St Mary's CofE Primary School Moston

Inspection of St Mary’s CofE Primary School Moston St Mary’s Road, Moston, Manchester, Lancashire M40 0DF

p.1

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 3 and 4 June 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils come into this school each morning smiling. Community lies at the heart of the school’s values. Pupils feel happy and loved due to the compassion and consideration that staff show them. A nurturing and caring atmosphere permeates through the school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement, both academically and in their wider lives. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils achieve well at St Mary’s.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

From early years to Year 6, pupils are courteous, well-mannered and eager to engage in conversation. They are confident citizens. Pupils stated enthusiastically that this is a school where everyone is welcome and differences are celebrated.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud of their school. They talked excitedly about an arts education project and the authors that they have met. These experiences help to enrich pupils’ learning. Pupils proudly described the ways in which they contribute to school life, such as being school councillors, ‘urban crew’ and sports leaders. Pupils appreciate the range of trips and visits they are offered. For example, to the safari park, the farm and a residential to an outdoor activity centre. These activities help to broaden their horizons and raise their aspirations.

p.2

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

The school has worked successfully to secure several improvements since the last inspection. It has identified the key knowledge and subject-specific skills that pupils should learn in each subject. However, in a minority of subjects, while the school has identified what pupils should learn, the curriculum does not set out coherently the order in which they should learn it. This means that pupils do not build their knowledge securely over time.

p.2

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

The school and governors are focused on ensuring that the standard of education continues to strengthen. Staff undertake regular, high-quality training. This helps to ensure that, on the whole, staff support pupils to learn the intended curriculum well. However, in a small number of subjects, the activities teachers choose and the explanations they provide do not help pupils to learn content as deeply as they could. In most subjects, staff check on pupils’ understanding and address misconceptions effectively. Conversely, in a minority of subjects these checks are not as purposeful as they could be. This means that staff do not always know how well pupils learn and understand the intended curriculum.

p.2

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

The school has ensured that a love of reading is fostered as soon as children start in the early years. Older pupils enjoy reading a wide range of literature and understand the importance of this. Staff deliver the phonics curriculum effectively. They routinely check pupils’ phonics knowledge and ensure that pupils who struggle with reading receive the support that they need to catch up quickly. As a result, most pupils learn to read with fluency and accuracy. 3 and 4 June 2025

p.2

3

Since the last inspection, the school has made significant strides in fostering inclusivity and support for pupils with SEND. It has invested in training to help staff quickly identify and meet pupils’ needs. The school’s tenacious approach to securing the right support ensures that pupils with SEND achieve well from their starting points. The school supports pupils with SEND to be fully involved in all aspects of school life.

p.3

3

Throughout the school, pupils are polite and considerate to each other and to adults. From the early years, children learn how to make decisions, be resilient and cooperate with others successfully.

p.3

3

The school has prioritised strong relationships with parents and carers, addressing and removing barriers that might prevent children from attending school. This helps to promote a positive culture of attendance across the school community. As a result, pupils’ attendance is consistently high.

p.3

3

The school’s personal development programme supports pupils’ preparation for adulthood. For example, pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to care for their physical and mental health. They learn about staying safe, both online and in their locality. Pupils benefit from the range of clubs on offer such as basketball, dance and gardening. This helps them to develop their talents and interests. Older pupils actively support local charities in the community by organising events at their summer and Christmas fairs. This helps them to learn about the difference that their actions can make.

p.3

3

Staff are proud to work at this school. The school is considerate of their workload and well-being. Governors have undertaken training to strengthen their roles. They are well informed about the school’s curriculum. They have a range of skills that allow them to understand the school, support its development and hold leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not clearly sequenced. In these subjects, pupils do not consistently build on their prior learning to develop a secure understanding over time. The school should ensure and check that the curriculum is well-sequenced and progressive to enable pupils to know more and remember more over time.  A minority of staff are unclear about how to deliver aspects of the subject curriculums and choose the most beneficial activities and explanations. Occasionally, this hinders how well some pupils learn new knowledge in these subjects. The school should ensure 3 and 4 June 2025

p.3

4

that staff receive the support that they require to deliver subject curriculums consistently well.  In a few subjects, systems for checking what pupils know need further development. Assessment information is not consistently used to identify where pupils’ gaps are in their understanding and to inform future teaching. The school should refine its methods for checking what pupils, including those with SEND, remember over time, to ensure that any gaps in learning are identified and addressed.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 3 and 4 June 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

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

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 February 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 This Church of England school is in the Diocese of Manchester. The last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, was in February 2025. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place in the 2029-2030 academic year.  The school manages a breakfast club.  The school makes use of one unregistered alternative provision.

p.5

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.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 3 and 4 June 2025

p.5

6

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and with other school leaders.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of governors, and spoke with a representative of the local authority and a representative of the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors discussed the curriculum in some other subjects. They spoke with leaders and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single

p.6

6

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 pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

p.6

Inspection team

Ruth Moran, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Lisa Hesmondhalgh Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 June 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7