Flowery Field Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Flowery Field Primary School Off Old Road, Hyde, Cheshire SK14 4SQ

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Claire Silk. This school is part of Enquire Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Darren Holmes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Delyse Turrell.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend this warm and nurturing school. They have strong relationships with staff and they feel well supported. Pupils are keen to please. They have positive attitudes towards school. Adults ensure that pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils conduct themselves positively around school. For example, children in the early years learn to cooperate well with each other. At breaktimes, pupils are polite and kind towards one another, reflecting the school’s values.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has set high expectations for pupils’ learning, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This is evident in reading, writing and mathematics, where pupils attain well. However, the school has not ensured that pupils remember their learning well enough in subjects other than English and mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wealth of clubs on offer such as chess, cheerleading and creative writing. These activities stretch their talents and interests and provide pupils with new experiences. Pupils appreciate the level of responsibility that comes with caring for the animals in the school’s farm. They also have other roles in school, such as play leaders or school councillors, which help to develop their confidence and self-esteem. 5 and 6 November 2024

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

The school has ensured that there is a strong curriculum in place for reading, including phonics, throughout the early years and key stage 1. In the Reception Year, children’s knowledge of sounds builds well. In key stage 1, pupils apply this knowledge to read words and sentences accurately. There is effective support, led by highly trained staff, to help pupils to catch up with the intended curriculum if they need it. As a result, pupils learn to read with increasing fluency and independence.

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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 that aims to develop pupils’ knowledge in a logical order. However, in subjects other than English and mathematics, the school has not supported teachers well enough to identify and correct misconceptions in pupils’ understanding. This means that pupils do not have the secure foundations that they need for their future learning. Furthermore, teachers do not reinforce learning effectively enough to enable pupils to remember some of the key knowledge that they have learned. As a result, in these subjects, there are some gaps in some pupils’ knowledge.

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

In contrast, staff in the early years are adept at picking up children’s mistakes to help deepen their learning. Activities to help children learn are designed carefully. This ensures that children have the opportunity to practise and consolidate their understanding.

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

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND at an early stage. In classes, adults offer suitable support to meet pupils’ needs and enable them to access the curriculum. For some pupils in upper key stage 2, the school has ensured that pupils receive support for their social, emotional and mental health needs. This is helping these pupils to be better equipped to learn.

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

The school has introduced a new behaviour policy to ensure that there are clear routines and systems in place. Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. In return, pupils are polite, courteous and well mannered.

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

The school does all it reasonably can to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. It works closely with pupils and their families to help remove any barriers that result in pupil absence. The school also engages well with other agencies to help to improve the attendance rates of some pupils.

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

Pupils demonstrate the school’s central value of respect towards one another. The school’s personal development offer includes activities that help to enrich the curriculum. Pupils have a strong understanding of fundamental British values and, in some instances, how these are linked to other aspects of their learning. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in the community and online. They understand the importance of healthy lifestyles, including physical and mental health, and what constitutes a healthy relationship.

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

Teachers have opportunities to design learning collaboratively with other staff to reduce workload. They feel valued and appreciate the positive working environment that both the school and the trust provide. 5 and 6 November 2024

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Trustees have secure mechanisms in place to quality assure the information that they receive. This means that they have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Misconceptions in pupils’ learning are often not addressed effectively enough. This means that pupils do not understand some key aspects of the intended curriculum and, therefore, have insecure foundations for some of their future learning. The school should ensure that teachers are supported to address misconceptions at an earlier stage so that pupils’ understanding of these subjects is more secure.  In subjects other than English and mathematics, pupils do not remember their learning well enough. This is because they have insufficient opportunities to recall and reinforce their previous learning. The school should ensure that the curriculum content is revisited to enable pupils to remember the most important learning.

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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, 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 predecessor school, Flowery Field Primary School, the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2015. 5 and 6 November 2024

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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). 5 and 6 November 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Enquire Learning Trust.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  Since the previous inspection, the school has opened a small provision for before- and after-school care to complement the oversubscribed, privately run provision that is registered and inspected by Ofsted separately.

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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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 5 and 6 November 2024

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 The inspectors spoke to the CEO, the director of improvement and effectiveness, the principal, and vice principal and spoke to a representative of Tameside local authority.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors discussed the school’s approach to behaviour and attendance. They spoke with pupils about behaviour and observed pupils at lunchtime and when moving round the school.  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.

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Inspection team

Steve Bentham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Michelle Ridsdale Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 November 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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