Guardian Angels Roman Catholic Primary School, Bury

Inspection of Guardian Angels Roman Catholic Primary School, Bury Leigh Lane, Elton, Bury, Lancashire BL8 2RH

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since January 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 8 and 9 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and valued in the school’s warm environment. Pupils, including children in the early years, quickly learn the school routines. Pupils enjoy the company of Pip, the school dog, who helps them to settle into school. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Pupils know that if they have any worries, staff will listen and help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils generally respond well to the high expectations that are set by the school and go on to achieve well across the curriculum. In the main, pupils remember the key learning that is set out in the school’s curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In classrooms, most pupils listen attentively and follow instructions conscientiously. Pupils conduct themselves sensibly around school. They make a positive contribution to the life of the school. For example, older pupils take on responsibilities such as reading buddies for younger pupils. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about their learning outdoors. This includes developing skills such as resilience and problem-solving. Pupils benefit from a variety of wider opportunities to develop their interests. Sporting clubs are well attended by pupils throughout the school.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum from the early years to the end of Year 6. It has identified the important knowledge that pupils need to learn. Teachers are clear about what they need to teach and when they need to teach it. Staff have relevant subject knowledge, which is supported by various training opportunities. Staff check on pupils’ learning regularly. For the most part, they identify gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge and address these quickly. However, at times checks on pupils’ learning are not as effective as they could be. This means that some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready.

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

The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff provide these pupils with the support that they need to learn the curriculum alongside their peers.

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

The school fosters a love of reading. It invests in high-quality and engaging books that pupils love to read. Pupils enjoy choosing books from the well-stocked library and class reading areas. Children in the early years look forward to adults reading to them.

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

Children learn to read from the start of the Reception Year. Staff deliver the phonics programme with a high level of expertise. Pupils who have gaps in their phonics knowledge receive help to catch up quickly with their peers. The books that pupils read match the sounds that they already know. This helps most pupils to become confident and fluent readers. Occasionally, staff do not follow a consistent approach to teaching phonics. As a result, some pupils who are in the early stages of learning to read, do not learn to read with fluency and accuracy as quickly as they should. Children in the early years successfully learn the foundations of positive learning behaviour, where they concentrate on tasks for sustained periods of time. Pupils behave well around the school. 8 and 9 October 2024

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Staff help pupils to develop an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. Staff have worked diligently to develop a consistent approach to support pupils’ well- being. This helps pupils to expertly understand and manage their own emotions.

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Pupils benefit from a wide range of visits and visitors. These opportunities help pupils to widen their experiences beyond the local area and gives them aspirations for the future. Pupils raise money for a variety of local and national charities. They learn how to keep themselves safe and how to look after their physical and mental health. Pupils are respectful, welcoming and accepting of others.

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Governors have an accurate insight of the performance of the school. They receive detailed information about the school that helps them to carry out their statutory and strategic duties effectively. Governors provide appropriate support and challenge to the school. Staff appreciate the steps that the school has taken to support their well-being and workload. Governors and staff are committed to making the school the best place it can be for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, staff do not check pupils’ understanding sufficiently well to identify and address gaps and misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge. This means that some pupils move on to new learning before they are ready. The school should ensure that staff use appropriate assessment strategies so that they can help pupils to successfully build and recall their knowledge securely over time.  At times, there are inconsistencies in how well the phonics programme is delivered. This hinders a small number of pupils from becoming fluent and accurate readers as quickly as they could. The school should support staff to implement the phonics programme consistently well.

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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. 8 and 9 October 2024

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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). 8 and 9 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 January 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Roman Catholic school is part of the Diocese of Salford. The last section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character took place in November 2016. The next section 48 inspection is scheduled to take place by 2025.  Most of the senior leadership team and teaching staff have been appointed since the school’s previous inspection.  The school has recently become part of a federation with another local primary school. The headteacher and local governing body are responsible for both schools in the federation.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth-form 8 and 9 October 2024

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders and staff.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the local governing body, including the chair of governors.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority and of the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also reviewed the curriculum

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in some other subjects, including modern foreign languages and science.  The lead inspector observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 scrutinised a range of documentation, including attendance and behaviour data, minutes of governing body meetings, the school’s self-evaluation summary and school development plan.  Inspectors met with some parents and carers at the start of the school day. They also considered the views of parents on Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.  Inspectors spoke to staff to discuss the school’s support for their well-being and workload.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at lunchtime and spoke to them about behaviour and their wider experiences of school.  Inspectors considered the responses from Ofsted’s survey for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Julie Brown, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alex Keane Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 October 2024

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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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