Limehurst Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Limehurst Community Primary School White Bank Road, Oldham, Greater Manchester OL8 3JQ

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Outcome

Limehurst Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where pupils are happy and well cared for by staff. Pupils start each day with broad smiles. The school is a welcoming place where pupils are content. Pupils feel safe and nurtured in school. They trust staff implicitly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all pupils from the early years to Year 6. In recent years, the school has considerably strengthened the quality of education that pupils receive. There has been a relentless focus on removing barriers to pupils’ achievement, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are prepared well for the demands of secondary school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The atmosphere in school is very calm. Pupils behave well in lessons, and they are eager to contribute to discussions about their learning. Equally, pupils behave well during lunchtime and when moving around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are respectful to each other and towards staff. They understand the importance of accepting others, including when somebody is different to themselves. Pupils appreciate that individual characteristics make people unique. They expressed their understanding of the importance of equality and diversity with maturity.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of experiences that enhance their learning of the curriculum. They spoke enthusiastically about the variety of extra-curricular clubs on offer to them.

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is well thought out. The curriculum is rich and ensures that pupils develop broad knowledge across all subjects. Careful consideration has also been given to the context of the school and the important knowledge that is 12 and 13 March 2024

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relevant to prepare pupils sufficiently well for the next stage in their education. By the end of key stage 2, most pupils achieve well.

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The learning journey starts from the minute that children enter the early years. The school has carefully crafted the curriculum to ensure that children in the Nursery and Reception classes acquire the fundamental building blocks for future learning. This helps to ensure that children build the essential communication and language skills that they require in readiness for key stage 1.

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Teachers use a range of strategies to enhance pupils’ learning. For example, pupils benefit from skilful questioning and clear modelling by staff. In the main, staff identify pupils who require additional support to keep up with their peers. However, at times, teachers do not identify pupils’ misconceptions as quickly as they could. This means that, sometimes, teachers introduce new concepts before pupils are ready. Occasionally, this hinders some pupils from learning as well as they should.

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Staff identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND at the earliest opportunity. These pupils receive support that is well matched to their individual needs. Pupils with SEND follow the same curriculum as their peers. These pupils are fully involved in all aspects of school life.

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The school successfully focuses on the teaching of reading. The phonics programme is taught consistently well by skilled staff. Pupils apply their phonics knowledge successfully when reading. Staff encourage pupils to use a range of strategies to decode words that they find difficult. As a result, most pupils become competent readers.

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Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very positive. Pupils said that any occasional low-level disruption is not tolerated by staff and is dealt with immediately. Some pupils do not attend school as often as they should. However, the school is diligent in analysing patterns and trends in pupils’ rates of attendance. This enables staff to work closely with families to remove any barriers to pupils’ attendance. As a result, many pupils’ attendance has improved.

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The school has thought carefully about pupils’ wider personal development. For example, pupils learn about families, cultures and faiths that are different to their own. Staff support pupils to keep physically and mentally healthy. Pupils are taught how to recognise the signs of unhealthy relationships and how to respond appropriately.

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Members of the governing body have a detailed knowledge of all aspects of school life. The school values the support and challenge that governors provide. Staff fully appreciate that the school is mindful of their well-being and their workload. Staff morale is high. They recognise the guidance that they receive to fulfil their roles effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 12 and 13 March 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 From time to time, teachers do not identify pupils’ misconceptions as quickly as they should. Occasionally, this hinders some pupils from learning as deeply as they could. The school should ensure that teachers are suitably equipped to check that pupils’ knowledge is secure before introducing new content.

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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 March 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). 12 and 13 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of alternative provision.  The governing body is responsible for a breakfast and after-school club.

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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 that 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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, physical education and mathematics.  For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 12 and 13 March 2024

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 The inspector met with the headteacher and other leaders. They also met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. The inspector spoke to representatives of the local authority.  The inspector spoke to pupils about their views of the school and observed their behaviour during lessons and at lunchtime.  The inspector considered a range of documentation shared by the school or that was made available on the website.  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 the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that put pupils’ interests first.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. They also considered the views of staff through the Ofsted online

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surveys.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Clare Baron Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 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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