St Ann's RC Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Ann’s RC Primary School Derbyshire Lane, Stretford, Manchester M32 8SH

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school’s work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils are happy at the school and describe it as friendly and welcoming. Pupils respond positively to the school’s high expectations and achieve well in reading and mathematics. However, the curriculum is not taught consistently well in some other subjects. This means that pupils do not learn well enough in some of the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school celebrates each pupil’s uniqueness, for instance through its talent show and very well organised art exhibition events. Pupils learn to sing and perform for others, such as when they take part in the school orchestra and choir. Besides breakfast club and after- school club, pupils access popular clubs such as comic and sports clubs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of extra opportunities, for example to take on leadership roles at the school as house captains or reading ambassadors. Some older pupils have been trained to act as ‘sound squad buddies’ to support younger pupils’ learning of phonics. Pupils make a valuable contribution to the school’s work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave sensibly in classrooms and as they move about the school. They speak politely to one another, staff and visitors. However, some parents and carers and staff said that, at times, the school does not manage pupils’ behaviour and issues of bullying effectively.

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

Pupils attend school often, and it prepares them well overall for their education at secondary school. Nevertheless, pupils do not achieve as well as they could in some subjects. There are inconsistencies in how the curriculum is taught. During the past year, leaders and staff have given much of their time ensuring the school’s smooth move into 29 and 30 April 2025

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its new premises. This has distracted the school from some of its core work on the curriculum and teaching.

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In the main, the school has thought carefully about what pupils will learn and when. Pupils enjoy their learning, and in some subjects, such as mathematics, they remember important information. The school has identified adeptly where it intends to develop curriculum content further. Nevertheless, this work is at an early stage of development. This means that, sometimes, pupils learn key knowledge in some subjects less well than they could.

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Most of the time, the school ensures that staff teach pupils by using activities that match its ambitious curriculum. However, on occasion, including in the early years, some learning activities are not well thought out. This means that, sometimes, pupils do not build their knowledge securely.

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The school enthuses pupils about reading. This work begins successfully in the early years and builds well in each year group. The school introduces pupils to a wide range of high- quality fiction and non-fiction books. It celebrates the works of William Shakespeare very well, such as in its ‘Shakespeare Week’. As a result, pupils develop a first-rate grasp of plays such as ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. They speak joyfully and knowledgeably about the work of traditional and contemporary authors.

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The school gives successful attention to teaching phonics to pupils. It provides staff with training and guidance to deliver its chosen phonics programme well. Staff provide weaker readers with effective support and practice to strengthen their phonics understanding. Pupils learn to read with fluency and accuracy.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. It provides them with the support that they need. The school ensures that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum in class as their peers and achieve well in most subjects.

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On occasion, some pupils do not behave as they should. The school reviews information about behaviour issues carefully and provides pupils with helpful support. However, some parents and staff are concerned about the effectiveness of the school’s actions.

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Pupils benefit from the school’s personal development offer. For example, older pupils develop an impressive understanding of how the monarchy and the government have different roles in Britain’s democracy. The school enhances pupils’ wider knowledge with trips to the zoo, museum, parks and mines, as well as to the beach and country park.

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The school’s work benefits from links with other schools. It learns from the advice of visiting experts. The school ensures that staff receive helpful training, such as on mathematics. Many staff, but not all, said that the school considers their workload carefully and supports their well-being.

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The governing body uses its expertise to keep a close eye on the school’s work. It considers with due care the school’s long-term priorities. Governors recently ensured that 29 and 30 April 2025

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the school strengthened its expertise to lead key aspects such as SEND and developing the curriculum.

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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, the school does not think clearly enough about the essential knowledge that staff will teach. This means that, at times, pupils’ learning lacks depth. The school should make certain that pupils build a secure understanding of essential information.  Sometimes, the school does not ensure that learning activities, including in the early years, match its intended curriculum. On these occasions, pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff teach pupils the knowledge that they need to know.  At times, some parents and staff have concerns about the school’s responses to pupils’ behaviour and issues of bullying. This affects how some adults feel about the success of the school’s work. The school should strengthen its work with its stakeholders so they are confident that the school does all it can to ensure that pupils behave well.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in in February 2020. 29 and 30 April 2025

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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). 29 and 30 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher are new to post since the previous inspection.  At the time of this inspection, the headteacher was off work and the deputy headteacher was leading the school.  In 2024, the school moved into a new building on the site. The former building has been demolished.  The school does not use alternative provision for pupils.  The school is a Catholic school in the Diocese of Salford. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in March 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.  The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 29 and 30 April 2025

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 The inspector met with senior and middle leaders, staff and governors. He spoke by telephone with representatives of the local authority and diocese.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. There were no responses to the pupil survey to consider.  The inspector reviewed the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. He met with some parents. The inspector reviewed emails sent from some parents to Ofsted.  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

Tim Vaughan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 29 and 30 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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