St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton

Inspection Report St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton

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106515 Unique Reference Number Wigan LEA 277580 Inspection number 6 July 2006 to 6 July 2006 Inspection dates Mrs Judith Clarke CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 which gives Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools the authority to inspect any school in England. The inspection is to be treated as a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Bolton Old Road School address Primary Type of school Atherton Voluntary aided School category Manchester, Lancashire M46 9FD 4 to 11 Age range of pupils

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01942 883919 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01942 876145 Fax number 245 Number on roll Mr A Glennon Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs G Burrow Headteacher 5 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 277580 6 July 2006 - 4 to 11 6 July 2006 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

One Additional Inspector carried out the inspection. Meetings were held with the headteacher, staff, pupils, parents and governors. Lessons were visited and a range of documentation provided by the school was scrutinised, including the school's self-evaluation documentation and performance data. Discussions with the chair of governors and the receipt of 158 questionnaires from parents further assisted the writing of this report.

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Description of the school

The school is an averaged sized school with pupils coming from a variety of social and economic backgrounds. Almost all children are from a white British heritage. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is slightly above average, whilst the percentage of those with statements of special educational need is below average. The children's skills on entry to the school are broadly at the levels expected, although the profiles of each year group can be very different. The school has achieved a number of awards including Investors in People, Basic Skills Award and Eco School.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton, 6 July 2006 to 6 July 2006

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Grade: 1

St Philip's C of E Primary is an outstanding school. It is highly regarded in the locality because of its strong church and community links and consequently it is oversubscribed. The pupils who are tremendously proud of their school say 'we enjoy school and learning is fun', whilst typical of parents' comments is that this is 'a happy school, where parents feel the teachers are prepared to go that extra mile.' The school motto 'Together we achieve' underpins the strong commitment and high priority given by this first-rate school to the development of self-confidence, self-esteem and learning. When the children start school in the Reception class they come from a range of different pre-school settings and experiences. The children quickly learn to work and play together. This is because of the priority the school places on enabling the children to feel safe and secure. Parents are valued as partners in their childrens' learning.

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Grade: 1

Sessions for the children before they start school help them to settle extremely well. Key to the school's success are the team work and exceptional levels of care, support and guidance provided by all adults in the school. Consequently, although the children start school in the Reception class with attainment that is broadly at the levels expected, by the time they leave school in Year 6 they have made outstanding progress and reach standards that are exceptionally high in English, mathematics and science, with significant numbers of pupils achieving at the higher than expected levels. Throughout the school there is a drive for improvement. The headteacher, ably assisted by the deputy headteacher and the senior management team, is focused on helping the pupils succeed and reach their full potential. Second best is never good enough and there is a total commitment to ensuring that every child is given every opportunity

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Grade: 1

to succeed. Self-evaluation is strong and purposeful and drives the school forwards. The inspection judged some aspects of the school's work better than the school did; this is because it was overly modest and cautious in some respects. Exceptional progress has been made since the last inspection. For example, the provision for information and communication technology (ICT) has greatly improved. However, the school is not complacent as is shown in its plans to trial new resources to improve the provision even further. Extremely thorough checks are made on pupils' progress; this enables the school to target extra help and support for the pupils strategically. The strong team ethos enables new members of staff to become quickly part of a dynamic team. This means that no time is wasted and consistent and highly effective teaching is maintained. The pupils say their lessons are interesting and they do lots of fun things. One pupil

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Grade: 1

commented he liked physical education because 'he had fun, but got fit as well.' The quality of teaching throughout the school is outstanding because lessons are purposeful and inspire the pupils to have a thirst for learning. Consistent, high quality teaching with careful attention to the needs of the individual underpins the work in all classes. In Reception, skilful teaching in targeted groups and the use of the newly refurbished outdoor area lend excitement to the children's learning so that they channel their enthusiasm and natural inquisitiveness to learn new things. A significant aid to learning 2 Inspection Report: St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton, 6 July 2006 to 6 July 2006 is the support and help given to the pupils by the talented teaching assistants who help the pupils with their work. They can often be seen guiding an individual or with a group discussing how to solve a particular problem.

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Grade: 1

The pupils work hard. They waste no time and set to their tasks with enthusiasm. Around the school at playtimes and lunchtimes, they play happily together. The school council is active and shows a commitment not only to the school but also to the wider community. The Year 6 pupils act as buddies for the Year 3 pupils, and the younger pupils talked about the help the older pupils gave them. A significant strength is in the way the pupils talk about and evaluate their work. They ask themselves honest questions and record on a traffic light system how they have got on. This means that the pupils are fully involved in their own learning and demonstrate an outstanding commitment to improvement. The excellent curriculum is both experiential and creative and this allows the pupils to develop a wide range of academic and social skills. A headteacher of one of the local high schools reported: 'the pupils are very well prepared in all respects to start

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Grade: 1

their career at the high school.' The pupils have outstanding opportunities to learn about the talents of others from a wide range of visits and visitors to the school, enabling the pupils to become engrossed in their learning. The pupils particularly enjoy the 'themed weeks' reporting that in the recent 'Industry week' they had enjoyed sampling their own 'Bobby Dazzler icecream.' Learning: informative, exciting and fun! The governing body are committed to 'sustaining success' and appreciate the dedication and hard work that this involves. However, governors recognise that in success there is always room for improvement and are committed to help the school become even better. The 'Visioning group' made up from members of the community and parents is looking at fresh, innovative ideas to further extend and develop the scope of the school.

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Grade: 1

Achievement is outstanding throughout the school. When the children start in the Foundation Stage their skills are broadly average. By the end of Year 2 the pupils reach standards that are above average, with all the pupils reaching the expected levels in mathematics and science. The unvalidated test results for pupils in Year 6 in 2006 show their achievement is excellent and standards in English, mathematics and science are all exceptionally high. Particularly pleasing for the school are the improved results in English, with the exceptional strength in science being maintained. The school recognises that the composition of each year group varies year on year: challenging targets are set for each year group and each child within that year group. Consequently progress and achievement for all the pupils is carefully watched and targeted so that all make excellent progress. 3 Inspection Report: St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton, 6 July 2006 to 6 July 2006

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Grade: 1

The pupils' attitudes to their learning are exceptional. They have a genuine desire to learn and to do well. Relationships are of a high order and so the pupils feel valued and supported. Consequently they work very hard and do exceptionally well, demonstrating high levels of self-esteem. One child in talking about her enjoyment of lessons said, 'You see my head is full of stories.' Attendance rates are very high, a clear indication of the enjoyment pupils find in school and also that parents recognise the value of taking holidays out of term time. The pupils have many opportunities to shine, through the school's commitment to the church and the immediate and wider community. Many good causes are supported and pupils decide democratically how to allocate the funds they have raised. Particularly noteworthy is the work throughout the school to promote the pupils' economic well-being through a wide range of ongoing enterprise projects.

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Grade: 1

The quality of teaching and learning throughout the school is outstanding. It is especially effective at the end of Key Stage 2 and allows the pupils to make the maximum gains in their learning. Sharp planning ensures that all pupils are challenged appropriately and supported where necessary so that maximum gains in learning are made. Key is the consistency of teaching which means that progress is assured, building securely on previous learning. The pupils say that they always have positive feedback on their learning from the teachers and teaching assistants. Coupled with an increasing awareness and evaluation of their own work, this allows the pupils to accept responsibility for their own learning so that they strive to improve.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum takes an outstanding account of the pupils' needs, so that their interests as well as their personal and emotional needs are exceptionally well catered for. The school's music tradition is strong with the brass band playing at social events. The exceptionally wide range of extra-curricular opportunities caters for many diverse interests and is open to all. Older pupils guide younger pupils at lunchtimes helping them to improve their games skills. This helps develop a healthy lifestyle and demonstrates the pupils' commitment to fitness. 4 Inspection Report: St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton, 6 July 2006 to 6 July 2006

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Grade: 1

Parents recognise that the school keeps them very well informed about the curriculum and their child's progress so that they are able to support learning at home. Exceptional steps are taken to involve parents in the life and work of the school. Appropriate systems for risk assessments and child protection are in place.

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Grade: 1

There is a very strong enthusiastic leadership team, led by an outstanding headteacher who has a clear vision and determination to strive for the very best. A strong learning culture has been developed and embedded. Self- evaluation is accurate and analytical, noting where improvements are to be made and ensuring their improvement. This is clearly demonstrated in improved performance in writing and the input into mental mathematics, and is also apparent in the determination to be in the forefront of initiatives in ICT. The governing body have a clear view of the strengths and areas for development of the school, and see that maintaining successes is challenging. 5 Inspection Report: St Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton, 6 July 2006 to 6 July 2006 .

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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 Philip's CofE Primary School, Atherton, 6 July 2006 to 6 July 2006

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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 1 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 1 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 1 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 1 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 1 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 1 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 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 1 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 1 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 1 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 1 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 1 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

As you know, I recently visited your school to find out how well your teachers are helping you with your learning. Thank you for being so friendly and talking to me. I really enjoyed talking to you about your work, visiting your classes, looking at your books and speaking to your teachers and parents. I think your school is an outstanding school. This gives you top marks. Well done. What I like most about your outstanding school. - Your friendly welcome. It was a pleasure to visit your school and talk to you all about your work. - You behave very well both in class and in the playgrounds. - In lessons you always do your best and check your work at the end to see if you could have done better, or if you need more practice. - All the staff work very hard to make your learning fun. - Your headteacher runs your school in an outstanding way. She cares about each and every one of you, listens to what you have to say and works hard to make school even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

- Your parents and carers are right in thinking you go to an excellent school. I know that you enjoy the work you do in information and communication technology and the school has exciting plans to try out some new equipment. I agree this is a good step forward in the use of technology. Perhaps it is a development that you can help with, by telling your teachers what you think. I hope that you will continue to work hard in school and help the teachers so that St Philip's keeps getting top marks.

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