Stockton Heath Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Stockton Heath Primary School West Avenue, Stockton Heath, Warrington, Cheshire WA4 6HX

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Inspection dates: 30 and 31 January 2024

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Outcome

Stockton Heath Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school embody its core values of friendship and respect. These values underpin the harmonious relationships between everyone in school. Pupils are thoughtful and well mannered. They make everyone feel welcome.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), strive to meet these expectations. As a result, pupils work hard and typically achieve well across a range of subjects. They are well prepared for their next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy developing their talents and interests in a number of activities. For example, pupils relish taking part in activities such as craft, cookery and a wide range of different sports. Pupils are proud of the array of sporting successes that teams from the school have achieved.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Through their many leadership roles, pupils contribute to decision-making in school. For example, they act as school councillors, eco-councillors and safety councillors. Pupils are proud of their responsibilities and diligently carry out their roles. For instance, members of the pupil safeguarding council have worked hard to help to reduce accidents on the playground.

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

The school has constructed an ambitious and well-thought-out curriculum for pupils, including those with SEND. The curriculum has been appropriately developed to help pupils learn about the local area and life in modern Britain.

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

In all subjects, the important knowledge that pupils should learn from the early years to the end of Year 6 has been clearly identified. This knowledge is taught in a logical order. This helps to ensure that new curriculum content builds on pupils’ previous learning. 30 and 31 January 2024

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Staff have accessed a wide range of subject-specific training. This helps to keep their skills up to date. Typically, teachers check what pupils have learned and address any misconceptions quickly. In most subjects, teachers also check that pupils have retained important knowledge over time. This means that pupils, including those with SEND, make links in their learning and deepen their understanding of new concepts. This supports their positive achievement. However, in a few subjects, teachers’ assessment strategies are not as effective. On occasion, teachers are uncertain if pupils have gained the knowledge that they should. This sometimes hinders how well teachers design future learning to aid pupils’ progress through the curriculum.

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The school successfully fosters pupils’ love of reading. The library is well stocked with books that spark pupils’ interests. Pupils read widely and often. Older pupils open the library during breaktimes and lunchtimes. They help younger pupils to select books that they might like to read. The school has worked closely with parents and carers to help them to understand how they can support their children’s reading at home.

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Children start to learn phonics from the beginning of the Reception Year. Staff are expertly trained in delivering the phonics programme well. They make sure that children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 read from books that match the sounds that they already know. Staff quickly identify pupils who fall behind in the phonics programme. They provide suitable support to help these pupils to learn to read with fluency and with confidence.

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The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND quickly and accurately. It works well with external agencies to ensure that these pupils receive timely, high-quality support. Staff successfully adapt the delivery of the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. For example, teachers use additional resources and appropriately modified tasks.

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Children in the early years follow well-established routines. Pupils in other year groups understand and follow the school’s expectations for their behaviour. They are very polite and respectful to each other and to visitors. Pupils behave extremely well and are engaged in their learning, which means that disruption in lessons is rare.

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The school has carefully designed a programme to promote pupils’ personal development. Particular attention is spent on supporting pupils’ mental health and well-being. For example, pupils know that extra support is available in the ‘rainbow room’ should they require it. Pupils understand and celebrate diversity and the differences between people. Pupils told the inspector that everyone is welcome and cared for at their school.

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Governors provide expert support and challenge to the school to ensure that pupils receive a high-quality education. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support that they receive to manage their workload and to protect their well-being. For example, the school consults with staff before leaders make any significant changes.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 30 and 31 January 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the school’s approaches to checking on pupils’ knowledge and understanding are underdeveloped. On occasion, this stops teachers from being certain that pupils have gained the knowledge that they should before they introduce new learning. The school should ensure that teachers use assessment strategies effectively to identify and remedy pupils’ gaps in knowledge in order to inform future learning.

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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 January 2015.

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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' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the 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). 30 and 31 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.  The school provides a breakfast and after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time inspection 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, she met with subject leaders, discussed curriculums, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and reviewed samples of pupils’ work. She also observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult. 30 and 31 January 2024

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 The inspector considered other subjects in the school’s curriculum. She talked with the leaders of these subjects and also spoke to pupils about their learning.  The inspector held discussions with the headteacher, other leaders and staff.  The inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. She also spoke with representatives of the local authority.  The inspector spoke with different groups of pupils to gather their views of the school and talked with them about their views on behaviour and learning. She also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around the school.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. She also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered a range of documentation provided by the school. This included the school development plan, records of governing body meetings, headteacher reports and the leaders’ self-evaluation document.

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Inspection team

Julie Barlow, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 30 and 31 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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