Hanley Swan St Gabriel's with St Mary's CofE Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Hanley Swan St Gabriel’s with St Mary’s CofE Primary School Welland Road, Hanley Swan, Worcestershire WR8 0EQ

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Outcome

Hanley Swan St Gabriel’s with St Mary’s CofE 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 Adrian Pratley. This school is part of Hanley and Upton Educational 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), Mark Stow, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tim Sinden.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils eagerly attend this school. They say it is ‘fantastic’ and would highly recommend it to others. They told inspectors that attending the school is like being part of ‘one big family’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embrace all that is on offer because they know their day will be engaging and enjoyable. Relationships and respect are strengths of the school. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils listen attentively and fully focus on their learning. Pupils move around the school courteously and play well together in the playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are motivated to do their best. They rise to the high expectations that the school has for them and achieve well in national assessments for reading, writing and mathematics. From the early years upwards, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have the adjustments made that they need to access the learning environment successfully. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A rich range of wider opportunities enhance and further the curriculum. Pupils benefit from the varied extra-curricular clubs and trips. These are thoughtfully planned alongside the curriculum and mean that pupils learn about life in the wider world beyond their own experience. The sporting offer for all pupils is a particular strength. 29 April 2025

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

The school has ensured that reading is at the heart of its curriculum. From the early years onwards, pupils are well supported to learn the sounds they need to read fluently. Pupils who fall behind with reading have targeted support. This helps them to catch up quickly. Staff choose texts to support the wider curriculum, which enables pupils to develop an awareness of other cultures. Pupils enjoy reading and the variety of books they have to choose from. By the time pupils leave school, they have read a wide range of literature.

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

The school has successfully addressed the areas for improvement from the last inspection. The wider curriculum is now structured to build knowledge over time. The information pupils need to know is clearly signposted. Staff know the curriculum content and present it well. Pupils are specifically taught key vocabulary and concepts. In core subjects, the school accurately checks how well the pupils understand the curriculum. In these subjects, the information is used to address pupils’ gaps and misconceptions consistently. However, such checks in other subjects are in the early stages of development. As a result, in these subjects, the school has not precisely addressed any learning pupils need to revisit. This limits pupils’ ability to build their knowledge over time.

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

The school swiftly identifies the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff work with parents and carers and external experts to identify support that is just right for pupils. Staff are well trained and carefully adapt learning to help pupils with SEND become more confident learners. This support from staff helps these pupils to achieve well.

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

Pupils behave exceptionally well. They are polite and kind. From the early years onwards, pupils play collaboratively, with older pupils taking responsibility for supporting their younger peers. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive, and they are keen to follow the school’s routines. Pupils enjoy attending school, and their attendance is high.

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

Many pupils benefit from taking part in the range of clubs on offer. Pupils know how to stay safe, including online. They learn about all forms of bullying. Pupils are secure in sharing their worries and concerns. Pupils know where to seek help if they need it. They learn about cultures and beliefs other than their own and have a good understanding of tolerance, respect and diversity. The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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

Trustees and local governors know the school well. They carefully balance how they provide support and challenge to school leaders. Leaders and trustees know where the school is strong and how it can improve further. Staff work closely together and with other schools in the trust to develop their practice. The school actively manages workload and well-being to ensure staff enjoy working here. Parents are overwhelmingly happy with the education their children receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 29 April 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the school does not always check effectively that pupils secure the most important knowledge they need. This means that some pupils’ knowledge gaps and misconceptions remain, which hampers their ability to build their knowledge of these subjects securely over time. The school should ensure that all assessment activity precisely identifies gaps in pupils’ learning so pupils make good progress through the curriculum.

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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, Hanley Swan St Gabriel’s with St Mary’s CofE Primary School, to be good in January 2014.

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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. 29 April 2025

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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). 29 April 2025

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School details

Website www.hanleyswanprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Hanley and Upton Educational Trust.  A Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools to evaluate the distinctiveness and effectiveness of Hanley Swan St Gabriel’s with St Mary’s CofE Primary School as a Church of England school took place on 21 June 2019. The next inspection is due in the academic year 2026/27.  The school has a breakfast club operating on site. This provision is managed by the school.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 29 April 2025

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the CEO and board members from the trust. In addition, inspectors met with the governing body and other leaders, including the deputy headteacher.  Inspectors had a telephone conversation with a representative of the diocese.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation provided by the school. This included improvement plans, leaders’ self-evaluation, minutes of the governing body and documents relating to behaviour and attendance.  The lead inspector listened to a range of pupils read.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school. They took into consideration responses to the pupil survey.  Inspectors took into account responses to Ofsted Parent View and the free-text

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responses. They also spoke to parents at the school gate.  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.

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Inspection team

Karen O’Keefe, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Maggie Spence Ofsted Inspector 29 April 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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