St Luke's CofE Primary School

Inspection Report St Luke's CofE Primary School

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105503 Unique Reference Number Manchester Local Authority 287240 Inspection number 22 °23 February 2007 Inspection dates Peter Jones 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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Langport Avenue School address Primary Type of school Longsight, Manchester Voluntary controlled School category Lancashire M12 4NG 3 °11 Age range of pupils 0161 2733648 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0161 2733735 Fax number 236 Number on roll (school) Rev P Clarke Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Saeeda Ishaq Headteacher 24 September 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 287240 22 °23 February 2007 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 Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a broadly average sized primary school with 80% ethnic minority pupils, serving a residential area with significant signs of deprivation. At any one time, pupils from as many as 26 different countries may be present in the school population, many of them asylum seekers and refugees. Pupil mobility is exceptionally high. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals and with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is well above average. The school has Healthy School and Investor in People status and holds the prestigious Manchester Inclusion gold award.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: St Luke's CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Grade: 1

This is an outstanding school. It very successfully overcomes the huge difficulties presented by extremely high rates of pupil mobility, the range and diversity of its pupils' needs and the challenges of operating within an area of very considerable economic and social disadvantage. The vast majority of the school's pupils come from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds and have English as an additional language. A significant proportion also have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Nevertheless, all pupils consistently make exceptionally good progress from very low starting points to reach standards that compare well with national averages by age 11. This greatly enhances their future economic well-being. Parents speak of the 'great strides' in their children's progress and English speaking abilities in just a few months. Just as importantly, St Luke's produces confident, caring and ambitious young people. This

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Grade: 1

exceptional performance means that the school provides excellent value for money and has an outstanding capacity for future improvement. The school has also made outstanding improvement since the last inspection. The school's ethos is all-embracing, and at the heart of its success. Staff at all levels show respect and affection to their pupils and to each other, and the bonds within the school community are remarkable. The constant new arrivals to the school are made instantly welcome by staff and pupils, and they quickly become a part of the family of St Luke's. All pupils feel safe and happy, and for many this is a new experience. The result is excellent behaviour at all times and a great enthusiasm for learning. Pupils enjoy all that the school offers, as shown by the improving attendance and participation in the many clubs and extra-curricular activities. There are good links with the local community, and pupils are encouraged to take part in charitable work and enterprises

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Grade: 1

in and out of school. The school is a focal point for parents and carers, who are overwhelmingly supportive of the school's work. They greatly appreciate the school's willingness to offer assistance and advice to improve family life and resolve issues. Pupils are extremely aware of the importance of leading healthy lifestyles thanks to the school's highly effective programmes for healthy eating and physical exercise. The quality of teaching and learning is outstanding and another major factor in the school's success. The school quickly identifies the needs of every pupil on entry and produces a personalised learning plan which is constantly monitored. Highly skilled teaching combines a caring and individual approach with very high expectations of work and behaviour, resulting in outstanding achievement for all pupils. Provision in the Foundation Stage is outstanding, and the children enjoy a rich variety of exciting

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Grade: 1

and stimulating experiences and excellent teaching. The rapid progress they make is a springboard for their future success. Progress is tracked extremely carefully towards very challenging individual targets, and the school's assessment systems are very thorough. Marking is conscientious, but pupils are not always provided with enough guidance on how to improve their work to enable them to make even better progress. Leadership and management are outstanding. The headteacher has exceptional drive and vision and a passionate belief in the value and potential of every pupil who enters the school. Dedicated, skilled staff work unceasingly to promote the school motto of 2 Inspection Report: St Luke's CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007 'a school of united nations' and to continually raise standards. The school is innovative and resourceful in its work and there is a highly effective partnership with the excellent

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Grade: 1

governing body. The school's self-evaluation is modest rather than misguided in its judgements of its overall effectiveness, teaching and learning and leadership and management. It clearly knows itself well, and has a clear vision of its future.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that pupils know how well they are doing and what they need to do next to improve their work.

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Grade: 1

Children enter the school with skills that are well below those expected for their age. The considerable majority have English as an additional language and many have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. All pupils make excellent progress with their personal, social and emotional development through the Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, although standards in reading, writing and mathematics remain well below average in national tests at age 7. As a result of the highly effective strategies the school employs and the impact of the earlier teaching, pupils make exceptional progress to reach standards broadly in line with national averages by age 11. The school holds convincing data to show that the significant numbers of pupils who join the school at different stages of their education make excellent progress to meet realistic and challenging targets.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development, including their social, moral, spiritual and cultural development, is outstanding. The school uniform consists of 'a walk, a smile and a jumper'. The way pupils walk conveys dignity and purpose, their smiles radiate friendliness and optimism and the jumper shows that everyone is part of the same team. All pupils wear the 'uniform' with great pride and set a terrific example to all those they meet. This example of the school's extraordinary efforts to include and motivate all its pupils shows why it is such a special place. The receipt of the gold standard Manchester Inclusion award is a fitting accolade to the school's achievements. There is genuine affection among all pupils and a strong sense of belonging. They clearly enjoy their lessons and the many opportunities provided by social events and clubs. Attendance has improved in spite of the high mobility, and is very close to the

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Grade: 1

national average. Pupils feel safe and happy and lead healthy lifestyles. Pupils have a strong voice in decision making, and the active school council has helped to bring improvements to the school site. Pupils contribute well to the school and wider community, for example through the buddy system which brings older and younger pupils together, and through events such as singing within the local market. Pupils learn important skills to help them in the future, and their information and 3 Inspection Report: St Luke's CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007 communication technology (ICT) abilities are particularly impressive. These, together with the outstanding progress all pupils make, mean that pupils are well equipped for the future.

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Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are outstanding. Teachers and teaching assistants are highly skilled and work together extremely effectively. The school is dynamic in the way it targets support towards individual pupils. In the Nursery and Reception classes children receive an excellent, wide-ranging experience that particularly benefits their social and emotional development. This continues into Key Stage 1, and there is great fluidity between classes so that individual pupils receive the help they need. Academic skills begin to develop more strongly and come to full fruition in Key Stage 2 where pupils make outstanding progress. The quality of the relationships between staff and pupils is central to success, and the excellent behaviour and strong motivation result in excellent learning. Teaching is fun and exciting, but there are pace and rigour and high expectations. Individual pupils are given work that closely matches their needs

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Grade: 1

in all subjects and this places a heavy demand on the dedicated staff. Pupils really appreciate this and work exceptionally hard. As a result, pupils of all abilities and backgrounds make excellent progress. There are many opportunities for pupils to develop their speaking and listening skills and they quickly become confident and articulate.

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Grade: 2

The school works successfully to ensure that all pupils have good opportunities to develop their basic skills. Personal, social and health education is central to the curriculum; it contributes strongly to pupils' personal development and well-being and underpins their consistently excellent progress. The school is keen to broaden the knowledge and experience of all pupils through a wide programme of visits to local places of interest. Pupils also benefit from a wide variety of speakers and visitors to the school. A more skills-based curriculum is being developed which aims to better meet the individual needs of all pupils and to offer even greater enrichment.

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Grade: 2

The quality of care, guidance and support is good with some outstanding features. These are the way in which all pupils are valued and nurtured and the exceptional lengths that the school takes to identify and meet the needs of all its pupils. As with everything at St Luke's, the school ethos is the main factor. All staff make sure that they present a welcoming and caring face to every pupil, and try to know every pupil's 4 Inspection Report: St Luke's CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007 name. As a result, all pupils feel safe and can turn to any number of sympathetic and trained adults if they are distressed or troubled. Child protection and health and safety procedures are in place and in line with local and national guidelines. Pupils' progress is carefully tracked, but they do not always receive the guidance they need to make the next steps in their learning to progress even more quickly.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding headteacher is extremely well supported by a dedicated and highly informed leadership team that thrives on the responsibility it is given. Together they have transformed the life and work of the school and made it an extremely effective institution where all pupils make excellent progress and realise their potential. The headteacher's energy and commitment provide inspiration for staff at all levels. Morale is high and there is a strong team ethic. Leadership is flexible and dynamic. Empathy and tolerance is combined with thoughtful and rigorous strategies to drive up standards and achievement. School improvement planning reflects these priorities. The work of the school is monitored in depth and this has helped to raise the quality of teaching and learning to a very high standard. The school continually strives to improve the quality of its site and buildings, with considerable success, but the generally poor

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Grade: 1

conditions and cramped space are a barrier to learning. The governing body, very ably led by the dedicated chairperson, provides outstanding support. Members are very active, with a detailed knowledge of the school, and they are very effectively involved in school development planning and in checking on pupils' performance. 5 Inspection Report: St Luke's CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007 .

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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 Luke's CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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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? 1 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? 3 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 3 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 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?

2 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 Luke's CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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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 Luke's CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for your friendliness and for making us feel so welcome when we visited your brilliant school. We enjoyed our time with you, especially talking to you and finding out about all the interesting things that are happening in your school. What is excellent about your school • You really enjoy coming to school and get along very well together. You and the staff are very proud of your school. • Your school council, buddies and monitors do a great deal for you and the school. We like the way you all make new pupils feel at home when they first arrive. • Teachers and classroom assistants work very hard to help you to learn. • You behave very well at all times and you all work hard. You make excellent progress. • The school keeps you safe and happy. • We know that you enjoy the extra-curricular and sports and music activities. You all looked to be having great fun in your Valentine disco! What we have asked the school to do now

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• Make sure that your teachers give you more helpful comments when they mark your work so that you can improve even more. We appreciated talking to you and watching you learn. Well done. You should be very proud of your outstanding school. We wish you well for the future. 9 Inspection Report: St Luke's CofE Primary School, 22 °23 February 2007

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