St Chad's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Chad’s Church of England Primary School Rhodes Avenue, Uppermill, Oldham, Lancashire OL3 6EE

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 January 2025

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Outcome

St Chad’s Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Kayleigh Pearson. This school is part of Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy 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), Karen Bramwell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Peter Bond.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils describe this school as safe, happy and caring. Pupils behave very well. They are taught how to recognise and manage their emotions well. This means that pupils use a range of strategies and resources to regulate their emotions. Pupils have confidence that staff will help to resolve any problems that they may have. This leads to a calm, purposeful and welcoming environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for pupils’ academic achievement. It makes sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the right support to help them meet ambitious goals. As a result, they achieve well and are fully included in all aspects of school life. Pupils understand and accept difference. They know that everyone has the right to be treated equally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to be resilient, respectful, responsible and resourceful. The school aims for pupils to be willing agents for change, who make a positive difference in their community and beyond. As such, pupils relish the leadership roles that they can undertake across the school and trust. They can explain how these roles, such as being a member of the pupil parliament and pupil advisory board, help to prepare them for life in modern Britain. 28 and 29 January 2025

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

The school’s approach to the teaching of early reading enables pupils to fly. Right from the start of the Reception Year, expert staff accurately teach the sounds and letters that children should know. They make sure that children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 have ample opportunity to learn and practise this phonics knowledge. As a result, very few pupils require additional support to keep up with the phonics programme. If any pupil should struggle, prompt support is put in place to help them catch up quickly. By the time that pupils reach Year 2, they are confident, fluent readers. Older pupils enjoy reading and listening to teachers read the wide range of high-quality texts available in 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 that builds logically from the Reception Year through to Year 6. Staff have strong subject knowledge in most of the subjects that they teach. They are well trained and feel supported by leaders and staff from across the trust.

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

Staff revisit the most important learning to help pupils remember more. Checks on teaching provide accurate information while not overburdening the staff. However, in some subjects, staff do not check well enough what pupils have understood during lessons. This means that, at times, staff do not spot and then correct pupils’ mistakes or misconceptions.

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

The school’s successful approach to developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills is woven through the curriculum. From the very start of the early years, children benefit from high-quality interactions in a language-rich environment. Pupils across the school regularly explore the meaning of words. As a result, pupils quickly become articulate and confident speakers.

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

The systems for identifying and meeting the needs of pupils with SEND are highly effective. Parents and carers of pupils with SEND appreciate the extra support that their children receive.

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

Pupils benefit from a cohesive offer to promote their personal development. They are taught to be accepting of everyone. Pupils of all ages talk confidently about their own mental well-being and the strategies that they have learned to look after their mental health.

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

Pupils conduct themselves very well around the school building. They value their learning. As such, learning is very rarely disrupted. Pupils and their families understand the importance of regular attendance at school. Staff know the reasons for any absence and take a personalised approach to support families in raising pupils’ attendance.

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

Staff appreciate the work the school undertakes to manage their workload and support their well-being. This includes the opportunity to collaborate and share work with colleagues across the trust. Members of the local governing body and trustees know the school well. With the support of the trust’s central team, they provide effective support 28 and 29 January 2025

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and challenge to the school. They are well informed of pupils’ achievements and share leaders’ high aspirations for the school’s development.

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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 subjects, teachers do not accurately check that pupils understand what has been taught. This means that pupils go on to embed mistakes in their work. The school should support teachers to ensure that accurate and regular checks on learning take place so that pupils’ misconceptions are identified and addressed.

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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.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 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. 28 and 29 January 2025

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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). 28 and 29 January 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 22 and 23 October 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined Forward As One Church of England Multi Academy Trust in September 2022.  The headteacher was appointed to her role in January 2025.  The school makes part-time use of one registered alternative provision.  The school provides before- and after-school provision on site.  St Chad’s is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Manchester. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection of a school with religious character took place in March 2017. The next inspection is due before July 2025. 28 and 29 January 2025

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders. The inspector met with the chair of the local governing body and other governors.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also met with trustees, central trust support staff and the CEO.  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

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding that puts children’s interests first.  The inspector visited the before- and after-school provision.  The inspector spoke with the alternative provision and scrutinised documentation relevant to its use.  The inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector examined a range of school documents relating to behaviour, attendance and governance, as well as leaders’ self-evaluation of the school.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. The inspector also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Alex Reed, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 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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