St Anne's RC Primary School Crumpsall Manchester

St Anne's RC Primary School Crumpsall Manchester Inspection report

p.1

105521 Unique Reference Number Manchester Local Authority 287247 Inspection number 19 °20 June 2007 Inspection dates Kevin Johnson Reporting inspector

p.1

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

p.1

Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 263 School

p.1

The governing body Appropriate authority Rev C McGrane Chair Mr Martin Lowe Headteacher 7 October 2002 Date of previous school inspection Moss Bank School address Crumpsall Manchester M8 5AB

p.1

0161 7405995 Telephone number 0161 7950236 Fax number

p.1

3 °11 Age group 19 °20 June 2007 Inspection dates 287247 Inspection number .

p.1

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.

p.2

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.

p.2

Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

p.3

Description of the school

St Anne's is an average sized school located in Crumpsall, in the diocese of Salford. The majority of the pupils live in Crumpsall but about 20% of pupils attend from neighbouring areas. The school serves an area of increasing social need. There are 25% of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. A similar proportion come from minority ethnic backgrounds. An increasing number of pupils learn English as an additional language. The headteacher was appointed in January 2007.

p.3

Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: St Anne's RC Primary School Crumpsall Manchester, 19 °20 June 2007

p.3

Grade: 3

St Anne's is a welcoming, friendly school where pupils receive a satisfactory but improving education. Pupils enjoy school and attendance has improved to an average level. Pupils get on well with one another and their behaviour is good. By the time they leave Year 6 they are self-assured young people who have the good personal skills necessary to face the future confidently. Pupils say that they feel safe in the playground. There is virtually no bullying and those from minority ethnic groups agree that they are welcomed with kindness and make good friends. Pupils are proud of their Healthy School status, and the school council, eco council and active council work tirelessly to maintain good attitudes towards healthy lifestyles and a clean environment. Younger pupils manage their own vegetable patch and members of the school council rigorously check the contents of packed lunch boxes during 'fruit and vegetable'

p.4

Grade: 3

weeks. Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school and are confident that their children's needs are given a high priority. Pupils place their trust in adults who work in the school, knowing that there is always someone to turn to if the need arises. Pupils achieve average standards in national tests at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2. From starting in Nursery, with the expected levels of skills for their age, to leaving Year 6, they make satisfactory progress overall. However, progress is uneven as pupils move through the school because the quality of teaching and the challenge in lessons are too variable. The pace of learning set when children enter the Nursery, for example, is not maintained so not all pupils achieve as well as they can by the end of the Foundation Stage. This leaves more ground than there need be to make up in the following years. Teachers' use of assessment and marking as

p.4

Grade: 3

a tool for learning is not fully embedded in day-to-day practice, resulting in a mismatch of work to ability levels. This leads to pupils, particularly the more able, not always making maximum progress. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Some teaching is good and some outstanding, but overall there are inconsistencies. These have arisen because there has been a lack of continuity and rigour in monitoring and evaluating its effectiveness. The curriculum is planned satisfactorily. The school recognises that there is a need to plan more creatively to link skills across the curriculum. It also realises it needs to extend after-school clubs to include more activities other than sport. This would help pupils foster a wider range of skills and interests. Leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. After incisive analysis and accurate evaluation of the school's needs, the headteacher and deputy headteacher have secured the

p.4

Grade: 3

support of staff and governors in resetting the vision for school improvement. Senior leaders have clearly defined roles and are beginning to take on more accountability for learning and progress across the whole school. Whole-school systems for monitoring the school's academic performance are satisfactory. Pupils' progress is tracked from year to year. Better use could be made of tracking information to identify highs and lows of pupils' achievement in order to plan appropriate intervention and reset targets. Governors give the school their full support and are better able to challenge the school from the information they now receive. They manage finances carefully to ensure satisfactory value for money. There have been satisfactory improvements since the last inspection. These are evident in the quality of leadership, improving standards, pupils' personal development and standards and provision in information and

p.4

Grade: 3

communication technology. Provision for outdoor learning in the Foundation Stage has improved significantly. Although there are good strengths in the current leadership, the full impact of 4 of 11 Inspection Report: St Anne's RC Primary School Crumpsall Manchester, 19 °20 June 2007 initiatives on achievement and standards has yet to be proven. At this point, therefore, the school has satisfactory capacity to improve.

p.4

What the school should do to improve further

• Raise the overall quality and consistency of teaching and learning. • Ensure that all teachers use assessment, including their use of marking, to plan the next steps in pupils' learning. • Improve the consistency of provision and progress in the Foundation Stage. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

p.5

Grade: 3

National test data for 2006 show standards to be broadly average overall at the end of Year 6. Standards in science fell short of national expectations. School data indicates that standards in English and mathematics are likely to be maintained but standards in science are set to rise due to good teaching. Standards at the end of Year 2 were broadly average in reading and writing in 2006 but fell below average in mathematics. Indications are that current standards are at least average in all subjects because strong teaching is having a positive impact. Overall, although there is a slight upturn in standards in some subjects, pupils achieve satisfactorily. This is because progress for some pupils is not as good as it could be. The picture matches that of teaching, where the challenge and pace of learning are uneven. Pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those for whom English is an additional language make

p.5

Grade: 3

steady progress and achieve satisfactorily overall.

p.5

Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Attendance is rising and the vast majority of pupils behave well. They take responsibility seriously and know how important it is to listen to and represent others' views. They acquire important life skills through their caring role as 'playground pals' or by charitable fund-raising. Pupils contribute well to the daily life of the school by being class monitors or lunchtime play leaders. Some pupils show good initiative, for example, by leading their own after-school cheerleaders' club. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good overall. Pupils are reflective about their daily lives and enjoy good relationships with one another. They work harmoniously, showing respect for each other's feelings and cultural backgrounds. Links with the wider community and pupils' understanding of everyday multicultural life beyond the school are limited and are seen by the school as aspects

p.5

Grade: 3

The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. There are good and better lessons where pupils see a clear purpose to their learning and where teachers question pupils well to probe their understanding and clarify thinking. In one such lesson there were clear expectations for 5 of 11 Inspection Report: St Anne's RC Primary School Crumpsall Manchester, 19 °20 June 2007 every ability group, and the good use of visual support and discussion meant that pupils approached their writing about the Blitz with added confidence. Learning objectives are not always as clear, and too often in some classes all pupils do the same work regardless of their abilities. Sometimes pupils spend too much time listening and not enough time on practical tasks, leaving too little time for real progress in lessons. Where they are available, interactive whiteboards are used effectively to inject pace into learning. In all lessons, teachers establish

p.5

Grade: 3

good relationships so there is an atmosphere of respect and good behaviour. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to pupils' learning because they have a clear understanding of pupils' particular needs, and they too have gained pupils' respect and confidence. Teachers' use of assessment to plan lessons and use of marking to inform pupils of the progress they make are areas for development.

p.6

Grade: 3

The curriculum meets the needs of most pupils adequately but is not planned sufficiently for those who are more able. National guidance for subjects is used as a basis for planning to ensure that statutory requirements are met. There is sufficient time spent on literacy and numeracy but more could be done to explore the possibilities of developing those and other skills through different subjects. The curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. The improved outdoor provision is used well, helping personal and physical development to get off to a better start. Planning overall does not take enough account of what all pupils already know and can do. Pupils enjoy the clubs available after school and opportunities presented through visits and visitors. The range of these opportunities is limited and the school is seeking to improve such provision by planning more experiences linked directly to what pupils are learning

p.6

Grade: 3

in school. Personal, social, health and citizenship education is a developing strength. A programme to help pupils deal with relationships and feelings is having a positive impact on personal development.

p.6

Grade: 3

The quality of care provided is satisfactory overall though there are elements within it which are good. For example, good support is provided for a group of vulnerable pupils who require more help with their physical coordination. Liaison between the school and parents of pupils who have learning difficulties and/or disabilities is also productive. Pupils who learn English as an additional language are helped to settle into school quickly and soon make progress alongside others. Pupils receive clear guidance about bullying and racism and understand rules about safety around the school. The school's procedures for safeguarding pupils are in place though some administrative matters are currently being updated. Support for academic progress is weak. Assessment information is underused and marking is of variable quality and usefulness to pupils' knowledge and understanding of their own learning.

p.6

Grade: 3

During their relatively short time in post, the headteacher and deputy headteacher have identified the right priorities and set the school on a strong course for improvement. All staff agree about what is needed and there is a corporate will to make planned strategies work and 6 of 11 Inspection Report: St Anne's RC Primary School Crumpsall Manchester, 19 °20 June 2007 to build on the start they have already made to boost standards and achievement. Leaders have evaluated the school's performance accurately with the help of local authority advisory staff but have been modest about what has been achieved since the last inspection. The impact of the initiatives that have been put into place to raise standards are not yet fully evident. Recent changes in the governing body have not lessened members' resolve to work as critical partners with the school in order to bring about improvements. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: St Anne's RC Primary School Crumpsall Manchester, 19 °20 June 2007

p.6

Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: St Anne's RC Primary School Crumpsall Manchester, 19 °20 June 2007

p.8

Inspection judgements

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

p.9

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? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

p.9

Achievement and standards

3 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 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

p.9

learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 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

p.9

and interests of learners?

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

p.9

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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: St Anne's RC Primary School Crumpsall Manchester, 19 °20 June 2007

p.9

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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: St Anne's RC Primary School Crumpsall Manchester, 19 °20 June 2007

p.10

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Inspection of St Anne's RC Primary School, Crumpsall, M8 5AB Thank you for the very friendly welcome you gave us when we visited you recently. We enjoyed talking to you because you are so polite and sensible and told us many good things about your school. We were pleased to learn that you enjoy school so much and that you are really keen to stay fit and healthy. We also noticed that you behave well and that your attendance is getting better. That's good, so keep it up! We learned how well the grown-ups care for you and how you take good care of each other. It was also nice to find out how your school councils are working hard to make school even better for everyone. Your headteacher and teachers have some good ideas too! You are making satisfactory progress with your work; your English, mathematics and science are slowly improving. Everyone would like your progress to be good so that you improve more

p.11

Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

quickly. We have asked your teachers to help by making sure that every lesson is as challenging as the very best lessons. That means everyone always doing the hardest work they possibly can. We have also asked that when teachers mark your work to make sure that you know what you have to do to make it better. You can help by always knowing what your next learning target is and continuing to work hard to achieve it. Best wishes and good luck to everyone. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: St Anne's RC Primary School Crumpsall Manchester, 19 °20 June 2007

p.11