Mottram St Andrew Primary Academy

Mottram St Andrew Primary Academy

Address: Priest Lane, Mottram St Andrew, Macclesfield, Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK10 4QL Unique reference number (URN): 136518

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school is committed to offering a high-quality personal development programme. Pupils gain a mature understanding of relationships through a well-structured personal, social and health education curriculum. Staff support pupils effectively to question and deepen their understanding. Pupils are well informed about mental health and can access wellbeing support readily. Many pupils describe the school as a place where they can share worries and learn how to keep themselves safe.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils understand and respect cultural differences through focused learning. For instance, pupils in Years 5 and 6 explore the lives of those who emigrated from the Caribbean to Britain on the British ship the Empire Windrush in 1948. Staff promote British values, such as respect and the rule of law in well-considered teaching opportunities. Pupils take part in class votes and elections for school council positions. These activities help pupils to understand democracy and the importance of having a voice. Pupils are proud to hold leadership roles, such as house captains and safety ambassadors. They value opportunities to contribute to the school and wider community. These include making suggestions for improvements to their playground and showing visitors around their school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils have access to a broad range of extra-curricular activities. The school's use of external specialist staff widens pupils’ experiences, for example they may learn to play a musical instrument and develop expertise in a variety of sports. Creative and bespoke clubs, such as performing arts and 'Wild Club', further enrich school life. Pupils flourish through representing their school in tournaments and competitions. Staff ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities participate fully in all wider opportunities.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils know how the school prepares them well for the future. They know what careers and training opportunities they may have access to. Older pupils demonstrate the impact of financial education by designing games to raise money at the school's Christmas fair. By the time pupils leave, they are considerate young people, who are very well prepared for life beyond school.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils are confident and articulate learners. They demonstrate a range of knowledge and skills that they have gained across subjects and year groups. Overall, pupils are well prepared for their next stage of learning, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils. This is typically reflected in the school's above- average outcomes in national tests at the end of Year 6. Over time, pupils’ achievement in writing has not been as strong as in other subjects. Leaders have worked effectively to bring about improvements so that current pupils make greater gains in writing. As a result, current pupils’ work across year groups display a high standard of written work. In 2025, pupils' achievement in the Year 4 multiplication table check was below the national average. Leaders now make regular checks on pupils’ rapid recall of number facts to help ensure that Year 4 pupils have the fluency that they should. Pupils confidently apply their

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Achievement Expected standard

number fluency in their mathematics lessons.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They thrive in the positive environment leaders have created for them. Leaders act when pupils do not attend regularly. They identify any barriers or support needed to increase attendance. As a result, there have been marked improvements in pupils' attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils are calm and engaged in classroom learning. Older pupils model the playground rules for younger children at lunchtimes. Pupils play together harmoniously. Leaders have established a culture centred on the school's core value of kindness. Pupils show high levels of care and consideration for each other. Bullying is rare. Pupils know staff will take action when behaviours are not appropriate.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Staff are clear on how they expect pupils to behave. They use incentives which pupils relish, such as earning points for their class rewards. Pupils are treated fairly and consistently by staff, who know them well. Leaders make adaptations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who benefit from more bespoke approaches. As a result, pupils are supported to manage their emotions appropriately and fully take part in all aspects of school life.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all. They have established the key skills and subject-specific knowledge that pupils will gain during their school journey. Leaders ensure that pupils secure the basics in reading, writing and mathematics early on, so they are ready for later learning. Pupils make meaningful connections in their learning. For example, they learn how key events in history, such as the Great Fire of London, led to changes we see in the modern world. In all subjects, there is a focus on developing pupils’ vocabulary. This supports pupils to know and remember key terminology, and to use ambitious language in their writing.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers typically deliver lessons clearly. Leaders check the quality of teaching to ensure that there are high standards. They provide training to support teachers' subject knowledge. On occasion, leaders’ checks do not identify inconsistencies in the quality of teaching. As a result, some subject content is not presented as effectively as it could be. Staff regularly check on pupils' learning to identify their next steps. They ensure that pupils who need additional support catch up quickly.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff consider the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, as well as disadvantaged pupils. They make appropriate adaptations, such as providing additional staff support and visual prompts. This enables all pupils to access the same curriculum.

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Early years Expected standard

Children in the early years come into school happily. They experience warm relationships, which help to create a sense of security and belonging. Staff engage children in talk during play. They respond appropriately to children’s ideas, helping them communicate and use language with increasing confidence. In the Nursery and Reception years, leaders are aiming to further strengthen outcomes across all areas of learning. They are refining the curriculum to ensure that opportunities to deepen children’s learning or further develop their communication skills are maximised.

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Early years Expected standard

Reading is prioritised. The school's approach starts in the Nursery Year, where children experience songs and rhymes. In the Reception Year, children then follow a structured phonics programme. They start to read and write words with increasing accuracy.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff help children develop personally, socially and emotionally. They provide high-quality care, encouraging children to be independent and make positive choices. As a result, children move into Year 1 with the knowledge and confidence needed for the next stage of their learning.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff work closely with parents and carers to share information about children’s learning. They make suitable adaptations so that children, including those who are disadvantaged and who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, can access the curriculum well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that everyone is included and feels a sense of belonging. They know their pupils well and understand any barriers they may face to their learning and emotional wellbeing. Staff identify pupils’ needs quickly and accurately. They typically apply well- considered strategies to support pupils to progress from their varied starting points. At times, leaders' oversight of the impact of planned strategies and support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is not as effective as it could be. This limits how well some pupils achieve.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders provide staff with effective training and specialist advice from external professionals. Consequently, they have the knowledge required to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff work closely with parents and carers so they can reinforce learning at home and contribute to their child’s wider development. This helps to strengthen parents' engagement, enabling them to play a full part in the life of the school.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use additional funding, such as the pupil premium grant, to meet disadvantaged pupils' needs. For example, the funding is used to help subsidise pupils' access to clubs and educational visits. This ensures that all pupils can enjoy more opportunities and be fully included. Leaders are determined to make a positive contribution to all pupils’ learning and wider wellbeing. Leaders, including governors, have a sharp focus on the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. They ensure that these pupils achieve as well as their peers.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors know the school well. They have a shared vision for every pupil to be treated as an individual. They understand the school’s current strengths and areas for development. Work already completed by leaders, such as strengthening the writing curriculum and improving overall school attendance, demonstrates the positive impact of their leadership.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors are experienced and have the necessary skills to meet their statutory duties. They hold leaders to account effectively on their work to improve the school. This includes work done in relation to pupils’ attendance and the effective deployment of staff to support pupils' progress. Governors ensure that decisions are made in the very best interests of pupils. For instance, they have oversight of how additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is carefully used to help them achieve as well as their peers.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders make effective use of training and professional learning opportunities for staff. This ensures that staff are well equipped to carry out their role, for example, in making improvements to how they adapt the curriculum. Leaders are mindful of the wellbeing and workload of staff when taking decisions. Staff welcome this approach and are positive about their work at the school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders engage well with parents and carers. They take a collaborative approach and share their high expectations for attendance and academic achievement. Parents and the wider community play an active role in further development of the school, for example through fundraising or the family ‘DIY days’.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils do well at Mottram St. Andrew Primary Academy. They benefit from being a part of a close-knit community, where everyone wants the best for every child. Staff greet pupils warmly each morning and know them well. Pupils are happy in school and the majority attend regularly. Staff keep pupils safe and take care of them. They show pupils how to manage risks, such as how to use a mobile phone safely and practise road safety.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils behave well. They follow the school rules and enjoy receiving recognition through ‘gold awards’. Pupils embrace their school values and take pride in belonging to their school. They show kindness, determination, cooperation and honesty. In lessons, overall, pupils show a genuine interest in learning. They work together happily and give their best effort. Pupils state confidently that bullying does not happen in their school. They explain that if it did, staff would step in quickly and resolve it.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils experience an ambitious curriculum, most subject content is taught well and, as a result, current pupils’ work across year groups display a high standard of written work. Those who need extra support, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, generally receive the help they need to be successful. The school offers extensive opportunities for pupils to develop beyond the academic. Pupils can take part in 'wild club' and overnight adventurous activities, which build resilience and independence. Children from the early years through to Year 6 perform to live audiences from venues, such as their small school hall to national concert hall and arenas. As a result, pupils grow in confidence and develop their talents through these memorable experiences. Pupils take part in activities that enhance what they have learned in lessons, such as geography fieldwork trips and visits to local historical sites. Pupils say this brings learning to

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

life and helps them remember what they have been taught.

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Next steps

• Leaders should ensure that highly effective teaching is consistently embedded across all subjects and year groups to ensure that pupils achieve as well as they can. • Leaders should continue to refine the early years curriculum, ensuring that there is a clear progression from the Nursery to Reception classes for activities within the continuous provision, so opportunities to deepen learning are maximised. • Leaders should rigorously monitor the impact of support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to ensure that the strategies chosen make a sustained difference to reduce pupils' barriers to learning and/or wellbeing.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Karin Whitehead.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by his Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with with the members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. They also spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, special educational needs coordinator, designated safeguarding lead and other school leaders. Inspectors met with a representative from the local authority and the school's improvement partner.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school does not use alternative provision.

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Team inspectors:

Alison Lawson, Ofsted Inspector Helen Friend, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 69% 62% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2022/23 (final) 70% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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gap

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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