Hurst Knoll St James' Church of England Primary School

School

Address: Ladbrooke Road, Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire, OL6 8JS Unique reference number (URN): 106229

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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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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders relentlessly promote their high expectations for attendance with pupils, parents and carers. Staff carefully check and track pupils' attendance. They recognise and reward positive attendance. They identify specific reasons for absence and provide well-matched support to help pupils attend more regularly. Pupils’ rates of attendance are close to those seen nationally. The attendance rates of disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities are similar to the national averages for these groups. Pupils’ attendance continues to rise this year.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Staff promote pupils' positive behaviour through the school's ‘UNITE’ rules. Pupils understand the school’s expectations for their behaviour. They typically live up to these well. Pupils understand how to be in the right place in the right way and show respect. Leaders and staff have embedded consistent approaches when this is not the case. For example, when pupils occasionally experience bullying or other poor behaviour, staff respond with suitable support and challenge.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils are usually well behaved in lessons. Many pupils show a keen interest in learning. Some pupils occasionally demonstrate less positive behaviours in lessons. Staff are increasingly well equipped to support pupils who struggle to stay engaged. They ensure these pupils get the prompt support they need to control their behaviour and re-engage with learning.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders’ recent actions have successfully strengthened staff’s expectations of, and support for, children in the early years. Consequently, children learn, develop and achieve well from their starting points.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff ensure that they take account of children's starting points when they join the Reception Year. Children benefit from a mix of structured and unstructured opportunities to gain important knowledge across all areas of learning.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff make sure that the early years environment is calm, purposeful and well organised. Children have a firm understanding of well-embedded routines. Staff are attentive to children's wellbeing and safety. Children enjoy positive and trusting relationships with staff.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff provide a broad range of opportunities for children to learn and develop. Staff promote and develop children’s communication and language through attentive interactions. Children successfully begin their journey of learning to read through well-delivered phonics sessions. Staff provide meaningful opportunities for children to understand, talk about and practise using numbers.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff ensure the environment and resources in the early years are stimulating and well organised. Staff support children to access activities with purpose and independence. Children benefit from opportunities for physical development, imaginative play and creative expression. Staff carefully track children’s experiences and development. This helps staff to steer children towards a broad range of activities. Furthermore, it provides clear information to teachers in Year 1 about what children have achieved and are ready to tackle next.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school carefully identifies and assesses the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff skilfully work closely with pupils, parents, carers and the local authority to identify the barriers that pupils face.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff in ‘The Hub’ provide tailored and highly effective additional support for pupils’ speech and language and their social and emotional needs. When needed, staff make use of a range of different external agencies to support the specific needs of pupils. This helps pupils to progress through the curriculum from often exceptionally low starting points.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively. They use a range of suitably focused strategies to help disadvantaged pupils attend school regularly and be ready for their experiences. Leaders are ambitious for these pupils to achieve better than in the past. To this end, they maintain a sharp focus on strengthening pupils' experiences in lessons.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school makes appropriate and effective use of alternative provision and part-time timetables for a small number of pupils. Staff work closely with pupils and parents to identify the experiences that will best meet pupils' needs. Staff carefully check on pupils' learning and development to inform decisions about what they are ready for next.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

In recent years, the school has carefully restructured and strengthened its leadership. As a result, leaders have secure oversight of provision across the school and a detailed understanding of the schools’ strengths and weaknesses. They have used this information to successfully improve inclusive practices, pastoral care and the attendance and behaviour of pupils. Leaders are well poised to further strengthen the curriculum and teaching as the next step in their journey of improvement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are well supported by the school’s governing body. Governors carefully review and assess their own skills. This informs their training and guides them when making new appointments to the governing body. Governors bring the school’s values to life in their modelling of support for others in their community. Governors are well informed about the work of the school and pupils’ experiences. They provide a healthy balance of support and challenge to leaders.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and staff share a clear vision. An increasing sense of teamwork has been re- invigorated in recent years. They work together well to make the most of regular and well- focused opportunities for professional learning and development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff feel well supported by leaders and governors. Staff value the clear lines of communication that leaders have established. During this ongoing journey of improvement, they appreciate how leaders have supported their workload in proactive and practical ways.

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Needs attention

Leaders and staff communicate well with parents and carers. Parents understand what is happening in school and how they can support their children. Staff make effective use of drop-off and pick-up times to keep parents informed or find out more about pupils. Many parents value the ‘What more can we do?’ ethos that staff often demonstrate.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils benefit from well-planned and carefully selected experiences that meet their needs and enhance their personal development.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn about how to look after themselves, how to look after others and how to be a part of a world that is kind to everybody. This helps pupils to understand how they can live up to the school’s values of hope, kindness, trust, justice and forgiveness.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities to develop their understanding of citizenship and life skills. They learn about connecting with others and building positive relationships. They benefit from visits from the police and fire service. These experiences enhance pupils’ understanding of personal safety, including online safety, responsibility and community.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils learn about different cultures, beliefs and values. They can explain what they mean to different people. Pupils demonstrate respect for one another and understand each other’s rights.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils have a secure enough understanding of the values that underpin British culture. They understand concepts such as equality, democracy and the rule of law. They recognise the need for laws. They value the opportunity to have their voices heard. They can explain how each of these contribute to looking after all of the different people in our county.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils are encouraged to understand how the school’s rules unite everybody. They learn about how to manage themselves to support these rules. Increasingly, more pupils are well equipped to contribute to the calm and purposeful environment across the school. Staff are appropriately ambitious to further develop these traits of self-management and resilience.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders’ commitment to inclusion underpins the pastoral support that pupils receive. Staff are vigilant. They are quick to spot when pupils need more support for their wellbeing. Pupils learn how to look after their own physical and mental health. Even so, staff are ready to guide and support pupils and their families when it is needed.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils make uneven gains in their knowledge across the curriculum. They are beginning to build their reading knowledge more securely following the recent move to a new phonics scheme. However, pupils’ knowledge of handwriting, grammar, punctuation and spelling develops too slowly. This impacts on the quality of their writing. Furthermore, in mathematics, pupils' grasp of mathematical facts and calculation methods is variable. Published data shows that over recent years, pupils typically attain lower than that seen nationally across reading, writing and mathematics. Across these subjects, pupils who are disadvantaged consistently attain below the national average for other disadvantaged pupils.

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Achievement Needs attention

In the past, pupils’ achievement has impacted negatively on their readiness for their next steps. However, recent work to strengthen the curriculum and teaching across the school is helping more pupils to be better prepared for their future.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have ensured that pupils benefit from carefully identified and well-ordered knowledge across most areas of the curriculum, including reading, writing and mathematics. However, in a small number of subjects, curriculum content is not as carefully set out. This means that in places, pupils' learning does not build on their previous experiences as well as it should.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Staff usually explain important ideas and concepts with clarity. They usually check what pupils know and can do. Some staff use this information to make careful decisions about what pupils should learn next. However, this is not replicated across different classes. As a result, some pupils are asked to do activities that they do not have the prior knowledge or resilience to complete.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from well- focused and skilled additional support from staff. Most staff carefully identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. They use appropriate resources and provide effective guidance for pupils to overcome the barriers they face. That said, some staff do not consistently demonstrate a secure understanding of pupils’ prior knowledge or needs. Consequently, some pupils with SEND do not get the support they need to overcome barriers and gain new knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders understand the strengths and weaknesses in the school’s curriculum and teachers’ practice. They are currently working positively with staff to strengthen pupils' learning experiences.

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

Staff at this school fully understand pupils’ backgrounds and circumstances. Pupils get the support they need to attend regularly, overcome barriers to learning and join in with school life. Pupils have a real sense of belonging. They feel well cared for and understood.

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

Pupils and children in the early years benefit from clear expectations and helpful routines. Staff support pupils to understand the school’s rules. Pupils are usually respectful, safe and kind. Pupils are well supported to understand how to make good choices. When needed, staff address more challenging behaviour effectively, including bullying.

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

Pupils are helped to develop important social skills. Staff encourage pupils to interact positively with each other. Pupils practise and develop these traits daily through high-quality outdoor play and learning opportunities. These activities foster pupils' good manners and develop their ability to cooperate well with others.

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

Pupils’ enjoyment of learning is mixed. Children in the early years benefit from high-quality interactions with staff. As a result, they learn and develop well. Pupils across Years 1 to 6 have inconsistent experiences in lessons. This hampers some pupils' progress from their starting points. While many pupils are well equipped for their next steps, some are not.

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

Pupils are well supported to get involved in the wider life of the school. They enjoy developing their talents across a range of sporting and performing arts clubs. They are encouraged to develop their sense of adventure and independence through camping and residential opportunities.

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

Pupils enjoy positive and supportive relationships with staff. They trust staff to look after them. They talk to staff when they feel worried. Staff support pupils well. Pupils feel safe in school.

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Next steps

In those subjects where the curriculum content is not set out, leaders should carefully identify and order the knowledge that pupils should learn so that they can build their knowledge securely over time. Leaders should ensure that staff use the information from their checks on learning to match activities to pupils' needs so that they can progress well through the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that the additional support that staff provide for pupils in lessons consistently and precisely helps pupils overcome the specific barriers to learning that they face.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Elizabeth Daunt.

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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

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders and staff during the inspection. Inspectors also spoke with representatives of the governing board, the Diocese of Manchester and Tameside local authority. Inspectors considered the views of parents and carers to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also considered the responses to Ofsted's online staff questionnaire.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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Lead inspector:

Michael Pennington, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Peter Berry, Ofsted Inspector Chris Wilkins, Ofsted 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?

This school is registered as having a Christian religious character. The school’s last section 48 inspection was in September 2024.

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What does this mean?

The school makes use of one registered alternative provider to provide full- and part-time education for a small number of pupils.

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What does this mean?

Headteacher: Jonathon Hobday 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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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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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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average

2024/25 (final) 43% 47% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 47% 44% Close to average

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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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average

2024/25 (final) 52% 63% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 60% 60% Close to average

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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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average

2024/25 (final) 48% 59% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 50% 58% Close to average

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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

2022/23 (final) 60% 59% Close to average

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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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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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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 5.5% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.8% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 6.3% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

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

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 16.4% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 19.8% 16.2% Close to average

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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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