St Anne's RC Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Anne's RC Primary School Carruthers Street, Ancoats, Manchester M4 7EQ

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Outcome

St Anne's RC Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are incredibly proud to be a part of this nurturing and caring school. They are confident, kind and highly articulate individuals. Older pupils, in particular, can speak with maturity and clarity about a range of different topics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value their education. They work hard in lessons and make great effort in meeting the school’s high standards for their academic achievement. From the early years, pupils show kindness and consideration to others, for example by holding open doors and listening to each other politely. There is an atmosphere of happiness, calm and purpose throughout the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish learning from the wide range of exciting trips and visits on offer. Many pupils participate in the experiences that the school offers to help them learn beyond the academic curriculum. For example, by joining in with clubs such as calligraphy, sewing and craft. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are encouraged to represent their school in a wide range of sporting tournaments. Many do so, receiving strong support from the rest of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are highly respectful of others. They enjoy recognising and celebrating the diversity in their community, while sharing the common identity of being highly regarded and important members of their school. 3 and 4 December 2024

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

The school has put in place a clear and coherent curriculum which sets out the important knowledge that pupils will learn. Pupils learn the content in a carefully considered order which helps them to build knowledge over time. In the main, staff help pupils to learn well. They have secure subject knowledge and routinely check that pupils are learning the intended lesson content. Where appropriate, staff provide timely feedback to address any misconceptions that pupils may have.

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

Pupils with SEND are identified quickly. However, sometimes, teaching is not adapted well enough to help pupils to embed important knowledge. Consequently, occasionally some of the approaches used do not help a small number of pupils, including those with SEND, to learn the curriculum as securely as they could.

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

The school has developed its use of assessment strategies to understand how well pupils are learning the curriculum. It uses this information effectively to make necessary changes and to proactively address any areas for development.

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

At the end of the previous academic year, the school quickly recognised that some pupils were not achieving as well as they could in phonics and in English, grammar punctuation and spelling. Pupils’ learning had been severely hampered by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The school has taken precise and swift action to ensure improvements to those aspects of the curriculum. For example, it has introduced a more specific approach to help older pupils practise spelling patterns. It has also ensured that the phonics programme is delivered with fidelity and that staff are supported well. Pupils practise reading from books that match the sounds that they know. Pupils who are not keeping up with the intended pace of learning, or who have joined the school mid-year, are quickly spotted and helped to catch up quickly.

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

Pupils live up to the school’s high expectations of their conduct. They welcome people into their school community with friendly words and warm smiles. The school analyses attendance information with rigour. It uses this information highly effectively. For example, to provide challenge and support to families in overcoming any barriers that they may have in helping their children attend school regularly.

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

The school has created a thoughtful and ambitious programme to enhance pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn about how to stay safe in their locality, for example by learning about tram safety and about staying safe online. The school offers pupils leadership opportunities, such as being leaders of the school’s religious groups or members of the eco council. Pupils can take part in a range of exciting trips and visits to help them learn through lived experiences. Pupils value these highly. They also readily embrace learning about important social factors, such as fundamental British values and protected characteristics, to help to prepare them well for life in modern Britain.

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

Members of the governing body understand the school’s context and its role within the community. They support staff to manage their workload, for example, through providing 3 and 4 December 2024

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dedicated time to carry out administrative tasks. However, many members of the governing body are new to their role. This means that, sometimes, the governing body does not challenge or support the school as well as it could. This limits the impact of its strategic work. Nonetheless, governors are dedicated and focus their work on ensuring that pupils’ needs remain central to the school’s decision-making.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, teaching approaches do not help pupils to connect or embed key information effectively. Consequently, a small number of pupils, particularly pupils with SEND, are not supported in securing their knowledge as well as they could. The school should develop staff’s expertise so that they can effectively adapt learning to help pupils, particularly those with SEND, learn as well as they can.  Due to the newness of many of its members, the governing body sometimes does not challenge or support the school as well as it could. This means that, on occasion, the governing body’s work is not as effective as it should be. The school should ensure that new governors receive appropriate support and training to enable them to carry out their roles effectively and to gain a clear and accurate view of the school’s work to ensure that it continues to improve.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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, 3 and 4 December 2024

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behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness 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 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). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-annes-pri.manchester.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs an on-site breakfast club.  The school does not use any alternative provision for pupils.  This is a Roman Catholic school. It is part of the Diocese of Salford.  The school’s most recent section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in February 2018. Its next section 48 inspection is due before February 2026.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 her evaluation of the school. 3 and 4 December 2024

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 The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. She spoke with other leaders, staff and pupils.  The inspector spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She also spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector spoke with a representative from the Diocese of Salford.  The inspector observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. She also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  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.

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 The inspector met with leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development. She observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and throughout the school day.  The inspector looked at a range of policies and documents relating to pupils’ welfare and education, including SEND.  The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. She took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  The inspector spoke with some parents and carers during the inspection. She also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Sheena Clark, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 3 and 4 December 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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