St Anne's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Anne’s CofE Primary School Trinity Road, Sale, Cheshire M33 3ES

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Outcome

St Anne’s CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s vision, ‘Let your light shine’, is central to all its activities. The school welcomes pupils warmly and cares for them well. This contributes to their happiness. They feel safe. The school has high aspirations for all pupils, including children in the early years. Pupils, including those who speak English as an additional language, rise to these high expectations and achieve well across the curriculum. Year 6 pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy positive relationships with each other and with staff. They are respectful and courteous to their peers, staff and visitors. They behave well. Playtimes are good humoured. In lessons, pupils show interest and listen attentively. This contributes to a positive and productive learning environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has enriched the curriculum through a diverse range of experiences. It has established a meaningful link with a school in Melanesia. This helps pupils to broaden their understanding of the wider world. They actively participate in helping to shape the school through involvement in the eco-warriors club and pupil parliament. They take pride in showcasing their learning during curriculum roadshows, religious celebrations and science-week events.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking part in a wide variety of visits and trips, including to a local beach, zoo, art gallery and outdoor centre. They spoke excitedly about sports and clubs, such as dodgeball, calm club and cookery. Pupils have opportunities to learn to play a variety of musical instruments.

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

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils, including children in the early years. Across many subjects, it has made significant changes to the curriculum in recent years. It has clearly identified the knowledge it wants pupils to acquire from the early years through to Year 6. Staff have thoughtfully designed subject curriculums to 25 and 26 June 2024

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allow pupils to build their knowledge in a logical order. Children in the early years are well prepared for the demands of Year 1.

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Teachers use their secure subject knowledge to provide clear explanations. This helps pupils to deepen their understanding. Teachers employ a variety of activities together with a range of resources to engage and enthuse pupils. This helps pupils to learn the intended curriculum content well.

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Typically, the school employs effective strategies to check on what pupils know and to identify any gaps in their knowledge. However, occasionally, in one or two subjects, some staff do not check carefully enough whether pupils have grasped previous information before introducing new learning. This hinders some pupils from developing a deep body of understanding across those subjects.

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Reading is a priority and is woven as a golden thread through the curriculum. Staff promptly identify any gaps in reading knowledge. In the Nursery class, highly skilled staff seize every opportunity to develop children’s communication and language skills through stories, songs and rhymes. This prepares children well for phonics, which commences in the Reception Year. Pupils read from books that align with their phonics knowledge. Staff help pupils who are encountering difficulties with early reading to catch up quickly. The school has made significant investments in a diverse range of texts that captivate pupils’ interests. Older pupils, including those who are learning English as an additional language, develop into confident and fluent readers.

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The school quickly identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils follow the same curriculum as their peers. Visits to local shops help pupils with SEND to learn about road safety and how to manage money. Staff use information about pupils with SEND to adapt the implementation of the curriculum skilfully to support them appropriately. This helps these pupils to progress well through the curriculum.

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Clear routines ensure that there is a calm and productive learning environment. Pupils socialise well during breaktimes and lunchtimes. Some pupils receive sensory and therapeutic support. This enables them to manage their feelings and emotions. The school rigorously monitors pupils’ attendance. It works closely with pupils and families to improve pupils’ attendance rates.

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The school excels in fostering pupils’ broader personal development. Pupils learn how to develop healthy relationships and how to look after their mental health. They explore concepts in global citizenship. They enjoy learning about British values and different religions. This helps them to develop respect and tolerance for others. The school raises pupils’ aspirations by arranging for professionals to speak about various careers and job opportunities.

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Staff morale is high. Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the training that they receive to improve the quality of education for pupils. The school values the opinions of the staff and considers the impact on workload when implementing changes. Governors demonstrate a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for 25 and 26 June 2024

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improvement. They support and challenge the school effectively to improve continuously over time.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, in one or two subjects, the school does not check that pupils’ prior knowledge is secure before moving on to new learning. This hinders some pupils from building up their knowledge as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge so that they can build on their prior learning.

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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 June 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 25 and 26 June 2024

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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). 25 and 26 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 March 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has appointed a new deputy headteacher.  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 makes use of one unregistered alternative provider.  This Church of England school is in the Diocese of Chester. The school’s last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, was in November 2017. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place by April 2028.

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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. 25 and 26 June 2024

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 The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and members of staff. He met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with representatives of the local authority and of 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 observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes, during lessons and around the school. He also spoke with pupils about their experiences at school. He considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for pupils.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including self-evaluation documents, improvement plans, minutes of governing-body meetings and records of pupils’

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behaviour and attendance.  During the inspection, the inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. He met with subject leaders and teachers and visited a sample of lessons. He spoke with pupils about their learning in these subjects. He looked at examples of pupils’ work. He also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult. He discussed reading with a group of older pupils.  The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. He considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. He also spoke with some parents before the start of the school day to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Ahmed Marikar, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 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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