Godfrey Ermen Memorial CofE Primary School

Inspection of Godfrey Ermen Memorial CofE Primary School School Road, Eccles, Manchester M30 7BJ

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 January 2024

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 January 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being at this school. They conduct themselves well and have positive relationships with staff. Pupils said that their teachers are kind and caring. They also said that their classmates are respectful of each other’s differences. This helps pupils to feel secure, accepted and valued members of the school community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils spoke highly of the many extra-curricular clubs on offer. These clubs range from sports to art, choir and sewing. Pupils’ uptake of these clubs is high. Older pupils appreciate the lessons that teach them how to cycle safely in public spaces. Pupils take on a range of responsibilities such as being school councillors and digital leaders. They look forward to their residential trips.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for what pupils should achieve in the early years and in subjects such as English and mathematics. This includes for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, leaders are still working to finalise their expectations for what pupils should learn in some other curriculum subjects. Younger pupils are starting to achieve well in their learning. That said, older pupils have not achieved as well as they could in recent times.

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better?

The school has taken positive steps to develop its curriculum since the last inspection. For example, it has now outlined its broad expectations for the knowledge and skills that pupils should acquire by the end of each year. In some subjects, and in the early years, the school has also broken down these expectations into smaller, logical steps of learning. This helps staff to deliver new subject content well. In turn, pupils, particularly those in younger year groups, are starting to build a secure body of knowledge.

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better?

Although the school has improved aspects of its curriculum, more work is still required. In several subjects, the school is still at an early stage of identifying the specific knowledge that pupils need to know. Consequently, teachers do not have enough guidance on what they should teach. In these subjects, some lessons do not build well on what has come before. This leads to pupils developing gaps in their knowledge, or only gaining a superficial understanding of what they are taught.

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better?

In English and mathematics, the school has introduced assessment approaches that help to pinpoint the gaps that pupils have in their learning. This is beginning to help teachers to close some of the historic knowledge gaps that pupils still have in these subjects. However, these checks on learning are lacking in most other curriculum subjects. This means that the school is not sure what pupils know and remember. In turn, the school is not well placed to address some of the knowledge gaps and misconceptions that pupils have. 24 and 25 January 2024

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The school is improving its ability to evaluate the impact of its curriculum. However, this work is still in development. This means that the school is at an early stage of addressing some variability in how the curriculum is being implemented.

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The school puts a high priority on pupils learning to read. Children start to learn about letters and the sounds that they make as soon as they begin their schooling. Staff are well trained in the school’s chosen phonics scheme. They deliver this scheme consistently well. Pupils read books that are closely matched to the sounds that they know. Those who need extra help with their reading receive highly effective additional support. This is helping more pupils to develop into fluent, confident readers.

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Pupils behave well in classrooms and around the school. They engage in their learning and are attentive in lessons. Children in the early years settle in well. They receive effective support to quickly learn classroom routines and expectations. This helps children in the early years to get off to a positive start.

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Pupils’ attendance at school is not enough of a high priority. The school has taken some actions to improve pupils’ attendance. However, these actions are not having the desired effect. Many pupils continue to miss out on important learning. This causes these pupils to develop gaps in their knowledge over time.

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The school provides well for pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn to value and respect the differences of others. They are taught how to develop and maintain healthy relationships. They know how to keep themselves safe online. They engage with their local police force to learn how to be a positive member of their local community. They have a secure knowledge of physical health. Pupils value the range of trips and experiences that enhance their learning in different curriculum subjects.

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Staff have the knowledge and skills to quickly identify pupils with potential SEND. The school ensures that pupils with additional needs are supported to access the same curriculum as their classmates.

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Staff spoke positively about the support that they get from leaders to manage their workload. This includes getting dedicated time to carry out additional tasks asked of them.

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Many members of the governing body are new since the last inspection. Governors have increased the level of challenge that they provide school leaders. However, they are not well informed about some issues that are impacting on pupils’ achievement. This means that governors do not concentrate enough of their efforts on improving some of the most pressing issues for the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 24 and 25 January 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school is not doing all that it reasonably can to improve pupils’ attendance. This means that many pupils miss out on important learning, which is causing gaps in their knowledge over time. The school should review the actions that it takes to ensure that more pupils attend school regularly.  The school is still in the process of setting out the crucial knowledge that pupils need to learn. This means that, in some subjects, teachers are sometimes uncertain about what to teach. Pupils’ knowledge is variable in some of these subjects. The school should complete its curriculum development work so that teachers have clear guidance on what they should teach their pupils.  The school has not sufficiently developed its assessment strategies since the previous inspection. This means that, in many subjects beyond English and mathematics, the school remains limited in being able to identify and address the

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

gaps that pupils have in their learning. The school should ensure that staff are well equipped to establish what pupils know and remember in these subjects.  The school is at the early stages of developing systems, and staff, so that it can review the quality and impact of its subject curriculums. This sometimes means that the school does not act quickly enough to address variabilities in how some subjects are being taught. The school should ensure that it has clearer oversight of how the curriculum is delivered so that it can swiftly address issues that impact on how well pupils learn.  Governors do not have enough insight into some of the school’s development needs. This means that some issues are not given due care and attention. Governors should ensure that they gather sufficient information to help them to provide robust strategic direction and challenge.

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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 the definition of children in need 24 and 25 January 2024

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of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a so- cial 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). 24 and 25 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 November 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed to the role on a substantive basis last year.  Leaders do not make use of alternative provision.  There have been changes to the governing body since the last inspection. Many are new to their roles.  The school is a voluntary aided Church of England school. The most recent section 48 inspection of the school’s religious character took place in April 2017.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 24 and 25 January 2024

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 Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: early reading, history, science, art and design and mathematics. They met with subject leaders and teachers. They visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning. The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum, spoke with pupils about their learning and evaluated their work in some other subjects.  The lead inspector spoke with a group of governors. Inspectors also talked to staff about their workload and well-being.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority and the diocese.  Inspectors met with the leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their wider experience of school.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documents related to pupils’ welfare

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and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were no responses to the pupil survey.  Inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day and took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Spruce, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Gillian Crompton Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 January 2024

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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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