Ashbury Meadow Primary School

Inspection of Ashbury Meadow Primary School Rylance Street, Beswick, Manchester M11 3NA

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

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged 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 June 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 4 and 5 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Friendly and happy pupils enter this school with big smiles on their faces. They interact well with one another. Staff build warm and caring relationships with pupils. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Positive behaviour is modelled for pupils. They behave well. Children in the early years learn quickly how to take turns and share with their friends. At social times and around the building, pupils conduct themselves sensibly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school makes effective use of the local area to develop pupils’ wider experiences. For instance, pupils enjoy trips to the local library and football stadium. They talk excitedly about learning coding in robotics clubs. Some pupils enjoy planting bluebells in gardening club. They are keen to contribute to charitable causes such as foodbanks. This helps pupils to learn the importance of helping others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has begun to raise its expectations of what pupils can achieve. It is aware of some of the barriers that pupils face in relation to their learning. However, at times, it has not successfully removed some of those barriers. This means that some pupils, including those in the specially resourced provisions for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not achieve as highly as they should.

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

Many subject curriculums are new. The school gives considerable thought to how these curriculums are organised. They are broken down into the key knowledge that pupils should learn.

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

The school does not identify pupils’ additional needs accurately. Added to this, some teachers do not adapt learning successfully to help pupils with SEND. Therefore, some pupils with SEND struggle to access the learning and have gaps in their knowledge. This hampers how well they achieve.

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

The school supports teachers to develop their subject knowledge. Even so, there is unevenness in how well the curriculum is delivered. This includes in the early years. At times, teachers do not select the most appropriate learning activities to help pupils to learn the intended curriculum. Staff do not revisit essential subject content to help pupils embed this in their memory. This hinders how well pupils can articulate their learning. In addition, some teaching staff do not check well enough what pupils know and understand. This means that some pupils have misconceptions that are unaddressed. Pupils struggle to recall knowledge and build their understanding of subjects over the time. They do not achieve highly.

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

There is inconsistency in how well the phonics programme is delivered. The books that pupils read do not match consistently the sounds that they have learned. The support given to pupils who struggle with reading is not of high quality. This is because some staff 4 and 5 February 2025

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lack the expertise to deliver it effectively. As a result, pupils do not learn to read fluently and confidently quickly enough.

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The school has high expectations of how pupils should behave, and pupils rise to these. These expectations begin in early years. Children follow instructions well. In lessons, learning is rarely disrupted. Most pupils display positive attitudes in class and try hard. The school works closely with parents and carers to raise attendance successfully.

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The school’s carefully considered programme for pupils’ wider development helps to prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils have a secure understanding of how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations such as online or near water. They learn about different religions and appreciate that everyone is unique. Pupils know how to look after their well-being. For example, pupils described how focusing on breathing can help to calm them down. Inspirational role models visit the school to raise pupils’ aspirations about future careers.

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The school’s processes for evaluating the impact of its work are not robust. The school, and those responsible for governance, do not have an accurate picture of the weaknesses in the school. In addition, training is not having the intended impact in equipping staff to improve the quality of education that pupils receive. Staff reported that the impact on their workload of recent changes to the curriculum had not been fully considered.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, the school does not use assessment strategies effectively. This means that teachers are unaware when pupils have not understood their learning and gaps in pupils’ knowledge go unaddressed. The school should ensure that teachers systematically check what pupils know and then use this information to adapt future learning activities to rectify any misconceptions.  The school does not identify pupils’ additional needs accurately. In addition, some staff do not have the expertise to effectively meet pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils with SEND do not achieve as highly as they should. The school should ensure that pupils’ additional needs are appropriately identified and that staff are supported with the knowledge and skills that they need to adapt learning appropriately for pupils with SEND.  The curriculum, including the school’s phonics programme, is not delivered consistently well. This hinders how well pupils learn and achieve. Pupils who struggle to read do not

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

benefit from effective support to become confident and fluent readers quickly enough. 4 and 5 February 2025

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The school should ensure that staff have the expertise to be able to deliver the curriculum, including the phonics programme, as intended.  Neither the school nor those responsible for governance have sufficient oversight of the weaker aspects of the school’s provision. This hinders them from identifying the strategies that will make the biggest difference for pupils. The school should ensure that there are robust processes to evaluate the impact of its work so that it can implement effective improvement strategies.

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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). 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Babajide Lawal-Shekon

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 30 June and 1 July 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is registered to host two specially resourced provisions on behalf of the local authority. One provision is for social, emotional and mental health and has 14 pupils. The other is for communication, language and interaction and has 16 pupils.  The school does 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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school's education provision. 4 and 5 February 2025

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 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 spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other leaders and staff about the work of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and design, history and science. For each deep dive, 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 looked at samples of pupils’ work in other subjects.  An inspector observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar member of staff. Inspectors spoke with some pupils about reading.  An inspector visited the specially resourced provisions.

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 An inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair.  An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 observed behaviour at break- and lunchtimes.  Inspectors met with pupils to ask about their experiences of school. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for pupils.  Inspectors met with several groups of staff. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff.  Inspectors met with some parents at the start of the school day. They also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Jenny Jones, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Gaynor Rennie Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 February 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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