St Luke's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Luke’s C of E Primary School Langport Avenue, Longsight, Manchester M12 4NG

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Outcome

St Luke’s C of E Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy coming to this welcoming and caring school. They described it as a big family. Pupils know that staff will listen to them and give them the support that they need. Pupils value the care and guidance offered by the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for the achievement of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Children get off to a strong start in the early years. Pupils achieve well in most subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well mannered. They are confident and articulate when speaking with visitors. The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Classrooms are calm. This allows pupils to do their best in lessons. Pupils are inquisitive and display highly positive attitudes towards their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of high-quality opportunities that enhance their learning and support their personal development. The school has made many links with a number of outside organisations to support its vision to raise pupils’ aspirations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils revel in their many responsibilities, including acting as subject ambassadors or members of the school council. A wide variety of visits and after-school activities enhance pupils’ learning across the curriculum. Pupils spoke with pride at their recent success in a national debating competition.

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

The school’s well-designed and ambitious curriculum helps children in the early years to get off to a strong start. They quickly develop a sense of curiosity and a love of learning. This prepares them well for the next stage of their education. Pupils in key stages 1 and 2 build on this positive foundation and achieve well across the curriculum. 8 and 9 May 2024

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The school and governing body have worked well together to ensure further improvements to the quality of the curriculum since the last inspection. The school has identified the important content that pupils should acquire from the early years to the end of Year 6. This knowledge builds on what pupils already know in well-ordered steps. In most subjects, the school checks how well the curriculum is helping pupils to know more and remember more over time. However, in a small number of subjects, these checks are at an early stage of development. This means that, in these subjects, school does not have a clear understanding of the impact of the curriculum on the depth of pupils’ learning or how effectively the curriculum has been implemented.

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In most subjects, teachers have been well trained to deliver the content of the curriculums effectively. They use their strong subject knowledge to make sure that pupils learn successfully. Before introducing new learning, teachers check that pupils have a secure understanding of what has been taught previously. As a result, pupils progress successfully through these curriculums and achieve well.

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In the Nursery class, children have many opportunities to listen to stories and rhymes that develop their vocabulary. The school has implemented a well-ordered phonics curriculum, which begins in the Reception class. Teachers in the early years and in key stage 1 skilfully build pupils’ phonics knowledge. They make sure that pupils read books that are carefully matched to their phonics knowledge. Teachers quickly spot any pupils who may not be keeping pace with the phonics programme or with their reading.

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The school has made sure that pupils develop a love of reading from an early age. Older pupils spoke enthusiastically about the books that they have read and enjoyed. They read fluently and with expression.

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The school is highly skilled at identifying the specific needs of pupils with SEND at the earliest opportunity. Staff check carefully that the appropriate support is in place for these pupils as they move through the school. This support enables pupils with SEND to achieve well and participate in all aspects of school life.

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Pupils behave well. They rarely disturb the learning of their peers. They understand and follow the school’s routines. Pupils work and play productively and safely. Their positive conduct contributes towards the school’s purposeful learning environment. The school works effectively with families and has developed clear procedures to manage attendance and punctuality. As a result, pupils attend school regularly and on time.

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The school has developed an effective programme to support pupils’ personal development. It makes sure that pupils understand a range of important issues, such as equality and diversity. The school also ensures that pupils understand fundamental British values such as democracy. Pupils have a strong understanding of how to keep themselves safe online. Support for pupils’ social and emotional well-being and mental health is effective. 8 and 9 May 2024

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Staff enjoy working at the school. They appreciate the strong teamwork and care that is present in the school. They are well supported to fulfil their roles effectively. For example, the school considers staff’s workload when organising their staff meeting schedule.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school’s checks on the implementation and impact of the curriculum are less well established. This means that, in these subjects, the school does not have a clear enough understanding of the difference that it is making to pupils’ learning. The school should ensure that it gains greater assurance that the curriculum is implemented successfully to help pupils to secure and deepen their knowledge more over time.

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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 September 2014.

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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. 8 and 9 May 2024

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In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with 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). 8 and 9 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 6 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 any alternative provision.  The school manages its own breakfast club.  This Church of England school is part of the Diocese of Manchester. The last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in December 2019. The next section 48 inspection is expected during the 2025/26 academic year.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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Information about this inspection

 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 spoke with the headteacher and with other leaders and members of staff. He also spoke with the chair of governors and other members of the governing body. 8 and 9 May 2024

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 The lead inspector spoke with representatives of the local authority and the diocese.  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 puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. He talked with curriculum leaders of these subject areas. The inspector also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and spoke with pupils. He also observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school. He also observed pupils at lunchtime, while they played outside at playtime and lunchtime and at the breakfast club.

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 The inspector spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. He also met with parents and carers before school.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Ian Shackleton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 May 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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