Alexandra Park Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Alexandra Park Primary School Bombay Road, Edgeley, Stockport, Cheshire SK3 9RF

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Outcome

Alexandra Park Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school flourish in an environment where they feel welcomed and happy. From arrival into the Nursery Year, children learn to be kind and caring towards others. They develop their self-confidence throughout their time at school. Pupils are very well prepared for their next steps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school inspires pupils to be the very best that they can be. Its motto of ‘care, aspire, achieve’ is embodied in the exceptionally high expectations for pupils’ academic and personal success. Pupils work hard during lessons and their behaviour is exemplary. They are enthused by ‘star’ and ‘Viking’ awards that they receive in recognition of their superb attitudes to school life. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve exceptionally well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish many opportunities to take on responsibilities in school, including being well- being ambassadors, arts or sports councillors and members of the eco team. Older pupils take pride in their roles as playground leaders and in being positive role models for their younger peers. Pupils also value their class forum times, where they share ideas about how they can make a positive impact on their own and others’ lives. Pupils told the inspector that the school listens to and acts on their ideas.

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

The school’s high ambition for pupils is reflected in the rich and aspirational curriculum that pupils enjoy. The school empowers pupils to become independent and inquisitive learners. Much thought has gone into shaping a curriculum that meets pupils’ learning needs and interests. The careful construction of the curriculum means that pupils continually build on their prior learning. Pupils secure a deep body of knowledge across a range of subjects. 23 and 24 July 2024

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The school regularly reviews how well staff deliver the curriculum. This helps to inform ways to further enhance the already exceptional educational offer to pupils. The school develops staff’s expertise and helps them to refine their practice, while ensuring that their workload is manageable. This gives staff the confidence to adopt teaching approaches that get the best from pupils. Staff value the care, support and training that the school provides them.

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Teachers thoroughly assess how well pupils learn the intended curriculum. They identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND quickly. When necessary, teachers skilfully adapt resources so that these pupils learn the same curriculum as their classmates. Staff are united in their view that additional needs should not be a barrier to learning. This helps pupils with SEND to progress well through the curriculum.

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Reading sits at the heart of the school’s work. Staff share a view that reading unlocks the whole of the curriculum for pupils. The school immerses pupils in a broad range of high- quality texts. Engaging reading spaces capture pupils’ imaginations and foster their love of reading. Reading ambassadors support this work by providing reading challenges and book recommendations for their peers.

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From the beginning of the Nursery class, staff introduce children to stories, rhymes and songs that spark their interest in language. Well-trained staff deliver the phonics programme incredibly well. The books that pupils read closely match the sounds that they already know. Pupils who find reading difficult, including pupils at an early stage of reading in key stage 2, receive high-quality additional help to support them in catching up swiftly. Pupils become fluent and confident readers as a result.

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Pupils’ behaviour is praiseworthy. They are excellent ambassadors for their school. Pupils’ rates of attendance are strong. From the start of the early years, routines are well established. The youngest children sustain high levels of concentration on the task at hand. Pupils across the school build securely on this positive start.

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Pupils benefit greatly from the school’s unwavering focus on the wider curriculum. They spoke enthusiastically about the array of meaningful enrichment activities on offer. For example, pupils spoke confidently about being members of the choir and about playing musical instruments in the school’s bands. They are proud of their first-aid learning and how they can use these skills to care for themselves and others.

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Pupils learn in an environment where there is respect for all. They develop a keen awareness of the importance of fundamental British values. Pupils learn about diversity among people and families. They understand the changes that will happen to them as they grow up. Pupils know what makes a healthy relationship. They benefit from an impressive range of experiences that prepare them exceptionally well for life in modern Britain.

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The governing body embraces the challenge of ensuring that pupils continue to receive an excellent education. Governors use their expertise to provide the school with appropriate support and challenge. They are committed to pupils’ success, and they check rigorously on the school’s work to achieve this ambition. 23 and 24 July 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 February 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 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). 23 and 24 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.alexandrapark-pri.stockport.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 February 2019 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the school has extended its provision to include a Nursery class for children aged from three years old.  The school provides a breakfast 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.

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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 this into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector conducted deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 23 and 24 July 2024

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 The inspector spoke with subject leaders and some pupils about their learning in some other subjects.  The inspector observed pupils from key stages 1 and 2 read to a familiar adult.  The inspector met with the headteacher, other school leaders and staff.  The inspector met with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. The inspector also met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector spoke with staff and leaders about their workload and well-being.  The inspector met with the leaders responsible for behaviour, SEND provision and pupils’ wider development.  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 spoke with pupils about their experiences at school. She looked at a

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range of policies and documents relating to pupils’ welfare and education. She also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.  The inspector met with parents at the start of the school day and took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector also spoke to some parents by telephone.

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Inspection team

Rebecca Jewitt, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 23 and 24 July 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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