St Augustine's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Augustine’s CofE Primary School St Augustine Street, Monsall, Manchester M40 8PL

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Outcome

St Augustine’s CofE 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 love being at St Augustine’s because they are cared for by nurturing staff. There are excellent relationships between pupils and adults in the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are responding well to the high expectations that are set for their learning. In many subjects across the curriculum, pupils remember the key knowledge that has been set for their learning. This is reflected in the strong progress that pupils make across the curriculum. Pupils attain well in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils play together harmoniously at breaktimes, where they have fun and enjoy being with one another. They are polite and considerate of the views and opinions of others. Pupils who are new to the school quickly feel accepted as part of this welcoming school family.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school helps pupils to celebrate their differences and similarities. Pupils have a strong sense of belonging and feel that they are valued for being who they are. Older pupils have responsibilities and make a highly positive contribution to the school community. For example, members of the ethos and inclusion group lead assemblies for other pupils on a range of topics, such as International Peace Day.

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

The school has set out an ambitious curriculum in all subjects. In most subjects, teachers question pupils effectively to gauge how well they have remembered their learning. This helps teachers to quickly address any misconceptions in pupils’ understanding. In these subjects, pupils can recall their prior knowledge well. However, in a small number of 11 and 12 March 2025

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subjects, and sometimes in the early years, the key knowledge that the school wants pupils to remember is not communicated well enough to them. Consequently, pupils are not as clear on what they have learned previously.

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The school has put in place a consistently strong programme for phonics. In the early years, staff carefully demonstrate how sounds combine to make words. In key stage 1, staff build well on this understanding to ensure that pupils read with accuracy. Staff check on pupils’ learning to make sure that there are no gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge, especially for those pupils who are new to the school. When pupils need more help to catch up with the intended curriculum, there is effective support that enables these pupils to read with greater confidence and fluency.

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The school has clear systems to identify children’s additional needs right from the start of the early years, or when new pupils join the school. It has supported staff to ensure that they provide high-quality adaptations to help pupils to access the curriculum. These pupils progress well through the curriculum.

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The school communicates the importance of regular school attendance to parents and carers. It leaves no stone unturned in its efforts to prevent unnecessary absences. The reasons for pupils’ non-attendance are clearly understood. The school works well to support pupils and their families so that pupils do not miss out on their education. This is clearly demonstrated in the low levels of persistent absence in recent years.

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Pupils focus well on their learning. For example, children in the Reception Year manage themselves well by completing a task before moving sensibly to another activity. They work well with others. Across the school, disruption to learning is rare. Pupils say that it is dealt with quickly if it does happen.

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Pupils’ personal development is central to everything that the school does. Pupils are taught skills such as budgeting, first aid and cooking to help them be more prepared for everyday life. They have an exceptional understanding of what it means to be different and how all people should be treated equally. Pupils understand what makes a healthy relationship. They are empowered to manage their own mental health by being encouraged to express their feelings. They know how to deal with issues such as peer pressure and how to report anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain and for their next steps in learning.

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The school has taken effective action since the previous inspection to sustain the rate of improvement at the school. Strengths in the curriculum, and especially in pupils’ personal development, have been brought about in a considered and sustainable way. In its efforts to reduce teachers’ workload, the school has enabled teachers to focus on designing learning opportunities for pupils.

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Governors know their school exceptionally well. They have a strong strategic overview of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Their informed approach ensures that they are well placed to challenge the school to ensure that it is continually seeking to improve. 11 and 12 March 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The essential learning that the school wants pupils to remember is not communicated clearly enough to pupils in a small number of subjects and, at times, in the early years. As a result, pupils do not recall some of the key subject-specific knowledge as well as they could. The school should ensure that the learning that it wants pupils to remember in these subjects is made clearer for pupils so that they remember more of the key knowledge over time.

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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 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. 11 and 12 March 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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-augustines.manchester.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 December 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 St Augustine’s CofE Primary School is a Church of England school. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection of a school with a religious character took place in October 2024. The next inspection is due before July 2029.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 spoke with the headteacher, the assistant headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator, as well as speaking with governors, a representative of Manchester local authority and a representative of the Diocese of Manchester. 11 and 12 March 2025

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector heard pupils read individually and as part of classroom activities.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View as well as Ofsted’s online inspection surveys for staff and pupils.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, at breaktimes and around the school. He looked at records for behaviour and bullying and spoke with pupils and staff.  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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Inspection team

Steve Bentham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 March 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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