Elm Wood Primary School

Inspection of Elm Wood Primary School Elm Street, Middleton, Manchester M24 2EG

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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 Good 19 and 20 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enjoy being part of this caring and welcoming school. They arrive at school each morning with smiles on their faces, happy to see their friends and staff. Pupils trust staff. They know that staff look after them and inspire them to achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils typically behave well during lessons. The school’s expectations of being ready, respectful and responsible lead to pupils striving to be their best. Pupils are polite and well mannered. Most classrooms are calm and purposeful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ academic achievement and for their wider development. Most pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well and enjoy their learning. The ‘happiest minute of the week’ during an assembly is a particular highlight for pupils, where their achievements are celebrated.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the variety of opportunities that are on offer. They spoke highly of the experiences that they can take part in, such as the recent ‘rock band’ day. The school provides an abundance of clubs. These include activities such as choir, art, reading and dance groups.

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better?

Pupils, including those with SEND, benefit from an ambitious curriculum that is meaningful and interesting to them. Starting from the beginning of the early years, the school has carefully considered what pupils should learn. As pupils get older, subject curriculums are suitably designed to build on their previous knowledge. Pupils explained to inspectors that recent changes to the curriculum mean that they are learning more. Due to some weaknesses in a few previous subject curriculums, pupils have gaps in prior learning. This means that some pupils do not make the progress through the curriculum that they could.

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better?

Teachers typically present information clearly and select appropriate activities that help pupils to consolidate their learning. In the main, staff use assessment strategies effectively to skilfully check what pupils know and can remember. They use the information from these checks to design and shape future learning.

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better?

Strong staff expertise in the early years means that the curriculum is designed and delivered extremely effectively. Staff know children and their families remarkably well. In the provision for two-year-old children and the nursery class, staff encourage children to interact positively with each other, to take turns and to develop their speaking skills. Children are taught to follow adults’ instructions and classroom routines exceedingly well. They help each other in their learning and at play.

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better?

The school has prioritised early reading. There is a rigorous approach to teaching pupils how to read. Staff begin teaching children letter sounds as soon as they join 19 and 20 March 2024

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the Reception Year. Pupils quickly become fluent, confident readers. Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 read from books that are matched to the sounds that they already know. Pupils who need additional support receive help quickly from staff who specialise in early reading. Pupils are proud of the school library and the reading opportunities that this offers them.

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Children in the early years settle into school quickly. They form secure relationships with adults and with their friends. Pupils in key stage 1 build on this positive start. On the rare occasion that pupils forget to follow school rules, staff quickly and sensitively remind them of behaviour expectations. Pupils talk fondly of the ‘gem jars’ that they endeavour to fill to earn whole-school rewards. Through carefully designed learning opportunities, pupils are given the tools to express how they feel.

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The school has a well-organised provision for pupils with SEND. This facilitates pupils with more complex needs to access the curriculum well. The school ensures that staff are equipped to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND swiftly. Staff use a range of suitable strategies to support these pupils effectively. This enables pupils with SEND to learn successfully.

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Attendance is a high priority. Pupils understand the importance of attending school each day. When attendance is at risk of becoming low, the school works in partnership with external professionals and with families. As a result, pupils’ levels of attendance show positive improvements.

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The school ensures that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Pupils value diversity and they celebrate the many differences that people have. They are tolerant of opinions that differ from their own. Pupils learn how to keep safe when they are online and beyond the school gates. They are proud of the leadership roles that they have. These include being school ambassadors and digital leaders.

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Governors share staff’s ambition and commitment. They carry out a range of activities to assure themselves that the school’s systems are working well. This has helped them to ensure that the quality of education continually improves. When making decisions, the governing body and the school consider the possible impact on staff’s workload. Staff are proud to be part of the Elm Wood team. They said that the recent period of change has been needed to ensure that the provision across school improves. Staff told inspectors that these changes had been well designed to consider their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 In some subjects, the curriculum has recently been revised or introduced. Due to the previous weaker curriculums, there are gaps in some pupils’ knowledge. This results in some pupils not having strong foundations on which to build new learning. The school should embed the more recent curriculums so that they are fully delivered as intended.

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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 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). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the school has a new leadership team and a new governing body.  The school runs a before- and after-school club for pupils.  The school provides early education for two-year-old children.  The school does not use any alternative provision for pupils.

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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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 19 and 20 March 2024

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in English and early reading, mathematics, geography and music. They met with subject leaders and with teachers. Inspectors visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning.  The lead inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects. They met with leaders, spoke with pupils and reviewed pupils’ work in these subjects.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors met with leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documentation relating to pupils’

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welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  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.  Inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day. They took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils to consider.

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Inspection team

Helen Friend, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Wendy Tracey Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 March 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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