Saviour CofE Primary School

Saviour CofE Primary School Inspection report

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105548 Unique Reference Number Manchester Local Authority 308885 Inspection number 14 °15 July 2008 Inspection dates Diane Auton 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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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 170 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Joyce Mounfield Chair Mr Stephen Callaghan Headteacher 18 April 2005 Date of previous school inspection Eggington Street School address Collyhurst Manchester M40 7RH 0161 2051221 Telephone number 0161 2051577 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 14 °15 July 2008 Inspection dates 308885 Inspection number .

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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 small school serves an exceptionally disadvantaged urban area and operates in challenging circumstances that arise from the nature of the area that it serves. The proportion of pupils entitled to free school meals is well above average. About half of the pupils are White British. Others are drawn from minority ethnic groups and mostly have African or Asian heritage. Around a quarter of pupils have home languages other than English, although only a small number are at an early stage in learning English. Many pupils join or leave the school mid-way through the primary years. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is average. The school holds the Healthy Schools Award and the Activemark.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Saviour CofE Primary School, 14 °15 July 2008

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Grade: 3

Although the quality of education the school provides is satisfactory, this is an improving school where standards have recently begun to rise. While the skills and knowledge of pupils entering Key Stage 1 are below those expected, they make steady progress. The school's data shows that pupils in all classes are making gains in English and mathematics at an increasing rate. Standards in both Key Stages 1 and 2 are now broadly average, though overall they are still not high enough. The pace of learning is not yet fully consistent across the school and there are still variations in what is achieved by pupils in different age groups. Standards in reading at Key Stage 1 are lower than in writing and the school is currently working to remedy this imbalance. Standards in science are not as high as in English and mathematics in Key Stage 2. Overall the achievement that pupils make in the school is satisfactory.

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Grade: 3

Care, support and guidance are satisfactory. The school is nurturing and inclusive and provides a secure haven for its pupils. Work has also begun to involve pupils more closely in monitoring their own learning, through the use of individual targets and interactive marking. However, this is at an early stage and is not yet being developed consistently in all the classes. Consequently, pupils do not always understand their targets and are not always aware of what they should do to improve their work. Because their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered well and their well-being is given high priority pupils' personal development is good. They behave well and their attendance is satisfactory. Parents appreciate the pastoral care the school provides for their children and their evaluations of the school are overwhelmingly positive. The quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory. Although some lessons are good, this quality

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Grade: 3

is not consistent across the school, as other lessons, whilst adequate, have less impact on learning than they should. The curriculum is satisfactory and work to improve it is underway. The main focus in recent times has, correctly, been on literacy and numeracy. Initiatives introduced to improve pupils' basic skills have been chosen well and are helping to lift standards. The impact of leadership and management of the school is satisfactory. Since the school's last inspection, leaders have taken successful steps to create conditions to support improved learning. They have developed satisfactory monitoring and evaluation systems and good means of tracking pupils' progress. These give a clear picture of the quality of provision and of pupils' needs. The school uses this information to make strategic planning increasingly more effective. All of this has recently begun to impact positively on standards and achievement. Consequently,

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Grade: 3

there is a satisfactory capacity in the school to make further improvements. Arrangements for the safeguarding of pupils meet government requirements. Governance is satisfactory. The governors ensure that the school uses its resources efficiently and effectively and hence it provides satisfactory value for money. Indoor and outdoor environments have been upgraded and learning resources have been improved, this is helping to support pupils' good personal development and their satisfactory academic progress. Pupil numbers have begun to rise, reflecting parents' confidence in the school.

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Grade: 3

When they enter the Foundation Stage, most children's skills and knowledge are well below those expected for their age. When they enter the Nursery class, many children have limited 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Saviour CofE Primary School, 14 °15 July 2008 speaking and listening skills and a small proportion has little or no English. In the Nursery they make a satisfactory start to their education. They settle happily into their new surroundings and make particularly good progress in their personal development, establishing positive attitudes to learning. They enjoy the range of activities provided for them and there is an appropriate balance between those that are led by adults and independent activities initiated by the children themselves. The outdoor learning area is planned well and is used effectively to promote children's social development and skills across the areas of learning. Children who

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Grade: 3

are learning English are supported well and their communication skills progress rapidly. All of the children, including those who are vulnerable and those who have additional learning needs, are given the support they need to make satisfactory progress in relation to their starting points. Leadership of the Foundation Stage is satisfactory and effective teamwork underpins all aspects of its provision.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards across the school, especially in reading at Key Stage 1 and science at Key Stage 2. ■ Improve the quality of teaching so that it consistently matches that of the best practice in the school. ■ Ensure that pupils understand how well they are doing and what they need to do to improve their work and achieve their targets. 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.

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Grade: 3

Pupils' starting points on entry to Key Stage 1 are below those expected for their age. Until very recently their progress in Key Stage 1 was slow. In 2007 standards at the end of Year 2 were well below average in all subjects. However, progress currently in Key Stage 1 has improved and standards in Year 2 are now broadly average overall, with the best improvement being made in writing and mathematics. Whilst there has been an improvement in reading, standards in literacy are still below average. The proportion of pupils who reach the higher Level 3 in all the subjects is below average. Overall standards in Key Stage 2 currently have also improved. They are now broadly average and the proportion of pupils reaching the higher Level 5 now matches national expectations. The best improvements have been in English and mathematics, standards in science are also improved but are not as high as those in the two other subjects.

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Grade: 3

Overall, whilst standards are improving, they are still not high enough. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who do not speak English as their home language make satisfactory progress in relation to their abilities and starting points.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. They are growing in confidence and say that they enjoy coming to school. This is confirmed in many positive comments from parents. Pupils enjoy trusting relationships with the adults in school and feel that their contribution to the life of the school is highly valued. Their behaviour is consistently good and they say that they feel safe and secure and can approach an adult with any problems. Pupils know well about 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Saviour CofE Primary School, 14 °15 July 2008 the importance of leading a healthy and safe lifestyle and they participate in and enjoy a variety of sporting activities both in lessons and through a range of extra-curricular clubs. Pupils make a good contribution to their community. For example, school councillors enjoy their proactive role and are proud of their recent work towards the provision of additional equipment in the

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Grade: 2

playground. Pupils' understanding of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong and is fostered through circle time, religious education lessons and school assemblies. Their satisfactory basic skills prepare them adequately for the next stages in their education. Cultural diversity is celebrated through the curriculum. An assembly on the theme of 'changes' was particularly helpful in preparing pupils for their move to new classes and schools next year and a moment of reflection to allow them to quietly focus on these changes was wonderfully observed.

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Grade: 3

Overall teaching and learning are satisfactory. Although several areas of practice in the school are better than this, too much variance exists in the quality of lessons. Pupils apply themselves well in lessons because they are usually engaged by challenging and stimulating activities. Where teaching is at its most effective, they are given a clear understanding of the purpose of the learning tasks and they are supported well to achieve the objectives of the lesson. In less successful lessons, this is not always the case. Occasionally, learning objectives are not made clear and tasks are not matched well enough to the needs of pupils of differing abilities. The school uses the information gained from regular assessment effectively in planning additional support for those pupils who require them. Teaching assistants make an important contribution to the provision for the less able pupils, those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and

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Grade: 3

those for whom English is an additional language. This helps to support the satisfactory progress of pupils in all of these groups.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory with some good features. Personal, social and health education helps to ensure pupils understand the importance of staying safe and being healthy and supports their good personal development and well-being. Good attention is given to promoting the development of pupils' skills in speaking and listening and self-confidence through a range of cultural activities. This is exemplified well in a vibrant performing arts project this term, which is providing enjoyment and a significant aid to pupils' cultural and musical development. The curriculum is also greatly enriched by a wide and interesting range of clubs, visits and visitors. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities receive well targeted support through individual learning plans with curriculum adjustments to ensure relevance and enjoyment. A strong recent emphasis on the further development of writing across the school is showing

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Grade: 3

promising results. Work has begun to improve opportunities for pupils to practice their basic skills in other subjects through the development of topics that bring subjects together. However, this is at too early a stage for its impact to be felt. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Saviour CofE Primary School, 14 °15 July 2008

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Grade: 3

The quality of care, guidance and support is satisfactory with some good features. The school places a high priority on supporting pupils' varying needs, such as the few vulnerable pupils and those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Child protection procedures and arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet requirements. There is a strong focus on healthy lifestyles and pupils are actively encouraged to make choices in their diet and to take regular exercise. The school works effectively with a range of agencies to promote pupils' safety, health and well-being. Relatively new systems to improve the tracking of pupils' progress and to support their learning are beginning to show a positive impact. Pupils in some year groups are developing an improved awareness of what they need to achieve through the use of individual learning targets. However, there is some inconsistency in the use of end of lesson summaries

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Grade: 3

by teachers and in the marking of books. Consequently, pupils are not always clear as to how well they are doing or what they need to do to improve their work to reach their targets. The school sets and meets appropriate targets for attendance through working supportively with families of pupils at risk of low attendance.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher's clear vision for improving the school is centred firmly on improving pupils' achievement and raising standards. This is shared wholeheartedly by staff and governors. Improvements instituted this year in the way the school tracks and measures pupils' progress have been effective in enabling staff to identify and support those pupils who need extra help. Whole-school targets are appropriately challenging and the school has been much more successful in achieving them this year than in previous years. This is due in part to the way information gained from assessment and progress tracking is now being used well to help the school plan for improvement. Systems to monitor the quality of provision are adequate for purpose, although they are currently operated largely by senior staff. Subject leaders have begun to have a monitoring role, but this development is at an early stage and has not yet

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Grade: 3

started to impact sufficiently on standards and provision. A budget deficit has been carried over several years and the school is working with its local authority to reduce this through a planned programme of financial management. Governors contribute supportively to school leadership and management and they are developing their capacity to act as a critical friend to the school. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Saviour CofE Primary School, 14 °15 July 2008 .

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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: Saviour CofE Primary School, 14 °15 July 2008

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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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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

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learners?

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

3 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Saviour CofE Primary School, 14 °15 July 2008

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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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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: Saviour CofE Primary School, 14 °15 July 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making us so welcome when we inspected your school. As you know, we came to see how well the school is doing and how you are all getting on with your learning. We found that Saviour Primary School is a satisfactory school. These are some of our findings:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the school is improving and you are starting to make more rapid progress in your learning. Keep up the good work! ■ the Foundation Stage gets your education off to a satisfactory start

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ teaching is satisfactory and you enjoy your lessons

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ the adults in school look after you well

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ your personal development is good and this shows in your good behaviour and politeness and in the sensible way you carry out responsibilities in school, for example, as school councillors. There is still work to be done to make Saviour the best school it can possibly be. We have asked the headteacher and the staff:

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ to carry on working with you to raise your standards across the school, especially in reading at Key Stage 1 and science at Key Stage 2 ■ to make sure that you know how well you are doing in your work and what you need to do to improve it to achieve your targets ■ to make sure that teaching is as effective as possible in all of the classes.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You can help by continuing to be happy, hard working learners. With my very best wishes for the future 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Saviour CofE Primary School, 14 °15 July 2008

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