as secure as it could be because gaps in their knowledge have not been noted or addressed swiftly enough. 7 and 8 November 2023

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Teachers are skilled at identifying the additional needs of pupils with SEND. The school makes sure that these pupils benefit from the same ambitious curriculum as other pupils. Pupils with SEND, including those who access additional support for some of their learning in the ‘blossom room’, learn the curriculum successfully.

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The school has ensured that reading is at the heart of the curriculum. It makes sure that pupils develop sufficient fluency and accuracy in their reading. This means that pupils can access the rest of the curriculum with ease.

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Children begin to learn to use phonics to read words in the Reception Year. They practise the sounds that they have learned in their reading and writing enthusiastically. The very small number of pupils who struggle to read benefit from the support of well-trained staff to catch up quickly with their phonics knowledge.

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Pupils enjoy reading and exploring the high-quality texts that the school provides. Older pupils spoke with remarkable knowledge about the work of a wide range of well-loved and contemporary authors.

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Pupils across the school demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. Pupils work and play together well. They are polite and respectful towards staff and each other. Pupils respond positively to the encouragement that the school provides when they try their best and remember to use their courteous manners.

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The school provides impressive support for pupils’ wider development. This means that by the time each pupil reaches Year 6, they have the self-assurance and skills to make a tangible contribution to the school and the wider community. Older pupils carry out a wide range of leadership roles, such as supporting children in the early years to clean their teeth. Some pupils lead acts of worship. These include online times of reflection that involve pupils from different parts of the country. Through activities such as these, and others, pupils learn to become active and responsible citizens in a diverse and modern society.

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The school has benefited considerably from the support of the trust. Leaders at all levels are focused on making sure that pupils receive a high-quality education.

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The school engages well with stakeholders, including staff and parents. Parents feel well informed about their children’s education and development. The school makes sure that when improvements are made, these developments do not increase staff workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 7 and 8 November 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, staff do not identify and address gaps that some pupils have in their knowledge quickly enough. This means that, sometimes, these pupils do not build on what they have already learned as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped to remedy pupils’ gaps in learning before moving on to something new.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 7 and 8 November 2023

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School details

Website www.summerseatmethodistprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school converted to become an academy school in December 2020. When its predecessor school, Summerseat Methodist Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be inadequate overall.  The school operates a before- and after-school club for pupils.  The school does not make use of alternative provision for pupils.  The school is part of the Bolton and Rochdale Methodist District. The school’s last section 48 inspection took place in February 2019. It is awaiting confirmation about its next section 48 inspection.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 7 and 8 November 2023

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other leaders in the school. An inspector also spoke with members of the local advisory board and members of the trust. These included the chair of the local advisory board, the chair of the board of trustees, the CEO, and the director of education for the trust.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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 An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, art and design, and design and technology. They spoke with the leaders of these areas of the curriculum. Inspectors also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils.  Inspectors also visited lessons and spoke with pupils about their learning in other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around the school. An inspector scrutinised leaders’ records of pupils’ behaviour.  An inspector visited the school’s breakfast club.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  An inspector spoke with parents as they brought their children to school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-

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text responses. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Claire Cropper, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lisa Whittaker Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 November 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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