Abbott Community Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Abbott Community Primary School Livesey Street, Collyhurst, Manchester, Lancashire M40 7PR

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Outcome

Abbott Community Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a nurturing environment in which pupils are happy and feel safe. The school’s motto, ‘Aiming high to achieve success’, is at the heart of everyone’s work. Pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, rise to the very high expectations that the school has for them. They flourish and achieve extremely well, academically, socially and personally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school celebrates and embraces diversity. Pupils show exceptional pride when speaking about their school. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and nurturing. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They have highly positive attitudes to their learning during lessons. Pupils are extremely polite and respectful towards their peers, staff and visitors. They work and play together remarkably well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ time at school is enriched by many memorable experiences. They showcase their skills and talents at the annual ‘Abbott’s Got Talent’ show, for example as magicians, dancers and actors. Staff make excellent use of resources available in the locality, such as libraries and theatres, to enrich pupils’ learning. Pupils take part in a wide array of visits, clubs and sports. These include outdoor education, art, cricket and dance. Pupils relish opportunities to take on leadership roles, such as being house captains and volunteering in the library.

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

The school has developed a highly ambitious curriculum that enables pupils to be confident and successful learners. Subject curriculums set out what children in the early years and pupils are expected to learn and the order in which content should be delivered. Pupils make excellent progress through the curriculum. Year 6 pupils are extremely well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

Staff routinely check what pupils know and can remember. They use this information well to identify previous curriculum content to revisit, so that pupils can build on and deepen 24 and 25 April 2024

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their knowledge. Staff have strong subject knowledge. They explain new concepts and information clearly. Pupils readily recall their learning across a range of subjects. They relish opportunities to discuss their ideas with their classmates. This helps them to develop their confidence and to further extend their vocabulary.

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Reading has a high profile throughout the school. In the Nursery class, highly trained staff take every opportunity to develop children’s communication and language skills. Pupils learn phonics as soon as they start in the Reception Year. They read from books that are matched to the sounds that they already know. Pupils use and apply their phonics knowledge well to read unfamiliar words. Staff provide highly effective support for pupils who struggle with early reading. This helps them to catch up quickly. Pupils have access to a wide selection of diverse texts that capture their interests. Older pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, develop into confident and fluent readers. They enjoy talking about their favourite authors and books.

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The school ensures that the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified quickly. Staff use information about pupils with SEND to expertly adapt the delivery of the curriculum and provide appropriate support. This helps pupils with SEND to progress well through the curriculum.

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Pupils follow the school’s clear routines and high expectations of behaviour. This contributes to a calm and purposeful atmosphere, starting from the beginning of the early years. Pupils listen attentively and are highly motivated to complete their learning activities. They show caring and thoughtful behaviours towards each other during breaktimes and lunchtimes. The school encourages high levels of attendance. It monitors pupils’ attendance closely and works with families and external agencies to support pupils to attend school regularly.

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The school has developed an extensive range of opportunities that support pupils’ wider development. Pupils develop an understanding of democracy through a range of activities, including the election of house captains. They show respect for the beliefs and traditions of people from different faiths. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe while online and in the community. For example, they know about the dangers of knife crime. These learning opportunities help to prepare pupils well for life in modern Britian.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the school’s consideration of their workload and well-being, before any changes are introduced. Staff who are new to teaching spoke highly of the support that they have received to develop their subject expertise further. Governors are knowledgeable and work exceptionally well with the school. They provide insightful challenge and support. This helps to make sure that the school provides pupils with the best possible education.

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Safeguarding

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

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in January 2019.

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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). 24 and 25 April 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Andrew Stavordale

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Many pupils in the school speak English as an additional language. Some of these pupils have lived in other countries before starting at the school.  The school runs a before- and after-school club for pupils.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff. He met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  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 24 and 25 April 2024

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to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes, during lessons and around school. He also spoke with pupils about their experiences at school.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including self-evaluation documents, improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  During the inspection, the inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. He met with subject leaders and teachers and visited a sample of lessons. The inspector spoke with pupils about their learning in these subjects. He looked at examples of pupils’ work. The inspector also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text

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comments. He also spoke with some parents before the start of the school day to gather their views. The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Ahmed Marikar, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 24 and 25 April 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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