Pott Shrigley CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Pott Shrigley Church School Shrigley Road, Pott Shrigley, Macclesfield, Cheshire SK10 5RT

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this friendly and welcoming school. Everyone is made to feel like a valued member of the school community. The school has ensured that pupils’ well-being and safety are priorities. There is a culture of thoughtfulness and respect between all members of this small school. Pupils are polite and courteous to each other, towards their teachers and to visitors. In lessons, they typically concentrate on their learning. They are keen to do well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are active in their local community. For example, they have strong links with the church. Pupils attend church frequently and take part in the services. Pupils also support their local area through the eco club. They have recently planted trees locally to support the environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has undergone recent and much needed change since the new headteacher was appointed. As a result, the school’s expectations for pupils’ achievement are higher. Pupils, including those in the early years, are beginning to benefit from a more ambitious curriculum. However, in some curriculum subjects, there is more work to do. In some instances, teachers do not deliver the curriculum as the school intends. This means that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), occasionally do not gain the important skills and knowledge that they need to be successful.

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

Governors did not support or challenge the school enough during the turbulent time prior to the headteacher’s arrival. This meant that there were a variety of different improvements needed when she arrived. At this time, governors did not have a secure enough oversight of the school, particularly in areas such as pupils’ achievement and the 16 July 2024

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curriculum. In part, this was because the systems for checking on the school’s performance were below par. Therefore, governors did not fully understand where future improvements were needed. Although some improvements have recently been made, the systems for oversight are still not rigorous enough to give governors the information that they need to successfully support and challenge the school to improve.

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Staff are buoyant about the changes which the school has put in place to support their workload and wellbeing. For example, the ways in which feedback is given to pupils are now more effective and less burdensome.

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The school has revamped many curriculum areas. In some subjects, it has identified the small steps of knowledge that it wishes pupils to learn. In these subjects, the intended learning is well ordered. Teachers deliver these curriculums effectively. Alongside this, they use assessment strategies and the information they collect about pupils’ learning accurately. Pupils build successfully on their prior knowledge in these subjects.

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There are some subjects, however, which are at an earlier stage of development. This includes within the early years. For example, in these subjects, the knowledge that the school wishes pupils to learn is too vague. As a result, teachers do not have a secure understanding of the curriculum content. Consequently, they do not deliver these curriculums as well as in other subjects. Their checks on pupils’ learning are not as thorough. Therefore, teachers do not routinely understand what pupils know or remember. Some pupils do not effectively build up a rich body of knowledge over time. As a result, these pupils do not sometimes recall their previous learning when encountering new content.

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As part of the recent curriculum improvements, the school has made reading more prominent in the school. Staff choose an increasingly wide range of interesting and high- quality texts linked to the curriculum. These help pupils to enjoy reading. Typically, pupils who need help with reading are provided with books that contain sounds which they understand. This helps these pupils to develop their fluency in reading. However, for some other pupils, they are not as successful in their reading. Their phonics knowledge is not as secure. This is because, in part, teachers’ checks on pupils’ phonics knowledge is not as precise as it needs to be.

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Pupils behave well. They have strong relationships with adults in school. However, too many pupils do not attend school regularly enough. Recently, the school has established strategies to improve this. It is developing a more thorough understanding of why these pupils miss school. However, the school has not checked closely enough that its actions are having the desired impact. Therefore, there are still too many pupils who are persistently absent from school and miss important learning.

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Recent changes in school mean that pupils with SEND are identified more swiftly than they were in the past. This means that the school is now putting in gradually more effective support for these pupils. Pupils with SEND now have their needs met more consistently. 16 July 2024

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The school considers pupils’ wider development well. Pupils demonstrate a secure understanding of different religions, faiths and beliefs. They understand that Britain is made up of different types of families. Pupils understand the importance of treating people fairly and equally. They access a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Pupils also can learn a musical instrument, which they relish the chance to do. Pupils have opportunities to see live music. For example, they have recently been to see a local orchestra.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Governors do not have effective systems in place to give them sufficient oversight of the school’s curriculum development and pupils’ achievement. This means that they are not able to support or challenge the school as well as they could. The school should continue to develop effective policies and procedures so that governors have the information needed to hold the school effectively to account.  In some subjects, the knowledge which the school wishes pupils to learn is not identified clearly enough. This means that teachers are unsure of what pupils should learn. They also do not implement these curriculums as the school intends. The school should clarify what knowledge it wishes pupils to learn in these subjects and ensure that this is implemented well.  In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment strategies effectively to identify what pupils have retained from their previous learning. In these subjects, including in

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

phonics, teachers are unsure of what knowledge pupils have. They are unable to effectively support pupils to build up a rich body of knowledge. The school should ensure that assessment strategies are used consistently to identify what children know in order to support their future learning.  The school does not evaluate how effective the strategies used to improve some pupils’ attendance are. This means that it does not have a complete understanding of whether these strategies are having the desired impact. The school should evaluate its actions more closely so that pupils’ overall attendance improves over time. 16 July 2024

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 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). 16 July 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 March 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  This Church of England primary school is part of the Diocese of Chester. The last section 48 inspection took place in March 2024. The next section 48 inspection is likely to take place before March 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 that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, they met with subject leaders, visited lessons, talked to pupils and looked at pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in different subjects. 16 July 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. They met with the leaders responsible for attendance and behaviour.  The lead inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also spoke with a representative of the local authority, and he spoke with a representative of the Diocese of Chester.  The lead inspector observed some pupils reading to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtimes and as pupils moved around the school building. They scrutinised leaders’ records of pupils’ behaviour.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at the school. They

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spoke with staff about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and for pupils.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Stuart Perkins, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Patrick Rayner Ofsted Inspector 16 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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