St Mark's RC Primary School

Inspection Report St Mark's RC Primary School

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105956 Unique Reference Number Salford Local Authority 277452 Inspection number 22 °23 November 2006 Inspection dates John Coleman HMI Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Queensway School address Primary Type of school Clifton, Swinton Voluntary aided School category Manchester, Lancashire M27 8QE 3 °11 Age range of pupils

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0161 7943876 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 9211124 Fax number 233 Number on roll (school) Mr Philip Royle Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mr M Platt Headteacher 16 October 2000 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277452 22 °23 November 2006 3°11 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two of Her Majesty's Inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school serves the community of Pendlebury and the parish of St Mark's. It is oversubscribed. There is considerable variance in the composition of year groups by gender. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is about average. The vast majority of pupils are White British.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Mark's RC Primary School, 22 °23 November 2006

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Grade: 1

St Mark's is an outstanding school. It is a happy place where pupils greatly enjoy learning and take pride in their achievements. The quality of education in the Foundation Stage is good. The staff provide excellent role models and expect high standards. Pupils respond very positively to the school's provision. They are enthusiastic learners who are polite, respectful and considerate. They make extremely good progress and reach very high academic standards. In lessons across the school pupils show excellent levels of concentration and interest. This is due to the very high quality of teaching. As a result, although many pupils begin school with skills which are below average, they make outstanding progress so that standards are well above average in English, mathematics and science by the time they leave Year 6. Pupils in a Year 5 mathematics lesson are a good illustration of the strengths in teaching: they were engrossed as the teacher adopted a fun and lively

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Grade: 1

style. The pace of learning was unrelenting and pupils smiled as they succeeded: they told the inspector, 'We enjoy maths very much because the teacher plays games, makes it interesting and helps us to understand. She quickly helps us if we don't understand.' The school successfully delivers a curriculum which effectively develops a high level of basic skills in literacy and numeracy. There are themed weeks to enrich the curriculum such as an 'arts week' which was taking place during the inspection. The curriculum does not consistently provide appealing and interesting experiences to stretch and challenge the abilities of all pupils in all subjects. Computer facilities have been much improved and heavily invested in by the school. Teachers use them to good effect in lessons. Assessment systems are rigorous and, as a result of excellent monitoring of pupil's attainment, provide very good information about their progress. The school targets

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Grade: 1

the expectations of pupils' performance in a systematic way which places high expectations on all. Senior staff have an accurate overview of the schools performance and this is shared by governors. These systems are instrumental in the school improving standards to a level which demonstrates sustained excellence. Targets for what pupils should achieve are communicated to parents and pupils are knowledgeable about these. The school council has a positive impact on developments as shown in their determination in purchasing benches and playground equipment at the request of their classmates. Pupils' positive contribution to the community is seen in the many fundraising events which support charitable causes such as Children in Need and St Joseph's Penny. Pupils develop as mature confident young people with high self esteem. This is no surprise since everyone who works in the school is totally committed

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Grade: 1

to achieving this. Pupils feel safe and are able to turn to someone if they need help. They are developing healthy lifestyles aided by their school which has taken over the running of school meals to improve healthy choices. Lunchtime staff are passionate in encouraging pupils to eat and drink sensibly. 2 Inspection Report: St Mark's RC Primary School, 22 °23 November 2006 Parents overwhelmingly view the school highly. Inspectors received many responses from parents which are typified by these two comments, 'Fantastic, I think that sums up everything about the school and 'Brilliant.great job, I wouldn't want my child to be taught anywhere else.' Superlative remarks from parents, children, governors and the local authority are the result of sustained and outstanding leadership from the headteacher and staff. Improvements have been achieved in many areas, standards have risen significantly and pupils' achievement is amongst the best in the country. Since the last inspection

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Grade: 1

improvement is first class and the school gives outstanding value for money. The capacity of the school to make further improvement is excellent.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure the curriculum engages pupils by activities that consistently develops and stretches them and appeals to their interest.

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Grade: 1

Most pupils enter Nursery with skills which are below those found nationally, especially in communication, language and literacy. In Nursery and Reception they make good progress so that by the end of the Foundation Stage standards are average. Pupils' progress in Key Stage 1 is good and they achieve above average standards by the end of Year 2. During Key Stage 2 pupils make exceptional progress and standards are well above average in English, mathematics and science by the end of this key stage. Standards in Year 6 have remained very high in recent years when test results show the school consistently in the top 5% nationally. From a low starting point this represents outstanding achievement.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well being are excellent. From the moment pupils enter the Nursery the school does its utmost to develop their social skills and is very successful in this. Strong positive relationships are coupled with pupils' exemplary behaviour and attitudes. They are courteous and well-mannered, showing respect to each other and adults. Within the school's safe, happy and caring atmosphere all pupils achieve exceptionally well and make outstanding progress in acquiring the numeracy, literacy and social skills which will help in later life. The prefects take their role seriously, assisting in the smooth running of the school. Pupils' attendance is above the national average and their punctuality is good. The enthusiasm for sporting activities demonstrates pupils' very good awareness of healthy living. Pupils are encouraged to choose healthy food at break and lunch times. Pupils' spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is excellent. They are sensitive

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Grade: 1

to inequalities and respect each other's views. The school's link, through fund raising 3 Inspection Report: St Mark's RC Primary School, 22 °23 November 2006 activities, with the Magadi Mission in Kenya further raises awareness of other cultures. The pupils take pride and interest in their well presented work.

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Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are outstanding overall, though stronger in Key Stage 2 than earlier in the school. In the Foundation Stage good teaching is based upon a strong understanding of how young children learn best. Good preparation and planning mean that activities are well matched to the needs of every child. In Key Stage 1 teaching is also good, with a firm focus on providing differentiated activities which cater for the widening range of pupil's abilities and interests. Outstanding teaching in Key Stage 2 is due to the teachers' very high expectations of what pupils can achieve. A high level of pupils' interaction in their learning stems from engaging and stimulating teaching which enthuses pupils with a desire to learn. In all lessons seen by inspectors there were very strong and warm relationships between teachers and pupils and behaviour was excellent. Teachers consistently use the results of pupil's assessments

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Grade: 1

to inform the next steps in their learning. Information and communication technology (ICT) is used effectively in lessons by all teachers to deliver pupils' learning experiences.

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good curriculum, which is well balanced, matches pupils' needs and interests well and fully meets statutory requirements. Pupils find the curriculum enjoyable. Good provision for literacy, numeracy and ICT is enhanced by thorough assessments and clear targets for improvement. In the Foundation Stage much work has been done recently to create an environment in which there is an equal balance of teacher directed and child chosen activities. The outdoor area greatly enhances the quality of learning and is used very effectively. Throughout the school themed weeks, such as 'Arts Week', 'Poetry' and 'Multi Faith Week' enable pupils to study topics in greater depth. The school has good plans to develop more links across subjects and to provide more learning experiences to stretch pupils of all abilities. In several subjects learning is enriched by exciting visits out of school, such as to

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Grade: 2

Ordsall Hall and Crucial Crew. These offer added dimensions to pupils work in these subjects and in personal, social and health education. The variety of stimulating visitors such as The Music and Performing Arts Service adds to this provision. The school offers a wide range of sporting extra curricular activities but needs to expand opportunities in other areas. 4 Inspection Report: St Mark's RC Primary School, 22 °23 November 2006

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Grade: 1

Provision for pupils care, guidance and support is outstanding. `St Mark's is a friendly and caring school', sums up many parents' views. Pupils feel secure and are closely supervised, both in and out of school, with risk assessments conducted whenever needed. Child protection requirements and health and safety procedures are firmly established and understood by all staff. Procedures for settling new pupils into school, and on transfer to secondary school, are very good. Almost all pupils transfer to the same secondary school. Parents and carers feel welcome in the school. The school takes excellent care of its pupils. They trust the staff and know who to turn to if they are troubled. A noteworthy feature is the academic guidance pupils receive. Through the process of marking and the setting of targets all pupils are challenged and supported to go further in their learning. The comments made by teachers clearly explain what the

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Grade: 1

pupil has achieved and what needs to be done to improve. Pupils have many opportunities for self assessment. The system for interpreting data, setting targets and tracking progress is excellent.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. High expectations from the leadership and management team are evident in every subject and across all key stages. The headteacher and deputy head provide an outstanding steer in a truly collaborative partnership. All contributions from staff are highly valued. Under this very effective leadership team subject managers are extremely productive in their monitoring role. They provide very good evaluative reports to inform governors and senior staff about pupils' standards and plans for development and improvement. Communication systems are strong and support a staff culture of teamwork focused on pupils' wellbeing and raising their academic attainment. Governance is excellent and the governing body is led by a chair who has an exceptional knowledge of educational issues. The governing body is well informed by the reports and presentations from school staff. There are

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Grade: 1

good links between individual governors and subject managers. Governors visit the school regularly and they successfully monitor its progress first hand, in order to challenge the school effectively where appropriate. The school's self-evaluation is a very accurate reflection of its strengths and areas for improvement with which inspectors agree. 5 Inspection Report: St Mark's RC Primary School, 22 °23 November 2006 .

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: St Mark's RC Primary School, 22 °23 November 2006

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 1 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: St Mark's RC Primary School, 22 °23 November 2006

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: St Mark's RC Primary School, 22 °23 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Following our visit to your school we would like to thank you for making us feel so welcome and for talking to us about your experiences. We would like to tell you what we found out about your school. • Pupils and parents told us that St Mark's is a fantastic school and we agree. • You all work hard and are very well behaved. • Teaching is excellent. • Your headteacher and all the staff want the very best for you and are very successful in achieving this. • Governors get involved in school: they know what is really good and what could be improved. • You make excellent progress and, by the time you are ready for secondary school, you reach high standards in your work. • You very much enjoy being at school. • You told us you feel safe in school and that staff are approachable, caring and helpful. We agree. • We have asked the school to improve the range of interesting activities in lessons so that you are challenged to achieve even more highly.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for helping us so much with the inspection of your school. We hope you will carry on enjoying learning and helping your teachers to make St Mark's Roman Catholic Primary School a fantastic school. 9 Inspection Report: St Mark's RC Primary School, 22 °23 November 2006

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