Deeplish Primary Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Deeplish Primary Academy Derby Street, Rochdale, Lancashire OL11 1LT

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Outcome

Deeplish Primary Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The interim executive principal of this school is Ewan McPherson. This school is part of Focus Academy 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), Helen Rowland, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Paul Spencer. The interim executive principal is responsible for this school and one other within the trust.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy, behave sensibly and attend the school often. They want to learn from its well-thought-out curriculum. The school sets high academic expectations for its pupils, and they rise to meet them. By the time that pupils leave for secondary school, they are well prepared for their future education. In addition, pupils develop high expectations of themselves. They talk of ambitious possible careers, such as to become an architect, doctor or politician.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that their views matter to leaders and staff. They feel listened to. Pupils have high regard for their teachers. Pupils use many positive words, such as fair, friendly and kind, to describe the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn extra skills through the school’s clubs, for example about badminton, cricket and chess. They have many opportunities to take on special leadership roles. The ‘Young Interpreters’, for example, help pupils who are new to the school and learning English as an additional language to settle well. Pupils know that friendship is important for everyone.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the school’s well-considered educational trips. They relish their visits, such as to the library, museum, art gallery and country park. The special trip to London is especially popular, including to see the Houses of Parliament. 3 and 4 June 2025

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

The school works in well-considered ways with parents and carers so that it can help pupils to overcome any challenges or obstacles to their education. For example, the school’s actions mean that most pupils attend school when they should. Parents speak highly of the school and the effective ways that it engages with them and with local organisations, such as the mosque.

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

At the heart of the school’s well-crafted curriculum is careful consideration of what knowledge pupils need to know and when. The school enthuses pupils about learning. Pupils remember much key knowledge and are keen to share it with others. For example, pupils successfully recall information about the history of the Battle of Hastings in 1066 and the names of many European countries.

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

The school helps staff to have the skills and expertise to deliver its curriculum effectively. This results in pupils’ successful learning of much subject content. The school’s well- developed, led and taught mathematics curriculum results in pupils’ high attainment in this subject. Starting in the early years, learning mathematics at this school is also fun. Occasionally, some learning activities do not match the school’s curriculum well enough. This means that, sometimes, pupils learn important information less well than they should.

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

The school has established a well-thought-through approach to how staff check on pupils’ needs. This helps teachers to identify when some pupils need extra help to learn curriculum content. The school is well informed about the academic and social needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. It works well with other agencies and with parents to support pupils. Pupils learn well and are keen to know even more.

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

The school ensures that pupils access well-chosen books and stories from its carefully organised library areas. Children in the early years and pupils in key stages 1 and 2 develop a love of reading. Older pupils understand the importance of being able to read for their future. The school makes sure that pupils learn phonics well. Those pupils who need extra help with phonics, such as when learning English as an additional language, receive support so they can read with confidence and fluency.

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

In each class, pupils are thoughtful and polite. They care for one another. They see these behaviours modelled for them by leaders and staff. Pupils’ very positive behaviour leads to calm classrooms where teachers can teach, and pupils focus well on their work.

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

The school helps pupils to be responsible British citizens. As a result, pupils can explain the meaning of words such as democracy and prejudice. Throughout the school, pupils see respect for others as a core value to uphold. The school works closely with external agencies so that it supports pupils’ emotional health very well. Pupils feel good about themselves.

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

The trust makes certain that it has the expertise that it needs to review and support the school’s work effectively. The trust and its local governing board play valuable roles to 3 and 4 June 2025

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assist the school with its improvement. The school supports staff very well with their workload and well-being. Staff enjoy their work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, the school does not ensure that some learning activities match its curriculum well enough. This means that, on occasion, pupils learn some key knowledge less well. The school should make certain that the delivery of its curriculum helps pupils to learn as well as they could.

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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 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 February 2020.

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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. 3 and 4 June 2025

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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). 3 and 4 June 2025

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School details

Principal Ewan McPherson (interim executive principal) Website www.deeplishprimaryacademy.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Focus Trust.  The school does not use alternative provision.  On a day-to-day basis, the school’s work is led is by a head of 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 3 and 4 June 2025

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 The inspector met with the principal, head of school and several other senior and subject leaders.  The inspector met with the trust, including the CEO, the director of education, chair of the trust board and some members of the local governing board. The inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector met with some staff and considered the views of staff, as shared in an Ofsted survey.  The inspector reviewed the views of parents through Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. He also spoke with some parents.  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 3 and 4 June 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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