The Olive Tree Primary School Bolton

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: The Olive Tree Primary School Bolton Adelaide Street, Daubhill, Adelaide House, Bolton, Lancashire BL3 3NY

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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Outcome

The Olive Tree Primary School Bolton has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Haroon Asghar. This school is part of The Olive Tree Primary School Bolton Limited trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is a single academy trust overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mubarak Sardar.

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What is it like to attend this school?

An important part of the school’s ethos is to help pupils develop an understanding of equality, respect and compassion. Pupils have an excellent understanding of what these mean and apply them in many different ways. For example, pupils have a depth of knowledge about the different faiths and cultures that make up modern day Britain. They understand the similarities and differences between them. Pupils have a strong conviction that everyone should be treated with respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of behaviour. Pupils strive to meet these from the moment that they join the Reception Year. School prefects support their younger peers to move around the school in a calm and orderly manner. They also help them to wash their hands and to be ready for lunch. The positive behaviour of pupils across the school contributes to creating calm classrooms and a place where pupils feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school holds high ambition for its pupils to achieve well. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils work hard in lessons and make the most of the opportunities that the school provides for them. Across much of the curriculum, pupils achieve well. 21 and 22 January 2025

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious for pupils, including those with SEND. Across the curriculum, the school has set out the important knowledge that pupils should learn, starting from the Reception Year and through to Year 6. Parents and carers appreciate the information that the school provides for them and their children about current learning in school. For example, the school provides short videos that recap some of the important knowledge being taught each week. Parents told inspectors that this helps them to reinforce learning at home.

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

Teachers benefit from a range of high-quality training. This has helped to establish a consistent approach to how the curriculum is delivered in reading, writing and mathematics. In these subjects, teachers readily identify and address any gaps in knowledge that pupils have. They design learning activities that build on what pupils already know. Many pupils build up a deep body of knowledge in these subjects.

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

The school utilises effective systems to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. It supports pupils with SEND exceptionally well, enabling them to learn the same curriculum as their classmates. Well-chosen resources are used with precision by skilled staff. By the end of Year 6, pupils, including those with SEND, are well prepared for the demands of secondary school in many subjects.

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

In a small number of subjects, some of the activities that teachers select for pupils do not focus sufficiently well on the most important knowledge in the curriculum. Some of these inconsistencies have not been picked up by the school. This hinders the school from having a robust oversight of how well pupils learn in these subjects. Consequently, pupils have gaps in their knowledge which limits their understanding of key concepts.

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

Pupils in the Reception Year and key stage 1 get off to a strong start with reading. Staff teach the phonics programme consistently well. They quickly identify and support those pupils who need extra help. Pupils who are new to learning English as an additional language quickly begin to understand the different sounds that letters represent. Pupils read books that are well-matched to their phonics knowledge. Many pupils are confident and fluent readers by the end of Year 2.

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

Children in the Reception Year learn class routines well and follow instructions from staff promptly. The majority of children cooperate well with one another. Those children who need extra support in managing their emotions are supported well by nurturing staff. Pupils understand the school rules and work hard to follow them. This means that pupils’ learning is rarely interrupted by poor behaviour.

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

Pupils have a detailed understanding of the fundamental British values. They engage in a range of activities that bring these values to life. For example, pupils who wish to become a ‘junior leader’ produce a video setting out their suitability for the role, prior to the whole school vote. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. The school is effective in how it develops pupils’ confidence, resilience and independence. Pupils are well-prepared for life in modern day Britain. 21 and 22 January 2025

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Trustees understand the strengths and areas for development at the school. They carry out their statutory duties effectively and have contributed to maintaining the standards identified at the previous inspection. Staff have a high regard for the priority that the school places on their well-being and training. This provides them with the confidence to adopt teaching approaches that help pupils get off to a positive start in their education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, the school’s checks on the delivery of the curriculum are not as effective as they could be. As a result, some inconsistencies that limit pupils from building up a deep body of knowledge are not identified. The school should ensure that in these subjects, it carries out effective checks that identify and address where pupils are not achieving as well as they could.  In a small number of foundation subjects, some of the learning activities that pupils experience do not build up their understanding of the key knowledge set out in the curriculum. As a result, some pupils’ knowledge is insecure and these pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers are equipped to design learning activities that deepen pupils’ knowledge of the key curriculum content, so that they achieve well in these subjects.

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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 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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2020.

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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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 February 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is an Islamic primary school. The previous section 48 inspection took place in April 2017. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place by the end of 2025.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The board of trustees operates a breakfast club.

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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 this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector spoke with the principal, other school leaders and members of staff. 21 and 22 January 2025

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 The inspector spoke with trustees, including the vice chair. He also spoke with representatives of the local authority and the Association of Muslim Schools UK.  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 observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons. He spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. He also considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. He also considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online staff survey.  The inspector spoke with some parents and carers. He also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

David Robinson, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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