St Luke's CofE Primary School

Inspection of St Luke's C of E Primary School Weaste Lane, Salford, Greater Manchester M5 5JH

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 12 and 13 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being part of this welcoming school. They take pride in living up to its values of community and compassion. Pupils learn to distinguish between right and wrong. They appreciate that everyone is unique and they understand the importance of treating others in a way that they would like to be treated themselves. This helps pupils to feel happy at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge that have not been addressed. This means that these pupils do not achieve as well as they should in a range of subjects, including English. Despite this shortcoming, pupils work hard and behave well in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about the positive difference that they can make for others in their local community and in the wider world. Charitable activities, such as providing donations to a local food bank and raising money for a school in Uganda, help pupils to develop their understanding of empathy. Pupils enjoy attending the different clubs provided by the school. These include a wide range of sports activities as well as chess and crafts.

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better?

The published performance data in 2023 shows that by the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was significantly below the national average. Some of these pupils missed considerable amounts of time in school as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. That said, there were also weaknesses in the school’s previous curriculum. This hampered how well pupils learned.

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better?

Historic weaknesses in developing pupils’ writing knowledge in key stage 1 have resulted in some pupils moving into key stage 2 lacking the basic skills in spelling, letter formation and the correct use of punctuation. For some pupils in key stage 2, these gaps in knowledge have not been identified or addressed. This hinders the quality of their written communication.

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better?

In most subjects, the school has taken action to develop the curriculum. The important knowledge that pupils should learn has been carefully considered from the Nursery Year to Year 6. This is helping pupils to build a more secure body of knowledge over time. However, weaknesses in the previous curriculum have resulted in pupils having gaps in their knowledge. In some subjects, these gaps have not been identified or addressed by teachers. This impedes the ability of some pupils to make sense of new learning. It means that they do not achieve as well as they should.

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better?

In a small number of subjects, some teachers do not have the knowledge that they need to be able to deliver the revised curriculum. In some cases, the activities that teachers design do not deepen pupils’ knowledge or enable them to connect their 12 and 13 June 2024

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learning. As a result, in these subjects, some pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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Children in the early years benefit from carefully considered activities that support their personal, social and emotional development. However, in some other areas of learning, staff are not clear on what children need to learn to help them build up their knowledge. This includes developing children’s vocabulary. Furthermore, the range of activities in some classrooms do not help children revisit or build on what they already know. Consequently, some children do not learn or develop their spoken language as well as they should. Children are not as well prepared to start Year 1 as they should be.

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The school places a high priority on children in the Reception Year and pupils in key stage 1 developing a secure knowledge of phonics. Staff teach phonics effectively. They quickly identify and support any pupils who need extra help.

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Children begin to develop a love of books from the Nursery Year. As pupils begin to read books independently, teachers ensure that these closely match the sounds that pupils have learned. Pupils use effective strategies to read unfamiliar words. Many pupils become fluent readers by the end of key stage 1. That said, some staff do not routinely check that pupils understand the meaning of new words or phrases. Similarly, pupils in key stage 2 read with fluency, but some do not understand the meaning of key words in the texts. This limits their ability to make sense of what they have read.

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The school has effective systems in place to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. Carefully considered support and resources ensure that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Children in the early years are well behaved. They work and play well together. Pupils across the school learn with little disruption to their activities. Previously, too many pupils have been absent from school. The school has put in place a range of effective strategies that are reducing the number of pupils who are persistently absent.

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The school has carefully selected opportunities to enhance pupils’ personal development. For example, the school ensures that pupils learn about healthy relationships. Pupils understand the links between spending too much time online and the potential impact on their mental well-being.

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The governing body understands what the school needs to do to improve the quality of education. It has sought external support to aid the school’s actions to address weaknesses. Staff stated that the school has been considerate of their workload and well-being during recent times of change to the curriculum, policies and procedures.

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Safeguarding

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

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In one or two subjects, some teachers do not have the subject knowledge that they need to teach the intended curriculum effectively. Some of the learning activities that pupils complete do not enable them to learn the curriculum, including key vocabulary, as well as they could. The school should make sure that teachers have the knowledge that they need to effectively deliver the curriculum, so that pupils achieve well.  In some subjects, teachers do not check how well pupils have remembered and understood what they have been previously taught. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge that have not been identified. These gaps hinder their ability to make sense of new learning and they do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers are well equipped to check that pupils’ knowledge is secure before introducing new topics and concepts.  Some pupils in key stage 2 have gaps in their knowledge in relation to spelling,

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

letter formation and the correct use of punctuation. These gaps have not been identified or addressed. This hinders the quality of their written communication. The school should ensure that there is increased emphasis on identifying and addressing these gaps in knowledge.  In some areas of learning within the early years curriculum, staff are not clear on what children need to learn. This means that some activities do not support children to learn well or to develop their spoken language. The school should ensure that staff use assessment information to devise learning activities that help children build up a deep body of knowledge.

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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 12 and 13 June 2024

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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 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 March 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.  This is a Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Manchester. The previous section 48 inspection took place in May 2019. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place by the end of 2027.  The governing body operates a breakfast club and after-school provision.

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the COVID-19 pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspectors completed deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education, history and modern foreign languages. As part 12 and 13 June 2024

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of the deep dives, the inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited lessons, met with teachers and looked at pupils’ work. The inspectors also looked at the curriculum and pupils’ work in some other subjects. The lead inspector observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the vice- chair of governors. He also spoke with representatives of the local authority and the diocese.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record and took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils. They also considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons. They spoke with groups of

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pupils about their experiences at school. They also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  Inspectors spoke with some parents and carers. They considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Philip Barlow Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 June 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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