St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School

Inspection Report St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School

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106353 Unique Reference Number Trafford LEA 277536 Inspection number 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005 Inspection dates Mrs Jane Austin HMI Reporting inspector

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

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Glastonbury Road School address Primary Type of school Stretford Voluntary aided School category Manchester, Lancashire M32 9PD 3 to 11 Age range of pupils

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0161 912 2906 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 912 2724 Fax number 259 Number on roll Rev. Cleary Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Paul Doodson Headteacher 22 November 1999 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277536 14 September 2005 - 3 to 11 15 September 2005 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 and an additional inspector.

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Description of the school

St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School is about five miles from the centre of Manchester in the Stretford area of the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford. In recent years the number on roll has fallen substantially. The school is now average in size with 240 pupils on roll, including 24 in the nursery, half of whom attend part time. With the exception of two children, the pupils speak English as their first language. The proportion eligible for free school meals is below the national figure. The percentage of the pupils identified as having special educational needs is in line with the national average. There is one pupil with a statement of special educational need, a lower figure than is usual for a school of this size and type. Very few pupils join or leave the school other than at the expected times. The school has Investors in People status. At the time of the inspection, the deputy headteacher was leading the school in the

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Description of the school

capacity of acting headteacher. He took on this role at the beginning of the current academic year.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School, 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005

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Grade: 2

St Hugh of Lincoln is a good school, a view shared by the acting headteacher, governors, staff and parents. Children get off to a good start in the Foundation Stage because adults support them well and offer an appropriate range of stimulating experiences. They make good progress overall as they move through the school, and especially in Years 3 to 6. The standards the pupils reach by the time they leave are generally above average. Pupils with learning difficulties achieve well. Overall, teaching is good and, as a result, pupils enjoy coming to school, work hard and behave well. However, at times the pace of lessons is too pedestrian and the tasks set for more able pupils are not challenging enough. The curriculum is broad and enriched by a wide variety of trips, visits, clubs and sporting activities which contribute significantly to the pupils' enthusiasm for school. Pupils are well cared for and supported in developing mature relationships and

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Grade: 2

safe lifestyles. The school gives good value for money. The capacity for the school to improve is good. The areas identified for improvement at the time of the last inspection have been addressed effectively. Standards have risen. The quality of teaching is monitored regularly and has improved considerably. Marking is now thorough and learning is better resourced. This is particularly the case for information and communications technology (ICT). The acting headteacher knows where the school's strengths are and the areas in need of further improvement. The governors are committed to the school and support its progress keenly. However, their monitoring of standards and the quality of education provided by the school lacks rigour. Parents have great confidence in the school and are very supportive of their children's learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in Years 1 and 2. • Ensure that more able pupils are identified and given sufficiently challenging work. • Ensure that all lessons move at a brisk pace. • Work with governors to help them support and challenge the school robustly.

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Grade: 2

The standards reached by the pupils and the progress they make are good overall. When pupils enter the nursery their personal and social development is in line with that expected for children of their age. However, their skills and understanding in other areas are below this level. Children make good progress in the Foundation Stage as a result of well-structured learning that is matched to their individual needs. They begin Year 1 at the nationally expected level in all areas of learning. Pupils make satisfactory progress during Key Stage 1. In 2004, the standards attained in the Key 2 Inspection Report: St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School, 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005 Stage 1 national tests were broadly in line with the national average in reading and writing, but below this in mathematics. In all three subjects, the proportion of pupils achieving above the expected level was well below the national figure. The provisional

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Grade: 2

scores for the 2005 tests show a similar picture. Over the last four years, the school's performance in the core subjects at Key Stage 2 has been above the national averages. The 2005 provisional results indicate that these standards have been maintained. In the 2004 national tests, the proportion of the pupils achieving the higher level 5 in English and science was significantly above the national figure. Almost all learners made outstanding progress in this key stage.

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Grade: 2

Behaviour is good: children are co-operative and generally attentive in lessons. They enjoy school and attendance is excellent. Though some children are late in the morning, punctuality is otherwise good throughout the school day. There have been no exclusions during the past year. The pupils and their parents greatly value all that the school does for them; the children relish all aspects of school life. Older pupils have a mature perspective on the complexity of relationships, the need to be reasonable and to look after one another. They have a very good appreciation of the spiritual, moral, social and cultural sides of life. Pupils engage well with the wider community through church, sporting and other links; they give generous support to good causes. An enterprise project for older pupils successfully cultivates their economic awareness. All pupils know how to keep fit and healthy; most try to be sensible about what they eat and

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Grade: 2

most participate in sports regularly and enthusiastically.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is generally good. Over time, teaching has been very successful with junior classes, less so with infants and with younger children. In the lessons visited, the teachers were getting to know their pupils effectively; they had a good appreciation of the needs of individuals. In many lessons, there were two or three versions of the main task, to cater for children's individual learning needs. This was usually successful, though occasionally work set for the more able pupils lacked sufficient challenge and stimulation to help them learn as well as possible. A few pupils with learning difficulties need more support from time to time. The best lessons had a brisk pace and content that captured the children's imagination. However, in a few lessons, too much time was spent on the introduction, and the activities set were mundane. There is a proper and consistent insistence on high standards, for instance with handwriting. The

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Grade: 2

well-organised library and the setting of appropriate homework are effective in helping the pupils to work independently. Work is carefully marked, with helpful guidance to 3 Inspection Report: St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School, 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005 pupils on how to improve. There is good practice with assessment of the youngest children; elsewhere, assessment records are at least adequate.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and pupils of all abilities are well served by it. Teachers plan securely to cover all aspects of the national curriculum and as a result all statutory requirements are met. Religious education, literacy, numeracy and ICT are well provided for. As a result of very good subject leadership, improvements in ICT since the last inspection are significant, with well-considered plans for further developments. The very well-managed provision for pupils with learning difficulties has been good in the past. It is currently constrained by the reduced budget, limiting support in classrooms. Pupils have many opportunities to benefit from a wide range of enrichment activities. They are much enjoyed and there is a high take up after school. Parents are supportive of extra-curricular activities. There are well-established links enabling many pupils to participate in sport at high levels . even at Twickenham! Time is found for some pupils

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Grade: 2

to receive instruction in judo and fencing. Pupils benefit from visitors in a wide range of sports, and also in art, dance and drama, as well as from other faiths. They also visit places of interest in connection with their learning, especially in science and history. Pupils enjoy performing in plays and musicals, and last year's production of The Tempest was of very high quality. Pupils' safety is promoted, including through Year 6 participation in the 'Crucial Crew' scheme. Links with the world community are exemplified by the work of Year 4/5 classes on Children's Ministries in Africa. Overall, pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Grade: 2

Good quality care is a feature of all aspects of the school's life. Effective support and guidance are rooted in the positive relationships between pupils and staff. There is sensitive and effective intervention whenever children have difficulty with relationships or become anxious. Pupils feel safe at school. The school provides effective personal, social, and health education. There is a strong focus on healthy living and risk awareness. There are suitable opportunities for pupils to take responsibility, for instance, by acting as monitors or through the school council. The school takes the views of the pupils seriously and, for example, provided outdoor play equipment at their request. Reports to parents on their children's progress are comprehensive and informative. Helpful guidance about the next stages of education is provided. Although the school tracks pupils' attainment over time, systems for setting learning targets

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Grade: 2

with individuals are underdeveloped and inconsistently applied. The school provides a wholesome environment and care is taken to minimise risks to safety. The school has proper child protection procedures. 4 Inspection Report: St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School, 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005

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Grade: 2

There has been considerable improvement in the school since the last inspection. The interim arrangements for the management of the school are efficient and effective. The acting headteacher is providing positive and collaborative leadership: he is well supported by the staff. The day-to-day running of the school is smooth. Governors meet regularly, know the school well and are extremely supportive. However, they too readily accept the school's view of its performance rather than asking probing questions. Since its last inspection, the school has put appropriate measures in place to monitor and evaluate its performance. . These draw on a suitable range of evidence. All the teachers play some part in collecting and assessing this, for example as subject co-ordinators. The views of parents are systematically gathered and taken into account. This process has enabled the key priorities to be identified and these have been

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Grade: 2

addressed successfully. Inspectors agreed with the school's judgements on all areas of its work. The acting headteacher has a clear grasp of the areas which require improvement and plans to tackle these are emerging. The school's capacity to improve is good. All the issues identified by the previous inspection have been dealt with effectively. Poor accommodation has been demolished and suitable resources for independent learning have been provided. Staffing levels and resources are well managed within the constraints of a budget deficit resulting from the falling roll. 5 Inspection Report: St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School, 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: St Hugh of Lincoln RC Primary School, 14 September 2005 to 15 September 2005

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Overall

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

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 1 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making us feel welcome when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed coming to some of your lessons, talking to you about your work and speaking to your teachers. What we liked most about your school: - you were polite and greeted us with a friendly smile - you enjoy coming to school and work hard in lessons - your teachers help you to do your best - your teachers listen to what you think could make the school better, and work hard to make changes happen - you have lots of exciting trips, visits, clubs and sports to choose from - the acting headteacher knows what your school does well and what it needs to do to get even better - your parents and carers are right in thinking you go to a good school. What we have asked your school to do now: - help you learn more in years 1 and 2 - make sure that the work you are given makes you think as hard as you can - use every minute of lessons for learning

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

- help the governors check how well you are learning. Keep up your good work.

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